Children's Home run by Aspris Children’s Services Limited in West Berkshire

Inspection report children‟s home: SC486479 1 SC486479 Registered provider: Priory Education Services Limited Full inspection Inspected under the social care common inspection framework

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Information about this children’s home

This is a recently registered children‟s home for up to five young people who have learning difficulties. It is run by a private organisation. Most of the young people who are resident at the home are educated at the provider‟s school, located at another site.

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Information about this children’s home

Inspection dates: 26 to 27 September 2017

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Overall experiences and progress of

children and young people, taking into account

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outstanding

How well children and young people are helped and protected good

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outstanding

The effectiveness of leaders and managers outstanding

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outstanding

The children‟s home provides highly effective services that consistently exceed the standards of good. The actions of the children‟s home contribute to significantly improved outcomes and positive experiences for children and young people who need help, protection and care.

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outstanding

Overall judgement at last inspection: outstanding

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Enforcement action since last inspection:

None. Inspection report children‟s home: SC486479 2

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Key findings from this inspection

This children‟s home is outstanding because:

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Key findings from this inspection

 Staff provide highly individualised care to each of the young people, contributing to significant progress for most across a range of developmental areas. A sophisticated assessment tool is in place to demonstrate the skills that young people gain and the areas to focus on to make further improvements.  Staff seek young people‟s wishes and take every opportunity to offer them choices, enhancing their autonomy and ability to influence their own lives.  The manager and staff are meticulous in their preparation of young people to move into, or out of, the home. This leads to smooth transitions and successful placements, even when arrangements have had to be made at short notice.  Key-work sessions are very effective in communicating messages, addressing current issues and eliciting young people‟s views. Staff record these sessions in such a way as to capture the voice of the child. Outcomes and actions are

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Key findings from this inspection

The children‟s home‟s areas for development:

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Key findings from this inspection

 Risk assessments do not always accurately reflect agreed strategies to minimise potential hazards.  Current means to help young people make complaints are not accessible to those who do not have the communication skills to use them. Behaviours that may indicate that young people have grievances are not recognised or acted upon as complaints.  Placement plans do not capture how young people‟s views and wishes have been incorporated, if they are non-verbal.

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Inspection date Inspection type Inspection judgement

13/03/2017 Full Outstanding 26/07/2016 Interim Sustained effectiveness 01/12/2015 Full Good Inspection report children‟s home: SC486479 3

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Recommendations

 Children who cannot, or choose not to, verbalise, have the right to have their views, wishes and feelings heard and respected in the same way as other children. („Guide to the children‟s homes regulations, including the quality standards‟, page 24, paragraph 4.24)

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Recommendations

This should include being supported to make a complaint that is dealt with in accordance with regulation 39.

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Recommendations

 Staff should continually and actively assess the risks to each child and the arrangements in place to protect them. Where there are safeguarding concerns for a child, their placement plan, agreed between the home and their placing authority, must include details of the steps the home will take to manage any assessed risks on a day-to-day basis. („Guide to the children‟s homes regulations including the quality standards‟, page 42, paragraph 9.5)

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Recommendations

 The behaviour management strategy should be understood and applied at all times by staff, and must be kept under review and revised where appropriate. („Guide to the children‟s homes regulations including the quality standards‟, page 46, paragraph 9.34)

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Recommendations

This is particularly in relation to the use of „timeout‟.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: outstanding

The manager and staff ensure that the home‟s statement of purpose is fulfilled by the provision of care that is tailored to the needs of individual young people. Each member of the team has detailed knowledge of those whom they are caring for, and they discuss objectives and methods of working as a group to ensure a consistent approach. This optimises the environment in which young people can progress and helps them to enjoy living at the home.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: outstanding

A rigorous approach to setting specific targets to increase young people‟s daily living skills is in place. It is integrated into practice, and young people do not find that it is a chore. An assessment tool, developed by the manager, ensures that incremental improvement is identified and recorded. Charts are used to illustrate progress between six-monthly assessments, and achievements are celebrated by all. The assessments identify areas to develop further, to give a focus for the next period. These are regularly reviewed and new targets are set when the previous ones have been achieved or the desired improvement has not been attained. Inspection report children‟s home: SC486479 4 This approach has resulted in significant progress for young people. For some, this has been gradual but continuous since they entered the home, while others have progressed dramatically since admission. Family and professionals who attended a statutory review

