Children's Home, Residential special school run by Aspris Children’s Services Limited in Staffordshire

Inspection report for children's home - monitoring visit: SC391860 1 SC391860

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Information about this children’s home

This home is part of a residential special school. The school is managed by a large private organisation. The two adjacent houses are registered to accommodate 14 young people who have learning disabilities. The school is registered with the Department for Education and has a specialism in autistic spectrum disorder.

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This monitoring visit

At the full inspection in June 2017, the home was judged inadequate. The concerns included:

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This monitoring visit

 Staff had failed to ensure that young people had the appropriate level of supervision in line with their individual care plans.

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This monitoring visit

 Staff had not promoted the safety and well-being of young people in their care in order to stop incidents happening.

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This monitoring visit

 Staff did not demonstrate that they understood that young people could cause sexual harm to each other if not appropriately supervised.

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This monitoring visit

 Managerial oversight of safeguarding incidents was weak.

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This monitoring visit

 Staff had failed to ensure that young people’s individual risk assessments were kept up to date.

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This monitoring visit

 There was an over reliance on using non-permanent staff in an attempt to meet the young people’s complex needs.

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This monitoring visit

 Staff had failed to help a young person be prepared for their move to adult care. Inspection report for children's home - monitoring visit: SC391860 2  Managers had not ensured that staff were sufficiently skilled and trained to meet the individual needs of young people.

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This monitoring visit

 Managers did not give sufficient attention to the safe recruitment of agency staff.

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This monitoring visit

 The accommodation required redecorating.

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This monitoring visit

This monitoring visit has found that good progress has been made to address the previous concerns. The compliance notice issued at the last inspection has been met. Since the last inspection, managers and staff have worked hard to start making the necessary changes to help safeguard young people. Staff are now consulting and challenging local authorities to ensure that young people’s moves from the home are well planned. This partnership working is helping to ensure that young people receive the right support in times of significant change. The accommodation has benefited from redecoration. There is a new sensory room and window blinds have been fitted. The accommodation now presents as clean and inviting. Staffing levels have improved. Managers are now less dependent on agency staff for securing staffing cover. This has helped to give greater consistency over young people’s day-to-day care. Staff vacancies have fallen from 14 vacant posts to seven.

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This monitoring visit

Each house now has a designated manager. This has helped to create a clear line of accountability. There have been lessons learned from previous incidents. Staff supervision of young people is now in line with young people’s individual care plans. Managers have put in place new daily checks and safeguarding protocols. This is helping to give greater overview of the running of the home. Staff are starting to show a better understanding of young people’s adolescent behaviours. This includes managers implementing new systems to help support young people through their developmental stages of adolescence. Although a complete audit of the recruitment is underway, this monitoring visit found that there continue to be shortfalls in the way that agency staff are recruited. For example, it is unclear that references are verified and that checks are made as to why a person left their previous employment when they have worked with either children

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This monitoring visit

or vulnerable adults. This means that there continues to be the potential risk that unsuitable adults may be in contact with young people. Inspection report for children's home - monitoring visit: SC391860 3

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Recent inspection history

Inspection date Inspection type Inspection judgement 05/06/2017 Full Inadequate 27/02/2017 Interim Declined in effectiveness 19/07/2016 Full Good 23/03/2016 Interim Sustained effectiveness

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Statutory requirement

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 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)) 18/09/2017

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Information about this inspection

The purpose of this visit was to monitor the action taken and the progress made by the children’s home since its last Ofsted inspection.

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Information about this inspection

This inspection was carried out under the Care Standards Act 2000. Inspection report for children's home - monitoring visit: SC391860 4

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Children’s home details

Provision sub-type: Residential special school

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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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Children’s home details

Responsible individual: Katherine Bridon

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Inspectors

Louise Battersby, social care inspector Ms Lisa Walsh, social care inspector Inspection report for children's home - monitoring visit: SC391860 5 to 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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Inspectors

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Inspectors

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Inspectors

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