Children's home run by HeadStart Residential Care Ltd

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

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Information about this children’s home

This home is registered to provide care for up to five children with learning disabilities.

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Information about this children’s home

Some of the children attend the organisation’s school on the same site. The inspector only inspected the social care provision.

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Information about this children’s home

The post for a registered manager has been vacant since November 2022.

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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 requires improvement to be good

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good

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

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good

Date of last inspection: 1 December 2021

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good

Overall judgement at last inspection: good

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good

Enforcement action since last inspection: none Inspection report for children’s home: 1270744 2

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Inspection date Inspection type Inspection judgement

01/12/2021 Full Good 16/01/2020 Interim Improved effectiveness 06/08/2019 Full Good 03/01/2019 Interim Improved effectiveness Inspection report for children’s home: 1270744 3

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Children experience loving and nurturing care from dedicated staff who are committed to building strong and positive relationships with every child.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Staff are knowledgeable about children’s complex needs and support each child to make progress and to access new experiences. Disability is not seen as a barrier to progression. The home’s therapist was able to share how good practice has made a real difference to children’s lives. For example, children have developed their fine motor skills, which has enabled one child to be more confident in using cutlery.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Managers ensure that care plans set out children’s needs and that every member of staff follows these plans in their day-to-day care practice.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Moves in and out of the home are well managed to reflect children’s individual needs.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Staff work closely with colleagues from education to make sure that each child has a bespoke learning package that reflects their individual needs.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Staff are familiar with each child’s communication needs. Aids such as signs and symbols are used to reinforce verbal communication. This can be seen in key-work sessions and children’s meetings. This illustrates well how children can influence the running of the home.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Family visits are encouraged when this is part of a child’s care plan. A flexible, sensitive approach helps children to experience positive relationships with their families.

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

Children’s safety is promoted. Managers and staff show good safeguarding knowledge and consult external agencies effectively. However, safeguarding records do not always reflect this good practice.

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

High staffing levels and staff knowledge of individual needs contribute to the children’s safety. Children do not go missing from the home and staff are aware of children’s vulnerabilities.

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

Staff recognise that a change in a child’s presentation and/or behaviour is a means of communication and that the child needs additional support. Detailed personal behaviour support plans highlight triggers and strategies needed to keep children and others safe. However, the recording and learning from incidents are not always effective. Staff and children do not regularly input into the review of an incident and Inspection report for children’s home: 1270744 4 management oversight is inconsistent. This creates a missed opportunity to learn from incidents and to review practice.

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

Staff are trained in the care of medicines. This includes receiving additional training when required. For instance, staff have received additional training in the management of epilepsy.

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

Surveillance equipment is not routinely used. When there is a need, this is assessed, and care planning reviews monitor the ongoing need.

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

When appointing staff, managers follow safer recruitment practice guidelines. However, the same processes are not always followed when using agency staff.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: requires improvement to be

The post for a registered manager has been vacant since November 2022. There has been a period of instability that has left areas of management oversight requiring improvement. This includes oversight of records to ensure that all required information is correctly recorded.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: requires improvement to be

Despite these shortfalls, partnership working has remained strong. For example, managers have worked closely with professionals to secure the right educational package for one child.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: requires improvement to be

Managers have continued to advocate for children. This support has enabled a decision to be reversed so that a child could continue to live at the home.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: requires improvement to be

Staff receive good inductions and ongoing training. These learning opportunities enable staff to have the knowledge and skills to meet children’s needs.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: requires improvement to be

Staff receive supervision sessions. This secured time enables staff to reflect on their practice, professional development and well-being.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: requires improvement to be

External agencies talk very positively about the home. One social worker said that she wishes that all placements could be like the home. Inspection report for children’s home: 1270744 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 leadership and management standard is that the registered person enables, inspires and leads a culture in relation to the children’s home

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Requirement Due date

In particular, the standard in paragraph (1) requires the registered person to—

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Requirement Due date

ensure that staff have the experience, qualifications and skills to meet the needs of each child;

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Requirement Due date

use monitoring and review systems to make continuous improvements in the quality of care provided in the home. (Regulation 13 (2)(c)(h))

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Requirement Due date

This relates to ensuring that the management monitoring of records checks that they contain all the information required by regulation. 1 April 2023

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Requirement Due date

The registered person may permit an individual to start work at the home despite the fact that the requirement in paragraph (3)(d) has not been met if—

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Requirement Due date

the registered person has taken all reasonable steps to obtain full information about each of the matters in Schedule 2 in respect of the individual, but the enquiries in relation to any of the matters in paragraphs 3 to 6 of Schedule 2 are incomplete;

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Requirement Due date

full and satisfactory information in respect of the individual has been obtained in relation to the matters in paragraphs 1 and 2 of Schedule 2;

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Requirement Due date

the registered person considers that the circumstances are exceptional; and

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Requirement Due date

the registered person ensures that the individual is appropriately supervised while carrying out the individual’s duties, pending receipt of any outstanding information on the 1 April 2023 Inspection report for children’s home: 1270744 6 matters in paragraphs 3 to 6 of Schedule 2, which is then considered satisfactory by the registered person.

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Requirement Due date

The registered person must take reasonable steps to ensure that any individual who is working at the home and who does not fall within paragraph (2)(a) and (b) is appropriately supervised while carrying out the individual’s duties. (Regulation 32 (7)(a)(b)(c)(d) (8))

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Requirement Due date

This relates to ensuring that all staff who work in the home, including agency staff, have all the correct checks carried out.

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Requirement Due date

within 24 hours of the use of a measure of control, discipline or restraint in relation to a child in the home, a record is made which includes—

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Requirement Due date

details of the child’s behaviour leading to the use of the measure;

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Requirement Due date

the date, time and location of the use of the measure;

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Requirement Due date

a description of the measure and its duration;

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Requirement Due date

details of any methods used or steps taken to avoid the need to use the measure;

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Requirement Due date

the name of the person who used the measure (“the user”), and of any other person present when the measure was used;

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Requirement Due date

the effectiveness and any consequences of the use of the measure; and

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Requirement Due date

a description of any injury to the child or any other person, and any medical treatment administered, as a result of the measure;

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Requirement Due date

within 48 hours of the use of the measure, the registered person, or a person who is authorised by the registered person to do so (“the authorised person”)—

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Requirement Due date

has spoken to the user about the measure; and

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Requirement Due date

has signed the record to confirm it is accurate; and 1 April 2023 Inspection report for children’s home: 1270744 7 within 5 days of the use of the measure, the registered person or the authorised person adds to the record confirmation that they have spoken to the child about the measure. (Regulation 35 (3)(a)(ii)(iii)(iv)(v)(vi)(vii)(viii)(b)(i)(ii)(c))

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Requirement Due date

This relates to ensuring that the effectiveness of any consequence is recorded.

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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 for children’s home: 1270744 8

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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: 1 Swanwood Park, Gun Hill, Heathfield TN21 0LL

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Inspectors

Tony Waite, Social Care Inspector Paul Taylor, Social Care Inspector Inspection report for children’s home: 1270744 9 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 looked after children, safeguarding and child protection.

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Inspectors

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Inspectors

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Inspectors

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