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

Inspection report children’s home: 1236387 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

The home is owned and run by a national private provider. The home is registered to provide care and accommodation for up to four children and young people who have learning disabilities and/or emotional behavioural difficulties. The home shares a site with another registered children’s home. It also shares the site with two schools, also owned and run by the organisation, which children and young people attend.

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Information about this children’s home

Inspection dates: 22 to 23 November 2017

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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 requires improvement to be 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: 30 January 2017

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good

Overall judgement at last inspection: Good

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good

Enforcement action since last inspection: None

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Key findings from this inspection

 There is clear evidence of meaningful progress made by young people. Young people’s self-confidence and self-esteem increase as a result of staff support. Inspection report children’s home: 1236387 2  The organisation provides an extensive therapy service for the young people. There is a strong commitment to meeting young people’s health needs.  The registered manager and staff have good relationships with the young people who enjoy staying at the home.  Staff have instigated good reparation work between young people, which has reduced bullying and developed positive relationships between peers.  A proactive approach is taken to young people moving in and out of the home. Young people are well prepared for moves and consideration is given to the impact that new arrivals may have on other young people.

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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

 Safeguarding issues have not been reported promptly enough.  All staff have yet to attain the necessary level 3 qualification or an equivalent.  Records are not consistent enough.  Staff do not have evidence to demonstrate how attempts to engage one young person in education have been made.  Supervision is not in line with the organisation’s policy.

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Inspection date Inspection type Inspection judgement

30/01/2017 Full Good Inspection report children’s home: 1236387 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 order to meet the leadership and management standard, the registered person must 13(2)(h) use monitoring and review systems to make continuous improvements in the quality of care provided in the home, particularly in relation to consistency of recording. 12/01/2018

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Requirement Due date

An individual who works in the home in a care role must have attained the level 3 diploma for residential childcare (England) (or a qualification which the registered person considers to be equivalent to it) two years after the date on which the individual started working in the home. (Regulation 32(4)(a)) 30/03/2018

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Requirement Due date

The registered person must prepare and implement a policy, which provides for the prompt referral of an allegation about ongoing abuse or neglect in relation to a child to the placing authority and, if different, the local authority in whose area the home is located. (Regulation 34(2)(b)) In particular, ensure that the designated officer and local authority are informed of any allegations against staff. 12/01/2018

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Requirement Due date

* These requirements are subject to a compliance notice.

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Recommendations

 A record of supervision should be kept for all 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 13.3)  Staff in a children’s home should play a key role in supporting children in line with their personal education plan or EHC plan and recommendations from education and health professionals. (‘Guide to the children’s homes regulations including the quality standards’, page 26, paragraph 5.3) In particular, staff should ensure plans are in place to engage young people in education and ensure staff evidence that it is being followed. Inspection report children’s home: 1236387 4

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

There are four young people currently living in the home. One young person has moved in since the last inspection. Staff ensure that young people personalise their bedrooms prior to moving in. Staff provide a children’s guide, which includes photographs of staff members to ensure that young people are familiar with them, the environment, the rules and expectations. The registered manager ensures that young people are matched with those who already live here. Information from parents and the placing local authority inform placement plans.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

The young people who live in the home achieve a sense of security and stability. They see each other as ‘sisters’ and speak fondly of each other. Staff model positive relationships and demonstrate that they care about the young people. A parent said, ‘I feel they really love my child.’ This creates a warm, calm atmosphere. The home feels like a family environment, with photographs of the young people and personalised ornaments on display. Young people are able to care for pets, which creates a sense of commitment and belonging in the home and teaches young people to take responsibility. Development plans include alterations to the home to provide a confidential office for the registered manager. The views and experiences of the young people are valued. Young people contribute to decisions about how the home is run; however, it is not always clear how staff respond to issues raised during house meetings. A ‘grumble box’ is effective as a way for young

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

people to express their views anonymously. All the young people know how to complain. They rarely need to do this; however, when they do, the matter is resolved by the registered manager. The registered manager actively promotes young people’s access to the support of independent advocates. This further demonstrates a commitment to ensuring that young people’s voices are heard. As a result of the personalised care that they receive, young people have made good progress in their development, self-esteem and achievements. Staff support one young person to manage her feelings, and she is now able to regulate her emotions better. Another young person is working towards her plans for the future. Another young person has become more outgoing and sociable since being at the home. Young people are able to express their individuality and explore their sense of self within a supportive environment. One young person attends the local youth club, where she

