Children's home run by Headway Housing CH1 Ltd

Inspection report for children’s home: 2772593 1 Registered provider: Headway Housing CH1 LTD Full inspection Inspected under the social care common inspection framework

p.1

Information about this children’s home

The home is owned and managed by a private provider. It provides care for up to three children who may experience social and emotional difficulties.

p.1

Information about this children’s home

At the time of inspection, one child was living in the home. The inspector spoke to the child at this inspection.

p.1

Information about this children’s home

The registered manager has been in post since May 2024.

p.1

Overall experiences and progress of

children and young people, taking into account

p.1

good

How well children and young people are helped and protected good

p.1

good

The effectiveness of leaders and managers good

p.1

good

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

p.1

good

Date of last inspection: not previously inspected

p.1

good

Overall judgement at last inspection: not applicable

p.1

good

Enforcement action since last inspection: not applicable Inspection report for children’s home: 2772593 2

p.1

Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

The child attends school on a full-time basis with a high attendance rate. Staff support the child to make improvements in their education. For example, staff have continually read books each evening with the child, which has greatly increased the child’s literacy.

p.2

Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Staff understand the importance of promoting the child’s cultural needs and identity. Staff sought specialist advice and worked with the child and their family to learn how to take care of the child’s hair and maintain their chosen style in line with their culture. The child has recently expressed curiosity about religion. The manager acted promptly to ensure that the child can explore this through child-friendly books and events at the local church.

p.2

Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Staff have built positive working relationships with the child’s family. Staff support family time arrangements on a regular basis and understand the importance of these connections for the child. Family members are regularly updated on the child’s progress with photos and phone calls. One family member said that the manager has been ‘very supportive’ and that she has noticed a positive change in the child’s behaviour and emotional understanding.

p.2

Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Staff support the child to express their interests and engage in their hobbies. The child loves rugby, and staff support them to attend regular training, matches and events. This supports the child’s integration into the community and an overall sense of belonging. Staff support the child to make friends with local children in the neighbourhood, which helps to improve their socialisation skills.

p.2

Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

A rewards and consequences system is used to promote positive behaviour and challenge undesirable behaviour. Staff identify areas of development for the child, such as their oral hygiene, and have used a rewards system to encourage the child to brush their teeth twice a day. The child engaged well with this and gained a reward for their participation. However, staff have used some consequences that are not a proportionate response for the initial behaviour.

p.2

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

Since moving to this home, staff have not needed to physically hold or guide the child. This is because staff have built a good rapport with the child and have developed an understanding of their triggers. This assists staff in de-escalating behaviours without the need for physical intervention.

p.2

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

When the child raises worries with the staff, they are listened to and their concerns are acted on quickly. For example, the child spoke to staff about an incident that happened at school that had a negative impact on them. Staff arranged a meeting at school with relevant professionals to address the issue. This ensures that the child’s voice is Inspection report for children’s home: 2772593 3 championed throughout the process. The child was kept informed by staff about the actions being taken, which helped them to feel safe and secure.

p.2

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

The child benefits from a multi-agency approach to their care. Staff have built positive relationships with the key professionals in the child’s life, and they ensure that there is regular communication. Any incidents or concerns are discussed with professionals who work together to secure the best outcomes for the child. Professionals said that they feel the staff keep the child safe, and they identify that there has been a significant reduction in the number of safeguarding incidents.

p.3

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

Not all staff have a clear understanding of how to respond to the child’s behaviour in line with their plans. Some staff lack knowledge of the home’s therapeutic model of practice, which has impacted on their responses to the child’s needs and behaviours. This leads to inconsistent care.

p.3

The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

The manager is available to staff and the child. Staff say that they are supported by the management team. One member of staff said the manager listens to staff and encourages their ideas, which helps them to feel valued in their role.

p.3

The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

The child benefits from a stable and consistent staff team. Any vacancies are quickly addressed, and the manager has a good understanding of the safer recruitment processes. This ensures that the child is cared for by safe and appropriate adults.

p.3

The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

The manager communicates with other professionals in a timely and efficient manner, which ensures important information reaches the relevant people. One professional said that the manager has a ‘collaborative approach’, which has supported the care that the child receives from all agencies involved in the child’s life.

p.3

The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

The manager holds regular staff meetings, which have high levels of attendance from staff. Staff who are not on shift will often attend these meetings in person. A range of important information is discussed in the staff meetings, and the child’s well-being and progress is the central focus of discussions. These meetings are reflective, allowing staff the opportunity to look back, discuss and evaluate any events. This helps them to reflect on actions taken to support the team’s overall learning and development.

p.3

The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

The manager uses a range of auditing tools to ensure a good oversight of the home; for example, the manager and responsible individual complete monthly audits to track progress. Discussions with staff are often included in the audits so the management team can gain important feedback. Any areas for development are identified, and an action plan is put in place to address these. Inspection report for children’s home: 2772593 4

p.3

Recommendations

 The registered person should ensure that any consequences used to address poor behaviour are restorative in nature, to help children recognise the impact of their behaviour on themselves, other children, the staff caring for them and the wider community. (‘Guide to the Children’s Homes Regulations, including the quality standards’, page 46, paragraph 9.38)  The registered person should ensure that staff have the skills to respond to the child’s individual behaviour in accordance with their plans and ensure staff are familiar with the home’s therapeutic model of care. (‘Guide to the Children’s Homes Regulations, including the quality standards’, page 39, paragraphs 8.13 and 8.14)

p.4

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: 2772593 5

p.4

Children’s home details

Registered provider: Headway Housing CH1 LTD

p.5

Children’s home details

Registered provider address: Trust House C/O Isaacs, 5 New Augustus Street, Bradford BD1 5LL

p.5

Inspector

Ladean Wilson, Social Care Inspector Inspection report for children’s home: 2772593 6 regulates and inspects 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.

p.5

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 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.6

Inspector

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

p.6

Inspector

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

p.6