Children's Home run by Aspris Children’s Services Limited in Herefordshire

Unique reference number SC062223 Inspection date 06/01/2011 Inspector Dawn Taylor Type of inspection Random

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Date of last inspection 01/06/2010 Website: www.ofsted.gov.uk

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This document may be reproduced in whole or in part for non-commercial educational purposes, provided that the information quoted is reproduced without adaptation and the source and date of publication are stated.

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You can obtain copies of The Children Act 2004, Every Child Matters and The National Minimum Standards for Children’s Services from: The Stationery Office (TSO) PO Box 29, St Crispins, Duke Street, Norwich, NR3 1GN. Tel: 0870 600 5522. Online ordering: www.tso.co.uk/bookshop

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About this inspection

The purpose of this inspection is to assure children and young people, parents, the public, local authorities and government of the quality and standard of the service provided. The inspection was carried out under the Care Standards Act 2000.

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About this inspection

This report details the main strengths and any areas for improvement identified during the inspection. The judgements included in the report are made in relation to the outcomes for children set out in the Children Act 2004 and the relevant National Minimum Standards for the service.

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The inspection judgements and what they mean

Outstanding: this aspect of the provision is of exceptionally high quality Good: this aspect of the provision is strong Satisfactory: this aspect of the provision is sound Inadequate: this aspect of the provision is not good enough

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Brief description of the service

This home provides seven places for young people of either gender aged from 11 up to the age of 17. Young people admitted to the home have significant care needs and behaviour problems. Young people are able to attend mainstream education but the majority of those placed attend the company's registered school based on the same site. This children's home is in a large detached property surrounded by spacious grounds on the outskirts of a small town.

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Summary

This is an overview of what the inspector found during the inspection.

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Summary

This was an unannounced interim inspection. This inspection focused on the key standards in staying safe.

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Summary

This home continues to be judged as good and the outcome judgement for staying safe is good. This service achieves good outcomes for young people. The Registered Manager provides clear leadership to the staff team, which ensures that the aims and objectives of the home are achieved. Young people are receiving care and support that addresses their changing needs.

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Improvements since the last inspection

There is ongoing work to ensure the home is decorated and furnished to a standard that creates a pleasant domestic environment, appropriate to the number, gender mix, disability, age, culture and ethnic background of the young people being accommodated.

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Protecting children from harm or neglect and helping them stay safe

The welfare and safety of young people is promoted because there are systems in place which are known and understood by all staff. There are good procedures and staff guidance in place for safeguarding young people, promoting anti-bullying, reducing unauthorised absences and enabling young people to complain. Staff receive a good range of training that includes anti-bullying and child protection.

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Protecting children from harm or neglect and helping them stay safe

Young people are rewarded for good behaviour. The home's staff team and the therapist team provide calm and supportive time that enables young people to express their feelings about what lies beneath their behaviour. Physical interventions do happen in the home. Records show this is only used as a last resort where there is a developing danger of injury or serious damage to property. All staff receive training in the safe use of physical intervention. Staff occasionally impose sanctions and this usually involves confiscation or removal of the offending item and loss of privileges. The Registered Manager continues to monitor patterns and trends of behaviour and is proactive in addressing physical or environmental triggers to incidents. Monitoring has resulted in a significant reduction in trends for some behaviour, such as absence without authority and barricading in rooms. Recent monitoring has identified the locks fitted to bedroom doors combined with the

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Protecting children from harm or neglect and helping them stay safe

hanging of the doors as a trigger to repeated incidents. This potentially places young people at risk and is resulting in a repetitive use of maintenance staff time and an unproductive use of residential staff time.

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Protecting children from harm or neglect and helping them stay safe

Staff give good attention to workplace safety. There is a health and safety audit completed which demonstrates the organisation's commitment to high standards. All young people are provided with personalised risk assessments. This means that staff are educating young people about potential problems and minimising risks related to their safety.

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Protecting children from harm or neglect and helping them stay safe

Staff vetting was not inspected on this occasion but the last key inspection found that there were robust systems in place.

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Recommendations

To improve the quality and standards of care further the registered person should take account of the following recommendation(s):

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Recommendations

 ensure the suitability of the bedroom door locks are risk assessed and action is taken to reduce the number of incidents in the home and reduce any risks to young people (NMS 22.11).

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