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

Inspection report children’s home: SC441514 1 SC441514 Registered provider: Priory Education Services Limited

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Full inspection Inspected under the social care common inspection framework

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Information about this children’s home

The home accommodates up to three young people, irrespective of gender, who have emotional and/or behavioural difficulties. It is run by a private company.

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Overall experiences and progress of

children and young people, taking into account

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requires improvement to be good

How well children and young people are helped and protected requires improvement to be good

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requires improvement to be good

The effectiveness of leaders and managers requires improvement to be good

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requires improvement to be good

The children’s home is not yet delivering good help and care for children and young people. However, there are no serious or widespread failures that result in their welfare not being safeguarded or promoted.

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requires improvement to be good

Date of last inspection: 24 January 2017

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requires improvement to be good

Overall judgement at last inspection: Improved effectiveness

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Enforcement action since last inspection

None Inspection report children’s home: SC441514 2

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Key findings from this inspection

This children’s home requires improvement to be good because:

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Key findings from this inspection

 There have been three managers in the home in the last three months. This has led to inconsistency in staff practice.  Staff do not follow behaviour management plans to help keep young people safe.  Staff do not ensure that young people’s files hold all the required documentation about their care.  Managers and staff have missed opportunities to address and celebrate young people’s ethnicity, race, faith and belief.  Not all medication is stored and administered in line with the home’s medication policy.  There are some institutionalised features. This includes young people eating meals with plastic cutlery.  Young people do not always receive debriefs from staff after a physical restraint.  One member of staff has not obtained the level 3 diploma in residential childcare within the required timescale.  Managers do not always work consistently with external agencies.  Staff do not always follow safeguarding procedures to help keep young people

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Key findings from this inspection

safe.  Managers have failed to notify Ofsted of a serious event in relation to one young person.  Managers have not ensured that agency staff undergo the necessary pre- employment checks to minimise the potential risk of unsuitable individuals working with young people.  There has been a lack of management oversight to ensure that fire risk assessments keep young people safe.  Staff supervision records are weak. This means that the manager does not have sufficient records to show how staff are supported.

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Key findings from this inspection

 Young people make good educational progress.  Staff and young people have warm and nurturing relationships.  Young people’s risk-taking behaviour has significantly decreased.  The new manager is aware of the shortfalls and is motivated to improve young people’s care. Inspection report children’s home: SC441514 3

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Inspection date Inspection type Inspection judgement

24/01/2017 Interim Improved effectiveness 11/10/2016 Full Requires improvement 03/03/2016 Interim Sustained effectiveness 16/09/2015 Full Good Inspection report children’s home: SC441514 4

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Statutory requirements

This section sets out the actions that the registered person(s) must take to meet 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 positive relationship standard is that children are helped to develop, and to benefit from, relationships based on an understanding about acceptable behaviour. In particular, the standard in paragraph (1) requires the registered person to ensure that staff meet each child’s behavioural and emotional needs, as set out in the child’s relevant plans. (Regulation 11(1)(b)(2)(i)) 18/08/2017

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Requirement Due date

The protection of children standard is that children are protected from harm and enabled to keep safe. In particular, the standard in paragraph (1) requires the registered person to ensure that staff understand the roles and responsibilities in relation to protecting children that are assigned to them by the registered person. (Regulation 12(1)(2)(i)) 18/08/2017

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Requirement Due date

The registered person must provide a copy of the statement of purpose to HMCI and make a copy of it available upon request. (Regulation 16(2)) 18/08/2017

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Requirement Due date

The registered person must ensure that a record is kept of the administration of medicine to each child. Regulation 23 (2)(c) 18/08/2017

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Requirement Due date

The registered person must take adequate precautions against the risk of fire, including the provision of suitable fire equipment in the children’s home. (Regulation 25(1)(a)) 18/08/2017

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Requirement Due date

The registered person must ensure that full and satisfactory information is available in relation to any individual employed to work in the children’s home in respect of each of the matters in Schedule 2. (Regulation 32(3)(d)) 18/08/2017

