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

Unique reference number SC062223 Inspection date 20/06/2013 Inspector Michael Williams Type of inspection Full Provision subtype Children's home

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Date of last inspection 06/03/2013 Website: www.ofsted.gov.uk

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Brief description of the service

This children's home can provide care and accommodation for up to seven young people who have emotional or behavioural difficulties. The home is owned by a private limited company. On the same site as the home is an independent school run by the provider, which young people from the home may attend.

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The inspection judgements and what they mean

Outstanding : a service of exceptional quality that significantly exceeds minimum requirements Good : a service of high quality that exceeds minimum requirements Adequate : a service that only meets minimum requirements Inadequate : a service that does not meet minimum requirements

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Overall effectiveness

The overall effectiveness is judged to be good .

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Overall effectiveness

The interim inspection of the home, in early March 2013, found that it had made inadequate progress since its full inspection, in December 2012, when its overall effectiveness was judged to be good. This inspection found that the home's overall effectiveness is good again.

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Overall effectiveness

Taking into account their starting points at the time of their placements, young people make good progress across all aspects of their welfare and development. They are helped to achieve this by the good support they receive from staff. Placement planning is very individualised to meet the personal needs of each young person and is implemented in practice.

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Overall effectiveness

Staff know the home's child protection procedures which they effectively follow in conjunction with external professionals when necessary. Most young people feel safe at the home all the time. Staff effectively address the concerns of any young people who sometimes do not feel safe at the home, for example because of an instance of bullying. Staff follow identified strategies to protect young people from areas of risk. Any concerning behaviours are well-managed by staff. Appropriate boundaries and rules are set and are consistently followed.

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Overall effectiveness

The leadership and management arrangements are good. Together the home's Registered Manager and the person who visits the home monthly on behalf of the responsible individual, effectively identify and address any weaknesses to secure future improvement. Young people made the following comments about what is good about the home: 'Everything really, the staff are really respectful and if you need to talk to them then they are here if you need to talk.', 'Everything, staff support me through difficult times.’ and that staff, 'encourage me to take part in new activities.' and, ' let me do what I want within reason and they have clear boundaries.' Most young people commented that the home could do nothing better; 'Nothing because it's fine just the way it is.' However, one young person commented that the home could, 'Let me out more on my own' and another that they could, 'Treat me like a king!' A placing social

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Overall effectiveness

worker described the home as: 'A warm, nurturing environment for young people should they wish to invest in it.'

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Overall effectiveness

Three areas for improvement have been identified relating to the home's record of restraint, its child protection procedures and safeguarding training for staff.

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Statutory Requirements

This section sets out the actions which must be taken so that the registered person/s meets the Care Standards Act 2000, Children's Homes Regulations 2001 and the National Minimum Standards. The registered person(s) must comply with the given timescales.

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Reg. Requirement Due date

17B (2001) ensure that where a measure of restraint is used on a child the written record made in a volume kept for the purpose of recording restraint includes details of any methods used to avoid the need to use restraint. (Regulation 17B (4) (b)) 26/07/2013

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Recommendations

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

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Recommendations

 submit the home's child protection procedures to the Local Safeguarding Children's Board (LSCB) and to the Local Authority Designated Officer (LADO) for child protection for consideration and comment. This is to ensure they are consistent with the local policies and procedures agreed by the LSCB relevant to the area the home is in and with Working Together to Safeguard Children (March 2013). These procedures should then be made clear and available to staff (NMS 20.3 & 4)  refresh staff training in appropriate safe-care practice, following the revision of the home's child protection procedures. (NMS 4.6)

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Outcomes for children and young people

Taking into account their starting points at the time of their placements, overall young people have achieved good outcomes. For example, this is the case for young people whether they have moved into the home from their parental home, foster care or from a secure unit. One young person commented, 'Since the last inspection a couple of the young people left; that has helped me to progress further.' Young people living at the home are making good progress towards achieving agreed short, medium and long-term placement plans and objectives, such as to keep themselves safe, to build social confidence and make appropriate relationships, and to complete their education.

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Outcomes for children and young people

Young people make good progress in developing a positive identity, self-esteem and knowledge and understanding of their background. They make and usually sustain positive relationships with staff in the home and, where needed, re-develop positive relationships with their family. Young people's placement plans include a section on their identity, detailing their religious, cultural and racial background and how these needs will be met.

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Outcomes for children and young people

Young people's physical, emotional and psychological health needs are very well met. They are helped to understand their health needs and to begin to take responsibility for them. For example, young people are helped to understand the health risks of smoking as part of encouraging them to stop smoking. Young people's health care needs are detailed in their individual placement plans and these are regularly reviewed. Where agreed, young people's health care needs are also met by sessions with the provider's psychologist who works at the site.

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Outcomes for children and young people

Young people are able to actively express their views, wishes and feelings, and they know that they are taken into account both in the day-to-day running of the home and in important decisions about their lives. Young people participate in regular key worker sessions, in important meetings about their lives and in house meetings. Staff also seek and take account of written feedback from young people, for example in their student's questionnaire about the home and the school as a whole.

