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

Good

The children's home provides effective services that meet the requirements for good.

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Summary of findings

 Staff work very well with young people to promote independence and develop the skills and confidence they need in adulthood.

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Summary of findings

 The Registered Manager is child-focused and effectively challenges other professionals working with young people when this is required.

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Summary of findings

 Staff develop respectful relationships with young people and are sensitive to their needs.

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Summary of findings

 Young people are able to participate fully in day-to-day decisions about their lives.

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Summary of findings

 Staff are proactive in supporting young people to have effective and positive relationships with their family and friends.

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Summary of findings

 Staff promote positive behaviour which results in significant improvements in young people’s decreasing levels of risk-taking behaviour.

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Summary of findings

 Staff rarely physical restrain young people.

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Summary of findings

 There are some shortfalls with regard to the environment, fire precautions and leadership and management of the home.

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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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Requirement Due date

After consultation with the fire and rescue authority, the registered person must take adequate precautions against the risk of fire and provide adequate means of escape from the home in the event of a fire (Regulation 25(1)(a)(b)) 30/09/2015

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Requirement Due date

The registered person must establish and maintain a system for monitoring, reviewing and evaluating the feedback and opinions of children about the children's home, its facilities and the quality of care they receive in it; and any actions that the registered person considers necessary in order to improve or maintain the quality of care provided for children; and considering the opinions of parents, placing authorities and staff. (Regulation 45(2)(5)) 31/10/2015

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Recommendations

To improve the quality and standards of care further the service should take account of the following recommendation(s):  Ensure that the children's home is a nurturing and supportive environment that meets the needs of their children. This specifically relates to the personalisation of the home ((The Guide to the Quality Standards, page 15, paragraph 3.9)

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Recommendations

 Ensure there are clear lines of accountability when the manager is absent. (The Guide to the Quality Standards, page 54, paragraph 10.20)

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Information about this children's home

The home accommodates up to seven young people of either gender who have emotional and behavioural difficulties. It is run by a private company. The home’s statement of purpose indicates that the age range will be between 11 and 18 years of age.

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Recent inspection history

Inspection date Inspection type Inspection judgement

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good

Young people currently living in the home are receiving good individualised care focusing on developing relationship and independence skills. They develop secure relationships with staff who invest time with them and treat them with respect. As a result, young people gain in confidence and self-esteem and are making good progress in respect of their social and emotional well-being. One placing social worker commented,’ I am happy with the support staff have offered. They have supported and developed positive relationships.’ Staff are proactive in supporting young people to acquire the skills they will need in their adult life. Young people work to a structured independence programme which is AQA accredited. The young people currently living in the home are aged over 16 and are above statutory school age. Since arriving at the home one young person has secured employment and is on an apprenticeship and the other is looking

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good

forward to starting his college course in September. This has helped them both to raise their self-esteem, confidence and give them a clear focus for their future. Both young people say they are happy living in the home and are looking forward to moving shortly into independent living. The manager and staff support young people well in the transition to independent living by engaging with placing social workers and other professionals important to them. This ensures young people are well prepared and clear on the plans for their future. Young people are able to participate fully in day-to-day decisions about their lives. They discuss the daily running of the home in regular house meetings and engage with staff individually in frequent key-work sessions. Staff listen to young people and take their views into account whenever possible. They try to engage and motivate young people in age appropriate activities within the local community,

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good

such as, going to the gym. They are also understanding and respectful of young people if they not wish to engage in structured activities. Staff are proactive in supporting young people to have effective and positive relationships with their family and friends. Staff have been effective in enabling young people to re-establish contact with birth families in a safe and positive environment. The home is spacious and appropriate to the young people’s needs. The furnishing inside the home are of a high quality. Young people can personalise their own bedrooms to reflect their personalities but have had little input into the décor of the communal rooms in the home. There has been some damage to the home over past months which was still evident during the inspection. The kitchen doors have been ripped off and a bedroom window boarded up. A programme of maintenance is in place. A new kitchen is on order and all the windows in the home are due to

