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

children and young people since the most recent full inspection

This home was judged Requires improvement at the full inspection. At this interim inspection Ofsted judge that it has sustained effectiveness . The home continues to be led by an appropriately qualified and experienced registered manager. She has a good understanding of the strengths and development needs of the home.

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children and young people since the most recent full inspection

Since the full inspection in June 2015 the home has remained unsettled. The progress and experiences of young people have not been altogether positive. Staff and young people have continued to experience a range of challenges. One young person has moved on from the home due to increasing incidents of self-harming and missing behaviour. This followed serious concerns being raised by staff and the registered manager over her well-being and their ability to keep her safe. Staff worked well with other professionals and agencies during this difficult period and supported the young person into her new placement.

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children and young people since the most recent full inspection

Although there has been progress for young people in some areas of their lives, not all young people are attending school or engaging with health professionals. Staff work closely with school to provide alternative education opportunities, although, this has not proved successful. Staff are not adequately supporting young people to gain the confidence and understanding they need to enable them to meet their educational or health needs. For example, direct work is not regularly taking place to actively promote attendance in education or at health appointments. Young people’s placement plans lack detail and are not kept up to date to accurately reflect their educational provision. As a result, they are not a live document which supports their care plan. Staff are caring and nurturing and young people feel safe and well cared for. Staff develop good working relationships with other professionals, parents and

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children and young people since the most recent full inspection

partnership agencies, and challenge them appropriately to ensure young people’s needs are met. For example, the registered manager has regular meetings with teachers and placing social workers and has challenged the opinions of medical professionals when she has considered they are not meeting young people’s needs. Young people continue to go missing from the home, although, this has reduced considerably since the discharge of one young person. Staff act swiftly to safeguard young people when they do go missing. Apart from one occasion, when the manager was away and the return interview was not carried out. This is because the manager actively challenges placing authorities to ensure these are completed. There has been one complaint from a young person since the last inspection. This was acted upon within the organisation’s timescales and concluded satisfactorily.

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children and young people since the most recent full inspection

Although regular fire audits take place, the home has not experienced a fire drill for four months. As a result, staff working in the home and young people are not regularly reminded of the actions to take to keep themselves safe in the event of a fire. Four requirements and two recommendations were made at the full inspection and these are largely met. The home’s statement of purpose has been reviewed to reflect the Children’s Homes Regulations and Quality Standards. All staff have obtained or are now enrolled on their Level 3 Diploma for Residential Childcare. Staff have adopted appropriate behaviour management strategies to manage young people’s negative behaviour. These are reviewed by the registered manager to ensure their effectiveness. There has been a high use of physical restraint since the last inspection. This, however, has primarily been with regard to one young person who has since left the home. A training programme has been

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children and young people since the most recent full inspection

developed to improve staff awareness and to support them in managing the complex behaviours exhibited by the young people. The registered manager has established a system for monitoring and evaluating the feedback from young people and others about the home and the care they receive. This is used to inform the home’s future development. Improvements to the environment in the home are beginning to be made. Young people are able to choose a wall in their bedroom to paint in a colour of the choice. Art work created by young people are also displayed around the home. This is helping to provide a homely place for young people to live and feel they belong.

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Information about this children's home

The home accommodates up to three young people 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 10 and 18 years of age.

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Recent inspection history

Inspection date Inspection type Inspection judgement

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Recent inspection history

15/06/2015 CH - Full Requires improvement

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Recent inspection history

07/01/2015 CH - Interim Sustained effectiveness

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Recent inspection history

27/03/2014 CH - Interim Satisfactory 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 (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

In order to meet the education standard, the registered person must ensure that staff -

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Requirement Due date

(2)(a)(i) help each child to achieve the child's education and training targets, as recorded in the child's relevant plans 26/02/2016

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Requirement Due date

The registered person must ensure by means of fire drills and practices at suitable intervals, that persons working at the home and, so far as reasonably practicable, children are aware of the procedure to be followed in case of a fire (Regulation 25 (1(d)) 26/02/2016

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Recommendations

To improve the quality and standards of care further the service should take account of the following recommendation(s):

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Recommendations

 Ensure young people are always provided with the opportunity to have a return home interview by an independent person (The Guide to the Quality Standards, page 45, paragraph 9.30)

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Recommendations

 Ensure staff maintain young people’s records as ‘living documents’. This refers specifically to young people’s placement plans. (The Guide to the Quality Standards, page 58, paragraph 11.19)

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What the inspection judgements mean

At the interim inspection 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

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 focused on the effectiveness of the home and the progress and experiences of children and young people since the most recent full inspection.

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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. 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

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

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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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