Children's home run by Headway Adolescent Resources Limited in Monmouthshire

Inspection report for children’s home: SC447768 1 SC447768 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

The home is owned by a private provider and offers care for up to three children. The home is registered with Ofsted to provide care for children who have experienced social and emotional difficulties and/or have additional learning needs.

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Information about this children’s home

At the time of this inspection, three children were living in the home. The manager has been registered with Ofsted since March 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

Date of last inspection: 23 January 2023

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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: SC447768 2

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Inspection date Inspection type Inspection judgement

23/01/2023 Full Good 18/01/2022 Full Good 22/10/2019 Full Good 06/11/2018 Full Good Inspection report for children’s home: SC447768 3

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Children say that they enjoy living in this home. They say that they enjoy lots of fun activities together and with staff, such as visiting escape rooms, playing laser tag and online gaming. Children are also encouraged to join local youth groups that are of interest to them, which helps them to make friends, develop their social skills and learn the skills for adult life.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Interactions between staff and children are caring, friendly and good humoured. Children enjoy spending time with staff, who provide them with advice and guidance to help them to make positive choices. Children say that they would not change anything about their home. A family member said that the staff’s care of their child is ‘amazing’, and another said that the staff feel like a ‘part of [their] family’.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Children who have previously found it difficult to attend school are now attending regularly. When children struggle to attend school, they are provided with structured learning opportunities to help them to develop their confidence in educational settings. One child is currently receiving home tutoring, completing a vocational mechanics course, and spending time doing creative-arts projects. The child proudly displays the intricate wooden models that they have recently built and speaks enthusiastically about attending school soon. The registered manager works closely with educational professionals to ensure that suitable educational arrangements are in place to meet children’s individual needs. Accordingly, there are clear plans for the time that the child spends in school to increase over the next few weeks.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

The manager and staff hold aspirational targets for children. This helps children to think about their futures and how they can achieve their career ambitions of becoming a bus driver, working as a mechanic, or working with animals.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Although the current group of children say that they get along well with each other, this has not always been the case. When children struggle to live co-operatively together, staff offer additional support and encourage children to practice safe conflict resolution. However, when this is not successful, leaders and managers swiftly assess the impact of the difficult dynamics on the children and consider alternative living arrangements. This led to one child moving out of the home. This was a positive move, and leaders and managers shared their knowledge of the child’s support needs with the child’s new support network so that similar difficulties could be avoided in the future.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

When children move into the home, they are supported to visit and meet the staff and children who already live there. Children are provided with the registered manager’s contact information so that they can ask any questions that may arise after their visit and/or if they did not feel comfortable enough to ask the questions during the visit. Children are also provided with a written guide to the home, which Inspection report for children’s home: SC447768 4 helps them to imagine what the home might be like to live in. However, the guide contains a lot of text and does not include photos of the home.

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

Care plans are reflective of the children’s individual support needs. Central to the plans are the children’s views and wishes. This helps staff to consider the children’s aims and ambitions and how they can support each child to achieve them.

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

Behaviour support plans help staff to understand risk and how to mediate it. Input is provided by the home’s psychology service and explores the functions of behaviours and how staff should respond effectively to meet children’s needs. When children are upset or frustrated, staff remain calm and gently remind children of how they can express themselves in safer ways. Staff are non-confrontational and offer children the opportunity to talk about their feelings and/or participate in calming activities. These strategies are often effective.

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

As a result, restraint is rarely used and has not been required since August 2023. Following restraint, staff ensure that the child is not injured and understands why the restraint was used. Furthermore, staff help children to reflect on what happened and how they could respond differently in the future. The registered manager critically analyses situations when children become upset and identifies and mitigates persistent triggers that seem to engender feelings of frustration for children.

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

When children disclose worries about childhood experiences, leaders and managers report the concerns to the relevant professionals, including the police. When outcomes are determined, staff work closely with the police so that they are explained to children sensitively. Staff ensure that children understand the decisions that have been made, while reassuring the child that they have been listened to. This helps children to feel validated and empowered to share any other concerns that they may have in the future.

