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

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:

 All young people are making progress, some of which is remarkable. The placement of one young person in the home was described by a professional as ‘Lifesaving! The difference in her is tremendous’. This relates to her increasing levels of confidence so that she is able to state her wishes and feelings well and to engage in education.  Another external professional described the progress of a young person, including a more regular sleep pattern, growth of independence skills and managing his own self-care as ‘100% down to the home’.  Relationships between staff and young people are key to achieving this progress. During the inspection, a young person was nervous about an imminent significant event. He was able to choose which of the staff he wanted to accompany him and this helped him manage and even enjoy the occasion.  These relationships are the basis of staff being able to address problematic

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The children's home provision is good because:

behaviours. Currently, there are signs that a young person dependent on being held to contain his overwhelming feelings is beginning to internalise these controls.  One professional described seeing a young person ‘acting up’ and being dealt with well by staff: ‘They shielded him but he was not restrained and I found that reassuring.’ She added that staff were ‘well organised, polite, patient but firm’.  Work by the manager and staff with parents has resulted in much better contact arrangements for one young person. This was achieved through commendable diplomacy and has resulted in it being an enjoyable experience for all involved.  All professionals spoken to paid compliments to the manager and staff, one saying ‘I applaud them for the work they do. I’ve nothing but good to say. They always act in a measured way.’

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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 within the given timescales.

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Requirement Due date

In meeting the quality standards, the registered person must, and must ensure that staff, seek to involve each child’s placing authority effectively in the child’s care, in accordance with the child’s relevant plans. This entails having an understanding of the child or young person’s legal status and the implications for delegated authority. (Regulation 5 (a)) 29 July 2016

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Requirement Due date

The registered person must maintain records for each child which include the information and documents listed in Schedule 3, specifically case records must include the statutory provision (if any) under which the child is provided with accommodation. (Regulation 36 (1)(a)) 29 July 2016

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Requirement Due date

The registered person must maintain in the home the records in Schedule 4, specifically a register showing a child’s address immediately before being accommodated in the home and an address on leaving and an accurate record of every fire drill conducted including details of the steps taken to remedy any deficiency. (Regulation 37 (2)(a)) 29 July 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):  Children should be able to see the results of their views being listened to and acted upon, in particular that actions agreed in key work sessions are reported back to children and recorded. (‘Guide to children's homes regulations including the quality standards’, paragraph 4.11, page 22)  The children’s guide should to help children understand how to contact the Office of the Children’s Commissioner. (‘Guide to children's homes regulations including the quality standards’, paragraph 4.22, page 24)  Each child should have permission for staff to administer first aid and non- prescription medication from a person with parental responsibility for them recorded in their relevant plan. (‘Guide to children's homes regulations including the quality standards’, paragraph 7.14, page 35)

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Recommendations

 Medicines must be administered in line with a medically approved protocol, in particular to ensure all medicines are disposed of if not used by the ‘use within’ date of opening. (‘Guide to children's homes regulations including the quality standards’, paragraph 7.15, page 35)  Homes should ensure that outcomes identified and progress made by children in building relationships and achieving socially acceptable behaviours can be recorded and measured. (‘Guide to children's homes regulations including the quality standards’, paragraph 8.4 page 38)  The registered person should work with the placing authority to ensure that each child's transition is planned and help each child to prepare for leaving both practically and emotionally. This work should be adequately recorded (’ Guide to children's homes regulations including the quality standards’, paragraph 11.9, page 57)

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Information about this children's home

The home is privately owned and run by an education specialist service provider. It is registered to care for up to four children with learning disabilities and focuses on caring for young people who have complex needs which may include autistic spectrum disorder and associated difficulties. The home is located on the edge of the education site in a village within easy access of local services.

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Recent inspection history

Inspection date Inspection type Inspection judgement

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Recent inspection history

25 January 2016 Interim Sustained effectiveness

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Recent inspection history

26 January 2015 Interim Sustained effectiveness

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Good

Young people enjoy a range of pursuits that enhance their experience of living in this home. Some, such as crafts, are undertaken on an individual basis alongside a member of staff, and others, like an outing to the beach, undertaken as a group. However, only one young person regularly attends a club or group in the local community. Contact with family members is facilitated by staff, and this most often revolves around a trip of the young person’s choice. Staff prepare educational activities to increase young people’s awareness of social issues. Recent evenings have been held on topics of the EU referendum and internet safety. These are organised to take account of the capacity of each young person so that they are able to benefit from the learning opportunity. Education is further supported by daily handovers with teaching staff so that they are aware of issues that may impact on the school day. Residential staff are aware

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Good

of the particular interests of young people and help them to pursue these. For example, staff help one young person who likes setting himself maths questions. The home is in a good state of repair with a recently refurbished kitchen the pride of staff and young people alike. It is in colours chosen by the residents, a good example of how they are encouraged to contribute to the running of the home. Another is the response to questionnaires completed by young people that elicited several suggestions as to how the home could be improved. Among these was an idea to include a sensory area in an existing games room. After discussion with all young people, this is in the process of implementation. A praise folder has recently been started in which certificates given to young people for particular attainments and photographs of these events are kept. The folders are given to young people when they leave, enhancing their sense of

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Good

achievement and the value of their time spent in the home. Targets are set for young people to assist their development across a range of areas, including personal care skills. Although referred to in staff meeting minutes, these are not routinely recorded and the only written review seen suggested no progress had been made by the young person. This process is therefore poorly embedded at the present time. Nevertheless, both staff and other professionals involved could cite specific examples of improvements that young people have made. These include being able to manage frustrations, gaining confidence, relating to others and taking responsibility for themselves. Some of the progress has been particularly noteworthy, with one young person who on admission was thought not to be able to contribute to the life of the home now doing chores such as washing up. The progress made by another, described by one professional as ‘phenomenal’, means

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Good

that he is now able to move to more independent accommodation. The manager was praised by more than one professional for being instrumental in helping young people express their opinions. ‘She is really good at saying to them, if you are not happy then what can we do together about that?’ This empowers the young people, who realise their voice is important.

