Children's home run by Priory Education Services Limited

Inspection report children’s home: 1245984 1 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

This home is part of a private organisation and is registered to accommodate up to five young people who have emotional and/or behavioural difficulties.

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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 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

Overall judgement at last inspection: Inadequate

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Enforcement action since last inspection:

Following the last full inspection on 7 July 2017, Ofsted suspended the home’s registration due to significant concerns about the safety and welfare of young people. This notice was lifted after a monitoring visit on 15 August 2017. Inspection report children’s home: 1245984 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

 Collaborative work between the provider and the placing authority is poor.  The management team does not challenge poor practice by the placing authority.  Young people are admitted to the home without the required placement plans and essential information.  Young people do not have detailed healthcare plans.  Information sharing between staff is poor.

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Key findings from this inspection

 Staff training in some areas has dramatically improved. It is extensive, meaningful and informs staff practice.  The physical environment is much improved and offers a homely and comfortable residence for young people.

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Inspection date Inspection type Inspection judgement

07/07/2017 Full Inadequate Inspection report children’s home: 1245984 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

In meeting the quality standards, the registered person must, and must ensure that staff— seek to involve each child’s placing authority effectively in the child’s care, in accordance with the child’s relevant plans; if the registered person considers, or staff consider, a placing authority’s or a relevant person’s performance or response to be inadequate in relation to their role, challenge the placing authority or the relevant person to seek to ensure that each child’s needs are met in accordance with the child’s relevant plans; seek to develop and maintain effective professional relationships with such persons, bodies or organisations as the registered person considers appropriate having regard to the range of needs of children for whom it is intended that the children’s home is to provide care and accommodation. (Regulation 5(a)(c)(d)) 30/12/2017

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Requirement Due date

The health and well-being standard is that the health and well- being needs of children are met and children receive advice, services and support in relation to their health and well-being. In particular, the standard in paragraph (1) requires the registered person to ensure that staff help each child to— achieve the health and well-being outcomes that are recorded in the child’s relevant plans; understand the child’s health and well-being needs and the options that are available in relation to the child’s health and well-being, in a way that is appropriate to the child’s age and understanding; take part in activities, and attend any appointments, for the purpose of meeting the child’s health and well-being needs. (Regulation 10(1) and (2)(a)(i)(ii)(iii)) 30/12/2017

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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 30/12/2017 Inspection report children’s home: 1245984 4 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— lead and manage the home in a way that is consistent with the approach and ethos, and delivers the outcomes, set out in the home’s statement of purpose; ensure that staff work as a team where appropriate. (Regulation 13(1)(a)(b) and (2)(a)(b)) The care planning standard is that children receive effectively planned care in or through the children’s home and have a positive experience of arriving at or moving on from the home. (Regulation 14(1)(a)(b)) 30/12/2017

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improvement to be good

Young people do not experience a smooth transition into the home due to a lack of information from their placing authority and delays in post-placement meetings. One young person’s family contact arrangements were not clear on admission and this caused upset and uncertainty for the young person. A lack of information about a young person’s health and medication means that staff are unaware of the nature of the young person’s medical conditions. Staff have not made any appointments to resolve this. Managers and staff do not adequately challenge placing authorities about these shortfalls. Another young person was admitted to the home and discharged within a matter of days. Again, this took place with little pre-placement information. This young person left with little preparation for leaving the home due to poor communication from and with the young person’s placing authority. The young person currently living at the home feels more stable due to the perseverance

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improvement to be good

of staff in seeking out information from his previous placement and placing authority. He has received good information about the running of the home. Child-centred key- working sessions provide time for the young person to understand the boundaries and routines in place. Staff support his emotional, social, educational and behavioural needs. Despite only arriving a few weeks ago, the young person has formed positive relationships with staff. Clear boundaries and expectations have resulted in improved school attendance and a greater sense of achievement for the young person. Staff’s keenness to provide a range of varied and well-planned activities is much appreciated by the young person. He is able to further develop his interest in music as staff support him to attend music workshops several times a week. He enjoys trips to the Inspection report children’s home: 1245984 5 cinema and plays a range of card and board games with staff.

