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

Good

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

p.2

The children's home provision is good because:

 Young people are supported and looked after by a qualified, experienced, warm and caring staff team. The staff receive good levels of supervision and training that equips them with a range of skills and expertise that ensures young people make good all round progress.  Leaders and managers have a strong presence in the home. The manager, with the support of key staff, has been instrumental in introducing a way in which young people’s achievements, health and educational outcomes are electronically recorded. In doing so the manager is able to effectively and accurately monitor and evaluate the home.  In the main the home is comfortable, well-furnished and young people have individualised and personalised rooms. However, some of the interior décor and lighting gives the home an ‘institutional’ style and could impact on the young people. The manager and staff have already identified this shortfall and have a robust action plan in place.

p.3

The children's home provision is good because:

 The manager and staff support young people to understand and modify their behaviour. As a result of excellent personalised care planning, and good use of intervention strategies, young people are making good progress. One parent reports ‘the staff are exceptional, the home has done remarkably well in settling his challenging behaviours’.  The manager and staff team ensures young people have their say in the running of the home, including young people in weekly house meetings and contributing to the recruitment process. This supports young people to share their views of the home, and records of minutes from the house meetings indicate that young people feel listened to and valued.

p.3

Recommendations

To improve the quality and standards of care further the service should take account of the following recommendation(s):  Ensure the children's home should seek as far as possible to maintain a domestic rather than 'institutional' impression. In particular the use of lighting and interior decoration. (The Guide to the Quality Standards, page 15, paragraph 3.9)

p.4

Information about this children's home

The home is owned by a private organisation. It is registered for the accommodation and care of seven young people, of either gender, with learning disabilities. Education provision can also be offered within the wider organisation.

p.5

Recent inspection history

Inspection date Inspection type Inspection judgement

p.5

Recent inspection history

27/01/2015 CH - Interim Improved effectiveness

p.5

Good

All young people living at the home benefit from highly individualised care. The high staffing ratio and level of support afforded to the young people means that positive and trusting relationships are developed and sustained. The manager ensures that for those young people that require a level of personal care and support the staff team are trained, experienced and are a trusted by the young person.

p.6

Good

Staff have worked hard to design positive behaviour plans that take into account young people’s communication abilities. In doing so young people have made real progress from their individual starting points. Young people now have means to communicate choices, views and feelings and as a result episodes of challenging behaviours have significantly reduced.

p.6

Good

Due to the disabilities of the young people, staff, social workers and parents work together to ensure their individual health needs are met. The manager works effectively within a multi-agency group, which provides an efficient network of support for each young person. The young person is the key figure within this group, attending meetings where possible and being supported with a wide range of personalised communication systems, which ensures they feel included and listened to. A parent reports the staff are ‘exceptional’ and they have ‘good relationships with the staff’, and ‘I couldn’t ask for better’.

p.6

Good

Young people make good progress with their education. They have excellent attendance at school and college and undertake work experience; for example working at a local stable. Young people are well supported by the staff team to be ready for school through consistent routines, including the staff transporting them to and from school.

p.6

Good

A key strength of the home is its engagement with families, through regular communication, visits and support to the family when the young person returns home. Consequently, this has maintained family relationships and supports young people to retain a strong sense of identity. One parent commented, ‘the staff really support me when my son is at home and when we have been on holiday’, ‘communication between (us and) the home has really improved over the recent months’.

p.6

Good

Young people are encouraged to develop independence skills at a level and pace which suits their individual needs, such as making drinks, preparing meals and helping with their shopping. This promotes independence and choices for them. Young people live in a home that is very well maintained and furnished. Their involvement in the development and running of the home remains central. However, during the course of the inspection it was noted that some parts of the home have an ‘institutional’ feel, in particular lighting and interior décor, and one parent spoken to agrees with this observation. The manager and staff are aware and are in the process of addressing this shortfall. A recommendation is made.

p.6

Good

Young people are safe and protected because staff give the highest priority to their safety and well-being. All staff are trained in child protection and safeguarding children with disabilities, and staff know what to do should they have a concern about the young people’s safety.

p.7

Good

The manager and staff team have a good understanding of the individual risks relating to the young people living at the home. They use effective risk management plans to identify risks, and have strategies in place to enable young people to take age and ability appropriate risks. This means they are able to experience new opportunities which builds their confidence and broadens their life experiences.

p.7

Good

Young people benefit from being supported by a high ratio of staff and an appropriately secure environment which protects them from going missing. Due to the level of their disabilities young people do not currently present a risk of going missing. However, the manager and the staff team are fully aware of what they should do in any such event.

p.7

Good

Sanctions are rarely used. Instead positive rewards are regularly used to reinforce positive behaviours and choices. Physical intervention is used appropriately and in line with the young people’s care plans.

p.7

Good

Staff are extremely skilled in supporting young people to reduce the anxieties and stress that may lead to challenging behaviours, for example young people can access a sensory room allowing them to relax. In addition staff effectively use the young people’s preferred communication systems to help them understand what is happening next, and thus reduce anxieties.

p.7

Good

The manager and staff team are skilled, trained and experienced in supporting young people that require a level of medication and personal care. Those young people that receive this level of support do so with their dignity and safety preserved. An excellent level of medication storage and auditing is overseen by a lead member of staff.

p.7

Good

The organisation has robust recruitment policies and procedures which help to protect young people from unsuitable adults. The home is safe and all necessary checks for example, fire drills and equipment checks take place routinely and are audited well.

p.8

Good

The home is managed and led by a committed, qualified, enthusiastic and widely experienced registered manager. Whilst relatively new to the home, they have been instrumental in bringing about positive changes to the recording and reporting systems, and the supervision and training staff receive. As a result staff say they feel ‘really supported’ and one parent spoken to feels the manager is a ‘good manager’.

p.8

Good

The quality of relationships between the manager, staff and other professionals are excellent. A social worker spoken to said ‘the level of communication between the home and themselves has improved significantly since the manager took up the role’. They are routinely informed and kept updated.

p.8

Good

The manager is leading an extremely dedicated and motivated staff team. By ensuring staff attend bespoke training and learning opportunities, staff are leading in specific areas, and disseminate their knowledge to the staff team. This has resulted in a staff team that are equipped to care with a high level of skill young people with Autism and Asperger’s Syndrome.

p.8

Good

Since taking over their role, the manager has efficiently used monitoring exercises, feedback from the independent visitor and young people to produce a development and action plan for the home. Whilst this document remains in its development stage there is good evidence throughout the home of changes taking place that are resulting in young people’s outcomes improving. For example upgraded positive behaviour plans provide staff with strategies to reduce challenging behaviours. Similarly bespoke communication tools ensure young people’s wishes and feelings are listened to.

p.8

Good

Since the manager has been in post and since the previous inspection, the quality of the recording has significantly improved. Staff are increasing in confidence in their own abilities. They are providing more detailed information with good analysis and reflection about the young people. The manager has introduced an electronic means of compiling information that has improved the overall monitoring and safeguarding of young people’s information.

p.8

Good

The Statement of Purpose contains an accurate appraisal of the home. The Children’s Guide provides young people with a good level of information. However, the manager and staff team are reviewing this document and include young people in the production of a guide that meets the meets the needs of young people with different communication abilities.

p.9

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.

p.10

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

p.10

What the inspection judgements mean

harmed or at risk of harm or result in children looked after not having their welfare safeguarded and promoted.

p.10

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

p.11

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 .

p.11

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,

p.12

Information about this inspection

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

p.12

Information about this inspection

Interested in our work? You can subscribe to our monthly newsletter for more information and updates: http://eepurl.com/iTrDn .

p.12

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

p.12