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

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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The effectiveness of the home and the progress and experiences of

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

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The effectiveness of the home and the progress and experiences of

The children have made progress since the last inspection. They are encouraged and supported to attend activities in the community and to build and maintain positive friendships. They have built good relationships with a stable staff team that knows and understands their individual needs. This has led to a decrease in unwanted behaviours. Good interactions between the staff and the children were observed during the inspection.

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The effectiveness of the home and the progress and experiences of

The manager has been in post since August 2016 and has previous experience of managing other homes in the organisation. He is currently undertaking his level 5 qualification and is in the process of registering with Ofsted. The staff spoken to during the inspection said that they feel supported by him and the two deputy managers.

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The effectiveness of the home and the progress and experiences of

The manager has met seven of the eight requirements raised at the last inspection. He has met four of the five recommendations that were raised.

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The effectiveness of the home and the progress and experiences of

The children continue to attend education. Two of the children attend the organisation’s school and one is at college. The staff understand the importance of education and support the children to attend. There is good communication between the staff and education providers. The staff attend parents’ evenings and school concerts. This shows the children that the staff act as any good parent would.

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The effectiveness of the home and the progress and experiences of

Two children have recently moved on from the home. Both of the transitions were over a very short period. The staff ensured that the children had positive endings. This was particularly important for one child and the staff managed this well.

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The effectiveness of the home and the progress and experiences of

Two children have recently moved into the home from the organisation’s sister home. The staff showed sensitivity to the children about the move and understood the impact that this would have on the children moving in and the current group. Some staff from the sister home moved to this home, which further supported the children. The transition plans were agreed in conjunction with the social workers. The children say that they have settled into the home and are happy. The managers completed impact risk assessments to guide the staff in risk reduction.

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The effectiveness of the home and the progress and experiences of

The staff understand the importance of the children developing their independence skills. The children cook once a week and are supported to keep their bedrooms clean and tidy. One child is learning how to budget. This helps to prepare them for adult life.

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The effectiveness of the home and the progress and experiences of

The staff support the children to manage risk in accordance with the children’s age, understanding and ability and in consultation with the social worker. The children learn to manage risks in a safe way because the staff are not risk averse.

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The effectiveness of the home and the progress and experiences of

Some staff have completed their level 3 qualification. The remaining staff are enrolled and are in the process of completing their award. The manager has regular contact with the assessor to ensure that the staff are completing their modules on time.

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The effectiveness of the home and the progress and experiences of

The children engage with regular key work sessions and individual consultation meetings with the manager and deputy managers. The sessions and consultation are recorded and the manager provides feedback to the children. This shows them that the staff listen to and act on their wishes and feelings.

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The effectiveness of the home and the progress and experiences of

There have been 49 sanctions since the last inspection. These are fair and proportionate and the children comment and sign each entry. The manager signs and evaluates the records to ensure that the consequences are fair and effective.

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The effectiveness of the home and the progress and experiences of

The staff record positive behaviours and the children are rewarded with an extra activity or a meal out. The children have the opportunity to comment and sign the records and the manager writes a comment, which is fed back to the children. This shows the children that the staff recognise and value their achievements and positive behaviours.

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The effectiveness of the home and the progress and experiences of

There have been five complaints since the last inspection. These have been resolved within an appropriate timescale and the children comment to say that they are happy with the outcome.

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The effectiveness of the home and the progress and experiences of

There have been 21 incidents of children going missing since the last inspection. This has dramatically reduced since September 2016, when a child moved on from the home. The children have return home interviews with an independent person. There are good, clear ‘running away or going missing’ individual risk assessments outlining potential triggers, a description of the risk and how the risks can be reduced. This supports the staff when working with the children who may go missing.

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The effectiveness of the home and the progress and experiences of

The children have individualised placement plans that support the staff to work with them effectively. The staff regularly review, update and sign to say that they have read the plans. However, there is no evidence that the children read or agree the plans or that the social worker is in agreement with the plan. This does not ensure that all parties understand, contribute to and engage in the care planning.

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The effectiveness of the home and the progress and experiences of

The staff search the children’s bedrooms if there is a concern that the children have something that could harm themselves or others. The staff complete a room search record. However, it does not state if the children are in agreement with or are present during the search or the reason for the room search. This does not provide a clear record of the action that staff take or the children’s views.

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The effectiveness of the home and the progress and experiences of

The staff have been receiving more frequent supervision since the last inspection. However, improvement still needs to be made to ensure that all staff receive regular practice-related supervision.

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The effectiveness of the home and the progress and experiences of

The home is in a rural location surrounded by large, well-maintained grounds and a wood. The house has gone through a period of redecoration. The children were involved in choosing the furniture and decor. They have personalised their bedrooms, which are spacious and well furnished. Some new carpets have been laid and the remaining carpets have been ordered. A maintenance person has been employed and this means that work in the home is carried out in a much shorter timescale.

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Information about this children's home

This home provides care and accommodation for up to five children who have emotional and/or behavioural difficulties. It is owned by a private organisation. The organisation owns a school on another site that the children can attend.

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Recent inspection history

Inspection date Inspection type Inspection judgement 20/08/2015 Full Good

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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 all employees receive practice-related supervision by a person with appropriate experience. (Regulation 33 (4)(b)) 13/02/2017

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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, as a rule, staff do not enter a child’s bedroom without their permission, though it may be necessary to establish routines to allow for rooms to be cleaned regularly. Usually, rooms should only be searched if the child has been informed or asked for their permission. Immediate searching may be necessary where there are reasonable grounds for believing that there is a risk to the child’s or another person’s safety or well-being. In particular, ensure that children understand the reason for the room search and sign the records when a search has taken place. (‘Guide to the children’s homes regulations including the quality standards’, page 16, paragraph 3.20)

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Recommendations

 Give children the opportunity to comment on and sign their placement plan. (‘Guide to the children’s homes regulations including the quality standards’, page 18, paragraph 3.31)

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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 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

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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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