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good

Young people are safe living in the home. This is because staff help young people to feel safe and secure. Young people can talk to staff if they have any concerns or worries and they know they will be listened to. Young people’s risk assessments and behavioural management plans are regularly updated and reviewed. Young people can comment and have input into these. This ensures all are fully aware of the areas where there are concern and are agreeable to the appropriate ways of managing any problematic behaviour. Young people do not engage in risk-taking behaviours, such as, running away, drug or alcohol misuse. Those young people who previously engaged in risk-taking behaviours prior to arriving at the home have not continued to do so. Staff promote positive behaviour through consistent boundaries and a system of financial rewards and incentives. This has resulted in young people’s behaviour significantly improving during their time at the home. The home experienced a

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good

difficult period six months ago necessitating police being called on several occasions to the home. This has significantly improved over recent months since a change in the dynamics of the young people within the home. Staff do not frequently restrain young people resulting in low number of physical interventions being used. All staff are trained so they are able to physically restrain young people safely and any incident is reviewed and monitored. The organisation has a careful and rigorous selection process. This helps ensure all only suitable adults get to work with young people. Visitors to the home are supervised and monitored appropriately to protect young people from harm. Regular environmental and health and safety checks are conducted. Staff, however, sleep on the ground floor and although regular fire drills take place, consideration has not been given as to how staff would ensure young people’s

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good

safety should a fire start on the first floor where young people sleep. This has the potential to compromise young people’s safety in the event of a fire. Judgement grade

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good

This is the home’s first inspection since opening in November 2014. It is managed effectively by an experienced registered manager who is process of completing her Level 5 Diploma in Care Management. The home is adequately resourced and although there have been several changes in the staff team since the home has opened the existing staff team are experienced and knowledgeable. The home had an unsettled period in March 2015, which was exacerbated during a three week period when the registered manager was off work on sick leave. During this time the organisation’s internal quality assurance processes found that effective processes had not been well managed. The home does not have a deputy manager and other managers from the organisation provide temporary management cover while the manager is away from work.

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good

Since the registered manager’s return to work the young people have experienced continuity and consistency of care. Staff are adequately qualified and have obtained or are completing the Level 3 Diploma for Residential Childcare. A programme of training for staff has also been implemented which further enhances staff mandatory training. Partnership working with partner agencies and others is good. The registered manager has built up strong working relationships with youth offending teams, police and training companies in the local area. She is child-focused and ensures staff prioritise the needs of the young people they look after. She effectively challenges other professionals working with the young people when this is required to ensure young people receive a good service. Placing social workers are complimentary about the level of care young people receive and largely feel the home communicates effectively with them. One placing social worker stated,’ I am

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good

impressed with the home.’ The registered manager regularly monitors the quality of care given to young people. She understands well the strengths and weaknesses of the home and has a clear understanding of the progress young people have made. She consults with young people to obtain their views about the home and the quality of their care. Quality assurance monitoring, however, does not fully capture feedback from other professionals working with the young people. As a result, the views of social workers and others working with the young people are not effectively used to shape and inform the home’s development or improvement. The home has is an on-going programme of formal supervision and appraisal. Staff working in the home report that they feel well supported. One member of staff commented, ‘The manager encourages development within the home, such as, workshops in team building to help staff work as a team and uses buddying to

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good

develop staff confidence.’ The statement of purpose is accurate and clearly sets out the home’s philosophy and ethos. Young people have access to a children’s guide which is specific to the home and gives them information about what to expect from the home. Young people’s records are clear and kept up to date. They are stored securely and contribute to the understanding of their life.

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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. 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. 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. 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

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What the inspection judgements mean

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. 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

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Information about this inspection

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. If you would like a copy of this document in a different format, such as large print or Braille, please telephone 0300 123 4234, or email enquiries@ofsted.gov.uk . You may reuse this information (not including logos) free of charge in any format or medium, under the terms of the Open Government Licence. To view this licence, visit www.nationalarchives.gov.uk/doc/open-government-licence , write to the Information Policy Team,

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Information about this inspection

The National Archives, Kew, London TW9 4DU, or email: psi@nationalarchives.gsi.gov.uk .

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Information about this inspection

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Information about this inspection

Store Street Manchester M1 2WD T: 0300 123 1231 Textphone: 0161 618 8524 E: enquiries@ofsted.gov.uk W: www.gov.uk/government/organisations/ofsted

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