Children's Home run by Aspris New Education Services Limited in Lancashire

Inspector Anne Bannister/Gillian Walters

Previous inspection judgement Inadequate

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Inspector Anne Bannister/Gillian Walters

Enforcement action since last inspection This home was judged to be inadequate overall at the inspection on 11 March 2015. Significant concerns were identified about the home’s safeguarding practice. Three compliance notices were served as a result. In order to evaluate the progress the home has made in addressing the compliance notices an unannounced monitoring visit was made to the home on 15 April 2015. This inspection identified that sufficient progress has been made to meet the compliance notices

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people living in the home are

The children’s home is not yet delivering good help and care for children and young people. However, there are no serious or widespread failures that result in their welfare not being safeguarded or promoted.

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This children’s home provision requires improvement because:

 Although managers understand the strengths and weaknesses of the home and have developments plans in place to address areas for further development, they have not yet had the opportunity to progress and implement the plans. As a result evaluation of care planning and target setting is not in place to ensure young people are being supported to reach their full potential  Leaders and managers do not consistently challenge partner agencies, for example, when young people’s legal status is not appropriately updated this has not been challenged with the placing authority  There is failure to adequately assess the maintance requirements of all outdoor equipment. This may ultimately compromise the safety of welfare of young people  The extensive use of the swing by one young person is not reflected in his individual risk assessment and as a result consistent challenge to unsafe behaviour is not being implemented by staff

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This children’s home provision requires improvement because:

 Placement plans are not evaluated sufficiently to ensure they are meeting young people’s individual needs and effectively promoting their potential

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The children’s homes strengths

 Managers and staff have addressed all the requirements and recommendations made following the previous inadequate judgement. An action plan has been put in place to ensure the the quality of care young people receive is promoting their safety and welfare

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The children’s homes strengths

 Young people have extremely positive relationships with staff members that enables them to achieve outcomes. For some young people the progress they have made since admission to the home is judged by parents and placing authorities to be exceptional

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The children’s homes strengths

 All young people actively participate in very individualised education plans that enhance their learning and achievement

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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 (England) Regulations 2015 and the Guide to the children’s homes regulations including the quality standards. The registered person(s) must comply with the given timescales.

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Reg. Requirement Due date

5 In order to engage with the wider system to ensure children’s needs are met the registered person must ensure that staff: (a) seek to involve each child’s placing authority effectively in the child’s care, in accordance with the child’s relevant plan, with particular reference to those children who are exceeding the length of stay designated for short break services; (c) challenge the placing authority to seek to ensure that each child’s needs are met in accordance with the child’s relevant plans. (Regulation 5 (a) (c)) 31/07/2015

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Reg. Requirement Due date

6 In order to ensure the purpose of care standard is met the registered person must: 2(b)(iv) provide personalised care that meets each child’s needs, as recorded in the child’s relevant plans, taking account of the child’s background. In particular the completion of daily body maps for all young people must be reviewed (Regulation 6(2)(b0(iv) 31/07/2015

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Reg. Requirement Due date

12 In order the meet the protection of care standard the registered person must ensure that staff : (a) (i) assess whether each child is at risk from harm, taking into account information in the child’s relevant plans, and, if necessary, make arramgements to reduce the risk of any harm to the child (d) that the premises used for the purposes of the home are designed, furnished and maintained so as to protect each child from avoidable hazards to the child’s health; in particular this relates to the use of the swing (Regulation 12.2 (a)(i) and (2)(d)) 31/07/2015 13 In order to meet the leadership and management standard the registered person must ensure that staff: (2)(f) understand the impact that the quality of care provided in the home is having on the progress and experiences of each child and use this understanding to inform the development of the quality of care provided in the home (Regulation 13(2)(f) )

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Reg. Requirement Due date

36 The registered person must maintain records for each child which: 1(a)include all information listed in Schedule 3 in relation to each child. In particular this relates tomaintaing a record of the statutory provision under which the child is accommodated (Regulation 36 (1) (a)) 31/07/2015

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Reg. Requirement Due date

45 In order to complete a quality of care review the registered person must: (4)(a)supply to HMCI a copy of the quality care review report within 28 days of the date on which the quality of care review is completed (Regulation 45 (4)(a)) 31/07//2015

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Information about this children’s home

The home is owned by an independent company. The home is registered for eight young people with learning disabilities, three of whom can be accommodated on a short break basis.

