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

Inspection report children’s home: SC061878 1 SC061878 Registered provider: Headway Adolescent Resources Limited Full inspection Inspected under the social care common inspection framework

p.1

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 and learning disabilities. It is part of a small, private organisation. The registered manager has been registered with Ofsted since 2014.

p.1

Information about this children’s home

Inspection dates: 20 to 21 November 2018

p.1

Overall experiences and progress of

children and young people, taking into account

p.1

outstanding

How well children and young people are helped and protected good

p.1

outstanding

The effectiveness of leaders and managers outstanding

p.1

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.

p.1

outstanding

Date of last inspection: 12 October 2017

p.1

outstanding

Overall judgement at last inspection: good

p.1

outstanding

Enforcement action since last inspection: none Inspection report children’s home: SC061878 2

p.1

Inspection date Inspection type Inspection judgement

12/10/2017 Full Good 20/02/2017 Interim Improved effectiveness 27/09/2016 Full Good 03/02/2016 Interim Improved effectiveness Inspection report children’s home: SC061878 3

p.2

Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: outstanding

Staff have created a warm and caring environment for children, akin to a family-friendly home. The care seen in this setting is worthy of wider dissemination. During this inspection, the inspector observed the day-to-day hustle and bustle of a nurturing home, with fun and affectionate relationships. Photographs of children past and present adorn the walls and, along with music, games and home-cooked food, contribute to this positive environment.

p.3

Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: outstanding

Staff have high aspirations for children and they create a can do culture within the home. Staff help children to set achievable goals that are based on the children’s individual interests and ambitions, for example beating their best gaming score, joining the gym, being in a stage show and spending time with family at Christmas. The goals that children choose to develop are embedded throughout the high-quality case records and care planning. Children fully achieve these goals. Staff celebrate children’s successes with them and help them to build on these achievements.

p.3

Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: outstanding

Because the staff team is consistent and stable, children build trusted and secure relationships with the staff team members. The quality of these relationships is noteworthy and a strength of the home. Coupled with staff’s skills in understanding and meeting the needs of children, these approaches result in a very positive and supportive home for children. External professionals value the strength of the relationships that staff build with children. One professional told the inspector, ‘The staff know the child I am responsible for so well and because of this, they have helped me to understand him and his needs much better than I did before.’

p.3

Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: outstanding

The positive relationships between staff and children continue even when children move out of the home. Children who previously lived here still come to visit. They join the current children on activities and seek support from staff when they need it. An example of exceptional practice is the additional and continued support that staff are directly providing to a child who has moved out due to staff recognising that he was not receiving the level of care that he specifically required. Leaders and managers advocated appropriately for the child and challenged the authority to ensure that he received the necessary support. A professional told the inspector, ‘How the staff maintain relationships with previous children has a positive impact on children currently living in the home as they see the care doesn’t end when they walk out the door.’ This approach to developing and maintaining important and lasting relationships has a very positive

p.3

Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: outstanding

Staff work exceptionally hard to ensure that children have opportunities to maintain and develop positive relationships with their family and friends. One example among many includes supporting a child to make frequent visits to their previous school and foster carers to maintain the child’s attachments to people who are important to them. The staff take the children to these gatherings and provide them with support to ensure that the event is positive. Inspection report children’s home: SC061878 4 Excellent work by the home with education professionals supports children back into school. Staff are highly effective in this area and contribute their depth of understanding of the children’s individual needs to creating bespoke packages of education that enable children to attend, to achieve and to make progress.

p.3

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

Leaders, managers and staff take prompt decisive action to safeguard children effectively. Relationships with other safeguarding professionals are strong. Actions from child protection investigations are always completed robustly by the home. This approach keeps children safe.

p.4

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

The registered manager has a good understanding of the local area, including the potential risks and safeguarding concerns. She shares this knowledge with other organisations. Recently, and because of the swift action by staff and joint working with other safeguarding professionals, one child was protected from criminal exploitation.

