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

Inadequate

There are serious and widespread failures that mean that their welfare is not promoted or safeguarded and their care and experiences are poor, and they are not making progress.

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The children's home provision is inadequate because:

 Inconsistent management has led to ineffective oversight of the home. This has caused difficulties in creating or sustaining a stable staff team. In turn this means that the effective leadership needed to help young people to thrive socially, emotionally and physically is absent.

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The children's home provision is inadequate because:

 Young people do not have sufficient opportunity to express their views or to be involved in decisions that affect them.

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The children's home provision is inadequate because:

 Poor managerial decisions have resulted in unplanned admissions.

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The children's home provision is inadequate because:

 Young people do not have sufficient support or encouragement to achieve healthy lifestyles.

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The children's home provision is inadequate because:

 Managers have not ensured that staff are sufficiently skilled and trained to meet the individual needs of young people.

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The children's home provision is inadequate because:

 Staff do not challenge young people’s behaviour effectively. This creates an atmosphere of hostility between staff and young people.

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The children's home provision is inadequate because:

 Staff do not regularly review young people’s behaviour management plans. This creates inconsistency in how behaviour is managed.

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The children's home provision is inadequate because:

 Relationships between staff and young people are not positive. Changes in the deployment of staff causes inconsistencies in how behaviour is managed and puts a strain on relationships and results in mutual respect being lost.

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The children's home provision is inadequate because:

 Managers have failed to ensure recruitment practice is as safe as it can be.

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The children's home provision is inadequate because:

 Managers and staff fail to empower young people to put their rights into practice. Additionally, young people are not confident that their concerns are taken seriously.

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The children's home provision is inadequate because:

 Partnership working is not as effective as it should be. This is because of an inconsistent approach to multi-agency working by managers that creates tensions between them and other professionals. This has compromised the potential of joint working aimed at helping young people to make meaningful progress.

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The children's home strengths

 A new manager has recently come into post and recognises the majority of the areas for development. Positive changes are beginning to happen. However, these changes are still in their infancy and it is too early to assess impact.

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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 ‘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

7: The children's views, wishes and feelings standard

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Requirement Due date

In order to meet the children's views, wishes and feelings standard the registered person must ensure that children receive care from staff who—

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Requirement Due date

(c) take their views, wishes and feelings into account in relation to matters affecting the children's care and welfare and their lives. 31 July 2016

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Requirement Due date

In order to meet the health and well-being standard the registered person must ensure that—

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Requirement Due date

(c) children are helped to lead healthy lifestyles.

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Requirement Due date

(2) In particular, the standard in paragraph (a) requires the registered person to ensure that staff help each child to— (ii) understand the child's health and well-being needs and the options that are available in relation to the child's health and well- being, in a way that is appropriate to the child's age and understanding; (iii) take part in activities, and attend any appointments, for the purpose of meeting the child's health and well-being needs. 31 July 2016

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Requirement Due date

11. The positive relationships standard.

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Requirement Due date

In order to meet the positive relationships standard the registered person must ensure that children are helped to develop, and to benefit from, relationships based on— (a) mutual respect and trust; (b) an understanding about acceptable behaviour; and (2) In particular, the standard in paragraph (1) requires the registered person to ensure— 31 July 2016 (a) that staff— (i) meet each child's behavioural and emotional needs, as set out in the child's relevant plans; (ii) help each child to develop socially aware behaviour; (iii) encourage each child to take responsibility for the child's behaviour, in accordance with the child's age and understanding; (iv) help each child to develop and practise skills to resolve conflicts positively and without harm to anyone; (v) communicate to each child expectations about the child's behaviour and ensure that the child understands those expectations in accordance with the child's age and

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Requirement Due date

understanding; (ix) understand how children's previous experiences and present emotions can be communicated through behaviour and have the competence and skills to interpret these and develop positive relationships with children; (x) are provided with supervision and support to enable them to understand and manage their own feelings and responses to the behaviour and emotions of children, and to help children to do the same.