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Outcomes for children and young people

Taking into account their starting points at the time of placement, young people's educational attendance and achievement is good. Young people are engaged in education and further education at the on-site school and in a college course and apprenticeship. Part of the reason for young people being placed at the home is that their educational attendance and achievement can be promoted by the provider's on- site independent school. For example, a few months into their placement a young person who had previously been missing a large part of their compulsory full-time education was beginning to invest in this school provision.

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Outcomes for children and young people

Young people are actively and positively involved in activities in the home and the community. Almost all the young people commented that staff help them to be involved all the time in out-of-school activities they are interested in. When appropriate, young people are confident about their readiness for leaving the home and moving to independence and adulthood, because staff help them to prepare for this time.

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Quality of care

Staff are consistently concerned with, and actively promote, young people's welfare. Four of the five young people at the home described the care and support they receive from staff as very good, with the other young person describing it as good.

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Quality of care

Staff use individualised behaviour management strategies to help young people enjoy good relationships with them, other adults and other young people. Staff also positively promote and support young people's family contact. For example, if a young person's parental contact is causing difficulties, staff actively work with their placing social worker to effectively address this.

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Quality of care

The home operates an effective reward system with young people to promote positive behaviour and relationships. Good behaviour is rewarded and unacceptable behaviour is fairly sanctioned. Seven sanctions have been given to young people by staff since the last inspection, which are recorded in the sanctions log.

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Quality of care

The running of the home and the delivery of young people's care is significantly influenced by young people's views, which they share during individual key working sessions, meetings regarding their care and house meetings. Since the last inspection, the home has received two complaints from young people, both of whom were 'happy' with the outcome of the investigation into their complaint.

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Quality of care

Young people are central to the planning and review of their care; staff ensure they are consistently involved in these processes. This ensures care is tailored to their individual needs and is focused on achieving clear outcomes. Following a recommendation raised at the last inspection, young people's placement plans are now regularly updated and reviewed to ensure they accurately reflect their day-to- day care. For example, a number of sections of one young person's placement plan, outlining particular needs and how they will be met, were last updated at the beginning of June 2013.

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Quality of care

Staff actively promote young people's educational attendance and achievement. There is extremely close liaison between staff at the home and staff at the on-site school. They work together to promote young people's educational achievement, handing over to each other relevant information about the young person's time with them and supporting young people in both settings.

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Quality of care

Staff also work proactively with health and safeguarding professionals and the police to try and secure positive outcomes for young people. For example, one young person's placing social worker explained that it was the home and the local police they were working with who pushed for a management of risk meeting to be held regarding the number of times the young person had gone missing from the home.

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Safeguarding children and young people

The service is good at keeping children and young people safe and feeling safe.

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Safeguarding children and young people

Most young people commented that they feel safe at the home all the time. Other young people's comments, that they feel safe at the home most of the time and sometimes, were respectively influenced by a recent instance of bullying that they had complained about and by the number of times they had gone missing from the home.

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Safeguarding children and young people

The last inspection of the home in March 2013 required and recommended a number of improvements in safeguarding. These have all been acted upon. As a result, staff are now able to gain access to young people's bedrooms when there is a concern for their welfare and protection. However, the change in the composition of the group of young people shortly after the last inspection has meant that there have been no further instances of young people barricading themselves in one of their bedrooms. Risk assessments on individual young people are now updated to reflect current areas of concern. For example, the individual risk assessment regarding the young person whose behaviour has recently raised the most concern was last reviewed shortly before this inspection, when all sections were updated. Any concerns about the welfare or safety of a young person at the home are now reported to an officer of the local authority in whose area the home is situated. After the last inspection,

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Safeguarding children and young people

such concerns were reported to the LADO for child protection by both the home and Ofsted, and the LADO found that the concerns were 'Unfounded'. The home's written record of restraint now includes all the matters it was required to include. Finally, action has been taken to ensure that after any incident of restraint young people will now be supported to comment about the incident and to take up any issues or complaints in the most appropriate way.

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Safeguarding children and young people

When asked what the home is like now, in comparison to the time of the last inspection visit, one young person commented: 'Better, settled now [a young person] is not here, things were always kicking off then.' All of the young people who were in established placements at the home at the time of the last inspection commented that what changed afterwards is that 'things got better'.

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Safeguarding children and young people

Young people who go missing are protected as far as possible and responded to positively on their return. Since the last inspection, there have been 12 instances of young people going missing, 11 of which involved the same young person running away to family or friends. In response to this, the home effectively worked with the local police and together they pushed for an intervention meeting to be held in line with the police protocol for missing children and young people. This meeting took place shortly before this inspection and since the arrangements it recommended were put in place the young person has not gone missing.

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Safeguarding children and young people

Physical restraint has not been used since the last inspection. Instead, staff have used the individual de-escalation responses in each young person's behaviour management guidance to effectively address any challenging behaviour. Young people commented that the rules on restraint are followed in the home, with one commenting, 'They don't really restrain us, because it's quite settled here at the moment, they use it as a last resort.' Another young person commented: 'I haven't been restrained for ages as I have been keeping out of trouble.'

