Children's home run by Priory Education Services Limited

Inspection report children’s home: 1245981 1 Registered provider: Priory Education Services Limited 06244880 Interim inspection Inspected under the social care common inspection framework

p.1

Information about this children’s home

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

p.1

and young people since the most recent full inspection

This home was judged good at the last full inspection. At the interim inspection, Ofsted judges that it has sustained effectiveness.

p.1

and young people since the most recent full inspection

The statutory requirement from the last inspection in May 2017 is met. A training workshop has helped children and young people to develop their awareness of the risks of radicalisation. The manager demonstrated good partnership working with the training agency by ensuring that sessions were adapted to cover the wide age-range of children and young people living at the home. This work reinforces the previous effective safeguarding action taken in response to the potential radicalisation of children and young people at the home.

p.1

and young people since the most recent full inspection

The admissions process has been improved with the introduction of a critical information sheet, which captures essential information as soon as a child or young person arrives at the home. This means that staff are aware of important routines that need to be put in place. For example, medical protocols can be drawn up and immediately implemented on Inspection report children’s home: 1245981 2 a child’s or young person’s arrival at the home.

p.1

and young people since the most recent full inspection

The critical information sheet has been further developed with a ‘Critical Risks and Staff Response’ handover sheet. Staff practice is consistently delivered as changes to children’s and young people’s risk management plans are routinely recorded and shared in daily handover meetings.

p.2

and young people since the most recent full inspection

Efforts to improve recording are ongoing. The manager delivered in-house training in a recent staff meeting and the head of care is currently planning workshops on child- centred recording. However, some records do not reflect the voice of the child or fully reflect the help and support that is in place. The two recommendations about improving recording from the last inspection are repeated.

p.2

and young people since the most recent full inspection

Children and young people continue to make progress across all aspects of their lives. Good education outcomes continue to be an integral part of children’s and young people’s experiences. The majority of children and young people now engage in full-time education. They achieve well and value their weekly rewards for positive behaviour and improved school attendance.

p.2

and young people since the most recent full inspection

The manager and staff work tirelessly to find children and young people the most appropriate education placements. Partnership working is strong and the manager is able to challenge when agencies do not promote the best interests of children and young people. However, despite the manager’s best efforts, one child who has already missed significant parts of his education is now permanently excluded. Partnership working and continued challenge of the local authority education services are now essential in order to find this child a suitable education placement.

p.2

and young people since the most recent full inspection

Effective transition planning brings stability to children’s and young people’s lives. Pre- admission visits are an important part of managing children’s and young people’s anxieties. As a result of these visits, children and young people know what to expect when they arrive, have a sense of familiarity with staff and settle quickly into the routines of the home.

p.2

and young people since the most recent full inspection

Children and young people successfully move on to foster families because staff work collaboratively with foster carers and social workers. Plans are set out to cover all aspects of the transition, and include good information sharing between staff, foster carers and teachers. Leaving presents, parties and memory boxes are important parts of children’s and young people’s goodbyes, and also celebrate their experiences and achievements when at the home.

p.2

and young people since the most recent full inspection

The manager and staff take their safeguarding responsibilities very seriously. Risks associated with going missing are clearly identified. Bespoke missing-from-care protocols address each individual child’s and young person’s vulnerability. Protocols set out clear expectations for staff to look for children and young people, and to work closely with the police.

p.2

and young people since the most recent full inspection

Awareness of the risks of child sexual exploitation and radicalisation keeps staff vigilant. The manager promptly refers concerns and uses safeguarding screening tools to Inspection report children’s home: 1245981 3 promote early and meaningful interventions to keep children and young people safe. Concerns about staff practice are promptly referred to safeguarding agencies and disciplinary action is taken accordingly.

p.2

and young people since the most recent full inspection

The manager is suitably qualified to carry on the running of the children’s home, and is due to complete the registered manager’s process in the near future. Leadership is strong and recruitment and induction are well managed. Effective inclusion and induction of new staff into the team ensure that staffing arrangements meet the needs of the children and young people.

p.3

Recommendations

 Record information about the child in a way that will be helpful to the child. (‘Guide to the children’s homes regulations including the quality standards’, page 62, paragraph 14.4)  Support children and their parents to understand the nature of records kept in the home and how to access them. Staff should understand their important role in encouraging the child to reflect on and understand their history, according to their age and understanding. Staff should keep and encourage children to keep appropriate memorabilia of the time spent living at the home and help them record significant life events. (‘Guide to the children’s homes regulations including the quality standards’, page 62, paragraph 14.5)  Where children placed in a home are not participating in education because they have been excluded or are not on a school roll for some other reason, the registered person and staff must work closely with the placing authority so that

p.3

Recommendations

the child is supported and enabled to resume full-time education as soon as possible. In the interim, the child should be supported to sustain or regain their confidence in education and be engaged in suitable structured activities. If no education place is identified by the placing authority, the registered person must challenge them to meet the child’s needs under regulation 5 (engaging with the wider system to ensure children’s needs are met). (‘Guide to the children’s homes regulations including the quality standards’, page 28, paragraph 5.15)

p.3

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 Inspection report children’s home: 1245981 4 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.

p.3

Information about this inspection

This inspection focused on the effectiveness of the home and the progress and experiences of children and young people since the most recent full inspection.

p.4

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’.

p.4

Children’s home details

Registered provider: Priory Education Services Limited 06244880

p.4

Children’s home details

Registered provider address: Priory Group, 80 Hammersmith Road, London W14 8UD

p.4

Inspector

Elaine Cray, social care inspector Inspection report children’s home: 1245981 5 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.

p.4

Inspector

If you would like a copy of this document in a different format, such as large print or Braille, please telephone 0300 123 1231, or email enquiries@ofsted.gov.uk . You may reuse this information (not including logos) free of charge in any format or medium, under the terms of the Open Government Licence. To view this licence, visit http://www.nationalarchives.gov.uk/doc/open-government-licence , write to the Information Policy Team, The National Archives, Kew, London TW9 4DU, or email: psi@nationalarchives.gsi.gov.uk .

p.5

Inspector

Interested in our work? You can subscribe to our monthly newsletter for more information and updates: http://eepurl.com/iTrDn .

p.5

Inspector

T: 0300 123 1231 Textphone: 0161 618 8524 E: enquiries@ofsted.gov.uk W: http://www.gov.uk/ofsted

p.5