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

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

The registered manager continues to grow in confidence and skill. His approach to care is child focused and he responds swiftly and effectively following any incidents that are of concern. The registered manager’s procedure for reviewing incidents demonstrates his desire to support children and young people to manage their emotions. It also allows staff to reflect on and learn from the incidents and enables them to thoroughly consider the children’s and young people’s presenting behaviours. This approach has resulted in the registered manager acknowledging that one young person is not currently placed appropriately. The registered manager is working with other agencies to try and manage a move in a child- focused and planned way.

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children and young people since the most recent full inspection

Other children and young people who are living at this home continue to make good progress in all aspects of their lives. Specialist support is sought for children and young people and this is incorporated into care planning. It is evident that the staff understand the individual needs of children and young people, and respond appropriately. This results in children and young people receiving individual care that supports their progress.

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children and young people since the most recent full inspection

Children and young people like living in this home. They moved house last year and one young person stated that they prefer their new home and that the move went well. Children and young people live in a well-furnished, comfortable home in a safe and peaceful part of Cornwall. Both the inside of the home and the outside space provide them with a calm, relaxed and safe environment.

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children and young people since the most recent full inspection

Children and young people have good relationships with the staff. These relationships are based upon mutual trust and respect. They are aware of how to raise concerns should they feel the need to do so. Any concerns that are raised are addressed effectively by the registered manager. Concerns in respect of staff conduct are escalated to the local authority designated officer. The registered manager takes time with children and young people to talk through the concerns and the outcomes in a child-focused way. This results in children and young people feeling that their concerns and worries are taken seriously. Not all the requirements made at the last inspection have been fully met. Those that have not been fully met relate specifically to children and young people being afforded an independent return from missing interview and to the training and skills of agency staff who work at the home. The progress made in others areas of

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children and young people since the most recent full inspection

the home and discussions with the registered manager during this inspection have provided reassurance that these areas of practice will be addressed without delay.

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children and young people since the most recent full inspection

Since the last inspection there has been one occasion on which a young person has gone missing from home. On this occasion the staff failed to respond to the incident in line with the young person’s care plan. This led to the young person being missing for almost three hours before the police were contacted. The registered manager plans to change the young person’s care plan to reflect the fact that they are soon to turn 18 and to register their ability to stay safe in the community.

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children and young people since the most recent full inspection

The same young person was not afforded an independent return from missing interview. This meant that they did not have the opportunity to speak to someone impartial about any worries or concerns that they might have had regarding their home or the care they were receiving. Systems have been put in place to ensure that children and young people can receive this support. However, on this occasion the young person was given a choice based upon their age and cognitive ability. The registered manager was able to reflect on this and stated that in future he would arrange such a visit himself in order to demonstrate that all efforts have been made to promote the well-being of children and young people.

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children and young people since the most recent full inspection

The training that has been provided to staff since the last inspection is relevant and of good quality. Managers were engaged in safeguarding training when the inspector arrived on site for this inspection. Due to the fact that the safeguarding training is of such high quality and value, all staff are going to be afforded this training in the near future. Likewise, staff have been provided with attachment and trauma training that underpins their approach to care. There is still some concern in respect of the training of agency workers. If this is left unaddressed, it could place children and young people in situations of risk.

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Information about this children’s home

The home is registered for four young people who have emotional and behavioural difficulties and/or a learning disability. It is owned by a large, national company that also provides education. The property is a large domestic house and is appropriately situated in extensive grounds and with good access to community facilities.

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Recent inspection history

Inspection date Inspection type Inspection judgement 06/10/2016 Full Good

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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 with the given timescales.

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Requirement Due date

In order to meet the protection of children standard (12(1)), the registered person must ensure that children are protected from harm and enabled to keep themselves safe. In particular, as outlined in the statutory guidance for children who run away or go missing from home or care (Department for Education, 2014), all young people must have an independent return home interview. 01/04/2017

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Requirement Due date

In order to meet this requirement the registered person must ensure that staff have appropriate experience, qualifications and skills. In particular, agency and bank staff should be provided with the appropriate training to ensure that they have the skills and knowledge that are required to keep children and young people safe and care for them effectively. 01/04/2017

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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 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 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 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

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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