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

Inspection report children's home: 1249196 1 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 home is operated by a private organisation and provides care for up to four children, aged up to 18 years, with social and/or emotional difficulties. The registered manager has been registered with Ofsted since November 2020.

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Information about this children’s home

Due to COVID-19 (coronavirus), at the request of the Secretary of State, we suspended all routine inspections of social care providers on 17 March 2020.

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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: good

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good

Enforcement action since last inspection: none Inspection report children's home: 1249196 2

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Inspection date Inspection type Inspection judgement

28/05/2019 Full Good 04/02/2019 Interim Improved effectiveness 09/10/2018 Full Good 22/08/2017 Interim Declined in effectiveness Inspection report children's home: 1249196 3

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Children living at this home receive care from a nurturing and consistent staff team. Children’s care plans are written in a sensitive manner and contain all necessary details about their health, their past experiences and targets to meet their needs.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Two children have recently moved into the home. The manager and staff team work hard to make sure that children feel welcome. Children visit the home before moving in. Staff cook their favourite foods and build relationships with children by helping them choose fun activities and spending time with them.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Staff follow detailed behaviour and risk management plans that include strategies to keep children safe and provide consistent boundaries. Nevertheless, there have been four incidents of the police being called to the home to help manage children’s behaviour. On three occasions, police visited the home. Staff have not considered the impact this can have on children and have not consistently called out of hours support for guidance before calling the police.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Staff have frequent meaningful conversations about issues such as the risks of social media, sex education, feeling suicidal, family relationships and bullying, to help children to share their worries. Staff receive support from a psychologist to assist in how best to discuss significant incidents with children. The manager has effective oversight of these incidents to consider additional support and actions to help children.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

The manager and staff team appreciate the importance of children’s family connections. Staff advocate for children to remain in touch with parents, siblings, previous carers and friends. Staff promote this through providing transport and staying with children where needed. This helps children to keep in touch with those who matter to them.

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

Since the last assurance visit inspection, there have not been any significant safeguarding concerns or allegations made against staff. Children did not share any concerns about their safety at this home. There have been five incidents of physical restraint during this period and the inspector considers that restraint has been used when necessary and proportionate. Records are detailed and staff ensure that children are spoken to after incidents to check their physical and mental well-being.

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

Staff ensure that when children go missing from the home that they search for them, encourage them home and understand why they left the home. Return home interviews are completed within timescales and the manager works with agencies to share information about children to reduce future incidents. Inspection report children's home: 1249196 4 During this inspection, it was highlighted that two children did raise a complaint about another child at the home. While there is evidence that staff regularly speak with children about their feelings and that they took effective action to address the concerns, the complaints have not been formally recorded or the children responded to.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

The registered manager is committed to providing high-quality care to children. She has ambitious vision for their development and has effective monitoring and review systems in place to raise standards. Staff are overwhelmingly positive about her enthusiasm and leadership. The registered manager is supported by an experienced and skilled deputy manager.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

The registered manager has effective systems in place to record and review staff training to ensure mandatory training is up to date. Staff benefit from a variety of additional training about issues such as attachment and trauma, development in middle childhood, online safety and child exploitation. This assists staff in developing their skills and understanding in caring for children who have experienced trauma.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

Staff receive regular and reflective supervision that includes actions for follow up to assist in improving the quality of care provided to children. The manager has ensured there is a bespoke and thorough induction programme for new staff who start work at this home. She has completed an evaluative review of the quality of care provided at the home that is centred on the wishes and feelings of children.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

Team meetings take place frequently and allow for transparent dialogue about how children are being cared for, as well as the challenges in meeting their needs. Team meetings are used as opportunity for learning, for sharing ideas and for considering what can be done differently to help progress practice.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

The manager ensures that safer recruitment processes are strong. For example, all necessary identification documents and Disclosure and Barring Service checks are available and verified. References are properly verified, as are gaps in employment and reasons for leaving. However, the manager has not ensured the same level of checks are in place for agency workers. This could leave vulnerable children at risk if not prioritised.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

The manager has effective relationships with professionals and is a strong advocate for children in her care. A social worker told the inspector: ‘I am extremely impressed with how the staff have managed this young person with very complex needs. The staff have supported them to feel comfortable in their home, and they are already willingly engaging in activities that they would previously have never felt comfortable to do.’ Inspection report children's home: 1249196 5

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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 quality and purpose of care standard

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Requirement Due date

The quality and purpose of care standard is that children receive care from staff who -

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Requirement Due date

understand the children's home's overall aims and the outcomes it seeks to achieve for children;

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Requirement Due date

use this understanding to deliver care that meets children's needs and supports them to fulfil their potential. (Regulation 6 (1)(a)(b))

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Requirement Due date

This relates to staff understanding the impact on children of calling the police to help them manage behaviour and not considering on-call advice first. 27 August 2021

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Requirement Due date

The registered person must recruit staff using recruitment procedures that are designed to ensure children's safety.

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Requirement Due date

employ an individual to work at the children's home; or

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Requirement Due date

if an individual is employed by a person other than the registered person to work at the home in a position in which the individual may have regular contact with children, allow that individual to work at the home,

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Requirement Due date

if the individual satisfies the requirements in paragraph (3).

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Requirement Due date

full and satisfactory information is available in relation to the individual in respect of each of the matters in Schedule 2. (Regulation 32 (1) (2)(a)(b) (3)(d))

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Requirement Due date

This relates to managers ensuring that the same robust safer 27 August 2021 Inspection report children's home: 1249196 6 recruitment checks are in place for agency workers as that of permanent staff who are caring for children.

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Requirement Due date

The registered person must ensure that a record is made of any complaint, the action taken in response, and the outcome of any investigation. (Regulation 39 (3))

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Requirement Due date

This relates to managers and staff keeping records of children's complaints and actions taken in response. 27 August 2021

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Information about this inspection

Inspectors have looked closely at the experiences and progress of children and young people, 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 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

Anna Gravelle, Her Majesty’s Inspector Inspection report children's home: 1249196 8 to 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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