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Safeguarding children and young people

Staff have strong and proactive relationships with the local police and local safeguarding professionals to support and promote young people's safety. These relationships have often been key to effectively resolving any concerns that have arisen since the last inspection from significant events relating to the protection of young people, such as young people going missing from the home.

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Safeguarding children and young people

To help prevent unsuitable people from having the opportunity to harm young people, the provider has clear and robust procedures for the recruitment of staff. This was reported to be the case at the last full inspection of the home, since when a new member of staff has not started work at the home.

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Safeguarding children and young people

The home provides a good physical environment for the young people. Environmental checks required are up-to-date. Maintenance and decoration work is regularly carried out to continue to provide a comfortable and homely environment.

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Safeguarding children and young people

At the time of this inspection, the senior designated safeguarding officer for the service was due to seek clarity from the LADO about what safeguarding concerns the home should refer to them and what concerns they should refer to the local children's social care team. After clarifying this, they are planning to revise the home's child protection policy and procedure and refresh staff safeguarding training. However, recommendations have been raised to help drive these improvements forward quickly, because most staff agreed, as opposed to strongly agreed, that they know the home's child protection procedures and feel confident about dealing with child protection concerns.

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Safeguarding children and young people

A requirement is raised because the home's written record of restraint does not include another detail required: details of any de-escalation methods used to avoid the need to use the restraint.

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Leadership and management

The leadership and management of the children's home are good .

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Leadership and management

The leadership and management of the children's home are good.

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Leadership and management

This is a well-managed home. It has an up-to-date Statement of Purpose that was reviewed in March 2013. The aim and purpose of the home and the facilities and services it provides are clear to staff, placing social workers and young people's parents. There is also an accompanying young person's guide to the home that has recently been amended to include information about how they can contact the Children's Rights Director and Ofsted.

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Leadership and management

The staffing numbers, the level of experience of staff and the support provided to them are sufficient to meet the needs of the young people. The details of the staff team and the arrangements for their supervision, training and development are included in the home's Statement of Purpose.

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Leadership and management

Since the last inspection, staff have participated in risk assessment training to be able to continue to meet young people's needs. Staff have either attained, are undertaking, or are waiting to undertake the professional qualification at level three that is relevant to their role. Regular supervision, handovers and staff team meetings also support staff to provide a good quality service to the young people. All the staff who completed surveys for this inspection strongly agreed that their supervision helps them to do their job.

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Leadership and management

The home's Registered Manager has the professional qualification relevant to the role. Along with the home's three team leaders, she exercises effective leadership of the home's staff and operation. Together they ensure the delivery of good quality care that meets the individual needs of each young person at the home. When asked what they thought about the home's Registered Manager, one young person commented, 'She helps us.'

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Leadership and management

Following two requirements raised at the last inspection, the home now ensures that: Ofsted is notified of any significant events, relating to the protection of children, that it is required to be notified of and all young people are aware of the procedure to be followed in case of fire. The home now even notifies Ofsted of a significant event it is only required to notify the young person's placing authority about; when a young person accommodated at the home goes missing. Two fire drills have successfully taken place since the last inspection; the last one was arranged to include a young person recently admitted to the home.

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Leadership and management

Any concerns about the home arising since the last inspection have been effectively resolved. There has been a robust response to the last inspection's inadequate progress judgement, and information and concerns expressed regarding restraint practice with young people. The latter concerns were referred by both the home and Ofsted to the LADO who decided that no further action was necessary. The provider also arranged for two operations directors and their social care quality adviser to carry out an assessment and full internal review of the concerns raised. The school principal confirmed that the actions they identified, to ensure the development of best practice in relation to the management of incidents, have been met within the required timescales.

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Leadership and management

Regular monitoring of the operation of the home effectively contributes to maintaining good quality care and promotes the welfare of the young people. Each month, the Registered Manager carries out internal monitoring and on behalf of the registered provider an external visitor carries out an unannounced monitoring visit. These visits look at, for example, progress and developments and care and welfare, and provide an opportunity for young people and staff to be consulted. The external visitor ended the evaluation of their last visit, in May 2013, as follows: 'Positive relationships were observed and young people are chatty and friendly.' The inspector also observed this to be the case. The provider has also reviewed the quality of care at the home for the period from October 2012 to March 2013. The summary of this review includes: the 'significant incidents' at the home towards the end of this period; that this resulted in two young people leaving the home; and that 'Since the

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Leadership and management

move [the home] has settled back down and behaviours have been less challenging.' The inspector also found this to be the case. The young person admitted to the home since the last inspection is appropriately placed and the home is beginning to meet their assessed needs.

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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 to assess the effectiveness of the service and to consider how well it complies with the relevant regulations and meets the national minimum standards.

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About this inspection

The report details the main strengths, any areas for improvement, including any breaches of regulation, and any failure to meet national minimum standards. The judgements included in the report are made against the Inspections of children’s homes – framework for inspection and the evaluation schedule for the inspection of children's homes.

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