Children's home run by Aspris Children’s Service in Hammersmith and Fulham

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:

 Young people receive care and support from a dedicated staff team who have an excellent understanding of their unique needs, personalities and histories.  All young people now attend full - time education.  Staff enable young people to take part in activities, try new things and develop their skills.  Young people are able to develop their confidence in caring for themselves and become more independent.  Young people benefit from a good relationship with staff; they feel comfortable with them and enjoy spending time with them.  The home liaises effectively with other agencies to ensure young people receive the right support to meet their needs and keep them safe.  The manager has an excellent understanding of the strengths and weaknesses of the home and is clear where improvements need to be made.

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What does the children’s home need to improve?

 Care plans do not always identify individual support strategies to assist young people.  Young people’s needs arising from their culture or ethnicity have not always been fully addressed.  Risk assessments do not provide staff with all the information they need to safeguard young people.  Staff have not had training to effectively support and protect young people who use substance misuse.  Information relating to the young person’s medication has been missed by staff.  Areas of the home need improving to ensure young people live in a homely, domestic environment. Should this be here?

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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

12. (1) The protection of children standard is that children are protected from harm and enabled to keep themselves safe. (2) In particular, the standard in paragraph (1) requires the registered person to ensure— (a) that staff— (i) assess whether each child is at risk of harm, taking into account information in the child’s relevant plans, and, if necessary, make arrangements to reduce the risk of any harm to the child; (b) that the home’s day-to-day care is arranged and delivered so as to keep each child safe and to protect each child effectively from harm;

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Requirement Due date

In particular, ensure that risk assessments are specific and effectively evaluate risks and strategies to minimise them. 21/07/2015

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Recommendations

To improve the quality and standards of care further the service should take account of the following recommendation(s):  Registered persons should ensure the children home provides a nurturing and supportive environment that meet the needs of their children, and are homely, domestic, environments. In particular, ensure all parts of the home are maintained and decorated to a good standard. (Guide to the Children's Homes Regulations including the quality standards, April 2015, page 15 paragraph 3.9)  Registered persons should ensure all young people receive personalised care which meets each child's needs and promotes their welfare, taking into account the child's ethnicity and culture. In particular, ensure young people’s needs arising from their ethnicity and culture are addressed. (Guide to the Children's Homes Regulations including the quality standards, April 2015, Page 14, paragraph 3.2.)  Registered persons should ensure staff have the knowledge and skills to

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Recommendations

recognise and be alert for any signs that might indicate a child is in any way at risk of harm. In particular, ensuring staff undertake training to support and protect young people who substance misuse. (Guide to the Children's Homes Regulations including the quality standards, April 2015, Page 43, paragraph 9.12)  Registered persons should ensure the home meets children's basic day to day needs and physical necessities. In particular, care plans should provide detailed guidance on how to support each young person’s individual needs. (Guide to the Children's Homes Regulations including the quality standards, April 2015, Page 15, paragraph 3.7)   Medicines must be administered in line with a medically approved protocol. In particular ensuring young people take part in a reducing regime when this has been agreed by the appropriate medical professional. (Guide to the Children’s Homes Regulations including the quality standards, April 2015, Page 35,

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Information about this children's home

This is an independent residential home that meets the needs of five young people who have behavioural, emotional and social difficulties. It provides accommodation for young people who attend the local associated residential special school.

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Recent inspection history

Inspection date Inspection type Inspection judgement

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Recent inspection history

21/01/2015 CH - Interim improved effectiveness

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good

Young people receive care and support from a dedicated staff team who have an excellent understanding of their unique needs, personalities and histories. The home provides a calm and stable environment to enable young people to grow and develop. As a result, they make progress in all aspects of their lives.

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good

All young people are now in full-time education and the majority have extremely good attendance. They are all working towards various qualifications, which will enhance their future opportunities. When a young person struggles with attending, staff are proactive in identifying strategies to improve attendance. This increases their chance of achieving their educational potential. To ensure young people remain fit and healthy, each young person is registered with a doctor’s surgery and staff ensure that their medical needs are addressed. When young people require additional care for their emotional needs, staff arrange for professional support. The rural location and intervention from staff has resulted in a reduction of some young people’s drug use however, staffs’ strategies to dissuade young people from smoking have not yet been successful.

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good

Staff enable young people to take part in activities and to try new things this enables them to develop social skills and their self-esteem. Young people are encouraged to develop their self-care skills and complete chores. They have also been helped by staff to set up personal bank account. As a result, young people develop their confidence in caring for themselves. A young person commented ’I have become more mature and responsible’ since coming to the home and ‘staff helped me to do this’.

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good

Young people are able to share their views. Through consultation, young people’s rooms have been redecorated with their choice of colour and soft furnishings and they are now able to take part in more activities outside of the home. Listening to their views supports young people to feel valued. Young people are encouraged to complete their own risk assessments for independent time and to devise strategies to protect themselves. This supports young people to take responsibility for their actions and develop their independence.