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improvement to be good

Contact arrangements are now clear. The young person clearly benefits as staff help arrange visits and communicate well with the young person’s family. The young person receives good support to develop his independence skills. He enjoys cooking and is gradually managing his free time with friends as he takes on more responsibility as part of a planned move to living independently. Staff have worked tirelessly to improve the home and have decorated throughout. New furniture, soft furnishings, pictures and ornaments provide a homely and well-maintained environment. Each young person’s bedroom has an individualised colour theme, which can be added to as young people are admitted to the home and personalise their own private space. Special touches such as a basket of toiletries and a teddy bear demonstrate the welcoming and nurturing approach that staff want to offer young people.

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

Young people’s safety and care is set out and met via a comprehensive care and risk management framework. Improved risk assessment processes now give staff clear guidance to identify and manage the needs of young people. Recent safeguarding and behaviour management training gives staff an informed backdrop with which to assess the risks presented by young people. Behaviour management training has given staff clear insight into the need for clear and consistent boundaries and well-written guidance for staff to manage the individual risks and behaviours of young people at the home. The current young person’s risk and behaviour management plans are child centred. Key-working sessions show how staff are more able to reinforce and engage young people in developing their own behaviour management plans. For example, key workers discuss the reasons for morning routines, education attendance and how staff support is

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

in the young person’s best interests. Behaviour plans are rooted in praise and reward. The young person responds well to his incentive chart as positive behaviours are reinforced. Safeguarding procedures are clear. Staff knowledge has improved particularly in the areas of missing and exploitation. They are clear about how to respond if a young person did go missing. The management team has good insight into its safeguarding responsibilities should concerns arise. Staff training sets staff in good stead should concerns about radicalisation occur. Staff training in bullying and information in the young people’s guide provide a backdrop and a clear message that bullying will not be tolerated in the home.

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

The home has not had a registered manager since August 2017. A new manager is in place and his application to register with Ofsted is being processed. Inspection report children’s home: 1245984 6 Poor practice by social workers in the placing authority is not adequately challenged. While the management team has repeatedly asked for essential information when young people are placed at the home, these placements have continued for several days without the required plans. Staff have safeguarded young people with close staff supervision at all times, including transport to and from education, escorted activities and initially restricting family contact. These measures were only in place due to lack of information in the early stages of young people’s placements and were not necessarily relevant to the young person’s circumstances. The manager has failed to challenge the placing authority and set clear expectations for future placements at the home. The

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

manager and staff have also failed to embrace opportunities for partnership working with agencies such as the local police, the children in care nurse and drug support workers. Poor communication within the staff team compromises the consistency of care provided to young people. For example, the inspector observed that clear expectations for the daily handover meeting were not followed during this inspection. The identified shift leader was not present for the handover of essential information. This shortfall did not directly impact on the young person, but is of concern should more young people move into the home. The above shortfalls compromise the manager’s and staff’s ability to meet the aims and objectives outlined in the home’s statement of purpose. Staffing levels meet the needs of the current young person and provide adequate staffing for when more young people are admitted. All staff are suitably qualified. Staff

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

fully appreciate the extensive range of training that they have received while the home’s registration has been suspended. Clear and concise protocols provide staff with easy access and practical information about the operation of the home. Staff are more confident and informed in their roles. The manager and staff team work hard to address and continuously develop the significant shortfalls identified at the home’s last inspection. The management team has a clear understanding of its monitoring responsibilities, including responding to independent monitoring reports, which are regularly received by Ofsted.

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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 differences 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 Inspection report children’s home: 1245984 7 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: 1245984 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: 5th Floor, 80 Hammersmith Road, London W14 8UD

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Inspector

Elaine Cray, social care inspector Inspection report children’s home: 1245984 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 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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