Children's home run by Aspris Homes Limited in North Northamptonshire

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 . Young people are cared for well by staff, who have a good understanding of their needs. One parent said, ‘[Name of child] is in the best place. The staff are doing wonders.’ Young people are helped to move in extremely well. This assists them to settle quickly and begin to make positive relationships with staff. Equal care is given to how young people leave the home. One young person, who moved to independent living last year, remains in contact and staff continue to offer him support and guidance. For example, the staff offered to see him on Christmas day to ensure that he would not spend the day alone. This demonstrates the staff’s commitment to ensuring that young people continue to thrive when they leave. Staff are inquisitive about young people, build trusting relationships with them, and

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children and young people since the most recent full inspection

are proud of the difference they make to the young people’s lives. The staff team provide a nurturing, well-maintained environment where young people can develop and learn well. The staff have high aspirations for the young people’s futures. Young people spoke positively about their care. One said, ‘You would know if I did not like it I vote with my feet.’ He said he liked living here because, ‘Staff listen to you and do what they say they will.’ Safeguarding procedures are well understood and effectively monitored by managers, who engage well with relevant safeguarding agencies. Leaders and managers protect young people’s welfare by appropriately investigating, monitoring and reviewing concerns. Notifications to Ofsted are made appropriately, but do not all contain sufficient detail to explain the actions taken to protect and promote young people. For example, while risk assessments are updated to ensure that these meet young

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children and young people since the most recent full inspection

people’s needs, they are not recorded in the notification submitted. Good behaviour is promoted well. Staff spend time engaging with young people and provide strong boundaries and structures to young people’s daily routines; thus, young people know what is expected of them and what they, in turn, can expect from staff. In addition, when young people are not in education, staff arrange five hours’ in-house tutoring to ensure that the young people’s learning continues and they are ready for the routine of school when an education placement is identified. Strategies used by the staff in responding to poor behaviour are effective. They diffuse difficult situations so young people’s behaviours do not escalate. Young people know their agreed goals and can say how staff have helped them to deal with difficult issues. One young person said the staff have helped him to manage his feelings of anger more successfully.

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children and young people since the most recent full inspection

Staff assess risk appropriately; they write, and regularly update, detailed risk assessments, which assist them to work together to reduce and eliminate risks for the young people. The number of times young people go missing and the number of times staff have to intervene physically decreases after young people move here. Records about young people provide a good picture of their care and how their needs are met. Staff use these to reflect on the young people’s progress, consider how their support has made a difference and what else would be helpful to assist the young person to develop further. The manager and deputy manager work well together and prioritise the needs of the young people. They are reflective practitioners who value external support, which helps them understand how they can improve the services provided to young people. For instance, following a number of unfounded allegations against staff in

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children and young people since the most recent full inspection

the past few months, they are reviewing their staff management and support systems. They have asked the company’s quality assurance personnel to provide external support to undertaken this review in order to provide insight and challenge to their practice. The requirements and recommendations from the last inspection are met. Managers have also updated the home’s statement of purpose to remove any reference to the onsite education facility, which closed in July 2016. However, the revised statement of purpose has not been provided to Ofsted. Partnerships with relevant agencies and parents are well established and effective. The level of communication from staff is appreciated by social workers and parents, who have confidence that the young people are well looked after. Parents and relevant professionals are quickly informed about young people’s achievements and if things are not going well for a young person.

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Information about this children’s home

This children’s home is one of a number owned by a private provider. The home is registered to provide care and accommodation for three children who have 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

12/03/2015 Interim Declined in 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 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

16. The registered person must notify HMCI of any revisions and send HMCI a copy of the revised statement within 28 days of the revision. (Regulation 16(3)(b) of the Children’s Homes (England) Regulations 2015) 30/03/17

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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 notifications fully reflect all actions taken to promote and protect a young person’s safety and welfare. (‘Guide to the children’s homes regulations including the quality standards’, page 63, paragraph 14.13)  The registered person should ensure that their review of staff support is completed and any actions identified reflected in the home’s workforce plan. (‘Guide to the children’s homes regulations including the quality standards’, page 53, paragraph 10.8)

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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 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 children looked after 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

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

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