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Good

Young people were observed to have close relationships with staff, demonstrating appropriate affection towards them. They were seen to look for reassurance or support from adults if uncertain. Records of key work sessions illustrate that young people confide their feelings, especially when concerned about something. This has the effect of helping young people manage difficult situations and to them knowing that staff have a sincere concern for their well-being. These relationships have proved important in allowing a young person to raise concerns about poor practice by a former member of staff. His complaint was investigated and upheld. Many of the important conversations between young people and staff are ad hoc but, in accordance with good practice, are written up as key worker sessions. Inadvertently, this has led to a lack of continuity, as actions agreed in previous conversations are not followed up in subsequent sessions. It is therefore not clear

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Good

that young people know the outcome of issues discussed with them. The designated officer of the local authority is content with how safeguarding issues have been addressed, which has been vigorous and timely. Links are made by the manager with the local safeguarding children board through senior managers and when seeking advice. This helps to ensure best practice. Some young people have advocates working with them and discussions with professionals providing these and other services showed staff to be accommodating and supportive of their role. The children’s guide describes what an advocate does as well as providing information about how to access one, but details about the office of the children’s commissioner are missing. Helpfully, the guide explains the role of the independent person undertaking Regulation 44 visits. The provider has good procedures in place to monitor the safety of the premises

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Good

and vehicles used. However, records of fire drills are incomplete and, in one incident, contradictory. These have not been reviewed rigorously enough and do not record if issues identified have been remedied. No child or young person has gone missing from the home in its history. This is partly due to the levels of supervision provided but also the vigilance of staff. They are very aware of the importance of prevention and take all steps in line with risk assessments. ‘Grab cards’ provide very clear guidance and information specific to each young person for staff to refer to in case of emergency. There are relatively high numbers of physical interventions taking place, many of them relating to the most recently admitted young person. All are thoroughly recorded and examination of these show that restraint has not been used excessively. Staff are aware of the circumstances in which physical interventions

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Good

may legally be made. There is a pattern of the young person having bouts of experiencing great difficulty in regulating himself and then managing better. Currently he is finding ways of calming himself, and his social worker has confidence that this is working. Not all consents are in place, with some not including the name of the young person they relate to, invalidating their permissions. For one young person, consent for medical treatment was no longer in force. A date of opening some over-the-counter medicines was not recorded so it was not possible to identify when the ‘use within’ period was up. The manager took immediate action to remedy this.

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Requires improvement

The manager and staff pay close attention to and work in accordance with young people’s education, health and care plans. Placement plans, individual risk assessment and positive handling plans tie in with these and are tailored to the needs and circumstances of each young person. These are ‘live’ documents being updated as circumstances and experience change, although entries identifying new risks had not been scored to assess their seriousness or likelihood. The legal status of young people is not prominently recorded on files and the implications, particularly for delegated authority, are not well understood. Confusion is systemic, from the statement of purpose suggesting that the home is registered as a children’s home for young people up to the age of 19 (corrected during the inspection), through to the manager not having a ready recollection of whether a young person under 18 was looked after, to staff believing those over

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Requires improvement

18 were subject to care orders. In addition, the effects of mental capacity assessments were not understood by staff. As a result, staff did not understand who was in a position to make significant decisions for young people. There is no evidence that decisions have been taken which have had a detrimental impact but the potential is noteworthy and could lead to the wrong impression being given to young people about who is responsible for decisions made on their behalf. In addition, up-to-date care plans, children looked after review minutes and other documentation have not been sought from placing authorities where relevant. Liaison with the wider network is otherwise good, with several professionals remarking on the high level of communication, particularly by the manager. This has led to issues being addressed very quickly, potential risks reduced and young people’s wishes being met. The register kept of children and young people admitted to the home does not

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Requires improvement

include all the required information, specifically the addresses that each resident lived at immediately prior to admission and their addresses on leaving. Although the manager and staff could describe the work done to help find adult provision for young people moving on from the home and to prepare them for the transition, very little of this is evidenced in files. There is, for example, no chronology of actions. The manager has met the requirement set at the last inspection with supervision now complying with the stated frequency in the home’s statement of purpose. Staff report that these sessions and appraisals are helpful to them and that they are always able to seek additional advice and support from managers when they require it. Staff demonstrate a willingness to improve practice. For example, one gave an example of reflecting on and learning from a disproportionate sanction. They meet the independent person conducting regulation 44 visits and team meetings are

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Requires improvement

used, in part, to respond to recommendations made in those reports.

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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 children looked after 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

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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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