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

Inspection report children‟s home: SC467155 1 SC467155 Registered provider: Priory Education Services Limited 06244880 Interim inspection Inspected under the social care common inspection framework

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Information about this children’s home

The privately owned home is run by a large provider organisation. It is registered to care for up to four children who have learning disabilities, and focuses on caring for young people who have complex needs that may include autistic spectrum disorder and associated difficulties.

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Information about this children’s home

The home is located on the edge of the provider‟s school campus, which all of the current residents attend.

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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 declined in effectiveness.

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and young people since the most recent full inspection

The home has had a number of changes in leadership over the last year, and has not had a manager registered with Ofsted since April 2017. The current postholder has not completed her application to register within the required 28 days. These delays have resulted in the judgement of „declined in effectiveness‟.

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and young people since the most recent full inspection

During a period in which there was no manager in post, covering arrangements broke down and it is evident that standards at the home declined: there was a lack of leadership for staff, and poor management oversight and monitoring; also, placement planning deteriorated, as did assessments and progress in working towards young people‟s targets. Staffing shortages meant that many different workers were caring for children and young people (although few of them were agency staff). This created Inspection report children‟s home: SC467155 2 significant difficulties with the continuity of care.

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and young people since the most recent full inspection

However, since the appointment of the current manager and her deputy there has been a determined effort to improve both the running of the home and the quality of care for young people. This has included the stabilisation of the staff team and the successful recruitment of new workers. The manager described much of the work undertaken as a „work in progress‟, but she has clear goals and strategies for achieving her aims.

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and young people since the most recent full inspection

One example of the progress made is the establishing of baseline assessments for each of the young people and the identification of targets for staff to work on with them. They have begun implementing these.

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and young people since the most recent full inspection

Another example is the updating of placement plans, risk assessments and behaviour management plans to ensure that they capture the current needs and vulnerabilities of young people and the strategies staff can use to address them. Placement plans have benefited from the addition of a „what you can do to help‟ section; however, these lack any clear contribution from young people. Managers and staff seek the views of parents regarding their children‟s cultural and religious needs and how best to meet these, for example purchasing a children‟s bible for one young person that staff read to him. However, they have not been sufficiently proactive in identifying how they can promote young people‟s cultural identity, whether White British or of dual heritage. Placement plans are weak in this area.

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and young people since the most recent full inspection

Young people‟s experiences of care have been significantly enhanced by strategies for promoting positive behaviour. This includes the introduction of the „star of the week‟ for a young person who has distinguished themselves through a notable achievement or by making particular progress. Rewards have been put in place to encourage good behaviour; for example, gaining sufficient ticks through the week allows young people to participate in a popular trip to a trampoline centre. One young person was able to explain why he was able to go on the day of the inspection, but also what behaviour had resulted in him to having to miss this the week before.

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and young people since the most recent full inspection

As this young person spoke about conduct he knew was antisocial, staff were constantly helping him to reframe this as past behaviour and reminding him of the progress he had made. When he became flustered while communicating and asked staff to explain things for him, the young person was encouraged to continue, which gave him the confidence to carry on. In this way, the young person was able to see himself as able to achieve. Another young person has been helped to communicate more effectively by using symbols, and to understand events through the use of social stories, including after the use of a measure of control.

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and young people since the most recent full inspection

Such developments have reduced levels of frustration experienced by young people, and have contributed to the decreasing number of significant incidents they have been involved in. The growing confidence of the staff group and the level of consistency the staff are providing are also having a beneficial impact. The actual figures for the decrease in incidents were difficult to establish, but the deputy manager has devised a new spreadsheet to track this more clearly over time.

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and young people since the most recent full inspection

The manager has taken a systematic approach to monitoring sanctions and restraints, Inspection report children‟s home: SC467155 3 which has normally been effective. However, some descriptions of behaviours have not been clear enough to establish that measures of control were warranted, and on one occasion the description was entirely missing. This was not identified when the manager reviewed the record. In addition, a recent sanction was not relevant to the conduct described, so was unlikely to help the young person to make the connection between the two.

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and young people since the most recent full inspection

The current format of the home‟s records does not require staff to include the date when they make a record, nor does it require the manager to give the date when a young person or staff member has been spoken to about the incident. It is therefore not possible to establish whether these events occurred within the expected regulatory timescales.