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: outstanding

held during the inspection were unanimous in their appreciation of the advances made by the young person concerned. This is exemplified by progress in personal care: one professional commented, „Care of her hair is a massive improvement. You couldn‟t get near it before, now it is tangle free and she is doing more herself.‟

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: outstanding

Another worker described how a recently admitted young person had been regarded as too dangerous to spend time away from his previous placement, but he can now be taken out into the community safely.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: outstanding

The manager and staff are thorough in their preparations to help young people to move into, or on from, the home. This applies to the gathering of information and collaboration with other agencies, and assisting young people and their families to take these important steps. Their efforts are universally praised, and comments regarding admission included, „I was impressed that they would not take the young person until everything was in place‟ and „They did a lot of preparation for him, decorating his room with characters he likes‟. After a young person moved from this home to another, the manager of the new home said that the help provided by staff meant that they could „Manage his behaviour from the start. It is as though he has been with us for months.‟

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: outstanding

Comprehensive impact risk assessments include how existing residents should be prepared when young people move into the home, and their views. This maximises the potential for successful transitions and minimises concerns.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: outstanding

Staff help young people to share their views about a wide variety of matters in the running of the home, and they are encouraged to make their own choices, for example finding out what flavour of drink they would like and seeking young people‟s consent for new staff to observe the support provided by experienced staff in showering. Staff respect these decisions and facilitate requests whenever possible.

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How well children and young people are helped and protected:

The manager and staff build safe and supportive relationships with young people. This begins with a rigorous selection process that ensures that only suitable people come to work at the home, and continues with comprehensive ongoing professional development. One staff member commented on her induction, saying, „I have never been somewhere that has been so good; I came away thinking, “I can do this” and felt confident. I was not once left on my own and I always thought I was safe and secure.‟

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How well children and young people are helped and protected:

Excellent recruitment, training and support for staff benefit young people, as the home has an enviable staff retention record that provides consistency of relationships and care. In addition, staff are clear about their responsibilities, as demonstrated in discussions with the inspector regarding professional relationships and potential safeguarding concerns. Lastly, a model of care is established. Through this, leaders and managers ensure that staff feel protected and supported, allowing them to provide the Inspection report children‟s home: SC486479 5 same to young people.

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How well children and young people are helped and protected:

The positive impact of the approach includes a significant reduction in physical interventions for young people soon after their admission. One young person has made considerable progress with her weight loss since staff have worked with her on eating healthily and portion size.

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How well children and young people are helped and protected:

The home employs a policy of avoiding sanctions, as most young people would not be able to connect the measure with the unwanted behaviour. Staff use „timeout‟ as a management tool, and it is successful in both de-escalating situations and giving young people the opportunity to consider their behaviour. Frequently, young people will make a meaningful apology afterwards. However, occasionally staff have used „timeout‟ as a punishment yet have not recorded it as a sanction.

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How well children and young people are helped and protected:

Since the last inspection, an incident has occurred in which a young person hurt a child in the community, causing considerable distress. This was unexpected, given how settled the young person had been, although she had previously reacted badly when distressed by noise. Practice has since changed to prevent the likelihood of a similar incident occurring. However, the risk assessment does not fully reflect the measures that staff are taking, and this means that some staff may not be fully aware of all the steps that they should take. All other assessments relating to young people that were seen by inspectors were comprehensive.

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How well children and young people are helped and protected:

Leaders and managers have responded proportionately to concerns, including an unsubstantiated allegation against a member of staff. They have given appropriate consideration to the likelihood of the young person making further statements, due to his inability to process experiences. However, the manager is yet to agree a protocol with the placing authority and designated officer of the local authority about how these should be dealt with if they arise in the future.

