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

Inspection report children’s home: 1249196 1 Registered provider: Headway Adolescent Resources Limited

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Full inspection Inspected under the social care common inspection framework

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Information about this children’s home

The home can provide care for up to four children and young people who have social, emotional and/or behavioural difficulties. It is part of a small private organisation. The registered manager has been registered with Ofsted since August 2018.

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Overall experiences and progress of

children and young people, taking into account

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Good

How well children and young people are helped and protected Good

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Good

The effectiveness of leaders and managers Good

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Good

The children’s home provides effective services that meet the requirements for good.

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Good

Overall judgement at last inspection: declined in effectiveness

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Enforcement action since last inspection:

Following the interim inspection, two compliance notices were issued under regulation 11 and regulation 13. A monitoring visit took place on 5 October 2017. Sufficient action had been taken to meet the requirements detailed in the two compliance notices. Inspection report children’s home: 1249196 2

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Inspection date Inspection type Inspection judgement

22/08/2017 Interim Declined in effectiveness 30/05/2017 Full Requires improvement to be good Inspection report children’s home: 1249196 3

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Recommendations

 Continue to improve the children’s guide and identify creative ways in which information can be relayed to children in a child-friendly format. (‘Guide to the children’s homes regulations including the quality standards’, page 24, paragraph 4.21)  Ensure that the registered person improves the records they complete when they consider the impact that a new placement will have on the existing group of children. (‘Guide to the children’s homes regulations including the quality standards’, page 56, 11.4)

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Children and young people make good progress and have good day-to-day experiences in the home. This is a significant improvement from the previous inspection. The environment is homely and calm. Leaders and managers have successfully implemented a family style ethos into the home. Children and young people look comfortable and relaxed. A parent said, ‘When you walk in it gives you a warm, family friendly feeling.’ Staff have positive relationships with children and young people and understand their needs well. These positive relationships support children and young people to make good progress. When progress slows down, staff understand why and provide good care and support to children and young people. Children and young people enjoy spending time in the garden or indoors playing board games, card games and gaming. Some children and young people have enjoyed holidays and also benefit from activities including playing football, going to the cinema and

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

visiting theme parks. Children and young people feel comfortable to talk to members of staff and share their opinions and views. Staff listen to children and young people. Leaders and managers make changes by listening to children and young people. Examples of changes made include children and young people decorating their bedrooms and finding new activities to do. Leaders and managers have improved the records that they keep about the children and young people. Now, information about children and young people’s identity, previous experiences and what is important to them is clearly documented in important records such as placement plans. Staff use this child-focused information to support and care for children and young people effectively. Inspection report children’s home: 1249196 4 Good joint working with education and health colleagues supports children and young people to start engaging with school and health appointments. In particular, the bespoke

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

education packages provided to children and young people support them to succeed.

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

Since the previous inspection, there have been no child protection concerns that have required a referral to safeguarding professionals. All staff have the appropriate level of safeguarding training and demonstrate a good understanding of the potential risks posed to children and how to keep them safe. Significant incidents have reduced since the previous inspection. Children do not go missing from this home, and they do not self-harm or misuse alcohol. Incidents in and around the office no longer happen. This is because the office door is mainly left open. Staff now spend less time in the office and, if they are in there, children and young people can also be with them using the computer or chatting together. Children and young people have incentive charts that help them to develop positive behaviour and encourage their attendance at school. Negative consequences are rarely used. Children and young people receive support to help them to consider the impact of

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

any negative behaviour. An excellent example of restorative work includes one child volunteering to bake cakes for the other children, young people and staff to apologise for their behaviour. One two occasions, staff used restraint appropriately to prevent a child from harming themselves or others. The approach used was proportionate to the risk. The registered manager effectively monitors restraint and behavioural records and therefore has a good understanding of what happened and why. Staff, children and young people spend time together talking about risk and how to keep safe. A good example of this includes discussions about online safety. Children and young people can take proportionate risks to enable them to develop the skills for adult life. For example, one young person is allowed to spend time at home on their own for a short period of time. This activity is planned well and is appropriate for the young

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

person’s age and understanding. Children and young people’s emotional needs are supported well. A psychologist has been commissioned to provide regular support to the home. The children and young people benefit from the time that they spend with the psychologist. The psychologist also supports staff to better understand children and young people. This understanding informs the care provided to children and young people and has a positive impact on children and young people.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

Leaders and managers have an accurate understanding of the strengths and weaknesses of the home. Significant improvements have been made since the previous inspection, which impact positively on children and young people. The development plan sets out plans to improve further. Inspection report children’s home: 1249196 5 The ethos of the home has improved. This year, more consideration has been given to understanding the children and young people’s previous experiences and providing them with a home that places them at the centre of the care given. Leaders and managers are strong advocates for children. Communication with other professionals is persistent to ensure that children and young people have access to the support and services that they need. One professional said, ‘The registered manager sets herself high standards and has been tenacious about getting an education, health and care plan for one young person.’

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

Children and young people benefit from the stability provided by the staff team. The staff team is dedicated to the children. Predominantly, when one member of staff is on holiday or off sick, another member of the team steps in to ensure that children and young people are supported by people who they know well. Staff feel supported and have regular and reflective supervision. Team meetings take place monthly and offer another opportunity for staff to reflect on their work. In addition, the psychologist meets with the staff team regularly to discuss care plans, strategies and important issues about the children and young people. Mandatory training is complete for all members of staff. Bespoke training is facilitated regularly by the psychologist and tailored to the needs of children and young people. Some of this training has included understanding trauma and attachment. Information required for when children move into the home can be improved. Currently,

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

records that show how leaders and managers have assessed the impact a child will have on the group of children already living in the home focuses on risk and negative influences. The strengths and positive influences that children will bring to one another are not recorded. In addition, the children’s guide starts off in a format that is child friendly, but this becomes less creative towards the end of the document.

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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 differences 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: 1249196 6

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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

Nicola Lownds, social care inspector Inspection report children’s home: 1249196 7 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 children looked after, safeguarding and child protection.

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Inspector

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Inspector

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Inspector

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