Children's Home, Residential special school run by Aspris Children’s Services Limited in Staffordshire

Unique reference number SC401685 Inspector Pete Hylton Type of inspection Interim Provision subtype Residential special school (>295 days/year)

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Registered person Priory Education Services Ltd Registered person address 5th Floor 80 Hammersmith Road London W14 8UD Responsible individual Katherine Bridon Registered manager Rachel Louise Bellworthy Date of last inspection 07/01/2015 2 of 6 Inspection date 12/03/2015

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Previous inspection good Enforcement action since last inspection There has been no enforcement action since the last inspection.

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This inspection

This home was judged good at the last full inspection. At this interim inspection Ofsted judge that it has declined in effectiveness .

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This inspection

The home was last inspected in January 2015 and judged to be good. One requirement was made. This related to ensuring young people’s records contained all required information. There have been improvements to young people’s files and all required information is now appropriately recorded. This means that staff working with young people are fully aware of each young person’s presenting situation and how to deliver appropriate care.

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This inspection

This inspection also focused on concerns raised to Ofsted about the management of the children’s home. Four requirements and a recommendation have been made as a result of this inspection. These relate to staff supervision, child protection arrangements, staffing and fire safety.

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This inspection

Staff supervisions are not always completed, despite being recorded as such. This means that the recording system in use in the home is not wholly reliable nor effective. Gaps in staff supervision mean that staff may not always be appropriately supported in their duties. There is no demonstrable impact, to date, on the outcomes for children and young people. A requirement has been made to address this shortfall.

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This inspection

The organisation has clear procedures and policies in place to promote safeguarding. However, these are not always followed by the staff team. An incident occurred in school where it was noted that a young person may have suffered injury. Although the care staff team noted this, the concerns were not passed to safeguarding services or the placing authority. This means that there is the potential for young people to be at risk from injury without appropriate actions being taken. A requirement has been made to address this potentially significant shortfall. 3 of 6 Since the last inspection, there has been a decline in the consistency of staffing in the home. Weekends in particular are most affected. For example, over a period of two weekends in February and March 2015, eight different agency staff have been used in the home. This means that young people with varying and often complex needs are not afforded a stable or familiar staff team. This has the potential to

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This inspection

impact on their sense of routine and familiarity. There have also been periods where staffing levels have not met the required numbers. For example, where young people are in need of 1:1 staffing, this has not always been provided. This has the potential to impact on the safety, welfare and development of young people in the home. Two requirements have been made to address these shortfalls.

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This inspection

Young people are, however, happy and relaxed in the home. There is ample space and the environment is, on the whole, well maintained. Some areas of the home are in need of redecoration and there are clear plans in place to remedy these affected areas. Young people live in a safe environment that is designed to meet their needs. Regular fire drills ensure that young people and staff are practised in the event of a fire. However, evening fire drills have not been planned. This means that young people may not be fully practised in evacuating the home in darkness. A recommendation has been made to improve this area of practice. 4 of 6

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Information about this children’s home

This home is part of a residential special school which is part of a large private care organisation. The service is registered to accommodate 22 children and young people with learning disabilities. The home offers planned long-term placements. The school is registered with the Department for Education.

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Inspection date Inspection type Inspection judgement

07/01/2015 Full good 05/03/2014 Interim good progress 29/01/2014 Full good 21/03/2013 Interim good progress

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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

(2001) prepare and implement written a policy which is intended to safeguard children accommodated in the children’s home from abuse or neglect (Regulation 16 (1) (a) ) 30/04/2015

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Reg. Requirement Due date

(2001) ensure that there is at all times, having regard to the matters specified in (a) and (b), a sufficient number of suitably qualified, competent and experienced persons working at the children’s home (Regulation 25 (1) (a-b) ) 30/04/2015

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Reg. Requirement Due date

(2001) ensure that the employment of any persons on a temporary basis at the children’s home will not prevent children from receiving such continuity of care as is reasonable to meet their needs (Regulation 25 (2) ) 30/04/2015 5 of 6 (2001) ensure that all persons employed by him receive appropriate training, supervision and appraisal. (Regulation 27 (4) (a) ) 30/04/2015

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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

 ensure that there is an emergency escape plan that all staff and children are familiar with and have practiced so they know what to do in an emergency. (NMS 10.9) Website: www.ofsted.gov.uk

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Recommendations

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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What inspection judgements mean

At the interim inspections we make a judgement on whether the home has improved in effectiveness, sustained effectiveness, or declined in effectiveness since the previous full inspection. This is in line with the Inspection of children’s homes: framework for inspection.

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Information 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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Information 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 framework of inspection for children's homes.

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