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:

 Young people have been making good progress from their initial starting points since arriving at the home.  Young people have engaged in regular key-work sessions that provide invaluable education, learning and review of concerns.  Young people attend and engage in education. All young people make progress according to their individual capabilities. Staff have good relationships with the school, promoting consistency of the approach used to support young people.  Staff support young people to address their health needs, with referral to other professionals when required to meet specific needs.  Young people access a wide variety of activities on-site and off-site, which enables them to try out and experience new situations and activities.  Staff regularly seek young people’s views and thoughts about the quality of care they receive, and there is evidence of their choices and views in the home.

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The children’s home provision is good because:

 Young people report that they feel safe and have a key adult whom they trust and confide in.  Safeguarding concerns have been well reported, referred and recorded, with clarity of investigation and outcome.  Young people are growing in their emotional resilience, developing and learning positive coping strategies while self-regulating their behaviour, emotions and feelings.  Staff receive regular, effective supervision and appraisal of their practice, and improvements are evident in their practice.  Positive improvements have been made to the home; staff have acted on requirements and recommendations that were previously set. 

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Statutory requirements

This section sets out the actions which must be taken so that the registered person 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 must comply within the given timescales.

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Requirement Due date

(1) The protection of children standard is that children are protected from harm and enabled to keep themselves safe.

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Requirement Due date

(2) In particular, the standard in paragraph (1) requires the registered person to ensure

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Requirement Due date

(ii) help each child to understand how to keep safe;

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Requirement Due date

(v) understand the roles and responsibilities in relation to protecting children that are assigned to them by the registered person;

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Requirement Due date

(vi) take effective action whenever there is a serious concern about a child’s welfare; and

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Requirement Due date

(vii) are familiar with, and act in accordance with, the home’s child protection policies.

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Requirement Due date

Specifically, address and act on concerns as they arise and provide education to young people about safety inside and outside of the home to the extent that any good parent would.

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Requirement Due date

(Regulation 12 (1)(2)(a)(ii)(v)(vi)(vii)) 01/10/2016

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Recommendations

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

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Recommendations

 The registered person must ensure that staff have the relevant skills and knowledge to be able to: respond to the health needs of children; administer basic first aid and minor illness treatment; help children to manage long-term conditions and where necessary meet specific individual health needs arising from a disability, chronic condition or other complex needs. Specifically, to provide a clear plan of intervention to be followed when administering a ‘when required’ medication. (‘Guide to the children’s homes regulations including the quality standards’, page 34, paragraph 7.12)

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Information about this children’s home

The home is registered to provide care and accommodation for up to seven young people with emotional and/or behavioural difficulties. It is owned and run by a national private organisation that also delivers education provision.

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Recent inspection history

Inspection date Inspection type Inspection judgement

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Recent inspection history

01/02/2016 Interim Sustained effectiveness

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Recent inspection history

06/01/2015 Interim Improved effectiveness

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Good

Young people have made good progress since they arrived at the home. The home is a stable one with limited admissions and discharges, and the young people residing there have done so for a period. They report that the home feels more homely and that they are happy living there. Young people are confident and able to describe what they have achieved while they have been at the home.

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Good

Relationships between staff and young people are positive, with each young person reporting that they have a key adult they trust and confide in. They treat the home as their own and state that they feel happy and safe there. Staff are interested and listen to young people’s experiences, showing a real interest and concern for them.

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Good

Staff follow detailed care plans, which are updated and reviewed when needed. They provide practical guidance on how to meet the needs of young people and how to minimise risk.

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Good

Staff support, promote and facilitate contact between young people and their families according to their individual plans, and request reviews when required.

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Good

Young people are supported to meet their basic healthcare needs. Young people are developing a level of independence, booking their own appointments and attending as required. Others are supported and encouraged to attend planned medical appointments. Staff have made referrals and requested specialist appointments when the need has arisen. Young people are encouraged and supported to take medication, with some young people assessed and taking medication independently. One young person requires a specific medication used as and when required; staff do not have a plan which advises when to administer this.

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Good

Young people are offered support and guidance to meet their emotional well-being needs. Some choose to access therapy sessions provided via the education setting. Those not attending the education setting have been referred for specialist support and guidance.

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Good

Young people all attend education, with each having achieved academically according to their own capabilities. Transitions between home and education are positive, especially when young people are attending the school, which is attached to the home. Those in further education have maintained good attendance levels and have achieved their goals and aspirations. Staff have encouraged and supported young people to explore their future education and employment opportunities.