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

One concern has been raised about staff since the last inspection. This concern was reported to the relevant external professionals. However, following the conclusion of an internal investigation, leaders and managers did not provide the child with feedback regarding the outcomes that were reached. Furthermore, there was no clear rationale as to why the outcomes were not shared with the child. As a result, the child is at risk of not feeling listened to, as they remain unaware of the actions that were taken to protect them. The registered manager understands this vulnerability in their processes and has identified actions that can be taken to prevent future oversights.

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

When a child is injured during an activity, staff seek appropriate medical support for them. Furthermore, staff thoroughly review risk and safety plans to prevent injuries in the future. However, on one occasion, staff and managers were not suitably curious or well informed about a child’s competency before they undertook a particular activity that led to an injury. In response, the registered manager has Inspection report for children’s home: SC447768 5 made suitable arrangements to help the child to develop their skills before undertaking the activity again.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

The registered manager is committed to, and passionate about, the care of children. They are a strong leader, who places an emphasis on the continual development of the care that is provided to children. One member of staff commented that the registered manager is ‘fantastic’. They explained that they feel listened to and that their opinions are valued. Children also clearly enjoy spending time with the registered manager, who communicates with warmth, care and kindness – towards children and staff alike.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

The registered manager regularly monitors and reviews the progress that children are making. This helps them to identify what is going well and when children may benefit from additional support. Moreover, it allows the registered manager to identify the training opportunities that staff may benefit from to help them to meet children’s individual needs more effectively.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

Through monitoring and review, the registered manager identified that financial sanctions are not effective in helping children to express themselves in safer ways when they are upset or angry. As a result, a focus has been placed on using reparative sanctions to help children to understand the impact of their behaviours on others. Consequently, sanctions have not been used since April 2023.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

Staff receive regular supervision sessions. Records are of good quality and demonstrate reflections about children’s needs and their progress, the trauma- informed approaches used by staff, and areas for development. Personal development plans are in place for staff to help them to develop their knowledge, understanding and skills.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

Team meetings are well attended, as per the registered manager’s expectations. Team meeting sessions provide staff with the opportunity to reflect on the challenges that they are experiencing and how they can overcome these barriers. Team meetings are also used to share current research into the topics that are important in children’s lives to ensure that the care that is provided is well informed.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

The home has encountered some staffing difficulties, which has necessitated the use of agency-employed members of staff. The registered manager has tried to use a consistent group of agency workers, and recruitment checks are robust. The registered manager holds agency-employed staff to the same high standards as permanent members of staff and ensures that they receive a thorough induction and regular supervision sessions.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

The environment is mostly warm, homely, and suitably furnished. There are photos of children on the walls that show them enjoying the fun activities that they have done together and with the staff. Children’s bedrooms are clean and tidy, and they have been personalised in line with children’s interests. One child has LED lights Inspection report for children’s home: SC447768 6 pinned to their walls, another has various photos of police cars on their walls, and a third has Thor’s hammer embedded into the wall above their bed. However, the rooms on the ground floor of the home are not being routinely used. The registered manager has tried to utilise these spaces as a gym and cinema room, although they are not regularly accessed by children. These spaces are currently a wasted resource. Inspection report for children’s home: SC447768 7

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Recommendations

 The registered person should ensure that children are provided with a nurturing environment that is welcoming and supportive. In particular, the registered person should review the use of the ground-floor spaces and provide suitable furnishings and resources that can benefit children. (‘Guide to the Children’s Homes Regulations, including the quality standards’, page 15, paragraph 3.7)

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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: SC447768 8

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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: Malvern View, Hanbury Road, Stoke Prior, Bromsgrove B60 4AD

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Inspectors

Martin Brown, Social Care Inspector Nicola Lownds, Regulatory Inspection Manager Inspection report for children’s home: SC447768 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 children looked after, safeguarding and child protection.

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Inspectors

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Inspectors

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Inspectors

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