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good

Care plans focus on the unique needs of each young person; however, they do not always identify individual support strategies to assist them. As a result, care plans do not detail how to provide personalised care and could result in inconsistent support from staff. A young person’s care file who had recently moved to the service has not been reviewed to reflect the format used in the home. This resulted in information relating to the young person’s medication being missed. Consequently, the young person did not start on a reduction regime as advised to by medical professionals in response to a request by the young person. This did not have any adverse effects on the young person. Young people’s needs arising from their culture or ethnicity have not fully been addressed. Consequently, young people are not supported to develop an understanding of their identity, which may negatively affect their self-esteem.

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good

Young people benefit from a good relationship with staff; they feel comfortable with them and enjoy spending time with them. A young person commented, ‘the best thing about the staff is their positivity, playfulness and that they are fun to be around’. Young people feel they can trust staff and are able to discuss any concerns with them. A young person’s parent advised, ‘staff enabled (them) to say what (they) think and feel’. Young people have regular contact with their families at weekends and during school holidays. This supports young people to maintain relationships with their families and to benefit from their ongoing support.

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good

Prior to moving in, young people are able to visit the home and staff work closely with parents to develop an understanding of the young person. This promotes a successful transition. One young person has left the service since the previous inspection. Although unplanned, staff continue to provide outreach support to enable this young person to complete their school exams.

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good

Young people say they feel safe living at the home. Staff have a good knowledge of safeguarding procedures and when necessary have taken action to protect young people. Staff appropriately refer concerns to the designated safeguarding officer and police. Some young people have raised bullying as an issue; however, incidents are mainly of sibling style arguments rather than targeted bullying. Staff respond in a robust manner to any examples of these behaviours.

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good

The home has clear protocols to follow in the event that a young person is missing from the home. There have not been any missing incidents, since the previous inspection. When young people have left the home without permission, staff have remained with them to ensure their safety and to determine their reasons for leaving. The home has an E-safety policy in place and staff monitor young people’s internet use to ensure it is used safely.

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good

Staff have a good knowledge of young people’s risk factors however, risk assessments show minimal evaluation of each risk and the measures needed to reduce them. Risk assessments are often generic and not specific to individuals, places or events. As a result, staff may not have all the information they need to safeguard young people. The manager is aware of this and is currently in the process of reviewing all risk assessments.

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good

Behaviour management within the home is based on restorative practice and rewarding young people for positive behaviour. Young people are encouraged to reflect on their feelings and with the support from staff learn to manage their feelings and frustration in a positive manner. A parent commented that their child ’had calmed down remarkably and now walks away from situations’.

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good

Staff are clear on the reasons why young people display challenging behaviour and on how best to respond to each individual. There have been nine physical interventions since the previous inspection. Records demonstrate that each physical intervention was necessary and carried out and recorded in line with regulation. Young people are provided with opportunities to discuss their behaviours after each incident. This allows staff to change their approach in order to best support young people. There have been four sanctions given since the previous inspection. A review of records demonstrates that sanctions used in the home are fair and proportionate. Young people are encouraged to take responsibility for their actions through repairing or paying for any damage they cause.

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good

The manager carries out regular health and safety checks to protect young people and staff from the risk of harm. All checks are up to date and appropriate fire safety measures are in place.

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good

The manager has worked within the care sector for a number of years and has been the manager of this home since November 2014. He has applied to register with Ofsted and currently holds a level 3 diploma in childcare. The manager has enrolled on a level 5 diploma in leadership and management for residential childcare.

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good

The welfare of young people is paramount. The manager considers the impact of any new young person admitted into the home and how well they will gel as a group. The manager has a comprehensive knowledge of the young people and monitors their progress closely. He is quick to identify areas where the young people are struggling and takes action to resolve these. When necessary the manager challenges agencies that are not performing in the young people’s best interests to ensure they receive the support they require to develop.

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good

The home liaises effectively with young people’s school and placing authority to ensure they receive the right support to meet their needs and keep them safe. Staff are in regular contact with young people’s parents to keep them updated on their child’s welfare. In a survey submitted to Ofsted, a parent commented ‘Some members of staff are excellent, show great concern for my child's welfare and are excellent communicators with myself the parent’.

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good

The manager reviewed the home’s statement of purpose in February 2015. Through regular monitoring and evaluation he ensures that the service acts in accordance with its aims and objectives. The manager completes weekly audits of the service and sends quarterly reports to Ofsted; this provides him with a good oversight of the service. As a result, the manager has an excellent understanding of the strengths and weaknesses of the home and is clear where improvements need to be made. External monitoring visits take place within required timescales. However, since the previous inspection the external visitor has raised only one recommendation. This is not challenging of the service and does not support the manager to improve and develop the home. There were no requirements or recommendations made at the previous inspection and there have been no complaints about the home.

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good

Staff have undertaken training to support young people with a range of needs and associated risks this includes training in child sexual exploitation and self-harm. However, some young people living in the home have a history of substance misuse. Staff have not had training in supporting young people who substance misuse. This may mean they do not have the skills to effectively support and protect young people in this area. Staff receive regular supervision, this provides them with an opportunity to reflect on their own performance and development, and how best to develop and improve the standard of care and support provided. The manager audits recruitment files to ensure young people are only cared for by suitable adults. We were unable to appraise staff recruitments records during this inspection, as they are stored off site.

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good

The home is currently in the process of being redecorated. However, there are still areas that need improving to ensure young people live in a homely, domestic environment.

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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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