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

children and young people since the most recent full inspection

This home was judged good at the last full inspection. At this interim inspection Ofsted judges that it has declined in effectiveness .

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children and young people since the most recent full inspection

This children’s home has declined in effectiveness, because safeguarding and child protection policies are not being rigorously adhered to. This introduces the potential for children to face unnecessary risk of harm. The staff are not always adhering to children’s care plans and risk assessments. This means that on some occasions children have been exposed to the risk of harm from other children living at the home. Supervision of staff is not being conducted at the appropriate frequency. There continues to be an insufficient number of staff who have undertaken the training required by regulation.

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children and young people since the most recent full inspection

Children are admitted to the home following rigorous assessments of their needs, including assessments of the living environment. Placement plans and risk assessments clearly spell out how these needs are to be met. These placement plans are appropriately reviewed. The introduction to the home is phased and sympathetic. Although there are sufficient staff on duty at any given time, there has been one occasion when a child was not sufficiently supervised, as required by their placement plan, and this resulted in the child being bitten by another child. Poor supervision of children places them at risk of harm.

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children and young people since the most recent full inspection

The home has a clearly written safeguarding children policy, and all staff and management receive training in this area, which is regularly updated. In spite of this, there have been events which have not been properly notified to the appropriate authorities or recorded at the home, and this fails to keep children safe.

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children and young people since the most recent full inspection

No children have left the home since the time of the last inspection, and placements are stable and long term. Placing authorities report that children enjoy living at the home. There is now a stable staff group, and this gives children consistency and stability. There are good child/staff relationships, and children appear to enjoy positive interaction with staff during play and activities.

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children and young people since the most recent full inspection

All children living at the home attend the organisation’s school or have a full-time education programme in place. Personal education plans are reviewed at the appropriate frequency, and staff from the home always attend these meetings. There is daily communication between the school and the home, and this supports children’s educational progress.

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children and young people since the most recent full inspection

Each child placed has a behaviour support plan in place which is appropriately reviewed and updated. Restraints are of the frequency to be expected of children with profound and challenging behaviour. The home does not apply sanctions, as these are deemed to be inappropriate for the children who are cared for. Security arrangements and risk assessments of the locality are appropriate, and no children have gone missing.

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children and young people since the most recent full inspection

All children placed are registered with a general practitioner, optician and dentist, and routine check-ups are conducted. Healthcare plans are in place for all children, and their health needs are monitored by health professionals from the placing authorities. Staff are trained in the administration of medication.

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children and young people since the most recent full inspection

An independent visitor conducts monthly visits to the home and reports on the same. The registered manager conducts quarterly reviews of the quality of care, and recommendations from these reports have been seen to have been applied. This internal monitoring leads to improvements in practice and the quality of care for the children living at the home.

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Information about this children’s home

The home is owned by a private organisation. It is registered for the accommodation and care of seven young people with learning disabilities, irrespective gender. Education provision can also be offered within the wider organisation.

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Recent inspection history

Inspection date Inspection type Inspection judgement 22/09/2016 Full Good 25/01/2016 Interim Improved effectiveness 24/11/2015 Full Good 27/01/2015 Interim Improved effectiveness 22/10/2014 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

13: The leadership and management standard

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Requirement Due date

Ensure that staff have the experience, qualifications and skills to meet the needs of each child. (Regulation 13(2)(c))

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Requirement Due date

Specifically, that there are an appropriate number of staff trained to qualifications and credit framework level 3 children and young person’s workforce, and all staff are trained in first aid. 31/03/2017

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Requirement Due date

The registered person must ensure that they are familiar with, and act in accordance with, the home’s child protection policies. (Regulation 12(2)(a)(vii)) 28/02/2017

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Requirement Due date

The registered person must ensure that staff manage relationships between children to prevent them from harming each other. (Regulation 12(2)(a)(iv)) 20/02/2017

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Requirement Due date

The registered person must ensure that all employees receive practice-related supervision. (Regulation 33(4)(b))

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Requirement Due date

Specifically, that this is conducted at a regular frequency. 13/02/2017

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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 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

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

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