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Requirement Due date

The registered person must ensure that an individual who works in the home in a care role has the appropriate qualification if, by the relevant date, the individual has attained the level 3 diploma for residential childcare or a qualification which the registered person considers to be equivalent to the level 3 diploma. (Regulation 32(4)(a)(b)) 18/08/2017

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Requirement Due date

The registered person must ensure that, within 5 days of the use of the measure, the registered person or the authorised 18/08/2017 Inspection report children’s home: SC441514 5 person adds to the record confirmation that they have spoken to the child about the measure. (Regulation 35(3)(c)) The registered person must maintain records (‘case records’) for each child that include the information and documents listed in Schedule 3. The records must be kept up to date, and signed and dated by the author of each entry. (Regulation 36 (a)) 18/08/2017

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Requirement Due date

The registered person must notify HMCI and each other relevant person without delay if there is an allegation of abuse against the home or a person working there. (Regulation 40 (4)(c)) 18/08/2017

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Recommendations

 For children’s homes to be nurturing and supportive environments that meet the needs of their children, they will, in most cases, be homely, domestic environments. Children’s homes must comply with relevant health and safety legislations (alarms, food hygiene, etc.); however in doing so, homes should seek as far as possible to maintain a domestic rather than ‘institutional’ impression. (‘Guide to the children’s homes regulations including the quality standards’, page 15, paragraph 3.13)  A record of supervision should be kept for staff, including the manager. The record should provide evidence that supervision is being delivered in line with regulation 33(4)(b). (‘Guide to the children’s homes regulations including the quality standards’, page 61, paragraph 3.9)

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improvement to be good

There have been three different managers in the last three months. Each manager has had a unique way of working and expectations have varied. In addition, four staff have chosen to move on from the home. These changes have led to a period of instability for young people. Young people are making good educational progress. Young people attend school regularly and engage well in their learning. Staff work hard to ensure that young people have tailored learning packages that reflect their individual needs. This co-ordinated approach has helped to improve young people’s academic potential. Young people and staff have warm and respectful relationships. These relationships have helped young people to invest in the placement. However, the absence of looked after review minutes, care plans and personal education plans leaves staff ill-informed of the needs of young people and the basis of their individual care. Furthermore, the home’s

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improvement to be good

care plans are missing essential information. For example, one young person suffers with hayfever and takes prescribed medication to manage his symptoms. The details of his Inspection report children’s home: SC441514 6 hayfever are not recorded in his care plan. Consequently, staff have limited insight into the young person’s health needs. Young people feel listened to and involved in decisions. For example, young people and staff are reconsidering bedtimes and young people were being consulted over the new furnishings. Advocates are now also supporting young people. This means that young people have good participation in decisions that directly affect them. The manager and staff have missed opportunities to address or celebrate young people’s ethnicity, race, faith or belief. Staff have not been quick to notice young people’s curiosity around other young people’s religions. This has created a missed opportunity to

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improvement to be good

improve young people’s awareness of social diversity. In addition, young people have made discriminatory remarks that have gone unchallenged by staff. For example, a young person made unkind remarks about a young person who had Down’s syndrome during a visit to a local swimming pool. Prescribed medication is administered and stored safely. However, the same level of care is not given to administrating over-the-counter medication. For example, no record is made when it is used and one medication was found to be three years out of date. Young people are involved in a range of activities, such as bike riding and swimming. This helps them to try out different experiences and to develop their life skills. Staff encourage young people to maintain regular contact with their family so that they do not feel isolated, especially when they live a long way from home. A parent told the inspector that she felt that staff were calm with her son and that she was always able to

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improvement to be good

get hold of staff. The home has some institutionalised features. For example, when damage has been caused to walls, this is covered with large, wooden boarding. Young people are required to use plastic cutlery for no apparent reason to eat their meals.