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Requirement Due date

In order to meet the protection of children standard the registered person must ensure— (2)(a) that staff— (v) understand the roles and responsibilities in relation to protecting children that are assigned to them by the registered person; (vi) take effective action whenever there is a serious concern about a child's welfare; and (vii) are familiar with, and act in accordance with, the home's child protection policies; (d) that the premises used for the purposes of the home are designed, furnished and maintained so as to protect each child from avoidable hazards to the child's health. 31 July 2016

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Requirement Due date

13: The leadership and management standard

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Requirement Due date

In order to meet the leadership and management standard the registered person is to leads a culture in relation to the children's home that— (a) helps children aspire to fulfil their potential; and (b) promotes their welfare. (2) In particular, the standard in paragraph (1) requires the registered person to— (a) lead and manage the home in a way that is consistent with 31 July 2016 the approach and ethos, and delivers the outcomes, set out in the home's statement of purpose; (b) ensure that staff work as a team where appropriate; (c) ensure that staff have the experience, qualifications and skills to meet the needs of each child; (d) ensure that the home has sufficient staff to provide care for each child; (e) ensure that the home's workforce provides continuity of care to each child.

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Requirement Due date

13: The leadership and management standard

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Requirement Due date

In order to meet the leadership and management standard, the registered person must ensure, with specific reference to complaints— (2) that staff— (g) demonstrate that practice in the home is informed and improved by taking into account and acting on— (ii) feedback on the experiences of children, including complaints received. 31/07/16

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Requirement Due date

The registered person must ensure that the requirements of that Order and any regulations made under it, except for article 23 (duties of employees), are complied with in respect of the home. (Regulation 25 (2)(b)) 31 July 2016

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Requirement Due date

The registered person must ensure that full and satisfactory information is available in relation to the individual in respect of each of the matters in Schedule 2. (Regulation 32(3)(d)) 31 July 2016

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Information about this children's home

The home accommodates up to seven young people of either gender 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 11 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

16 February 2016 Interim Declined in effectiveness

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Inadequate

Since the home’s last interim inspection in February 2016, there has been a continuous decline in the quality of care young people receive. Furthermore, poor management decisions have resulted in a negative impact on young people living in the home. For example, a young person was temporarily moved to another placement and then re-admitted without any appropriate planning. This resulted in the young person arriving back without their personal belongings and essential medication. This was compounded by not having sufficient staff on duty to keep young people safe.

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Inadequate

Young people do not have consistent, stable or secure relationships with staff. Inconsistencies in management and continuous changes in staffing negatively affects the quality of individual care staff are able to provide. Young people have experienced continuous changes in staff and this has made it difficult for them to form meaningful relationships. The result is that young people do not live in a homely environment, where they can understand and experience their behaviour being managed in a consistent, fair and balanced way. For example, one young person commented that sanctions given to individual young people are dependent on which staff are on duty, and not on the behaviour displayed.

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Inadequate

Staff do not receive training in understanding young people’s early childhood traumas and the impact this has on their current behaviour. This negatively affects their ability to understand presenting behaviours and its links to each young person’s emotional and psychological state. Staff encourage young people to attend house meetings. These meetings enable young people to raise their concerns and voice their thoughts and feelings. However, this consultation does not result in meaningful engagement where concerns are escalated and views matter. For example, young people comment about the lack of consultation over the decor of the home. This includes the colour scheme for their bedrooms. This leaves young people with a sense of frustration, especially because they do not feel valued or listened to. In turn, this results young people not being able to build a strong sense of belonging to and identification

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Inadequate

with their home. Staff are not taking appropriate action to help young people stay healthy. A good example of this is that staff do not motivate young people to consider and try physical activities. This leaves young people missing out from opportunities that structured physical activities offer and that would help to improve their physical well-being. One young person’s main pastime is watching television. Where it is appropriate to do so, young people are encouraged to develop their levels of responsibility in preparation for the transition to adulthood. This is reflected in the key skills that young people have developed. For example, young people are supported to manage a budget and to cook their own meals. This ensures that they are able to develop and build their resilience and life skills. Contact arrangements with young people’s families and their social networks are assessed, safe and in the best interests of young people. This helps young people

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Inadequate

retain a sense of identity and helps them maintain links with people who are important to them. Young people receive encouragement to improve their school attendance. Different strategies are used to enable young people to attend school. For instance, the school timetable for one young person is tailored to their needs and reflects work experience on a farm in addition to the school curriculum. At the time of the inspection, young people and staff were residing in the annex. This was to enable substantial building work to be completed, to improve the main house. Judgement grade

