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

Inspection report children’s home: SC401685 1 SC401685 Registered provider: Priory Education Services Limited 06244880 Full inspection Inspected under the social care common inspection framework

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Information about this children’s home

This home is part of a residential special school and owned by a large private care organisation. The service is registered to accommodate 23 young people who have learning disabilities. The home offers planned long-term placements and short-break stays. The school is registered with the Department for Education.

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Overall experiences and progress of

children and young people, taking into account

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good

How well children and young people are helped and protected good

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good

The effectiveness of leaders and managers good

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good

The children’s home provides effective services that meet the requirements for good.

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good

Date of last inspection: 28 February 2017

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good

Overall judgement at last inspection: improved effectiveness

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Enforcement action since last inspection:

None. Inspection report children’s home: SC401685 2

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Key findings from this inspection

 Young people make excellent progress as a result of living at this home.  Staff help to improve young people’s educational achievements.  Staff support young people to have a voice, so that their wishes and feelings can be heard.  Young people enjoy a wide range of activities.  Family members are welcomed into the home.  Staff recognise that young people are vulnerable and that they require high levels of supervision to stay safe.  Behaviour management plans offer staff clear guidance on how to manage each young person’s behaviour.  Partnership working is strong.  Staff are safely recruited.  The manager and deputy manager are passionate and committed to providing high-quality care to young people.  All staff have either obtained their level 3 diploma in residential childcare or are working towards the award.  Staff receive regular supervision.

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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

 Young people’s care plans do not reflect their individual care.  Staff apply the practice of locking young people’s wardrobe doors without the agreement of their families or social workers.  Managers miss opportunities to learn from incidents.  The statement of purpose has not been updated and sent to Ofsted in accordance with regulatory requirement.

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Inspection date Inspection type Inspection judgement

28/02/2017 Interim Improved effectiveness 27/07/2016 Full Good 22/03/2016 Interim Improved effectiveness 27/10/2015 Full Good Inspection report children’s home: SC401685 3

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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 leadership and management standard is that the registered person enables, inspires and leads a culture in relation to the children’s home that helps children aspire to fulfil their potential; and promotes their welfare. In particular, the standard in paragraph (1) requires the registered person to use monitoring and review systems to make continuous improvements in the quality of care provided in the home. (Regulation 13(1)(a)(b), (2)(h)) 22/12/2017

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Requirement Due date

The registered person must keep the statement of purpose under review and, where appropriate, revise it; and notify HMCI of any revisions and send HMCI a copy of the revised statement within 28 days of the revision. (Regulation 16(3)(a)(b)) 22/12/2017

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Requirement Due date

The registered person must ensure that any limitation placed on a child’s privacy or access to any area of the home’s premises is intended to safeguard each child accommodated in the home, is necessary and proportionate, is kept under review, and, if necessary, revised and allows children as much freedom as possible when balanced against the need to protect them and keep them safe. (Regulation 21(c)(i)(ii)(iii)(iv)) 22/12/2017

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Requirement Due date

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)(b)(c)) 22/12/2017

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Young people make excellent progress as a result of living at the home. A key strength is the staff team’s ability to quickly form nurturing and caring relationships with young people. Staff practice is warm, and young people flourish because of these positive attachments. One parent told the inspector how they had seen positive progress in their son: Inspection report children’s home: SC401685 4 ‘The staff have really helped (my son) come a long way and I believe (my son) has learned a new set of skills while being at the home. The staff always keep us up to date on (my son’s) well-being. We are extremely thankful for the patience of staff from the early stages and giving (my son) that time to settle and get comfortable with new faces, as we all understand that is one of his challenges. The professional engagement of staff has been amazing; as a family we feel that (our son) is at home and comfortable with the staff. One thing we really love is

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

the relationship between the staff and (our son). This has put a smile on our faces.’

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Staff are very positive in their approach to education. Staff transport young people to school each day. Good handovers take place between care staff and teaching staff so that young people continue to experience consistent care.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Young people all have access to the support of advocates. Staff are aware of each young person’s preferred method of communication. There is a ‘special events children’s panel’ that enables young people to bring forward their ideas for activities. This has resulted in activities being organised, such as a Halloween party and everyone going pumpkin picking. This has helped to ensure that young people have a voice, and that their wishes and feelings are acted upon.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

The young people enjoy a wide range of tailor-made activities. For example, they enjoy the resources at the home such as the purpose-built mud kitchen and the sensory room. Young people also enjoy a range of weekly activities away from the home, including swimming and trampolining. A parent described some of the outings that her son has been on. She told the inspector:

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

‘(Our son) had some wonderful days out to London and Birmingham where he was able to experience travelling on the train and the tube. He went to a restaurant, to the theatre and he went sightseeing. The staff took him to see The Snowman, The Lion King, Matilda and Charlie and Chocolate Factory.’

