Children's home run by Aurora ASD Ltd

Inspection report children’s home: 1272075 1 Registered provider: Aurora Asd Ltd Full inspection Inspected under the social care common inspection framework

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Information about this children’s home

Aurora Pear Tree Cottage is part of The Aurora Group and offers residential care. The home offers 52-week placements with inclusive education at Aurora Hedgeway School. The home is registered to care for children and young people aged between eight and 19 years, irrespective of gender, who have a diagnosis of autistic spectrum disorder, Asperger syndrome and additional complex needs and/or learning disability.

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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

Overall judgement at last inspection: not applicable

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requires improvement to be good

Enforcement action since last inspection: none Inspection report children’s home: 1272075 2

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Inspection date Inspection type Inspection judgement

Inspection report children’s home: 1272075 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 leadership and management standard is that the registered person enables, inspires and leads a culture in relation to the children’s home that—

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Requirement Due date

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—

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Requirement Due date

lead and manage the home in a way that is consistent with the approach and ethos, and delivers the outcomes, set out in the home’s statement of purpose;

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Requirement Due date

ensure that staff have the experience, qualifications and skills to meet the needs of each child;

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Requirement Due date

ensure that the home has sufficient staff to provide care for each child;

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Requirement Due date

ensure that the home’s workforce provides continuity of care to each child;

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Requirement Due date

use monitoring and review systems to make continuous improvements in the quality of care provided in the home (Regulation 13 (1)(2)(a)(c)(d)(e)(h)) 27/07/2018

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Requirement Due date

The quality and purpose of care standard

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Requirement Due date

The quality and purpose of care standard is that children receive care from staff who—

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Requirement Due date

understand the children’s home’s overall aims and the outcomes it seeks to achieve for children; 27/07/2018 Inspection report children’s home: 1272075 4 use this understanding to deliver care that meets children’s needs and supports them to fulfil their potential.

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Requirement Due date

In particular, the standard in paragraph (1) requires the registered person to—

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Requirement Due date

understand and apply the home’s statement of purpose;

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Requirement Due date

understand and apply the home’s statement of purpose;

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Requirement Due date

protect and promote each child’s welfare;

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Requirement Due date

treat each child with dignity and respect.

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Requirement Due date

The conditions are that the care is delivered by a person who has the experience, knowledge and skills to deliver that care. (Regulation 6 (1)(a)(b)(2)(a)(b)(i)(ii)(iii)(3)(c)(i))

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Requirement Due date

The registered person must notify HMCI and each other relevant person without delay if—

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Requirement Due date

there is an allegation of abuse against the home or a person working there;

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Requirement Due date

a child protection enquiry involving a child— is instigated; or concludes (in which case, the notification must include the outcome of the child protection enquiry); or

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Requirement Due date

there is any other incident relating to a child which the registered person considers to be serious. (Regulation 40 (4)(c)(d)(i)(ii)(e)) 27/07/2018

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Requirement Due date

The positive relationships standard is that children are helped to develop, and to benefit from, relationships based on—

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Requirement Due date

an understanding about acceptable behaviour; and positive responses to other children and adults. 27/07/2018 Inspection report children’s home: 1272075 5 In particular, the standard in paragraph (1) requires the registered person to ensure—

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Requirement Due date

that staff help each child to develop and practise skills to resolve conflicts positively and without harm to anyone;

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Requirement Due date

communicate to each child expectations about the child’s behaviour and ensure that the child understands those expectations in accordance with the child’s age and understanding;

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Requirement Due date

strive to gain each child’s respect and trust;

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Requirement Due date

understand how children’s previous experiences and present emotions can be communicated through behaviour and have the competence and skills to interpret these and develop positive relationships with children;

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Requirement Due date

de-escalate confrontations with or between children, or potentially violent behaviour by children. (Regulation 11 (1)(a)(b)(c)(2)(a)(iv)(v)(viii)(ix)(xi))

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Recommendations

 For children’s homes to be nurturing and supportive environments that meet the needs of their children, they will, in most cases, be homely, domestic environments. Children’s homes must comply with relevant health and safety legislation’s (alarms, food hygiene etc.); however in doing so, homes should seek as far as possible to maintain a domestic rather than ‘institutional’ impression. In particular, ensure the use of window restrictors are in line with each of the children’s risk assessments. (‘Guide to the children’s homes regulations including the quality standards’, page 15, paragraph 3.9)

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improvement to be good

This is the first inspection of the home. One child has lived in the home for a number of weeks. During this time, the staff have been successful in supporting this child to go to school for 100% of the time. As a result, he is beginning to make friends and have positive experiences of learning. The social worker spoke positively of this experience and is aware he has built a good relationship with his teacher. Inspection report children’s home: 1272075 6 Behaviour support plans are in place. However, not all staff demonstrate an understanding of these documents, and they do not consistently support the child in line with his care plan. On a number of occasions, some staff failed to help the child calm and settle when upset. As a result, physical restraint has taken place, there has been extensive damage to the property and a member of staff was seriously injured, requiring hospital admission. On one occasion, a neighbour complained about the language a

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improvement to be good

member of staff used towards the child during a physical restraint. This member of staff has since undergone a disciplinary and no longer works in the home.