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improvement to be good

Some of the young people’s risk-taking behaviours have significantly decreased since their admission. One social worker told the inspector that there had been a decrease in severity of incidents for one young person. This was because the staff were managing the young person’s behaviour well. Staff take the time to ask young people how best to support them when they are feeling anxious, frustrated or upset. For one young person, this has meant giving him some time out on his own so that he can calm down. Some staff are able to recognise the early signs of young people struggling to cope, and take swift action to try to prevent behaviour escalating. However, this practice is not consistent across the staff team. Staff have failed to follow the behaviour management plan. This has led to inconsistent practice, police involvement and confusion for the young people over what is expected behaviour. In addition, sanctions are often ineffective. The new manager is aware of the

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improvement to be good

weaknesses and is planning to improve staff practice and understanding. Inspection report children’s home: SC441514 7 Staff only use physical restraint as a last resort. However, there has not been sufficient oversight to ensure that the young people always receive a debriefing after a physical restraint. This has led to a missed opportunity to enable young people to raise concerns over staff practice. Young people rarely go missing from home. Staff understand the ‘missing from care’ protocols and are aware of how to safeguard young people from going missing. The manager and staff work in partnership with the local police and local authorities to protect young people from harm. This partnership working has enabled the police to do some direct work with the young people and staff around internet safety. Although the young people are not currently at risk of child sexual exploration or racialisation, the staff

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improvement to be good

are training in recognising potential risks. Referrals of concern to local authority children’s services are usually made in a timely manner. However, there has been a delay in one allegation being referred. Members of the management team at the time appeared to be confused about their roles and responsibility in this regard. This matter was picked up by the independent visitor, which enabled safeguarding procedures to be instigated. There have been lessons learned and a recent allegation was appropriately referred. Staff undertake regular health and safety checks and follow a range of safety procedures to help protect young people from potential hazards. These include fire drills to help ensure that young people know what to do in case of an emergency. However, the home’s fire risk assessment has not been updated. This is in relation to an exclusion zone around the boiler.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: requires improvement to be good

There have been three managers in the home in the last three months. The registered manager left and the duty manager took over for a short time before choosing to leave. The new manager knows the home well. This has enabled her to establish trusting relationships with the young people and staff. The manager has taken swift action to start addressing all shortfalls identified during the inspection. The manager has completed her level 4 in leadership and management and is applying to Ofsted to be the home’s registered manager. Although the home currently has four staff vacancies, staff have worked hard to cover the shifts by working overtime. The same agency worker has been used and the home has used other workers from other homes on a fixed term contract. This has helped to secure a core staff team. One staff has not obtained the level 3 in residential childcare within the necessary timescale. This means that not all staff have the required skills for working with young

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: requires improvement to be good

people in residential care. However, the staff benefit from training in first aid and basic food hygiene. Other, more specialised, training has also taken place surrounding parenting and internet safety. This training enables staff to have the knowledge in specialised areas to help keep young people safe. Although staff undergo regular supervision, the lack of recordings hampers the manager’s ability to fully support and celebrate practice and development. Inspection report children’s home: SC441514 8 The management team has failed to meet the requirement to report all allegations to Ofsted and to send in the updated statement of purpose. This inspection has highlighted a number of shortfalls, which show that the statement of purpose is not being implemented by staff in their everyday practice. Most staff have suitable checks to ensure that they are fit to work with children. However, the same level of scrutiny is not given to agency staff. For example, the

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: requires improvement to be good

manager had failed to ensure that full employment history is checked.

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Information about this inspection

Inspectors have looked closely at the experiences and progress of children and young people. Inspectors considered the quality of work and the difference made to the lives of children and young people. They watched how professional staff work with children and young people and each other and discussed the effectiveness of help and care provided. Wherever possible, they talked to children and 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.

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Information about this inspection

Using the ‘Social care common inspection framework’, this inspection was carried out under the Care Standards Act 2000 to assess the effectiveness of the service, how it meets the core functions of the service as set out in legislation, 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’. Inspection report children’s home: SC441514 9

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Children’s home details

Registered provider: Priory Education Services Limited

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Children’s home details

Registered provider address: Priory Group, 80 Hammersmith Road, London W14 8UD

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Inspector

Louise Battersby, social care inspector Inspection report children’s home: SC441514 10 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, further education and skills, adult and community learning, and education and training in prisons and other secure establishments. It assesses council children’s services, and inspects services for children looked after, safeguarding and child protection.

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Inspector

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Inspector

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Inspector

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