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

Good

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

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The children's home provision is good because:

 Children and young people enjoy positive experiences and make good progress in all areas of their development. They are provided with good individualised care from a committed staff team .  Children and young people have positive and nurturing relationships with staff who know them well. Staff are focussed on the welfare and well-being of all children and young people in their care.  Children and young people are treated with dignity and respect. Staff have a good understanding of children and young people’s complex needs and work in a supportive and structured way to meet them.  The safety of children and young people is a priority of all staff. Staff have received additional training in safeguarding to reinforce their skills and knowledge.  Staff are well led by a newly appointed manager. The new manager has introduced a number of positive changes to the home and these benefit children and young people.

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The children's home provision is good because:

 Areas requiring improvement including record keeping and providing a well maintained and homely environment for all children and young people.

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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

6: The quality and purpose of care standard

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Requirement Due date

In order to meet the quality and purpose of care standard, the registered provider must ensure that children receive care from staff who

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Requirement Due date

(2) In particular, the standard in paragraph (1) requires the registered person to -

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Requirement Due date

(c) ensure that the premises used for the purposes of the home are designed and furnished so as to: –

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Requirement Due date

(i) meet the needs of each child. 04/01/2016

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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 staff provide care which meets each child's needs and promotes their welfare, taking into account in particular the child's ethnicity, cultural and linguistic background (The Guide to the Quality Standards page 14 paragraph 3.2).

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Recommendations

 Ensure staff continually and actively assess the risks to each child and the arrangements in place to protect them. In particular ensure the personal fire evacuation plans for all children are reviewed in line with organisational policy and procedure (The Guide to the Quality Standards page 42 paragraph 9.5).

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Recommendations

 Ensure the home's records on each child represent a significant contribution to their life history. Children and their parents should be supported to understand the nature of records kept by the home, in particular the steps taken to help each child make progress with life and self-care skills (The Guide to the Quality Standards page 62 paragraph, 14.5).

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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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Recent inspection history

Inspection date Inspection type Inspection judgement

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Recent inspection history

12/03/2015 CH - Interim Declined in effectiveness

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good

Children and young people make progress in all areas of their development. Staff strive to develop positive and nurturing relationships with each child and young person meaning that they develop an understanding that staff care about them and want the very best for them. Parents are positive and say,’ My son has made amazing progress. He is kept active and has a consistent but varied routine. The staff do everything they can’.

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good

Staff knowledge about the complex needs of children and young people in their care is enhanced by effective multi agency working. Good collaborative working ensures that consistent approaches to care are promoted. This provides certainty for children and young people and their sense of stability and security is enhanced.

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good

Staff have good knowledge and understanding of children and young people’s health needs. Individual health plans are in place identifying all aspects of their health needs. Health surveillance takes place with relevant professionals and any problems are quickly addressed. A balance and nutritious diet further promotes children and young people’s health.

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good

All children and young people attend the organisations own school. Attendance and punctuality are excellent. Communication between school and home is good and measures are in place offering children and young people seamless care. These include discussions with children and young people at the end of the day about their school activities. Children and young people talk to staff if they are worried about anything that happened at school. Consequently, children and young people’s emotional health is prioritised and their educational progress optimised.

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good

Children and young people enjoy a diverse range of activities within the home and in the community. These include trips to local parks and nature areas, swimming and visits to the beach as well as trips further afield. Children and young people have fun and participate in community life.

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good

Staff ensure that children and young people’s views remain central to their care. Regular meetings, key work sessions, observations and the use of enhanced communication skills all ensure that individual preferences are ascertained in relation to care planning. Children and young people are empowered and feel respected and valued.

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good

Children and young people make significant progress in their development of life skills. Some learn to sit with their peers at the table and enjoy a meal in company enhancing social skills. Others respond to being helped with personal care resulting in more independence with self-care skills. Communication and social skills are improved where children and young people learn to interact with each other and play together. Appropriate life skills are taught and encouraged, including children and young people helping themselves to their meals and clearing the table. A parent said, ‘My son is encouraged to go out and try new things and it works’. Young people develop age appropriate skills that help them move towards increased independence suitably equipped with life skills.

