Children's Home run by Headway Adolescent Resources Limited in Bristol

Inspection report children’s home: SC066250 1 SC066250 Registered provider: Headway Adolescent Resources Limited Full inspection Inspected under the social care common inspection framework

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Information about this children’s home

This service is registered to provide care and accommodation for up to three young people with emotional and/or behavioural difficulties and learning disabilities. It is owned by a private company that also operates other children’s homes in the surrounding area.

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Overall experiences and progress of

children and young people, taking into account

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outstanding

How well children and young people are helped and protected outstanding

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outstanding

The effectiveness of leaders and managers outstanding

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outstanding

The children’s home provides highly effective services that consistently exceed the standards of good. The actions of the children’s home contribute to significantly improved outcomes and positive experiences for children and young people who need help, protection and care.

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outstanding

Date of last inspection: 19 February 2018

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outstanding

Overall judgement at last inspection: improved effectiveness

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outstanding

Enforcement action since last inspection: none Inspection report children’s home: SC066250 2

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Inspection date Inspection type Inspection judgement

19/02/2018 Interim Improved effectiveness 27/06/2017 Full Good 26/10/2016 Full Requires improvement 17/08/2016 Full Inadequate Inspection report children’s home: SC066250 3

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: outstanding

Staff have excelled in providing a stable, loving home for the young people. Care is tailored to their individual needs. Consequently, the outcomes for the young people are consistently positive.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: outstanding

Staff speak of the positive relationships that the young people have with their friends and family. Fun and friendly interactions between the young people and their visiting friends were observed by the inspector. In particular, meals are routinely shared and ‘sleepovers’ regularly take place at the home and at their friends’ houses. Young people spoke of how this makes them feel that they fit in with their friends.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: outstanding

Extremely well-documented records evidence marked improvements in all of the young people’s education, emotional well-being and behaviours. For all the young people, the exceptionally skilled staff have been instrumental in building family relationships and avoiding placement breakdown. This has a major positive impact on the young people’s life chances.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: outstanding

All the staff have an excellent understanding of the young people’s needs. The diversity of the staff makes them skilled in identifying the cultural needs of the young people. A social worker praised the support highly, saying: ‘I cannot begin to tell you how fantastic this home and company are. The level of respect young people and staff have towards each other is phenomenal.’ Because of the home’s approach to embracing difference, the young people develop a strong sense of identity, and they can make sense of their lives. Young people told the inspector how they feel loved and accepted by the staff, and how they refer to their home as the ‘United Nations’ home. This because they see themselves as all different yet equally valued.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: outstanding

Staff advocate strongly for the young people. There are particularly strong links with educational providers and local authorities. Personalised packages of support informed by the home’s models of intervention result in young people making significant progress in all areas of their lives.

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How well children and young people are helped and protected: outstanding

Staff have an excellent understanding of how young people’s previous experiences of trauma and abuse affect their behaviour. There is strong evidence to show the impact of staff members’ approaches when supporting the young people. For example, ‘sleepovers’ within the home are assessed and managed extremely well, and one young person safely uses a vehicle. The staff members’ deep understanding of each young person, supported by clear safeguarding policies and procedures, helps to keep the young people safe while enjoying age-appropriate activities.

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How well children and young people are helped and protected: outstanding

Risk assessment and risk management processes are of the highest quality. Staff have well-developed knowledge around the risks and issues for each young person. This Inspection report children’s home: SC066250 4 enables them to pre-empt, plan, review and, ultimately, reduce these risks.

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How well children and young people are helped and protected: outstanding

The safeguarding of young people remains central to the home’s ethos. The registered manager knows when to escalate concerns. There are examples of how his swift action has prevented the young people from being at risk.

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How well children and young people are helped and protected: outstanding

Staff members encourage the young people’s independence and development. They do this by balancing their interventions between keeping the young people safe and allowing the young people to take measured risks to develop appropriate skills. Throughout the inspection, the young people spoke to the inspector about the activities that take place and how they play out with their friends, visit their friends’ houses and use their vehicle for work and college. Their confident and mature approach showed the inspector that they have learned to understand the risks and possible consequences of their behaviours.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: outstanding

The registered manager maintains high-quality standards of practice. Over the years, a culture of continuous improvement has been built. Ongoing professional development through access to high-quality training has enabled staff to remain up to date with current practice and research. This means that the young people thrive and grow in all aspects of their development. The registered manager’s passion, enthusiasm and dedication to improving the lives of the young people are shared by a staff team that has remained consistent and stable for many years.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: outstanding

The staff members make exceptionally good use of clinical and reflective supervision. Monthly meetings are used by staff to present findings from research. A literature review undertaken by a member of staff into best practice in residential settings has led to better-informed practice, and the learning model adopted has supported the young people effectively to develop greater resilience.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: outstanding

The staff are highly skilled and are all qualified. As a direct result of the level of skill, qualification and experience, all practice remains current and all work is undertaken to a notable standard, with research findings threaded throughout.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: outstanding

The registered manager has produced and implemented a range of tools to monitor the outcomes of the young people. The registered manager has used the learning taken from the models of intervention applied in the home and shared it with children’s homes owned by the company and with local authorities. There is a direct correlation between this learning and sustained improved outcomes for the young people.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: outstanding

Excellent use is made of feedback from professionals, young people and families. Professionals spoken with rated highly the leadership and management of the home.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: outstanding

The registered manager and staff members strive relentlessly to promote positive outcomes for the young people while developing the young people’s self-esteem and confidence and ensuring that they are more resilient in the future. Inspection report children’s home: SC066250 5 Inspection report children’s home: SC066250 6

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Information about this inspection

Inspectors have looked closely at the experiences and progress of children and young people. Inspectors considered the quality of work and the difference made to the lives of children and young people. They watched how professional staff work with children and young people and each other and discussed the effectiveness of help and care provided. Wherever possible, they talked to children and young people and their families. In addition, the inspectors have tried to understand what the children’s home knows about how well it is performing, how well it is doing and what difference it is making for the children and young people whom it is trying to help, protect and look after.

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Information about this inspection

Using the ‘Social care common inspection framework’, this inspection was carried out under the Care Standards Act 2000 to assess the effectiveness of the service, how it meets the core functions of the service as set out in legislation, and to consider how well it complies with the Children’s Homes (England) Regulations 2015 and the ‘Guide to the children’s homes regulations including the quality standards’. Inspection report children’s home: SC066250 7

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Children’s home details

Registered provider: Headway Adolescent Resources Limited

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Children’s home details

Registered provider address: Masonic Hall Offices, School Hill, Chepstow, Gwent NP16 5BZ

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Inspector

Linda Bond, social care inspector Inspection report children’s home: SC066250 8 achieve excellence in the care of children and young people, and in education and skills for learners of all ages. It regulates and inspects childcare and children’s social care, and inspects the Children and Family Court Advisory and Support Service (Cafcass), schools, colleges, initial teacher training, further education and skills, adult and community learning, and education and training in prisons and other secure establishments. It assesses council children’s services, and inspects services for looked after children, safeguarding and child protection.

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Inspector

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Inspector

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Inspector

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