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

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:

 Young people have made good progress from their starting points since arriving at the home.  Young people attend and engage in education. All young people make progress within their individual capabilities. Staff have good relationships with the schools, promoting consistency of the approach used to support young people across both settings.  Staff support and encourage young people to develop their social and personal skills by completing basic household chores and taking part in activities.  Each young person is being supported to address their physical and emotional health. Staff have referred and supported young people to attend to their specific health needs.  Young people are developing strategies, which assist them to self-regulate and moderate their behaviour and emotions. Staff also utilise other services and provisions that promote children’s emotional well-being.  Young people are involved in decisions made in the home; staff consult

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The children’s home provision is good because:

young people daily when planning meals and activities. Each child has personalised their bedroom and chosen how to decorate it. They have also been involved in making soft furnishings and other items displayed in communal areas.  Meaningful and regular one-to-one sessions provide protected time for young people and staff to develop relationships and review achievements and areas to develop.  Staff apply a robust approach to safeguarding concerns, and there is clarity in recording, referral and outcomes.  Staff offer a wide variety of activities to young people, including horticulture, baking and art and crafts.  Young people have good relationships with staff; each has a key adult whom they can trust and confide in.  Changes of management personnel in the home have had a positive impact.  Staff work collaboratively with others outside of the home, ensuring that all are involved and aware of progress and issues affecting each young person.

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The children’s home provision is good because:

 Some staff who have worked in the home for over two years do not yet possess the required qualification.

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Statutory requirements

This section sets out the actions which must be taken so that the registered person(s) meet(s) 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

Employment of staff The registered person must ensure that all employees undertake appropriate continuing professional development and have their performance and fitness to perform their roles appraised at least once every year. (Regulation 33(4)(a)(c)) 01/04/2017

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Requirement Due date

Complaints and representations The registered person must ensure that a record is made of any complaint, the action taken in response and the outcome of any investigation. (Regulation 39(4)) 01/04/2017

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Requirement Due date

Fitness of workers: An individual who works in the home in a care role must have attained the level 3 diploma for residential childcare (England) (or a qualification which the registered person considers to be equivalent to it) two years after the date on which the individual started working in the home. (Regulation 32(4)(a)) 01/04/2017

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Recommendations

To improve the quality and standards of care further, the service should take account of the following recommendation:

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Recommendations

 Any child who has been restrained should be given the opportunity to express their feelings about their experience of the restraint as soon as is practicable, ideally within 24 hours of the restraint incident, taking the age of the child and the circumstances of the restraint into account. In some cases, children may need longer to work through their feelings, so a record that the child has talked about their feelings should be made no longer than 5 days after the incident of restraint (Regulation 35(3)(c)). Children should be encouraged to add their views and comments to the record of restraint. Children should be offered the opportunity to access an advocacy support to help them with this. (‘Guide to the Children’s Homes regulations including the quality standards’, page 49, paragraph 9.60)

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Information about this children’s home

The home is owned and run by a national private provider. The home is registered to provide care and accommodation for up to four children and young people who have learning disabilities and/or emotional behavioural difficulties. The home shares a site with another registered children’s home. It also shares the site with two schools, also owned and run by the organisation, which children and young people attend. This is the first inspection of this home since its independent registration. It was formerly incorporated into the registration of the neighbouring home.

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Recent inspection history

This is the first inspection of this home.

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Good

Young people make good progress while living at the home. They are learning positive ways to manage and regulate their emotions and behaviours. All young people are engaged in full-time education and make individual progress within their capabilities. Staff maintain positive relationships and communication with education providers, promoting the collaborative and consistent approach to education. Staff support young people to engage in home-based education activities, which supplement their knowledge and learning. Staff show a real interest in young people’s daily achievements and difficulties, wanting to hear news about their day away from the home. Staff attend all reviews and meetings regarding young people’s education. Staff encourage young people to address their basic health needs alongside their emotional health needs. Staff support young people to attend all appointments relating to their health needs. The home is part of a larger organisation, which

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Good

provides required therapy services. Young people are engaging in therapy and developing positive skills to assist them to self-regulate and manage their anxieties and emotions. Staff offer young people regular meaningful one-to-one sessions, which afford them opportunities to explore issues that are important to them. They also offer an opportunity for quality one-to-one time with a member of staff going to a café or just chatting about the ‘ups and downs’ of the week. Key workers have special relationships with young people and they are their first point of contact to support them. Staff are caring and nurturing in their approach with young people. They offer young people time to talk about their worries and anxieties and support them to explore strategies and ways to assist them in managing their behaviour and emotions. The home is cosy and has the feel of a family home. Staff work closely with families, ensuring that they are well informed and involved in aspects of care

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Good

planning and review. Staff provide regular written updates to families, detailing a young person’s achievements and activities while in the home. The voice of young people is very apparent in the home. They have been involved in choosing furnishings, picking activities and menu planning. Young people have been the main instigators of the activities available in the home. The bird-feeding station and plans to get a guinea pig have been led by the young people. The regular house meetings also offer opportunities to explore views and preferences and to come together as a house group. Staff offer a wide variety of activities to young people. These are planned weekly. Young people can make additional requests and staff actively facilitate and arrange these. These include horticulture, baking, trips to the beach, forest walks and meeting with friends. Staff support and facilitate family contact in line with young people’s care plans. A

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Good

parent stated, ‘Staff have been extra supportive and kind in assisting a family to have positive contact.’ Staff formulate detailed care plans, which are easy to read, allowing staff to gain a quick overview of a young person’s needs and the strategies used to support them. Staff regularly review targets and update plans to reflect current needs and risk. The ‘All about me’ documents, plans and risk assessments provide a good level of insight and information about the young person. The quick reference charts detail the level of support that a young person needs with individual tasks, including self- care and life skills.

