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

children and young people since the most recent full inspection

This home was judged good at the full inspection. At this interim inspection, Ofsted judges that it has sustained effectiveness.

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children and young people since the most recent full inspection

There have been no new admissions or discharges since the previous inspection. The manager has recognised the need to redevelop the home’s impact risk assessment to ensure that new young people admitted to the home will not have an adverse effect on the young people already living at the home. This has formed part of the home’s development plan.

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children and young people since the most recent full inspection

Young people are making good progress at school and have good attendance. They are developing their independence skills, and each young person has an independence plan in place to identify what they are able to do and what areas they need to develop. This is supporting them to develop the skills that they need for later life.

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children and young people since the most recent full inspection

Staff have facilitated young people to increase their visits home to their family. This is helping young people to improve their relationships with people who are important to them, as well as building on their self-esteem and sense of belonging.

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children and young people since the most recent full inspection

Staff have an excellent knowledge of young people and the events that may be happening in their lives that may affect their behaviour. As a result, staff work proactively with young people and support them to talk about their feelings and find alternative ways to express themselves. Prior to the summer holidays, incidents requiring physical intervention had reduced. Although there has been a recent increase, staff understand that this is related to external factors that are affecting young people. Records of restraints are recorded as per regulation and are evaluated for their effectiveness by the manager.

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children and young people since the most recent full inspection

Sanctions appear fair and appropriate. They are recorded appropriately and young people’s views are sought. When items are broken, the sanction focuses on reparation. This supports young people to learn that there are consequences to their actions.

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children and young people since the most recent full inspection

Young people do go missing from the home. However, staff are proactive and take steps to ensure that the young person returns to the home safely. Staff ensure that young people who do go missing now receive a return interview from their placing authority. This will help the home to identify the reasons why the young person left and to inform preventative strategies. This meets a recommendation made at the previous inspection.

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children and young people since the most recent full inspection

The manager takes her safeguarding responsibilities extremely seriously. She is responsive and reports concerns appropriately. The manager carries out thorough investigations when directed by the designated officer and takes sound action to protect young people. On one occasion, in the manager’s absence, safeguarding procedures and good practice were not followed in response to an allegation made by a young person. This did not put the child first and led to a delay in a thorough investigation taking place. Once the manager returned from leave, she took urgent action to rectify these concerns. The manager reports all concerns appropriately to the HMCI, as per regulation.

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children and young people since the most recent full inspection

Risk assessments do not cover all known risks in sufficient detail. For example, a risk assessment for a young person who has been found with tobacco products and electronic cigarettes in his possession only advises that he is known to pick up used cigarettes off the floor. It does not cover his risk of substance misuse, although the young person has advised that he has smoked cannabis. A recommendation regarding risk assessments was made at the previous inspection. This has not been sufficiently addressed and, as a result, a requirement has been made.

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children and young people since the most recent full inspection

There has been a high turnover of staff in recent months. Staff have left for a variety of reasons, including not meeting the standard required during their probation. This demonstrates the manager’s commitment to ensuring that only staff with the skills, knowledge and ability to work with young people are employed. While the manager has ensured that there have been appropriate staffing levels, young people have commented in key-worker sessions that changes in staff have affected them. The manager recognises this and continues to update young people on staff recruitment to provide them with reassurance. The home is in the process of recruiting more staff and has taken action to review their recruitment procedures to ensure that prospective employees are able to visit the home and be observed interacting with the young people. This provides further assessment to ensure that staff are suitable for the role, to increase staff retention.

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children and young people since the most recent full inspection

Due to staff changes, the manager has not yet updated the workforce plan and, therefore, has not met a recommendation made at the previous inspection.

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children and young people since the most recent full inspection

The manager has taken action to address seven of the recommendations made at the previous inspection. We were not able to appraise staff recruitment records at this inspection. As a result, the recommendation made at the previous inspection remains. This will be followed up at the home’s next full inspection.

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Information about this children's home

This is a private children’s home that is part of a national organisation. It provides care and accommodation for five young people who have emotional, behavioural and education difficulties and attend the associated residential special school.

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Recent inspection history

Inspection date Inspection type Inspection judgement 03/11/2015 Full Good 14/05/2015 Interim Improved effectiveness 22/01/2015 Full Good 17/09/2014 Interim Improved effectiveness

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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

In order to meet the protection of children standard, the registered provider must ensure that staff— (2)(a)(i) assess whether each child is at risk of harm, taking into account information in the child’s relevant plans, and, if necessary, make arrangements to reduce the risk of any harm to the child. 08/11/2016

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Recommendations

To improve the quality and standards of care further, the service should take account of the following recommendations:  The registered person should ensure that, when considering new placements, they fully consider the impact that the placement will have on the existing group of young people and evidence their judgement supporting compatibility with existing residents. (‘Guide to the children's homes regulations including the quality standards’, page 56, paragraph 11.4)  Ensure that recruitment procedures safeguard young people and minimise potential risks to them. In particular, ensure that all the required checks as specified in schedule 2 are completed. (‘Guide to the children's homes regulations including the quality standards’, page 61, paragraph 13.1)  Ensure that there is a workforce plan in place. (‘Guide to the children's homes regulations including the quality standards’, page 53, paragraph 10.8)

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Recommendations

 The registered person must demonstrate every effort to achieve continuity of staffing so that children's attachments are not overly disrupted. (‘Guide to the children's homes regulations including the quality standards’, page 51, paragraph 10.1)  The registered person should build a strong, safeguarding culture in the home where children are listened to, respected and involved in both the development of the home and decisions about the home. In particular, ensure that, in response to all allegations against members of staff, safeguarding procedures are followed in a timely manner, and that young people are consulted and thorough investigations are completed. (‘Guide to the children's homes regulations including the quality standards’, page 43, paragraph 9.8)

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What the inspection judgements mean

At the interim inspection we make a judgement on whether the home has improved in effectiveness, sustained effectiveness, or declined in effectiveness since the previous full inspection. This is in line with the ‘Inspection of children's homes: framework for inspection’.

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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 focused on the effectiveness of the home and the progress and experiences of children and young people since the most recent full inspection.

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Information about this inspection

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 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

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Information about this inspection

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Information about this inspection

T: 0300 123 1231 Textphone: 0161 618 8524 E: enquiries@ofsted.gov.uk W: www.gov.uk/government/organisations/ofsted

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