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Recent inspection history

Inspection date Inspection type Inspection judgement 13/04/2014 Monitoring visit Compliance notices met

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Recent inspection history

14/03/2015 Full inspection Inadequate 27/08/2014 Interim Declined effectiveness 24/10/2014 Full Inspectiom Good

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Requires improvement

While there are many positive outcomes achieved by young people living in the home the overall judgement given is one that requires improvement to be good. Young people are cared for by a staff team who have an understanding of their individual needs and personalities. As a result they develop positive and constructive relationships with young people. Young people’s behaviours are at times repetitive and extreme. Staff acceptance of excessive and extreme usage of the swing by one young person are not in his best interest and do not support him to learn how to enjoy positive and safe play experiences. Young people are offered consistent reassurance and encouragement and are treated with respect and sensitivity. One young person said ‘They keep us safe and if we are worried there is always some one to talk to. Since you last came they have told us about keeping safe on line; keeping ourselves safe and the importance of good food and exercise’. He

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Requires improvement

continued by giving a fairly comprehensive account of what he had learnt. Another young person was extremely positive about her placement. She said that she now spends more time at home and that she is doing really well in education, having recently sat exams which she hopes will eventually gain her access to college. One parent noted that ‘The progress my daughter has made is unbelievable. I couldn’t have anticipated she would respond so well to what this placement has to offer’. Young people are well supported to achieve in education. Their attendance has significantly improved since their admission and this impacts positively on their attainment. Staff work effectively with the education provider and are good advocates for the young people. They work closely with teaching staff to ensure continuity of care and staff practice. This greatly benefits young people, some of who are making outstanding progress based on their starting point on admission.

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Requires improvement

Young people are emotionally and practically supported to enjoy contact with individuals who are important to them. This supports their identity and understanding of family history. One parent noted ‘She has made a close friend since being there. Staff are planning to take them on holiday together in the summer. She has also joined a range of community activites. Previously she could not socialise at all. This an incredible achievement’.

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Requires improvement

The views of young people who have speech as their main method of communication are routinely sought through one-to-one meetings and young people’s meetings. Their voices are listened to and their requests acted upon. For example they confirmed they have been involved in planning a holiday this summer, young people are also contributing to plans to refurbish their living area. Less apparent is evidence to demonstrate that the views of young people who are non–verbal routinely contribute to the quality of care they receive. All young people access services appropriate to their needs, including the child and adolescent mental health service and the looked after children nurse. The recent appointment of a nurse appropriately experienced and qualified is ensuring staff receive the training they need to address young people’s identified, sometimes complex, health needs. On the day of inspection she was presenting a child centred care planning and

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Requires improvement

report writing training course. Staff were very positive about this input which they feel will support them to establish more individual care planning that can justify staff practice. For example,staff currently complete body maps for young people twice a day.There is no justification for why this is needed for all young people and can be interpreted as intrusive and an infringement of their human rights.

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Requires improvement

Young people are now being presented with a balanced nutritious diet. A chef was initially employed on a temporary basis and the role has been so appreciated by both staff and young people, that a permanent post is being advertised. Young people said ‘ I like having a chef. They teach you had to eat healthily and some of them let us help them with the cooking’. This enhances their self confirdence and improves their life skills.

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Requires improvement

Whilst there is significant improvement in staff knowledge and understanding of safeguarding procedures and practice the home is not yet judged as good. This is due to the lack of clear, cohesive, concise risk assessments that can inform staff practice and ensure they manage individual risks. A significant number of risk assessments are used, yet they but fail to provide a comprehensive, accurate picture. For example, risk assessments relating to child sexual exploitation are of poor quality and are not sufficiently individualised. They judge that the three young people with access to internet services are all at risk of sexual exploitation. This is not an accurate assessment. Ther risks related to the extensive use of the swing in the garden have not been considered and actions taken to address them.

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Requires improvement

Young people are safeguarded by staff’s understanding of their specific vulnerabilities. Their individual behaviour management plans identify triggers to unwanted behaviours, with guidance in place on how to de-escalate potentially volatile situations. The consistent boundaries that are in place and the effective use of de-escalation has significantly reduced the need for physical management of young people’s behaviours. When it is necessary it is always used as a last resort and incidents and behaviour managemnets plans reviewed where appropriate. For example one young person is now actively encouraged to use the sensory play area to help them to calm. Another likes to spend time quietly in their room. Both these measures support young people to manage and take responsibility for their own behaviours.

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Requires improvement

As would be the expectation in this home young people do not go missing. High staff ratios and key pad locking mechanisms are in place to address young people’s complex needs and vulnerabilities.More able young peole are aware of the codes and are able to move freely about the building.

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Requires improvement

No new staff have been appointed since the previous inspection. Staff employed are safely recruited to ensure that unsuitable people do not have the opportunity to work with young people.