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improvement to be good

Most of the time, there is a full staff team looking after this child. Staff spoken with were positive about the induction and initial training they received. They also spoke positively of the support they receive from the registered manager. However, most of the staff team members are within their probationary period and are not yet qualified. There is also an overreliance on agency staff for the waking night role. Furthermore, the registered manager confirmed that he has had to rely on staff from another of the company’s children’s homes to cover staff sickness and annual leave. The lack of consistent qualified and experienced staff, and the use of agency staff, mean the child’s ability to form long-lasting and trusting relationships with adult carers is compromised.

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improvement to be good

Staff support the child to play outside, take part in activities and make friends. At the moment, he is the only child living in the home. However, there are plans are in place to move another child into the home. Impact risk assessments and an introduction plan seen give consideration to risk and compatibility. During the course of the inspection, another child was visiting the home. It is of concern that the registered manager has continued with the introduction of this other child. The manager has evidently not given sufficient thought to the effect on both children of the inexperience of the current staff team and the lack of a strategy to recruit sufficient experienced staff.

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improvement to be good

The registered manager and the staff team support the child to spend time with his family. Both the parent and the social worker of the child report that communication could be improved. However, on the whole, information is shared.

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improvement to be good

The home provides the child with lots of space to play. Overall, it is very well decorated, homely, and consideration has been given to the decoration and furniture. There are areas that require further thought, for example light fittings. The registered manager is aware of these and plans are in place to involve the child in the further development of the home.

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improvement to be good

The child lives in a home that is safe and, overall, very well maintained. Both the parent and social worker spoke positively of the environment and the opportunities it provides. Some maintenance is required and a plan is in place for this to be actioned.

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improvement to be good

Since this child has lived in the home, there have been a number of serious incidents. On Inspection report children’s home: 1272075 7 the whole, the staff team works hard to de-escalate each situation. A comprehensive range of risk assessments is in place which contributes to the child remaining safe during activities and when away from the house. Some staff have not demonstrated sufficient skill when identifying risk. As a result, some physical interventions have not been implemented in accordance with the company’s training and there has been an inconsistent approach by some staff to supporting the child when he is most upset. The registered manager has subsequently been swift to provide physical intervention refresher training.

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improvement to be good

Records scrutinised show a level of detail, analysis and reflection by the staff and the registered manager. Following all serious incidents, which include two complaints, the registered manager has undertaken a full investigation and shared information with the parent, local authority and the local area designated officer. On two of these occasions, the manager failed to notify Ofsted of a serious event involving the child.

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improvement to be good

Sufficient staffing means the child is able to take part in a choice of activities and is supervised well. As a result, the child does not go missing from the home. Staff understand the need for the child to begin to develop skills to keep himself safe and to play out safely. In accordance with plan, staff provide opportunities for the child to ride his bike outside and call for friends. There is evidence that staff intervene appropriately when the child does not make the right choices when playing outside of the home.

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

The registered manager is relatively new to the role. Nevertheless, he is experienced and has an understanding of how to improve the outcomes of children. To further improve, and in line with regulation, he is currently undertaking the necessary qualification in leadership and management.

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

The registered manager, in discussion with the inspector demonstrates an understanding of his role and responsibilities. While he recognises the importance of a team of staff that are experienced, qualified and skilled, he has not been able to produce a team that reflects this.

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

Staff spoken with demonstrated a keenness to learn, develop their practice and improve the outcomes of the child. They spoke favourably of the support and regular supervision they receive from the registered manager. However, insufficiently qualified or experienced staff form the majority of the workforce. In addition, the registered manager has not been able to recruit a waking night member of staff and routinely relies on agency workers.

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

The registered manager is aware of the strengths and weaknesses of the home and has ensured that there are systems in place to monitor and review the quality of care, including an independent visitor. While there is some evidence of how these systems are informing the continued development of the home, the registered manager has not demonstrated sufficient scrutiny of records kept, resulting in minor errors across a range of documents. In response to this, a recently updated development plan identifies the Inspection report children’s home: 1272075 8 continual professional development of both registered manager and the staff team.

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

The registered manager has ensured that there is regular communication with the parent of the child living in the home, his school teacher and social worker. Both parent and social worker said the communication has not always been regular, but more recently has improved. While both the parent and social worker have expressed concern about the use of agency staff and staff from another home, they spoke positively about some members of staff, and, most importantly, the parent feels her son is safe and making progress.

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

A number of shortfalls were identified during the course of this inspection. The registered manager is aware of these and making attempts to address them. As a result of this inspection, a number of requirements are made.

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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

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: 1272075 9

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Children’s home details

Registered provider address: 33 Holborn, London EC1N 2HT

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Inspector

Linda Bond, social care inspector Inspection report children’s home: 1272075 10 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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