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Staff make sure that young people’s experiences are full of fun. As a result, the young people have the opportunity to create positive memories.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Young people’s moves to and from the home are well planned. Any move is set at a pace that meets the young person’s individual needs.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Young people are enabled to build on their independence skills. For example, one young person is now able to make a cup of tea . These opportunities enable young people to take on appropriate levels of responsibility and develop essential life skills.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

To enable young people to stay in contact with loved ones, staff use various methods of communication such as Skype and telephone calls. Staff have supported two young people to attend family weddings. This ensures that young people continue to build relationships and attachments with those who are significant to them. Inspection report children’s home: SC401685 5 The home provides a warm and nurturing environment. Young people have personalised their bedrooms. The home is maintained to a good standard, with the exception of some missing ceiling tiles in some of the bathrooms and the sensory room. These were fixed during the inspection.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Although staff practice is individualised to each young person, the details of these arrangements are not always covered in individual care plans. For example, one young person’s plan has not been updated to capture how he takes his medication or to state how his cultural needs will be met.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

One young person does not have free access to his clothes, due to staff locking his wardrobe. This practice is contrary to his written plan. As a result, new staff are not fully informed of how best to meet the young person’s needs.

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How well children and young people are helped and protected: good

Young people do not go missing. Staff recognise that the young people are extremely vulnerable and require high levels of supervision to stay safe. Staff are alert to the potential risks of exploitation. They receive awareness training around the risks of sexualised behaviours and child sexual exploitation. This training enhances the staff team’s knowledge of the practice required to keep young people safe.

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How well children and young people are helped and protected: good

Behaviour management plans give staff clear guidance on how to manage each young person’s behaviours. Staff focus their practice on diversion, and see restraint as a last resort.

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How well children and young people are helped and protected: good

Partnership working is strong. The manager ensures that information is shared with the appropriate professionals to help to ensure everyone’s safety. A local designated officer told the inspector, ‘I find (the manager) to be someone who rings and takes advice in a highly appropriate manner.’

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How well children and young people are helped and protected: good

Staff are safely recruited. This helps to ensure that anyone employed is safe to work with young people.

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How well children and young people are helped and protected: good

The manager ensures that the home is safe. For example, she makes sure that regular checks are carried out for electrical, gas and fire safety. Fire drills take place and help young people to have the knowledge of how to respond in an emergency. Staff have a good knowledge of fire safety.

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How well children and young people are helped and protected: good

Risks are well identified and managed. However, one incident was not sufficiently analysed by the manager. The manager had not considered all staff members’ actions or whereabouts during an incident. This means that there was a missed opportunity to ensure that all risks were fully understood and that lessons were learned from the incident. Inspection report children’s home: SC401685 6

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

The registered manager holds a national vocational qualification level 4 in care and management, and has managed the home since January 2016. There is a deputy manager in post who has worked at the home for many years. The registered manager is due to go on maternity leave. The deputy manager has submitted her application to Ofsted to become the registered manager to cover this absence.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

All staff have obtained their level 3 in residential childcare or are working towards this within the appropriate timescales. Although there are three staff vacancies, current staff are working overtime. Two agency staff are used regularly to ensure that young people are experiencing consistency and continuity of care. The manager has worked hard to retain staff and has put in place staff awards to help them to feel valued.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

Staff receive regular supervision, and the records of these meetings are detailed. They show how staff are helped to achieve their personal best. Staff are involved in the development of the home. They work together to ensure that young people have the best possible experience of living at this home.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

The manager and deputy manager are passionate in their aim to provide high-quality care to young people. Managers show that they have a vison for improvement. They have improved practice by developing research-based practice in their work and by developing ‘Lego’ therapy at the home.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

The management team ensures that young people continue to make progress across all areas of their development. Social workers recognise that this progress is down to the managers and staff at the home. A social worker told the inspector:

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

‘I have observed staff work with (the young person) and, through their dedication, commitment, patience and hard work (his) overall progress has gone beyond expectation. He is achieving well above the outcomes in his care plan. I have observed that (he) interacts and engages well with staff and all those working with him. This has helped (him) transition into a young man who has become calm and independent in achieving some of his life skills. I can only commend this placement as, without them, (he) would never have settled and would have continued to deteriorate, which would be a disaster for his mental and physical well-being.’

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

The registered manager escalates concerns about young people. She will challenge any professional if she feels that a young person in her care is not receiving the best possible service.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

The staff understand the statement of purpose and the ethos of the home, which they apply to practice. However, the statement of purpose has not been updated and sent to Ofsted as per the regulatory requirement. Inspection report children’s home: SC401685 7

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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: SC401685 8

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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 06244880

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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 Lisa Walsh, social care inspector Inspection report children’s home: SC401685 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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Inspectors

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Inspectors

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Inspectors

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