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

mixes with young people who have similar interests. Staff are enthusiastic and accepting of young people’s differences. They support a young person to understand more about her disability. Two of the young people are attending full-time education. One young person has made significant academic and social progress; she is an active member of the school council. Another young person is aiming to gain paid employment and is studying practical courses towards this goal. Staff are struggling to ensure that another young person accesses education regularly. Staff actively encourage her to participate. However, this is Inspection report children’s home: 1236387 5 currently not effective enough. An education plan has been reviewed and the registered manager will ensure that staff record their attempts to engage this young person in academic work. Young people’s emotional well-being is a priority. Staff have strong links with specialist

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

mental health services. Staff responded swiftly to a crisis where emergency care was needed. They work effectively with the multi-disciplinary team, including speech therapists and occupational therapists. As a result, young people make improvements in their communication and social skills. Staff encourage young people to work towards independence, complete pathway plans and learn new skills. One young person does her own planning of menus, shopping and cooking. Staff encourage young people by setting measurable targets and monitoring these during key-work sessions. One young person moved into the sister home next door at her own request, in order to increase her independence. Effective co-working resulted in staff from both homes working together to share information and plan meticulously to ensure that the young person was familiar with staff, peers and the setting before she moved in. As a result,

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

Individualised risk assessments identify young people who are vulnerable to child exploitation and/or gang culture and prescribe any preventative steps and actions necessary to reduce these risks. One young person’s risk of sexual exploitation has decreased from high to low because of the positive relationships with staff and the level of supervision and support offered. Staff educate young people about risks and reinforce these in one-to-one sessions and informal discussions. Staff celebrate young people’s achievements and reward good behaviour. They recognise bullying as such and ensure that those involved are able to report concerns. Relationships between the young people are improved by the use of reparation. If a situation continues, staff use a more formal approach to reinforce the seriousness of their actions. Physical restraints are well documented, with details about the triggers that led to the

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

behaviour and staff’s attempts to prevent the behaviour escalating. Holds are used only to calm the young person and protect them and others from harm. The registered manager evaluates all incidents and young people’s views are sought after each incident. The use of sanctions is also recorded, evaluated and analysed. The registered manager monitors their use and ensures that they are proportionate. Young people are trusted to use social media safely by staff who are skilled in identifying and responding to any risk taking. Staff support young people during key-work sessions to take responsibility for their own safety in preparation for when they live independently. Staff identify when a young person is ready to manage their own free time. The registered manager liaises with parents and professionals to agree safety measures. Risk Inspection report children’s home: 1236387 6 assessments inform staff of potential risks and the preventative measures needed.

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

The manager is experienced and qualified for the role. There have been some staffing and recruitment issues in the home. New staff have been inducted, including senior staff, during a challenging period in the home. Monitoring systems were not effective during this time. Some risk assessments and other records, such as missing from home information, are contradictory. On one occasion, there was a delay in informing the designated officer and local authority about concerns raised about the conduct of a staff member. A member of staff also failed to report her concerns in line with the home’s safeguarding policy. This meant that the external agency was not able to make a timely decision about how the matter was to be investigated. The registered manager recognised this shortfall and addressed this as part of the internal investigation. Swift referrals and consultations with the designated officer have been undertaken by

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

managers when safeguarding allegations have been reported. Managers inform Ofsted of all allegations and keep them updated regarding any actions taken. Risk assessments that determine if staff can safely work at the sister home during investigations are thorough and detailed, with safety measures in place to protect young people and staff. Inductions are good; staff are well prepared for working in the home. They have protected time to read care plans and policies. They shadow staff that are more experienced before they work directly with young people. This means that they are confident to work with the young people who are, by this point, familiar with them. However, one member of staff does not have the level 3 diploma in residential childcare. The manager recognises the importance of sharing knowledge during supervisions, staff handovers, debriefs and team meetings. However, staff have not had supervisions

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

regularly in line with the organisation’s supervision policy. Team meetings did not occur during a challenging period; this was a missed opportunity for staff to evaluate and reflect on the situation. In general, positive relationships exist between parents and professionals. Parents spoken to are very complimentary about the service and the support given to themselves and their children. One parent said, ‘I feel it’s a partnership, especially since the registered manager has taken over.’ A social worker reported that, ‘They manage the young person well and are positive. I am happy she’s there.’ However, she raised concerns in relation to the staff’s communication about changes to a care plan and about the young person’s disengagement with education. The registered manager provides written reports to ensure that the local authority is informed about any changes; however, direct contact may enhance communication and improve partnership working.

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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 Inspection report children’s home: 1236387 7 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: 1236387 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 Education Services Limited, 80 Hammersmith Road, London W14 8UD

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Children’s home details

Responsible individual: Christopher Wells

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Inspector

Suzy Lemmy, social care inspector Inspection report children’s home: 1236387 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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