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good

Contact between children and young people and their family and friends is promoted wherever possible. A parent commented, ‘I am encouraged to visit. Staff work around me’. These opportunities ensure children and young people sustain connections with important people in their lives, reinforcing their sense of security and belonging.

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good

Staff are not always aware of children and young people’s cultural background. This hinders, staff understanding their more diverse needs and how these should be met.

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good

Staff are not always ensuring repairs are promptly completed and some areas of the home lack a homely feel. This hinders children and young people from benefiting from living in comfortable and well maintained surroundings that meets their global needs.

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good

There have been a number of safeguarding referrals and staff practice has improved following these investigations. Staff have received additional safeguarding training and systems have been put in place to ensure effective communication and recording improves.

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good

Staff understand the procedures in place to protect vulnerable children and young people in their care. Some children and young people are unable to tell staff if they are unwell or if something is worrying them. Staff are vigilant about changes in children and young people’s behaviour and report any concerns. Other children and young people use a variety of methods to communicate including picture exchange symbols. This helps them to inform others on how they feel.

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good

Communication between staff, families and professionals has improved since the last inspection. A parent said, ’Communication with staff is really good. They encourage regular visits. I have absolutely no worries about my son’s safety’.

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good

Staff understand where children and young people may need additional support or where a particular event or activity may trigger escalating behaviour. Children and young people’s needs are carefully assessed and this includes understanding the right level of daily support. There have been no incidents of children and young people missing from care. Children and young people have at least one to one support from staff reflecting their complex needs. Close supervision and support from staff within the home and in the community ensures children and young people’s stay safe.

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good

There are effective and safe recruitment practices in place which mean children and young people are protected from adults who may wish to harm them. Children and young people are familiar with the local police community support officer who visits occasionally. Children and young people experience police officers as visitors to the home and become more familiar with their role in the community.

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good

Children and young people benefit from living in a home which has a safe and secure internal and external environment. Regular checks ensure that the equipment works well and poses no risks. Fire drills are regularly completed and fire equipment serviced to ensure that it functions properly. All staff are conversant with the fire drills, and support children and young people to understand the need for evacuations from time to time. Each child and young person has a personal fire evacuation plan. These plans have not have been updated in line with organisational policy. This leaves staff accessing potentially out of date information.

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good

The registered manager post has been vacant since August 2015. A new manager has started her application to become the registered manager. The home is in a period of transition and the new manager has made a notable contribution to the effective running of the home in a short time. She has addressed significant staffing difficulties and the number of agency staff has now reduced. Although there are staff vacancies, new staff are in the process of being appointed. Temporary staff numbers have reduced meaning that children and young people have consistent care from familiar staff.

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good

A social worker commented, ’Things have improved a lot. There is more continuity with staff. I am impressed with the new manager. Things are changing’.

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good

The new manager is supported by a newly appointed deputy manager. Staff morale has improved since the last inspection. Staff say, ‘There is more confidence in managers. We are moving towards a better position and are part of change’.

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good

The new manager’s focus is on the safety and welfare of the children and young people in her care. She has developed an ambitious but achievable development plan for the home. This includes ensuring the home is fully staffed, to improving communication with families and professionals.

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good

The methods for recording children and young people’s progress is not always clear. They do not explain how a child or young person has achieved a target. This in turn hinders children, young people and their families to fully understand how progress has been achieved.

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good

Children and young people are cared for by staff who have their performance assessed and reviewed and have the opportunity to reflect on their practice. This includes staff receiving supervisions in line with the organisational policy. Appraisals are also undertaken annually for relevant staff.

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good

There is a comprehensive training package for all staff ensuring they have the skills and abilities to meet children and young people’s needs. All staff have received extra safeguarding training including a training session with the designated officer. This enhances the safety of vulnerable young people as staff are knowledgeable about the steps to take if they have a safeguarding concern.

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good

The manager has effective systems in place to audit and monitor the quality of care in the home. She works with the independent visitor and reflects on the developments needed to improve the quality of care for children and young people.

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good

Requirements and recommendations made at the last inspection have all been met. Children and young people’s safety is enhanced as a revised and updated safeguarding policy is in place. Staffing shortfalls have been addressed meaning that children and young people receive consistent care by staff known to them. All staff receive supervision in line with the organisation policy.

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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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