p.4

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

Staff have a good understanding about children’s previous experiences and how they may impact on potential risks and their behaviour. A proportionate approach to risk management means that children take part in activities and the usual childhood experiences in the least restrictive way. For example, children spend time out with their friends, have access to the internet and use mobile phones and portable devices appropriate for their age and understanding.

p.4

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

Staff know how best to support children and promote positive behaviour because they have developed a good understanding of the children’s needs. Staff understand that certain activities, such as when children see their family or when they increase their time at school, may cause them to feel anxious. The strategies that staff use to help the children to feel less anxious and to cope with difficult situations are effective. Rewards and incentives help children to achieve their goals and to behave positively.

p.4

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

The registered manager and her staff manage significant behavioural incidents very well. While some significant incidents have led to restraint, and others to a necessity to call the police, all these interventions were appropriate and proportionate to the imminent risk. Leaders’ and managers’ evaluation of serious incidents is insightful and learning from this evaluative work is used effectively to inform children’s support plans.

p.4

The effectiveness of leaders and managers: outstanding

Leaders and managers consistently provide outstanding care to children. The inspirational culture for children to develop a high regard for themselves and high aspirations is prominent throughout the home. This means that children develop confidence, self-esteem and achieve well.

p.4

The effectiveness of leaders and managers: outstanding

The registered manager is a highly effective leader and a positive role model. She and the team prioritise the well-being of children exceptionally well. Alongside managing the Inspection report children’s home: SC061878 5 inspection process, the registered manager continued to spend time listening to children read, dancing with them and joined them at mealtimes.

p.4

The effectiveness of leaders and managers: outstanding

Excellent joint working with other professionals has a positive impact on children. External professionals hold the registered manager and the care provided to children in high regard. One professional said, ‘I am impressed with how they care for children. They go the extra mile.’ The registered manager and her team confidently and successfully challenge other professionals on behalf of children to ensure that decisions made are in the child’s best interests.

p.5

The effectiveness of leaders and managers: outstanding

Staff are highly skilled because they are provided with regular training to continue their professional development. All staff have appraisals with developmental targets and projects which they embrace and excel in. Staff use current research to develop their projects and disseminate their findings to the team. This creative, developmental method better informs the care that staff provide to children.

p.5

The effectiveness of leaders and managers: outstanding

Regular team meetings enable staff to reflect on their practice and to consider the care that they provide to children. These meetings include tailored clinical training and reflective discussions led by a psychologist. This approach enables staff to increase their understanding about trauma, attachment, resilience, self-esteem and the research that underpins these models.

p.5

The effectiveness of leaders and managers: outstanding

The registered manager monitors the quality of care provided to children very effectively. Constant reflection, analysis and monitoring completed by the whole team are insightful and are used to improve children’s experiences.

p.5

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.

p.5

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: SC061878 6

p.5

Children’s home details

Registered provider: Headway Adolescent Resources Limited

p.6

Children’s home details

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

p.6

Inspector

Nicola Lownds: social care inspector Inspection report children’s home: SC061878 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 looked after children, safeguarding and child protection.

p.6

Inspector

If you would like a copy of this document in a different format, such as large print or Braille, please telephone 0300 123 1231, or email enquiries@ofsted.gov.uk . You may reuse this information (not including logos) free of charge in any format or medium, under the terms of the Open Government Licence. To view this licence, visit http://www.nationalarchives.gov.uk/doc/open-government-licence , write to the Information Policy Team, The National Archives, Kew, London TW9 4DU, or email: psi@nationalarchives.gsi.gov.uk .

p.7

Inspector

Interested in our work? You can subscribe to our monthly newsletter for more information and updates: http://eepurl.com/iTrDn .

p.7

Inspector

T: 0300 123 1231 Textphone: 0161 618 8524 E: enquiries@ofsted.gov.uk W: http://www.gov.uk/ofsted

p.7