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Good

Staff are supporting young people to develop their life, social, independence and personal skills. They are promoting, and encouraging young people to practise, key skills which will support them into adult life. Staff assist them to develop budgeting, meal planning and food preparation skills. Staff encourage young people to develop age-appropriate skills through assessed risk-taking activities. An example of this is that each young person currently has unsupervised time when they can walk to the local shop or park if they wish.

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Good

Staff facilitate regular one-to-one time, which young people really value; they are provided with an opportunity to choose what activity they would like to do. Key- work sessions provide essential education and information about the risks associated with risk-taking behaviour. Young people also explore thoughts, feelings, worries or anxieties with staff, who provide strategies and guidance about ways of managing this positively.

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Good

Staff provide a positive role model to young people and there is clarity in the home about the ‘house rules’ and expectations of positive behaviour because of the positive statements in these rules. Staff have pre-planned reward systems which young people have chosen and they have stated the key things they wish to aim to do to achieve the rewards. These vary from financial rewards to specific chosen activities. Young people are fully engaged and signed up to this.

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Good

Young people plan their own individual activities with staff guidance. This has supported young people in meeting their individual needs and routines. They have experienced new activities and hobbies, with them reviewing how they liked and enjoyed them. Staff encourage young people to follow key hobbies and interests, as well as trying out local clubs and groups. When young people struggle to maintain their interest, staff have persisted in encouraging them to visit and try new activities. A holiday is planned, and the young people are excited and looking forward to it.

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Good

Staff use a variety of methods to regularly seek young people’s views and opinions. Young people have contributed to and been involved in plans and decisions which involve them. Regular house meetings provide an opportunity to gain their views and opinions about activities, menus and the decoration of the home and their bedrooms. Staff have gathered young people’s views through questionnaires and in regular one-to-one sessions. Young people are asked for their views, thoughts, worries or concerns following an incident or sanction being applied. Young people also report that staff listen to them and that they have a voice in the home.

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Good

Young people are all aware of the CCTV used in the home and staff have sought consent from placing authorities and young people regarding its use. Judgement grade

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Good

The home environment is a safe one; young people report feeling safe and having a key adult they trust and confide in. The home has greatly improved; it has a more homely feel to it, with young people wishing to spend time in the communal areas of the home. The home is well maintained, with areas of damage swiftly repaired and made safe. Managers have plans to improve the internal and external areas of the home. On inspection, during a walk around the home, aspects of low- level risk were identified. This included paint stored in a staff bathroom and sharp pieces of plastic left on the patio area.

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Good

Plans address all known risk factors and provide clarity and practical strategies to staff to minimise risk factors. Regular review and update is carried out, ensuring that the most up-to-date information and details are considered. Staff support and educate young people about their risky behaviours; an example of this is work completed in a one-to-one session about alcohol.

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Good

Managers have not handled any new admissions to the home since the last inspection. They are currently planning for an imminent admission, with assessments and consideration of need underway.

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Good

Staff assessments and plans provide clarity regarding actions required if an incident of missing from home should occur. There have been no episodes of missing from home since the last inspection. Assessments and plans explore risk factors associated with child sexual exploitation; no young person is considered to be at risk of child sexual exploitation. Staff have clear policy and procedures to follow when required.

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Good

Staff have improved their systems and processes for managing safeguarding concerns. They have acted robustly and effectively in recording and reporting concerns as required. The log provides a clear evidence trail from instigation to outcome, with details of the investigation and the rationale informing decision- making. In the case of one concern, staff were not prompt in their timing of referral to others. Staff did not act to promote a young person’s welfare and education following an incident in which they engaged in risk-taking behaviour. Staff did not follow the home’s policy and procedure.

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Good

Managers have recorded, reported and referred when allegations have been made. They have records that detail all aspects of the investigation, with evidence detailing actions and outcomes. One allegation investigated lacked clarity as to who was leading the investigation. Managers have identified this and are currently reviewing their policies and procedures to ensure greater clarity in records.

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Good

Staff have robustly investigated and explored complaints made by those in and out of the home. The detailed records provide clarity about the investigation and outcome provided to the complainant.

