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

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:

 Staff and managers have good-quality relationships with the young people.  Young people live in a consistent environment where they are able to develop a sense of belonging, and achieve stability and safety.  Young people feel listened to.  Young people are able to identify the progress that they are making.  Staff encourage young people to develop their level of responsibility to prepare for their transition to adulthood.  Staff encourage young people to sustain positive relationships with their families.  Young people live in a safe environment where staff protect them from harm.  The risks associated with young people‟s behaviours are well known by the manager and staff.  Staff feel valued and supported by the management team and each other.  There is effective leadership in the home. The registered manager is qualified and longstanding.  There are few shortfalls in practice. These include the maintenance of the

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The children's home provision is good because:

home, and ensuring that staff obtain the required professional qualifications and training updates.

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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 within the given timescales.

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Requirement Due date

6: The quality and purpose of care standard

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Requirement Due date

In order to meet the quality and purpose of care standard, the registered person must ensure that staff— (2)(c)(i) ensure that the premises used for the purposes of the home are designed and furnished so as to meet the needs of each child. 16 August 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 quality standard for leadership and management, the registered person must ensure that staff -

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Requirement Due date

(2)(c) have the experience, qualifications and skills to meet the needs of each child. 16 August 2016

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Requirement Due date

The registered person must ensure that individuals working in the home in a care role have the appropriate qualification by the relevant date. (Regulation 32(4)) 16 August 2016

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Information about this children's home

The home accommodates up to seven 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 is 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

3 March 2016 Interim Sustained effectiveness

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Recent inspection history

20 February 2015 Interim Sustained effectiveness

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Good

Young people have lived at the home for a number of years. One young person commented, „I like everything about it here. I prefer it to foster care, and we are more like a family. I‟ve been to lots of placements. I wish I could come here from the start.‟

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Good

Staff and managers have good-quality relationships with the young people. Relationships are based on trust, consistency and an understanding of the young people‟s backgrounds and experiences. Boundaries are clear and fair. Behaviour management is consistent and staff are vigilant about bullying. This all helps to create an environment where young people are able to make significant emotional and behavioural progress. One young person commented, „I used to carry knifes and do drugs, but I‟ve stopped that. My temper has improved. I trust staff and feel like I can talk to them.‟

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Good

Positive relationships with staff enable the young people to engage in one-to-one sessions. These are used to discuss subjects and gain views that are relevant to the young people, including on sexuality, health and welfare. This enables young people to make informed decisions about aspects of their lives that are important to them.

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Good

Young people take part in meetings and staff respond accordingly to issues and requests raised. As a result, young people feel that their views matter and are important.

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Good

Young people say that they are aware of how to make complaints, but have not needed to make any.

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Good

All the young people are in good general health. Although some smoke cigarettes, the manager and staff promote personalised incentives to encourage them to stop. For example, one young person excitedly commented that he could earn an iPhone 6 if he managed to give up smoking. However, success in this area has been varied. Some young people have cut down, others are using alternatives to aid them to give up and some do not wish to stop smoking.

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Good

Staff encourage young people to talk about their health and promote healthy lifestyles through key-worker sessions and activities such as fishing, trampolining and playing pool. These all help to ensure that young people have rewarding experiences and at the same time stay healthy. The organisation has its own in-house therapy team to support young people and staff if specialist help is required. The presence at the home of the therapist on a weekly basis gives opportunities for young people to access help and support immediately. The therapist also supports staff‟s understanding and ability to work with young people to gain the best outcomes.

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Good

Most of the young people are in education. The majority attend the company‟s own school and have good attendance. Even those who have struggled in the past to attend school now attend regularly. One young person is hoping to enrol on a college course and staff are supporting him through the process. This promotes academic achievement and good career opportunities for the future.

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Good

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 cook their own meals. One young person commented, „They are helping me to be independent. They set me tasks and show me how to do things, and help me until I “get it”.‟

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Good

Contact arrangements are assessed, safe and in the best interests of young people. This has involved staff and young people travelling long distances and staying overnight to facilitate contact between family members. This gives young people a sense of identity and helps them to maintain links with people who are important to them.

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Good

Young people‟s living accommodation is spacious and appropriate to their needs. It is personalised by them. There are large canvas photographs of the young people, and their achievement awards are displayed throughout the home. However, areas of the home look unkempt. The front door has missing glass and has been boarded up for more than three weeks. Maintenance has been slow to rectify the damage and this creates a poor first impression of the home and the people who live there. Managers have recognised that the home needs refurbishment. There are plans for a new kitchen, doors and frames throughout the home.

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Good

A self-contained flat and staff training area have recently built within the grounds. When it is appropriate, young people will be given the opportunity to live in the flat to help aid them through their transition to independence.