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Inadequate

The absence of a stable staff and management team for a period of 4 months has meant that priority actions have not been implemented. For example, at the last inspection shortfalls in the effectiveness of fire evacuation drills were identified. This included the need to address the issue of a young person’s refusal to leave the building. No action has been taken to address this shortfall. This leaves fire safety and its role in helping to keep young people safe not receiving a high enough priority. Staff do not implement behaviour management strategies in a consistent way. As a result, relationships with young people suffer unnecessarily and give rise to avoidable hostility. The absence of a consistent behaviour strategy plan for young people leaves inadequately informed staff poorly equipped to be able to take considered and effective action. The lack of sufficient detail to guide staff practice means young people do not have adequate support and are reluctant to

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Inadequate

work co-operatively with staff and their behaviour goes unchallenged. This key and significant failure means that incidents escalate rather than de-escalate and sometimes for prolonged periods. During these times staff and young people are left vulnerable and at risk of harm. Risk taking behaviour has not been effectively managed. A young person attempted to start a fire in the home, placing him and others at immediate risk of harm. Staff action resulted in a temporary move of placement for the young person. However, the young person was re-admitted before any re-assessment was completed. Following the young person’s re-admission, he took household items to a nearby wood and again attempted to start a fire. The young person then went missing from care, which resulted in further exposure to the risk of harm. Managers do not follow safe recruitment practice. For example, they do not explore gaps in employment history, or follow up on the reasons why previous

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Inadequate

positions ended when applicants have worked with children. Managers do not take effective action to respond to or address the content of young people’s complaints. This leaves young people feeling that their views do not matter. The confidence and competence of staff is too variable to effectively safeguard young people. However, staff do receive training that helps them to understand young people’s vulnerability to child sexual exploitation. This level of awareness helps to keep young people safe from this specific risk. Managers do not implement the home’s safeguarding procedure to ensure allegations or serious concerns raised by young people are appropriately referred to the designated officer and social workers. This compromises partnership working, in which young people receive the right level of protection as a result of staff practice being subject to external review.

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Inadequate

The new manager has been in post since April 2016 and is in the process of applying to register with Ofsted. The manager has significant experience in working with children and holds her level 5 diploma in leadership and management for residential childcare. She is committed to bringing about improvement for young people in her care. This includes making sure staff receive the support they need to improve their practice. Changes in managers up until April 2016 has had a negative effect on the progress made by young people. The setting of boundaries to manage behaviour has not been consistent and this has left young people unable to understand situations and to manage their own emotions without much needed support. This has negatively affected young people’s ability to be able to make progress emotionally, socially and psychologically. Too many changes in managers has compromised the positive potential of joint

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Inadequate

working for the benefit of young people. However, social workers report some progress and the new manager is taking a proactive approach in making contact with them and trying to re-establish working relationships. A partnership culture is developing where working together is starting to deliver better outcomes for young people. For example, the new manager has re-established links with the local police to look at joint working on keeping young people safe in the community. The new manager has quickly identified the majority of significant shortfalls in the quality of practice within the home. She has identified that the home’s aims and objectives detailed in the statement of purpose are not being met. An appropriate initial action plan to address weaknesses in practice is now in place and being implemented. Prior to the new manager starting, staff had been completing the rota and this had not taken into consideration the needs of the young people and the company

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Inadequate

policy. This left shifts without adequate cover of competent staff with a good range of experience. The new manager now has control over the rota. This is making a positive difference. She has made sure that shifts now have the right balance of experience among staff to support young people. Managers have not made sure staff supervision takes place regularly as required by the company policy. This limits staff development and managerial oversight of performance and practice standards. The manager is aware of this deficit and plans to train senior staff, enabling them to act as supervisors. Staff training covers many appropriate aspects, such as protecting young people from child sexual exploitation, and having awareness of first aid and basic food hygiene. However, staff development is not well planned and does not always meet young people’s needs effectively, particularly in relation to behaviour management. This weakness in knowledge means inconsistencies in practice occur

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Inadequate

and this places strains on relationships. Managers have not ensured that the home has suitably qualified and experienced staff. Some staff are working towards their level 3 qualification in residential childcare and others have yet to enrol.

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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’. 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

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What the inspection judgements mean

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 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 ‘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 0300 123 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, work- based 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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