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and young people since the most recent full inspection

Key workers have held sessions more frequently in recent months. The manager has identified that sometimes these are actually activities done with young people rather than sessions that purposefully address important issues, such as those arising from placement plans. She has requested training to develop the key-working role.

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and young people since the most recent full inspection

Managers and staff have a clear understanding of the procedures to follow in the event of concerns about the safety of children, which protects young people. Leaders and managers rigorously examine practice that potentially drops below expected standards in order to ensure that lessons are learned. This includes alarms placed on the staff mobile phone, which remind them when young people‟s medication is due.

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and young people since the most recent full inspection

To protect one young person who had taken to leaving the house via an upstairs fire exit, staff activated the lock on a connecting door on the landing. However, this means that another young person has to ask staff to open it, using a key fob, to get to his room. The possibility of giving him his own fob, to avoid restricting his access while continuing to keep the other young person safe, has not been considered.

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and young people since the most recent full inspection

The manager hopes that staff who have been recruited to permanent posts will be able to commence their employment shortly. She has developed a process for young people to gain information about new people working with them before they arrive, lessening the impact of more changes to the staff team. This exemplifies an understanding of the impact of change on young people and the willingness to address it. Indeed, this desire to improve young people‟s experiences characterises the approach of the whole team.

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Inspection date Inspection type Inspection judgement

05/07/2017 Full Good 15/02/2017 Interim Improved effectiveness 14/06/2016 Full Good 25/01/2016 Interim Sustained effectiveness

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What does the children’s home need to do to improve?

Inspection report children‟s home: SC467155 4

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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 care planning standard the registered person must ensure:

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Requirement Due date

that staff help each child to access and contribute to the records kept by the registered person in relation to the child. (Regulation 14(2)(f)) 13/04/2018

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Requirement Due date

The registered person must ensure that within 24 hours of the use of a measure of control, discipline or restraint in relation to a child in the home, a record is made which includes the name of the child; details of the child‟s behaviour leading to the use of the measure; the date, time and location of the use of the measure; a description of the measure and its duration; details of any methods used or steps taken to avoid the need to use the measure; the effectiveness and any consequences of the use of the measure and a description of any injury to the child or any other person, and any medical treatment administered, as a result of the measure.

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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.

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Requirement Due date

The registered person must ensure that within 5 days of the use of the measure, the registered person or the authorised person adds to the record confirmation that they have spoken to the child about the measure. (Regulation 35(3)(a–c))

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Requirement Due date

In particular, records must contain sufficient information to identify why the user took the measure and to demonstrate these timescales have been adhered to. 30/03/2018 Inspection report children‟s home: SC467155 5

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Recommendations

 Children should be able to access all shared areas of their home unless there are specific reasons why this would not meet a child‟s needs. Any decisions to limit a child‟s access and any modifications to the environment of the home, must only be made where this is intended to safeguard the child‟s welfare. All decisions should be informed by a rigorous assessment of that individual child‟s needs, be properly recorded and be kept under regular review. („Guide to the children‟s homes regulations including the quality standards‟, page 15, paragraph 3.10)  Children should be able to maintain and develop their cultural or religious beliefs as far as practicable and where appropriate, through participation and instruction, and by observing religious requirements including dress and diet („Guide to the children‟s homes regulations including the quality standards‟, page 17, paragraph 3.22). In particular, placement plans should detail how children‟s heritage will be

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Recommendations

promoted.  Staff should have the skills and confidence to communicate easily and understand the importance of listening to, involving and responding to the children they care for. Staff should understand that they have a responsibility to observe, notice and respond to children who are expressing their views, acknowledging that it is not the sole responsibility of the child to „tell‟. They should also understand how children might communicate their feelings through their behaviour, or non- verbally especially where the child has a disability which does not allow them to communicate as others might („Guide to the children‟s homes regulations including the quality standards‟, page 22, paragraph 4.10). In particular, staff should record children‟s views in the home‟s documentation, particularly those ascertained during key-work sessions.

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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

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 Inspection report children‟s home: SC467155 6 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‟.

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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: 80 Hammersmith Road, London W14 8UD

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Inspector

Chris Peel, social care inspector Inspection report children‟s home: SC467155 7 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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