Children's home run by HeadStart Residential Care Ltd

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

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Information about this children’s home

The home provides care and support for up to five children with learning disabilities. The children may have a diagnosis of autism and may have experienced significant early childhood trauma.

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Information about this children’s home

At the time of this inspection, four children were living at the home.

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Information about this children’s home

The home is co-located with part of the organisation’s school. Only the social care provision was inspected.

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Information about this children’s home

The manager registered with Ofsted in August 2025.

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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: requires improvement to be 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

07/08/2024 Full Requires improvement to be good 05/12/2023 Full Good 01/02/2023 Full Good 01/12/2021 Full Good Inspection report for children’s home: 1270744 3

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

The new leadership team at the home has made significant and positive changes since the last full inspection. As a result, children are making encouraging progress in many areas, including social and independence skills, behaviour and education.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

The registered manager has championed the introduction of well-established models of therapeutic support for children. Staff are increasingly well equipped to support behaviour through these therapeutic approaches. They ensure that these principles are embedded in daily practice and contribute to a positive trajectory for children. The coordinator for the therapeutic programme is highly respected. Staff consistently reference the positive impact of her work on both children’s development and their own professional confidence.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Staff form strong relationships with families, which helps to support the consistency of care for children. Staff work very closely and collaboratively across teams, both internally and externally with other health and social care professionals. In one example, a child was facing a move to more secure accommodation, as their behaviours were highly complex. However, strong partnership work enabled all professionals to form a coherent and successful plan to stabilise the placement, and the child remains at the home and is making positive progress.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Health support is proactive and coordinated. Staff advocate effectively for children’s needs, ensuring that medical requirements are met with sensitivity and competence.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

The head of residential services has ensured that admission planning has been enhanced, resulting in more informed decisions about children who come to the home. For one new child, planning and evaluation were of a high quality, and the success of the transition to date reflects the effectiveness of the detailed preparation and support.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Staff ensure that children engage well with school. Staff and education providers work in tandem to ensure continuity and responsiveness to children’s learning needs.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Children’s voices are heard and valued. Regular meetings provide a platform for children to influence their environment. In one example, staff supported a child in making choices about sleeping arrangements, helping him move from sleeping on the floor to his bed.

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

Children in the home require high levels of support, with two-to-one staffing ratios in place. This significantly reduces the risk of children going missing, and no such incidents have been reported during this inspection period. Inspection report for children’s home: 1270744 4 Staff’s safeguarding knowledge is strong. Staff are clear on reporting procedures and confident in escalating concerns externally if needed.

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

When children make allegations, staff follow organisational protocols closely to ensure that all incidents are managed effectively. Staff communicate appropriately with safeguarding professionals and Ofsted, when necessary.

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

The number of reported physical restraints is high, but this reflects the complexity of children’s needs and the home’s rigorous reporting culture. Even minimal physical guidance is recorded, which inflates figures but demonstrates transparency. The manager’s recent review of restrictive physical interventions (RPIs) revealed inconsistencies in reporting systems, particularly around frequency and categorisation. Despite data challenges, reviews confirmed that RPIs are used appropriately and only as a last resort. Staff prioritise de-escalation and demonstrate a clear understanding of when intervention is necessary to prevent harm.

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

Debriefs and follow-up work are well documented, and interventions are proportionate. There is no evidence of misuse or over-reliance on physical intervention. However, descriptions and tracking of incidents are not always clear, which reduces the manager’s opportunity to evaluate the effectiveness of behaviour support strategies. This remains an area for close monitoring, but inspectors were reassured by the openness of the provider and the improving picture overall.

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

Self-harm is not a prevalent concern, but staff are trained and prepared to respond appropriately should incidents occur.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

The new service manager brings energy and an ambitious vision for improvement. Her analytical approach to behaviour support and incident reporting has enabled the identification of themes and trends, which, in turn, has informed practice development.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

Staff morale is high. There is a shared commitment to therapeutic care, and staff feel well supported in managing complex behaviours. Children are showing signs of reduced distress and improved engagement.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

The manager recognises the work still to be done in enhancing staff’s skills and knowledge. She benefits from dedicated support from a capable senior team. Conversations with staff reflect alignment with leadership goals and confidence in the manager’s direction. Staff speak passionately about the children and demonstrate a deep understanding of their needs and aspirations.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

Training and supervision are praised, particularly by newer staff, who feel well prepared and supported. Support following incidents is robust. Staff are provided time to reflect and learn, and induction processes ensure that new team members are not rushed into behaviour support roles prematurely. Inspection report for children’s home: 1270744 5 Children benefit from a stable and enthusiastic core team. Staffing levels are appropriate to meet the needs of the cohort, and supervision systems are effective in maintaining resilience and reflective practice.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

Children’s views are actively sought and respected. Staff facilitate regular meetings and discussions with the children to enable them to express any concerns and to influence decisions about daily life at the home, including menus and activities. Inspection report for children’s home: 1270744 6

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Recommendation

 The registered person should actively seek independent scrutiny of the home and make the best use of information from independent and internal monitoring (including under regulations 44 and 45) to ensure continuous improvement. In particular, the registered person should ensure the accuracy of data produced around incidents and restraints to reliably identify the impact of changes to staff practice. (‘Guide to the Children’s Homes Regulations, including the quality standards’, page 55, paragraph 10.24)

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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 7

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Children’s home details

Registered provider: HeadStart Residential Care Ltd

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Children’s home details

Registered provider address: 30 to 34 North Street, Hailsham BN27 1DW

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Children’s home details

Responsible individual: Scott Fasciolo-Barnes

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Inspectors

Peter Jackson, Social Care Inspector Alexia Hosker, Social Care Inspector Inspection report for children’s home: 1270744 8 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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