Children's home run by Aspire House Partnership in Harrow

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:

 Children are happy and settled in the home.  Staff have a strong focus on supporting education.  There is little change to the staff team so children experience stability in those looking after them.  A parent finds the staff ‘supportive and inclusive’.  Staff understand the link between how children feel and how they behave.  Children are encouraged to get support from agencies such as Addaction, child and adolescent mental health services and Weight Watchers to improve their physical, mental and emotional health.  The majority of feedback from professionals, a child and a parent is very positive but one professional did not think that the home provided a good service.  A social worker said that the home is good because of ‘communication, support, pastoral care’.  Management has made good progress in meeting the three recommendations made at the last inspection.

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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

The registered person must ensure that at all times, at least one person on duty at the home has a suitable first aid qualification. With specific reference to clearly evidencing whose qualification is valid and when refresher training is due (Regulation 31 (2)(a)) 30/09/2016

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Requirement Due date

The registered person must maintain in the home the records in Schedule 4. A record in the form of a register showing in respect of each child the child’s address immediately before being accommodated in the home and the child’s address on leaving the home. (Regulation 37 (2)(a) Schedule 4 (1)(c)(d)) 30/09/2016

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Recommendations

To improve the quality and standards of care further, the service should take account of the following recommendations:  Ensure that the registered person has a workforce plan which can fulfil the workforce related requirements of Regulation 16, schedule 1 (paragraphs 19 and 20). The plan should detail the processes and agreed timescales for staff to achieve any core training. (‘Guide to the children’s homes regulations including the quality standards’, page 53, paragraph 10.8)  Make sure that the children’s home complies with the relevant health and safety legislations (alarms, food, hygiene and so on). However, in doing so, homes should seek as far as possible to maintain a domestic rather than ‘institutional’ impression. With specific reference to reviewing food handling and hygiene, notices and displayed information in a few places which may appear institutional and the maintenance of two areas of the garden. (‘Guide

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Recommendations

to the children’s homes regulations including the quality standards’, page 15, paragraph 3.9)

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Information about this children's home

A private company operates this children’s home providing care and accommodation for up to four children with emotional and/or behavioural difficulties.

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Recent inspection history

Inspection date Inspection type Inspection judgement

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Recent inspection history

14/03/2016 Interim Sustained effectiveness

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Good

Children receive support to re-engage with education. One child has worked towards and achieved some GCSE qualifications. They have gained valuable experience by volunteering, working part time and achieving the National Citizenship Scheme Challenge Award. Their further education is in place for September. The staff have worked with the virtual school to provide educational support for those without or waiting for placements. They persist in encouraging those who are not willing to engage in their education. Children are encouraged to attend the library to read books and comics and to learn outside of educational settings. An educational professional said, ‘Although this child is refusing to attend education, the home has been supporting and encouraging this child to engage in education.’ Some children have experienced stability after several placement moves. For example, an independent reviewing officer said a child has experienced ‘two of his

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Good

more settled years there’. Staff do not readily give up on children and recognise the effects that abuse and trauma may have on their behaviour. Children receive support to stay in contact with families where this is appropriate. In some cases, contact with family is re-established and in a few cases children have returned to live with their family. A social worker said, ‘Staff are keen to support and facilitate contact and have a good relationship with my young person’s parent.’ Children give their views on all aspects of life in the home. Staff ask children’s views informally, which is more natural than through formal meetings. It is good practice that children recently took part in recruiting staff. They compiled interview questions and put these to candidates. New staff found this really useful in helping prepare them to work with the children and to really think about their motivation for doing so.

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Good

Children experience positive relationships with the staff team. Staff praise their achievements and encourage them to develop useful skills to increase their independence. For example, some are now cooking meals and learning about healthy eating and portion control and the importance of exercise. A parent said that their child ‘got the support he needed to become independent and staff are emotionally and psychologically supportive’. Children enjoy celebrating special occasions such as birthdays, religious or cultural festivals with staff and other children. Their individual needs are recognised and met. A social worker said, ‘Staff are thoughtful of this child’s learning needs, his race, ethnicity and religion. This is at the forefront of their planning.’ Staff work proactively with police and youth justice staff to improve children’s safety and well-being. A youth offending service (YOS) staff member said,

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Good

‘Communication worked well, motivating (the child) and also their engagement with the YOS.’ Police describe the staff’s good work in ‘making representations to court for conditions to be imposed on (child), including curfews and educational requirements. The curfew was especially effective on the first occasion in reducing (child’s) missing episodes’.

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Good

A strong recruitment process helps to ensure that only suitable people work with the children. Management conducts thorough checks, for example, of gaps in employment and ascertaining people’s reason for leaving their previous employment. Staff work effectively with all concerned with each child’s welfare. They support children according to their individual needs. A social worker observed staff using a range of methods to support children’s safety ranging from ‘sensitive discussions, being nurturing and caring towards him as well as being clear about boundaries and expectations’. Staff maintain their knowledge of safeguarding with updates on current issues that may affect children such as child sexual exploitation and radicalisation. They help children to understand the risks of using social media and about e-safety, revisiting such issues in key work meetings. They help children to learn to keep themselves

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Good

safe. For example, a professional said, ‘Work was done with our child regarding peer influence and gang affiliation.’ Another professional said, ‘I have seen staff talk to youths about area code wars and to be careful.’ Staff maintain their training in safeguarding. They refer any concerns that they may have about children, for example, their suspicions about possible child sexual exploitation, in order to assess risk and protect children. Some residents have had high numbers of absence and there have been seven episodes of going missing. The police missing person coordinator describes good partnership working with the staff and families to try to reduce incidents of children’s absence/going missing. They find staff have a coordinated response to reducing risk, including searching for children and sharing intelligence gleaned from various sources, which has been effective in determining where they are

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Good

spending their time. In some cases, it has led to improved arrangements for children to contact family members who are important to them. Children do not always receive an interview by someone independent of the home on their return from being missing. However, staff have been proactive in challenging placing authorities to provide independent interviews. Staff work to children’s individual behaviour management plans. Use of restraint is low and conducted only to keep children or others safe. Staff use praise and reward as well as sanctions to try to help children to make progress in managing their behaviour. The manager reviews any risk associated with the area local to the home. He uses intelligence from the police and other agencies to make sure that the area is suitable for a children’s home. Although there has been one incident in the past year, relationships with neighbours are described as generally ‘good’.