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How well children and young people are helped and protected:

The manager has approached both the Local Safeguarding Children Board and the equivalent adult board, as some young people have now reached adulthood, to establish working relationships. Local knowledge of crime hotspots and other intelligence is obtained through regular updates from the local constabulary.

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How well children and young people are helped and protected:

Levels of supervision of young people are high, and this means that incidents of young people going missing are rare and that the likelihood of young people being sexually exploited are low. Staff are aware of the steps that they should take in such an eventuality. Staff also endeavour to help young people to keep themselves safe by ensuring that they know how to respond to fire alarms and how to complain. The manager and staff interpret young people‟s behaviour with skill, and this enables them to respond appropriately. Key workers represent the voice of young people clearly in their records of one-to-one sessions. These records detail the means of communication used (such as social stories), what young people‟s views are, and the actions and outcomes from the session.

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How well children and young people are helped and protected:

The manager and staff have undertaken exemplary work to re-establish or maintain young people‟s relationships with those who are important to them. They facilitate time with family and friends, supervising this when required. They work well with parents to Inspection report children‟s home: SC486479 6 make these times successful experiences that young people look forward to.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: outstanding

Leaders and managers have successfully addressed the requirements and recommendations made at the last inspection, and there is an enthusiasm for continually improving the service offered to young people. The manager demonstrates this in how she speaks of what she and her team want to achieve. For example, she plans to improve young people‟s communication skills and to enhance the facilities in the garden.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: outstanding

The manager has produced a written reflection following the unsubstantiated allegation, highlighting the lessons learned and actions to take in order to reduce the likelihood and potential impact of any repeat. This safeguards staff and the young person.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: outstanding

Placement plans are generally comprehensive and, along with behaviour management plans, give very clear direction for the work. Particular clarity about how staff should help children and young people in different states of anxiety is evident. Such strategies have led to their periods of distress becoming shorter than they might otherwise be, and young people are supported to engage in constructive activities instead. Some are now able to take toys or materials out and occupy themselves, which is significant progress.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: outstanding

Key documents about young people are routinely shared with others, including social workers and parents. Most sign to say that they have read and agree with the contents. Plans relating to young people who do not verbalise are less likely to include explicit statements about how staff have sought and incorporated their views, although this is evident in other records, such as key-worker sessions. Similarly, the manager and staff have not considered how behaviour that demonstrates that a young person is unhappy might be responded to and recorded as a complaint.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: outstanding

The manager and staff engage well with young people‟s wider networks, for example sharing information promptly and making valuable contributions to statutory reviews. Professionals appreciate the reports that staff write, such as weekly summaries, reports for reviews and records of supervised time spent with family and friends. One professional described these records as „balanced‟. Staff ensure that they obtain information and documentation from other agencies as required, and are prepared to challenge when it is not forthcoming.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: outstanding

Staff are aware of the legal status of young people and the implications of this on the authority delegated to them.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: outstanding

Professionals commented on the high level of collaboration with them by staff. One said „They helped me to build up a relationship with my young person‟ and another said that staff had been able to explain the reasons for using „deep pressure‟ to help a young person to become calm. This increases the confidence and understanding that fellow professionals have in the expertise of staff, and helps to achieve the best for young people.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: outstanding

This collaboration extends to family members, who appreciate being able to discuss the care of their children with staff and to call on them for assistance for potentially difficult Inspection report children‟s home: SC486479 7 situations, such as social events and appointments.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: outstanding

Case files are generally in very good order, with evidence of regular auditing and updating of information. Signing sheets for staff demonstrate that they have read and understood key documents.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: outstanding

All staff spoken to feel well supported by their colleagues and manager. Supervision allows staff to reflect on practice, as well as addressing their professional development, the emotional impact of the work and being part of a team. Staff regard their manager as being readily available, supportive and a very able leader of the team. She is seen as a strong role model, ready to undertake shifts and „get her hands dirty‟ when necessary, as well as setting the highest standards for the work of the home.

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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 whom 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: SC486479 8

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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(s)

Chris Peel, social care inspector Inspection report children‟s home: SC486479 9 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 looked after children, safeguarding and child protection.

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Inspector(s)

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Inspector(s)

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Inspector(s)

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