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

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Full inspection Inspected under the social care common inspection framework

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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. There is no registered manager at this home.

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Overall experiences and progress of

children and young people, taking into account

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requires improvement to be good

How well children and young people are helped and protected requires improvement to be good

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requires improvement to be good

The effectiveness of leaders and managers requires improvement to be good

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requires improvement to be good

The children‟s home is not yet delivering good help and care for children and young people. However, there are no serious or widespread failures that result in their welfare not being safeguarded or promoted.

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requires improvement to be good

Date of last inspection: 27 February 2018

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requires improvement to be good

Overall judgement at last inspection: declined in effectiveness

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requires improvement to be good

Enforcement action since last inspection: none Inspection report children‟s home: SC481209 2

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Inspection date Inspection type Inspection judgement

27/02/2018 Interim Declined in effectiveness 27/04/2017 Full Good 12/09/2016 Full Requires improvement 21/06/2016 Full Inadequate Inspection report children‟s home: SC481209 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

The education standard is that children make measurable progress towards achieving their educational potential and are helped to do so. In particular, the standard in paragraph (1) requires the registered person to ensure that staff help each child to achieve the child‟s education and training targets, as recorded in the child‟s relevant plans. (Regulation 8(1)(2)(a)(i)) 21/06/2018

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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)) This is with specific reference to ensuring that young people are able to attend optician appointments. 21/06/2018

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Requirement Due date

The registered person must keep the statement of purpose under review and, where appropriate, revise it; and notify HMCI of any revisions and send HMCI a copy of the revised statement within 28 days of the revision. (Regulation 16(3)(a)(b)) 21/06/2018

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Requirement Due date

The registered person must ensure that full and satisfactory information is available in relation to any individual employed to work in the children‟s home in respect of each of the matters in Schedule 2. (Regulation 32(3)(d)) This is with specific reference to the safe recruitment of agency staff. 21/06/2018

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Requirement Due date

The registered person must prepare and implement a policy which is intended to safeguard children accommodated in the children‟s home from abuse or neglect; and sets out the procedure to be followed in the event of an allegation of abuse or neglect. The procedure to be followed in the event of an allegation of abuse or neglect must, in particular provide for the prompt referral of an allegation about past abuse or neglect in relation to a child to the placing authority and, if different, the local 21/06/2018 Inspection report children‟s home: SC481209 4 authority in whose area the alleged abuse or neglect occurred. (Regulation 34(1)(a)(b)(2)(c)) This is with specific reference to ensuring that allegations are referred to the local designated officer in a timely manner. 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

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Requirement Due date

and dated by the author of each entry. (Regulation 36(a)) 21/06/2018

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Recommendations

 Ensure that just as in a family home, children are able to access all shared areas of their home unless there are specific reasons why this would not meet a child‟s needs. Limits on privacy and access may only be put in place to safeguard each child in the home (regulation 21(c)(i)). Any decisions to limit a child‟s access to any area of the home, 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) This is with reference to ensuring that bedroom door alarms are only used on the basis of individual risk.

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improvement to be good

At the last inspection, it was found that young people were being inappropriately matched. This had affected young people‟s progress. There is currently one young person living in the home. The reduction in young people has enabled the one remaining young person to start to make steady progress. For example, his school attendance has improved and he has now formed a good relationship with staff. However, staff have not invested their time to get to know more about the young person‟s educational goals. Although the young person is making progress, he does not always receive personalised care. For example, it is standard practice that staff use door alarms on young people‟s bedrooms. This is not risk assessed against the individual young person‟s needs. This leads to an institutionalised feel to the home‟s environment. The young person does not have all his health needs met. For example, despite concerns

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improvement to be good

surrounding his eyesight, staff have not made sure that an appointment has been made. This has caused a delay in the young person receiving an eye test. Inspection report children‟s home: SC481209 5

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improvement to be good

Records made by staff do not capture the good practice that takes place in the home. For example, behaviour management plans lack details about known behaviours of the young person. However, when staff are asked they can provide the details. There has been a recent health and safety audit commissioned that has highlighted shortfalls in the home. The manager has an action plan in place to help to ensure that all shortfalls are addressed. Agency staff do not receive the same level of vetting as core members of staff. For example, there is a lack of information regarding an agency‟s member of staff work history and references are not always verified. Positively, the young person‟s risk-taking behaviour has improved. This has seen a decrease in the number of times he goes missing from the home. As a result of the young person making this decision, his safety has improved.

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

The new manager is working hard to make the necessary improvements. He has a clear vision for improving the service, but knows that this will take time. A social worker commented that she had seen an improvement in the home, and said, „[the new manager] has ensured that there has been open communication between myself and [the home], which I think is an improvement. They have made sure there is a representative at every meeting and have engaged with the therapeutic team and supported their work.‟ The manager has ensured that staff are now receiving regular supervision. Staff say that they feel supported by the manager and are hopeful for the future of the home. One member of staff told the inspector, „I want the manager to stay forever. He listens and supports us.‟ The manager has ensured that staff are qualified to level 3 in residential childcare within the required period. This has ensured that staff are more knowledgeable and skilled to

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

meet young people‟s needs. The manager has not sent an updated version of the statement of purpose to Ofsted in line with regulation.

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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: SC481209 6 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: SC481209 7

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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

Louise Battersby, social care inspector Inspection report children‟s home: SC481209 8 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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