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Good

The registered manager brings previous experience of working with children looked after as a foster carer. He receives supervision by someone experienced in running a children’s home. He has managed the home since June 2013. He has a suitable level 5 qualification and continues his professional development. He monitors what goes on in the home, with a particular focus on safeguarding. This, and monitoring by an independent person, helps the service to develop. Staff feel supported in their work with children. They benefit from regular supervision and team meetings but say that they can approach the manager at any time. They describe good morale in the staff team. The next inspection will review appraisals as these are currently ongoing. In surveys, eight professionals agree or strongly agree that ‘communication is effective’. One comment from a placing authority employee was that management are not transparent in their communication with them.

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Good

In a survey, a social worker said, ‘The home has a very warm and welcoming vibe.’ The building is clean and tidy. Children like their rooms and the rest of the home. Staff display photographs of the children taking part in various activities as well as certificates of their achievements and notes of their strengths and skills. This helps to enhance children’s sense of belonging and acknowledges their progress. Just a few aspects detract from the homely appearance and could appear institutional, such as the home’s rules which are displayed in the living room and already available to children in the children’s guide. Children’s files show good order so children have an accurate record of their time in the home. Staff compile books of photographs so that children will have a record of what they have done during their time in the home. The home keeps a register of all who have lived in the home but a few details are missing so the register does

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Good

not provide a complete record. The home’s workforce development plan gives an overview of staff’s qualifications and some of their training. However, it is not made clear when staff have completed mandatory training and when refresher training is due, for example, first aid training. Although there is other evidence of staff training, such as training certificates, the manager recognises that coordinating all training centrally in the workforce plan would be beneficial for their oversight. More than half of the members of staff have a level 3 qualification with another four members of staff working towards achieving this. Although staff have had training in food hygiene, some may benefit from more in-depth training to improve their practice. The service provided is in line with the home’s statement of purpose. Staff are aware of and work towards the home’s ethos.

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What the inspection judgements mean

The experiences and progress of children and young people are at the centre of the inspection. Inspectors will use their professional judgement to determine the weight and significance of their findings in this respect. The judgements included in the report are made against ‘Inspection of children's homes: framework for inspection’.

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What the inspection judgements mean

An outstanding children's home provides highly effective services that contribute to significantly improved outcomes for children and young people who need help and protection and care. Their progress exceeds expectations and is sustained over time. A good children's home provides effective services that help, protect and care for children and young people and have their welfare safeguarded and promoted. In a children's home that requires improvement , there are no widespread or serious failures that create or leave children being harmed or at risk of harm. The welfare of looked after children is safeguarded and promoted. Minimum requirements are in place. However, the children's home is not yet delivering good protection, help and care for children and young people. A children's home that is inadequate is providing services where there are widespread or serious failures that create or leave children and young people being

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What the inspection judgements mean

harmed or at risk of harm or that result in children looked after not having their welfare safeguarded and promoted.

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Information about this inspection

Inspectors have looked closely at the experiences and progress of children and young people living in the children's home. Inspectors considered the quality of work and the difference adults make to the lives of children and young people. They read case files, watched how professional staff work with children, young people and each other and discussed the effectiveness of help and care given to children and young people. Wherever possible, they talked to children, young people and their families. In addition, the inspectors have tried to understand what the children's home knows about how well it is performing, how well it is doing and what difference it is making for the children and young people who it is trying to help, protect and look after. This inspection was carried out under the Care Standards Act 2000 to assess the effectiveness of the service and to consider how well it complies with the Children's

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Information about this inspection

Homes (England) Regulations 2015 and the ‘Guide to the children's homes regulations including the quality standards’. the guidance raising concerns and making complaints about Ofsted, which is available from Ofsted's website: www.gov.uk/government/organisations/ofsted . If you would like Ofsted to send you a copy of the guidance, please telephone 0300123 4234, or email enquiries@ofsted.gov.uk .

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Information about this inspection

achieve excellence in the care of children and young people, and in education and skills for learners of all ages. It regulates and inspects childcare and children's social care, and inspects the Children and Family Court Advisory and Support Service (Cafcass), schools, colleges, initial teacher training, workbased learning and skills training, adult and community learning, and education and training in prisons and other secure establishments. It inspects services for looked after children and child protection. If you would like a copy of this document in a different format, such as large print or Braille, please telephone 0300 123 4234, or email enquiries@ofsted.gov.uk . You may reuse this information (not including logos) free of charge in any format or medium, under the terms of the Open Government Licence. To view this licence, visit www.nationalarchives.gov.uk/doc/open-government-licence , write to the Information Policy Team,

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Information about this inspection

The National Archives, Kew, London TW9 4DU, or email: psi@nationalarchives.gsi.gov.uk .

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Information about this inspection

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Information about this inspection

Store Street Manchester M1 2WD T: 0300 123 1231 Textphone: 0161 618 8524 E: enquiries@ofsted.gov.uk W: www.gov.uk/government/organisations/ofsted

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