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Good

Young people are safe and live in a safe environment where they are protected from harm. Young people arrive with complex needs and challenging behaviour. Staff use their skills and knowledge of behaviour management to understand young people‟s needs. This helps young people to manage their emotions safely and to begin to understand the triggers that can place them at risk. The home uses a system of financial rewards and incentives to promote positive behaviour. Consequently, there is a low number of physical interventions. Sanctions are appropriate and young people are given the opportunity to reduce a sanction through good behaviour. This further helps to support the young people with their behaviour management skills. The risks associated with young people‟s behaviours are well known by the manager and staff. Staff respond well to risks that young people may go missing, self-harm or where they may be at risk of child sexual exploitation. This is because

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Good

staff regularly update and review risk assessments and behavioural management plans to ensure that they reflect factors that can influence young people‟s safety. Young people do not engage in risk-taking behaviours such as self-harm or drug or alcohol misuse. When some young people do go missing, staff follow the correct procedures, and work with local agencies and other children‟s homes. The manager and staff try hard to manage free time for the young people while balancing any potential risk factors. Joined-up working takes place between the homes to minimise the young people going missing together. Young people are clear about expectations, and welfare checks take place physically to help to keep them safe. This helps to reduce the potential risks. On young people‟s return to the home, staff speak with young people‟s social workers to arrange independent return interviews. Strong recruitment and vetting processes are in place. Applicants undergo

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Good

appropriate checks, including criminal history and employment history checks. These reduce the possibility of young people being harmed by those in positions of trust.

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Good

An experienced and qualified registered manager, supported by a deputy manager, manages the home effectively. The deputy manager recently stepped up to manage the home while the manager was absent for a short period. The registered manager is now back at the home and a handover has taken place. The registered manager has achieved her level 5 in leadership and management. She has been a registered manager since 2012 and has managed the home since it opened in 2014. The staff team is stable. This ensures that young people experience continuity and consistency of care. Due to unforeseen circumstances, staff have had difficulties accessing training for their level 3 diploma for residential childcare. Consequently, two staff are yet to become qualified to the required level. There have also been difficulties in staff accessing updates to their mandatory training. Management has recognised this shortfall and provision is now in place to ensure that all staff will be enrolled on the

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Good

level 3 diploma for residential childcare. A programme of training for staff has also recently been implemented. This will further enhance their mandatory training updates. This will help to ensure that a suitably qualified staff team delivers high- quality care to young people. The registered manager understands young people‟s individual needs. For example, she works closely with staff to ensure that individual young people‟s needs and preferences are meet in regards to the rota. This further helps to strengthen relationships and to support young people to make progress across all area of their development. Young people feel safe and secure. They recognise that staff are there to keep them safe and want the best outcomes for them. There is an ongoing programme of formal supervision and annual appraisal. This ensures that staff understand their roles and responsibilities, and enables them to reflect on and develop practice. Regular team meetings are taking place to support

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Good

this further. The registered manager is aware of the home‟s strengths and weaknesses. For example, having a deputy manager is a new development for the home. The manager and staff feel that this is working well and helping to ensure good management oversight. An independent visitor undertakes monthly visits and produces a report. The registered manager finds these useful. These visits, together with other systems, enable the manager to monitor the quality of care. The registered manager has taken time to ensure that there is a good development plan in place for the home. As a result, young people benefit from consistency of care that helps to achieve good outcomes. Partnership working is good. The manager and staff are proactive in working with partner agencies, other children‟s homes, parents and other professionals. For example, they have behaviour management plans, which they share with parents. These are made into tick sheets and enable parents to understand and follow the

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Good

plan during contact. Staff keep parents informed of any progress or incidents. One parent commented, „communication is good. Any problems and they let me know straight away.‟ Staff challenge professionals, when required, and build up effective communication with schools, placing social workers and others working with young people. For example, one social worker stated that he had been challenged by the home as he had not completed the young person‟s pathway plan. He also commented, „They have communicated well. They have sent me incident reports and they always attend meetings.‟ The manager ensures that the home‟s statement of purpose accurately reflects the services offered to young people, updating it when necessary. The statement of purpose is shared with placing authorities and helps social workers to be well informed about the provision of care. Staff speak positively about their induction into the home. One staff member

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Good

commented, „I underwent an intense induction. I found it settling. Looking at it from a military point of view, it was well organised. They were very open.‟ Staff feel valued and supported by the management team and each other. They feel listened to and that their views are valued. This helps the staff to remain highly motivated in their care of young people. A member of staff commented, „We have a very strong staff team. I can‟t ask for any more from the managers. I like the way that we have a manager and an assistant manager, too.‟

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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

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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