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Good

Staff follow detailed behaviour support plans; these are in two forms: one for staff to follow and one that is child-friendly. Young people contribute to the content of the plan, providing their views and thoughts about triggers and the challenges they face. They detail how they wish to be supported and what helps them to manage their feelings and emotions. All staff are trained in the home’s preferred method and approach to behaviour management. Physical intervention has been used according to individual behaviour support plans to prevent harm to others and serious damage to property. There have been several incidents involving young people. Staff record incidents and provide the opportunity for young people to explore their thoughts and feelings about incidents. There has been a decline in the frequency of physical intervention over recent months, with staff using a variety of de-escalation strategies and techniques. Young people are learning

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Good

alternative ways to self-regulate their thoughts, feelings and behaviour in safe, appropriate ways.

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Good

Young people are supported to manage conflict in the home and with others outside the home. Staff use a ‘restore and rebuild’ approach to situations of conflict. Staff have sought assistance from others outside the home, which has helped develop their collective understanding of this. Staff have applied restorative sanctions to situations of conflict, with young people doing good deeds for others in the home to improve relationships.

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Good

Staff use a variety of sanctions that are restorative in nature and linked to the trigger or cause of the incident. Clarity is required regarding the amount of financial sanction applied to cover the cost of damage to property. Staff also give a variety of rewards to celebrate young people’s individual achievements. An example of this is outings to places of interest. Managers review and monitor incidents and sanctions, ensuring that they are appropriate, proportionate and effective. The manager has identified that the staff are currently developing their practice to improve the quality of records.

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Good

Staff have links with the local police, who regularly visit the home for social visits, and to provide education and support to staff; police have not had to be involved in the management of behaviour.

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Good

Staff have updated the home’s location risk assessment to reflect all risk factors in and around the home. The assessment does not have information from outside sources but continues to be informative and detailed.

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Good

The safer recruitment process has robust systems in place, with leaders providing evidence that all aspects of the organisation’s policy and procedure have been followed.

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Good

A new manager who is currently in the process of becoming registered with Ofsted manages the home effectively. The prospective manager does not currently hold the required qualification but has enrolled on the appropriate course. There has been significant improvement in the home over recent months. The environment has improved, with some refurbishment completed and new furniture and soft furnishings purchased.

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Good

The manager has also addressed and acted on the recommendations and requirements set at the previous inspection.

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Good

Leaders and managers have recruited to a vacancy in the home and plans are in place to address the other part-time vacancy. Staff in post are suitably qualified and experienced. New staff have completed an induction and probation period with their practice reviewed throughout via supervision and probation assessment.

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Good

Leaders and managers apply a variety of methods to review and monitor the quality of care in the home. The manager has identified that a high level of medication errors were being made. She has implemented daily, weekly and monthly auditing of medication, and there has been a reduction of the frequency of errors. Staff have accessed additional training; their practice has been observed to ensure that processes and procedures are followed.

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Good

Staff request that all visitors to the home provide feedback about their visit. Young people have also contributed their views and opinions about the quality of care they receive.

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Good

Managers’ weekly and monthly audits feed into the home’s review of the quality of care, with the manager providing detailed description, evaluation and analysis. The home’s development plan identifies aspects to improve, with clear target dates to achieve goals set. The independent visitor visits the home monthly and provides a report to the manager and HMCI. Leaders and managers utilise these findings, acting on aspects that require improvement.

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Good

Staff receive regular, effective supervision and review of their practice. Staff had not previously had appraisals and now each member of staff has clear targets to work towards which are reviewed during each supervision session. There are gaps in the frequency of these appraisals, but records detail the reasons and rationale for this. Managers have applied robust management to the performance of staff in the home, with positive improvement seen in staff practice.

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Good

Staff access a good variety of training, which is specific to their role. Staff have either achieved the required qualification or are enrolled to do so. Staff recently completed safeguarding training, which focused on the risks associated with sexual exploitation.

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Good

Managers and staff have good relationships with young people. They have good knowledge and understanding of young people’s needs, with plans and assessments reflecting an up-to-date knowledge. Staff had not previously understood their responsibilities and the requirements of their role fully. There has been a positive change in their approach and practice, which continues to be embedded.

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Good

Leaders and managers are preparing for an imminent admission to the home with thorough pre-admission and consideration completed. Staff have supported and prepared the young people in the home for the admission. Transition planning and activities have involved all parties in the preparations.

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Good

The statement of purpose has been reviewed and updated. It reflects the aims and purpose of the home. The home and staff reflect the aspirations and objectives as described. The young person’s guide is child friendly and provides relevant information about the home.

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Good

Managers are developing relationships with others outside the home. The new manager is establishing positive, good working relations with others.

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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 that 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

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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