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Good

Young people report feeling safe and having an adult whom they can trust and confide in. They seek support and guidance from known staff when they are anxious or worried. Staff assist young people to explore ways to manage their emotions and to develop strategies and skills to enable them to work through the challenges that they face. Staff provide practical advice and education to young people about the impact of risk-taking behaviours. They regularly remind young people of the risks associated with accessing the internet and stranger danger, while supporting young people to take age-appropriate risks. Staff are proactive and support young people to manage their behaviour, and there are clear plans that detail known triggers and strategies that staff can use to support young people. Staff are trained in the home’s preferred behaviour management approach. Staff manage incidents well, frequently calming young

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Good

people and rarely using physical intervention. When it has been used, it has been in its least restrictive form for the shortest time possible. Staff complete detailed records of incidents that specify what occurred and which interventions were used and for how long. Staff may offer young people an opportunity to explore their views and feelings about the incident, although this practice has not been consistent. Staff celebrate young people’s progress and achievements through rewards and celebrations. They have given young people consequences following negative behaviours or incidents. These have included restricting access to the home’s vehicle and loss of paid activity. Staff have recorded these consequences and described whether they have been effective, However, they have not recorded a detailed account of the young person’s views. Young people are well informed through the young person’s guide about how to

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Good

make a complaint. They have access to a letterbox, which they can post their grumbles and complaints in, or they can speak with a member of staff. A complaint has been received from someone outside of the home, but this has not been recorded, investigated or responded to. Staff apply a robust approach to safeguarding young people, with concerns recorded, reported and referred as required. Staff act on concerns swiftly with substantial investigation and exploration. The evidence trail, from instigation through investigation to completion, is maintained in the home. Allegations are reported and referred in line with the home’s policy and procedure. Records show details of internal investigations and outcomes, and others are informed of findings. One record detailed actions that were required but which managers have not acted on and implemented. Staff complete detailed risk assessments, which explore many known risk factors.

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Good

Staff are skilled to identify risks associated with child sexual exploitation. Risk assessments detail actions required to minimise risk; they are regularly reviewed and updated. Staff manage episodes of young people going missing well with prompt reporting, thorough recording and timely referral to other agencies in line with individual plans. Staff follow plans, including actively seeking young people in the area and using a variety of strategies to de-escalate situations. There has been only one episode of a young person going missing in this inspection period, and the young person was swiftly located in the vicinity of the home. Staff adhere to safer recruitment practice, and newly appointed staff are provided with a thorough induction to the home. They complete a probationary period during which their practice and knowledge are regularly reviewed and monitored. The home environment is a safe one, and all safety checks are undertaken and any

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Good

damage swiftly repaired. The home’s location risk assessment details all known risk factors in the local area; managers are planning to review this. Judgement grade

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Requires improvement

There has been a change of leadership and management in the home since its registration. The responsible individual and manager have both changed. The home was previously included in the registration for the home located next door. They became two separate homes in April, and the new manager arrived in late autumn. The manager is enrolled on the required qualification and plans to achieve this within a year. There have been several changes in the home during this period. There are new systems and procedures to improve monitoring and evaluation of the quality of care provided in the home and other positive changes made to the presentation of the home. The manager has several systems in place to ensure that there is a good understanding of the quality of care provided in the home. These provide daily, weekly and monthly areas to review and include regular file audits, reviews of the premises and monitoring of health and safety in the home. The independent visits

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Requires improvement

to the home provide an additional layer of scrutiny and managers respond to the findings. The home development plan details weaknesses and strengths and actions required to improve findings. The plan has been regularly reviewed and updated by the manager. The manager has good knowledge and understanding of the needs and risks posed by each young person in the home. She has developed positive relationships with young people and their families. Staff access regular and effective supervision, and their practice is appraised at least annually. There is evidence of robust management and development of staff practice. The manager provides a positive role model of interaction with young people. Managers have supported staff to review, reflect and improve their practice. However, senior leaders in the organisation did not ensure a thorough handover and transition between managers and leaders, and this has had a

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Requires improvement

negative impact on the consistency of management of staff. Staff engage and complete a wide variety of training specific to their roles. Staff knowledge is updated via regular online and face-to-face training. However, some staff need to develop their knowledge further. The manager has identified this and plans to provide top-up sessions and workshops in team meetings, to develop knowledge about risk factors. Monthly team meetings provide opportunities to review young people’s needs and progress alongside sharing information and reflecting on practice. Most staff are suitably qualified, and new staff are enrolled and working towards the required qualification. One member of staff has not achieved this in the required timescale.

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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 children looked after 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 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 that 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 whom 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

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

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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