Children's home run by HeadStart Residential Care Ltd

Inspection report children’s home: 1270744 1 Registered provider: Headstart Residential Care Limited Interim inspection Inspected under the social care common inspection framework

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Information about this children’s home

The home is registered to provide care and accommodation for up to four children, including children with learning disabilities. The manager has been registered with Ofsted since February 2018 when the home opened.

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and young people since the most recent full inspection

This home was judged requires improvement to be good at the last full inspection. At the interim inspection, Ofsted judges that it has improved effectiveness.

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and young people since the most recent full inspection

Following the first full inspection, the home has been redecorated, and there is an ongoing programme of work being undertaken. The management team has ensured that the home’s environment effectively meets the needs of the children. They have ensured that children’s views are shaping the home’s development. With this child-centred approach, there is a homely feel, with children being able to utilise the different areas in the home and garden. As a result, the registered manager and responsible individual have ensured that all requirements regarding the home environment have been met.

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and young people since the most recent full inspection

The staff team has a good understanding of each child’s needs. This has been supported by personal care training being delivered to the whole staff team. The learning and support needs of the team are well understood by senior leaders. There is an ongoing Inspection report children’s home: 1270744 2 programme of learning in place, for both the staff and registered manager, in line with the requirement from the last inspection. This learning is having a positive impact on the quality of care provided to each child and is ensuring that the care they are given reflects their individual needs.

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and young people since the most recent full inspection

Children are effectively supported by the staff team members. They advocate well for each child and appropriately challenge professionals when they do not feel that decisions are in the best interest of the child. There has been effective working together with specialist health services to ensure that the physical and psychological needs of the children are well met. Children have been supported to engage in education even when this has proved difficult for them. The staff team has enabled this through promoting the importance of education and working together with colleagues to develop individual learning plans for the children.

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and young people since the most recent full inspection

Safeguarding practice is sound. The staff understand the individual risks identified for each child. There are strategies in place to minimise these risks. Staff work effectively with partner agencies to address known risks. When children go missing from the home, there is an appropriate response from staff. However, there was one occasion when a child was missing overnight and the assessment of risk was not updated until sometime afterwards. The incident was significant but Ofsted was not notified of it. New guidance has been devised for the staff team specifically in relation to understanding the risk of child sexual exploitation. This is a good example of the development of practice in the home.

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and young people since the most recent full inspection

The registered manager and the two deputy managers are an effective management team. The clear lines of accountability ensure that the differing individual needs of the child are well met. This provides consistency of care for each child. The registered manager has ensured that new staffing arrangements enable this to happen, while ensuring flexibility within the staff team. The management team members are good role models for the staff team, providing clear expectations in relation to practice. When staff have not been able to follow the expectations of the role, this has been identified by the registered manager and appropriate measures put in place to address this.

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and young people since the most recent full inspection

Policies and procedures in the home have been fully reviewed and revised by the registered manager. The policy providing staff with guidance on how to prevent bullying has been completely revised to reflect the needs of the home. There has been a full revision of the complaints procedure, which is now explained within the children’s guide. The home’s statement of purpose now reflects the care provided in the home and the staffing arrangements in place. When staff may need to use a hold, as part of caring for a child, this is now reflected in the behaviour management policy.

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and young people since the most recent full inspection

The requirements of the last inspection, in respect of these areas, have all been met. Inspection report children’s home: 1270744 3

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Inspection date Inspection type Inspection judgement

02/10/2018 Full Requires improvement to be good

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Statutory requirements

This section sets out the actions that the registered person(s) must take to meet the Care Standards Act 2000, Children’s Homes (England) Regulations 2015 and the ‘Guide to the children’s homes regulations including the quality standards’. The registered person(s) must comply within the given timescales.

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Requirement Due date

The protection of children standard is that children are protected from harm and enabled to keep themselves safe. In particular, the standard in paragraph (1) requires the registered person to ensure that staff assess whether each child is at risk of harm, taking into account information in the child’s relevant plans, and, if necessary, make arrangements to reduce the risk of any harm to the child. (Regulation 12 (1)(2)(a)(i)) 05/02/2019

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Requirement Due date

The registered person must notify HMCI and each other relevant person without delay if there is any other incident relating to a child which the registered person considers to be serious. (Regulation 40 (4)(e)) 05/02/2019

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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

This inspection focused on the effectiveness of the home and the progress and experiences of children and young people since the most recent full inspection. Inspection report children’s home: 1270744 4 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’.

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Children’s home details

Registered provider: Headstart Residential Care Limited

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Children’s home details

Registered provider address: Aequitas, Unit 1, Swanwood Park, Gun Hill, Heathfield, East Sussex TN21 0LL

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Inspector

Maria Lonergan, social care inspector Inspection report children’s home: 1270744 5 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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