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

Inspection report children’s home: SC476486 1 SC476486 Registered provider: Priory Education Services Limited

p.1

Full inspection Inspected under the social care common inspection framework

p.1

Information about this children’s home

This home is owned by a private company. It is registered for up to seven young people aged 11 to 19 who have complex needs, which may include autistic spectrum disorders and complex associated difficulties. The registered manager has managed the home since January 2014.

p.1

Overall experiences and progress of

children and young people, taking into account

p.1

good

How well children and young people are helped and protected good

p.1

good

The effectiveness of leaders and managers good

p.1

good

The children’s home provides effective services that meet the requirements for good.

p.1

good

Overall judgement at last inspection: requires improvement to be good

p.1

good

Enforcement action since last inspection: none Inspection report children’s home: SC476486 2

p.1

Inspection date Inspection type Inspection judgement

03/05/2017 Full Requires improvement to be good 22/02/2017 Interim Sustained effectiveness 05/07/2016 Full Good 03/03/2016 Interim Sustained effectiveness Inspection report children’s home: SC476486 3

p.2

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.

p.3

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) (b)(c)) 18/08/2017

p.3

Recommendations

 Ensure that the children’s home is nurturing, a supportive environment that meets the needs of the children and is homely, and a domestic environment. Children’s homes must comply with relevant health and safety legislations (alarms, food hygiene etc.). However, in doing so, homes should seek as far as possible to maintain a domestic rather than ‘institutional’ impression. (‘Guide to the children’s homes regulations including the quality standards’, page 15, paragraph 3.9)  The registered person should ensure that staff can access appropriate facilities and resources to support their training needs, and should understand the key role they play in the training and development of staff in the home. (‘Guide to the children’s homes regulations including the quality standards’, page 53, paragraph 10.11)

p.3

Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Young people enjoy positive relationships with staff and each other. Staff are patient, caring and understanding of young people’s individual behaviours. As a result, young people experience positive and healthy relationships. One young person told the inspector, ‘In all my seven homes, this is the best home.’ A social worker told the inspector, ‘[The young person] is doing far better than we thought. He was very disruptive; he’s not any more. He can now talk about his feelings.’

p.3

Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Staff help young people to embrace and celebrate each other’s different cultures and Inspection report children’s home: SC476486 4 beliefs. Staff are knowledgeable about each young person’s needs and preferences. As a result, young people have a strong sense of identity.

p.3

Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Young people enjoy a good range of activities to help them to develop their hobbies. For example, young people make the most of the home’s extensive grounds. Young people also attend a music studio and are part of a local football team.

p.4

Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Young people are able to develop their independence skills in a newly designed kitchen. However, the first-floor windows are fitted with external bars. These bars compromise the otherwise homely feel of the house.

p.4

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

The manager and staff work closely with partner agencies. This information sharing enables young people to stay safe. A social worker told the inspector, ‘Staff are really helpful. They keep me up to date with phone calls and emails. They are always on the ball.’

p.4

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

Young people are able to develop their life skills. This includes taking age-appropriate risks. Key-worker sessions are used to support young people to understand the risks associated with everyday life and to make safe decisions.

p.4

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

Young people rarely go missing from home or need to be restrained by staff. When these incidents do occur, staff talk to the young people to try to understand the reasons behind their change in behaviour. The in-house therapist also offers support to help young people to talk through difficulties. This positive work means that young people receive the help they need to stay safe.

p.4

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

Safe recruitment practice ensures that anyone employed in the home is safe to work with young people.

p.4

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

Records do not fully capture the good practice of staff. For example, although staff have an excellent understanding of the measures in place to keep young people safe, these details are not recorded in risk assessments. This could lead to inconsistencies in practice.

p.4

The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

The registered manager has ensured that staff are qualified to level 3 in residential childcare within the required period. A new independent visitor is helping to bring greater professional challenge. This is helping to drive improvement.

p.4

The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

The manager and staff benefit from regular supervision. Staff feel supported by the manager. One new member of staff told the inspector, ‘I’ve found it really reassuring to be able to discuss things if I’m not clear. They have been great at explaining the processes. I feel more confident now.’

p.4

The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

Previous concerns about staff not understanding procedures to follow when allegations Inspection report children’s home: SC476486 5 are raised about a family member, who may also be part of the staff team, are now addressed. Consequently, staff are now clear about the procedures they must follow and their responsibilities in safeguarding children.

p.4

The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

There has been a recent health and safety audit commissioned that has highlighted shortfalls within the home. These are currently being addressed and an action plan is in place. Designated staff have now been appointed to oversee the health and safety of the building. However, the manager has not ensured that these members of staff have the required training to support them in their role.

p.5

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.

p.5

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: SC476486 6

p.5

Children’s home details

Registered provider: Priory Education Services Limited

p.6

Children’s home details

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

p.6

Inspector

Louise Battersby, social care inspector Inspection report children’s home: SC476486 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 looked after children, safeguarding and child protection.

p.6

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.7

Inspector

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

p.7

Inspector

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

p.7