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

Inspection report children's home: SC481209 1 SC481209 Registered provider: Priory Education Services Limited Interim inspection Inspected under the social care common inspection framework

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Information about this children’s home

The home accommodates up to seven young people who have emotional and behavioural difficulties. It is run by a private company. The home‟s statement of purpose indicates that the age range will be between 11 and 18 years.

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Information about this children’s home

Enforcement action since last inspection: none

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This inspection

The effectiveness of the home and the progress and experiences of children and young people since the most recent full inspection

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This inspection

This home was judged good at the last full inspection.

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This inspection

At the interim inspection, Ofsted judges that it has declined in effectiveness.

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This inspection

Since the last inspection, there have been changes in managers. A new manager has started, but has not applied for registration with Ofsted. Only one of five permanent staff currently has the level 3 diploma for residential childcare. This means that not all staff have the necessary skills and experience for the role. There remains a shortfall in care planning. For example, staff have not ensured that they have received from a placing authority a young person‟s health and education plans. As a result, staff do not have a good understanding of the young person‟s needs.

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This inspection

The progress and experience of young people are mixed. One young person recently moved into the home. However, the previous manager did not undertake a risk assessment of the impact of his behaviour on the younger person already living at the home. As a result, the current manager and staff feel unable to meet the needs of the Inspection report children's home: SC481209 2 new young person. His behaviour has had a negative effect on the progress and experience of the other young person living at the home. During the inspection, it emerged that the younger young person had been in the older young person‟s bedroom in a sleeping bag. The night staff were not aware of this prior to leaving the home in the morning. This creates a shortfall in how staff oversee the welfare of young people during the night.

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This inspection

There have been no episodes of young people going missing from home since the last inspection. Incidents of physical restraint have been generally low. However, there are some gaps in terms of managers signing and dating reports, and young people‟s debriefings are not always recorded.

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This inspection

Both young people smoke, there is a designated smoking area and staff are clear that this is a non-smoking home. However, staff are not supporting young people to learn about the harmful effects of smoking. For example, young people are not encouraged to access smoking cessation services. Consequently, young people‟s health and well-being are not being promoted.

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This inspection

Since the new young person has moved into the home, there has not been a fire drill to ensure that he understands what to do in an emergency or to consider how he will respond. There has not been a night fire drill for almost six months. As a result, young people could be at risk if they do not understand how to keep themselves safe in an emergency.

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This inspection

Managers have not reviewed the locality risk assessment for over a year. This means that potential hazards to young people have not be properly identified.

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Inspection date Inspection type Inspection judgement

27/04/2017 Full Good 12/09/2016 Full Requires improvement 21/06/2016 Full Inadequate 16/02/2016 Interim Declined in effectiveness

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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. Inspection report children's home: SC481209 3

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Requirement Due date

The health and well-being standard is that children receive advice, services and support in relation to their health and well-being; and children are helped to lead healthy lifestyles. (Regulation 10(1)(b)(c))

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Requirement Due date

This is with specific reference to ensuring that young people are given access to smoking cessation services. 11/05/2018

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Requirement Due date

The registered person must ensure that the home‟s day-to-day care is arranged and delivered so as to keep each child safe and to protect each child effectively from harm. (Regulation 12(2)(b))

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Requirement Due date

This relates to staff making sure that young people sleep in their own bedrooms. 11/05/2018

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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.

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Requirement Due date

In particular, the standard in paragraph (1) requires the registered person to understand the impact that the quality of care provided in the home is having on the progress and experiences of each child and use this understanding to inform the development of the quality of care provided in the home. (Regulation 13(1)(a)(b), (2)(f))

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Requirement Due date

This relates to the manager ensuring that they complete a risk assessment when a new young person is admitted. 11/05/2018

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Requirement Due date

The registered must ensure, by means of fire drills and practices at suitable intervals, that persons working at the home and, so far as reasonably practicable, children are aware of the procedure to be followed in case of fire. (Regulation 25(1)(d)) 11/05/2018

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Requirement Due date

In order to meet the fitness of workers standard, the registered person must ensure for the purposes of paragraph (3)(b), an individual who works in the home in a care role has the appropriate qualification if, by the relevant date, the individual has attained the Level 3 Diploma for Residential Childcare (England) (“the Level 3 Diploma”); or a qualification which the registered person considers to be equivalent to the Level 3 Diploma. (Regulation 34(4)(a)(b)) 11/05/2018

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Requirement Due date

The registered person must ensure that within 48 hours of the use of the measure, the registered person, or a person who is authorised by the registered person to do so (“the authorised person”) has spoken to the user about the measure and has signed the record to confirm it is accurate and within 5 days of the measure. (Regulation 35(3)(b)(i)(ii)(c)) 11/05/2018

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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)) 11/05/2018 Inspection report children's home: SC481209 4

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Recommendations

 When establishing the home, the registered person must ensure that it is suitably located so that children are effectively safeguarded and can access services to meet needs identified in their relevant plans (see regulation 12(2)(c)). Under regulation 46, the registered person should review the appropriateness and suitability of the location and premises of the home at least once a year. The review should include the identification of any risks and opportunities presented by the home‟s location and strategies for managing these. („Guide to the children‟s homes regulations including the quality standards‟, page 64, paragraph 15.1)

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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

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.

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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: SC481209 5

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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

Anna Gravelle, social care inspector Inspection report children's home: SC481209 6 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

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Inspector

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Inspector

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