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Requires improvement

The Registered Manager is suitably experienced. She has been in post as the manager of the home since April 2012. She has over ten years’ experience of working with young people and is suitably qualified. She is also the Registerd Manager for another home in the group. During the course of the inspection she acknowledged that the management of two homes has not been conducive to allowing her to fully concentrate her resources on this home. Having discussed the impact this has with senior management, she is resigning from her responsibilities for the other home. She is confident that this will allow her to swiftly move the home forward, enabling her to support staff to become more evaluative of the impact their care is having on outcomes for young people.

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Requires improvement

The Registered Manager is supported by a small team of deputy managers with delegated responsibilities. All have a clear understanding of their roles and responsibilities ensuring significantly improved daily monitoring of the quality of car young people receive. Staff say that they benefit from good of levels of support, both formally and informally, that enables them to effectively respond to young peole’s presenting behaviours. All permanent staff possess or are working towards a relevant qualification in working with children and young people. Staff have now good training opportunities to ensure that they are able to further develop their knowledge and skills, particularly with young people who have complex and diverse needs. Supervision is now occurring regularly to ensure that good opportunities exist for staff to reflect on their practice and the progress young people are making. This ensures

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Requires improvement

managers have opportunity to explore and address individual performance issues and promotes staff development.

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Requires improvement

The home has a development plan in place. This reflects the current service and objectives for the coming year. Managers present as understanding the strengths and weaknesses of the home and services provided. However, they have not yet had sufficient time to full progress and implement the plans drawn up following the previous inspection. Senior managers from within the organisation, managers and staff acknowledge it has been a very difficult time since they received the inadequate judgement. They believe they have now ‘turned a corner’. The whole staff team has united to address the weaknesses identified and to develop and successfully implement an action plan to address the compliance notices and the requirements and recommendations raised. Senior managers have been so intent on addressing these issues that the focus on completing paperwork has become a priority, with little time left to evaluate the quality of the recording and the impacts staff practice

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Requires improvement

Both the Registered Manager and an independent person appointed by the company undertake regular monitoring of the home. These reports have not been forwarded to Ofsted in a timely manner as required by regulation. This does not enable the regulatory body to have good oversight of the home.

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Requires improvement

The manager ensures that the home has strong and effective working together relationships with other agencies. This underpins and drives the progress that young people make. She is generally appropriately very assertive with agencies if they do not provide a good enough service for young people. However, one placing authority has recently failed to confirm that a young person’s legal status has been changed to allow his continued placement at the home. This has not be adequately challenged by the manager.

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What the inspection judgements mean

The experiences and progress of children and young people are at the centre of the inspection. Inspectors will use their professional judgement to determine the weight and significance of their findings in this respect. The judgements included in the report are made against Inspection of children’s homes: framework for inspection.

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What the inspection judgements mean

An outstanding children’s home provides highly effective services that contribute to significantly improved outcomes for children and young people who need help and protection and care. Their progress exceeds expectations and is sustained over time.

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What the inspection judgements mean

A good children’s home provides effective services that help, protect and care for children and young people and have their welfare safeguarded and promoted.

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What the inspection judgements mean

In a children’s home that requires improvement , there are no widespread or serious failures that create or leave children being harmed or at risk of harm. The welfare of looked after children is safeguarded and promoted. Minimum requirements are in place, however, the children’s home is not yet delivering good protection, help and care for children and young people

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What the inspection judgements mean

A children’s home that is inadequate is providing services where there are widespread or serious failures that create or leave children and young people being harmed or at risk of harm or result in children looked after not having their welfare safeguarded and promoted.

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Information about this inspection

Inspectors have looked closely at the experiences and progress of children and young people living in the children’s home. Inspectors considered the quality of work and the difference adults make to the lives of children and young people. They read case files, watched how professional staff work with children, young people and each other and discussed the effectiveness of help and care given to children and young people. Wherever possible, they talked to children, young people and their families. In addition the inspectors have tried to understand what the children’s home knows about how well it is performing, how well it is doing and what difference it is making for the children and young people who it is trying to help, protect and look after.

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Information about this inspection

This 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 Children’s Homes (England) Regulations 2015 and the Guide to the children’s homes regulations including the quality standards. the guidance raising concerns and making complaints about Ofsted, which is available from Ofsted’s website: www.gov.uk/government/organisations/ofsted . If you would like Ofsted to send you a copy of the guidance, please telephone 0300123 4234, or email enquiries@ofsted.gov.uk .

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Information about this inspection

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, workbased learning and skills training, adult and community learning, and education and training in prisons and other secure establishments. It inspects services for looked after children and child protection.

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Information about this inspection

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Information about this inspection

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Information about this inspection

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Information about this inspection

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