Children's home run by Aspris Children’s Service in Hammersmith and Fulham

Inspection report children’s home: SC393567 1 SC393567 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. Its statement of purpose specifies that it provides care and accommodation for up to five young people, aged between nine and 18.

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Information about this children’s home

The manager was registered with Ofsted on 24 January 2017.

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Overall experiences and progress of

children and young people, taking into account

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good

How well children and young people are helped and protected good

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good

The effectiveness of leaders and managers good

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good

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

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good

Overall judgement at last inspection: good

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good

Enforcement action since last inspection: none Inspection report children’s home: SC393567 2

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Inspection date Inspection type Inspection judgement

05/07/2017 Full Good 17/01/2017 Interim Declined in effectiveness 14/09/2016 Full Good 23/11/2015 Interim Improved effectiveness Inspection report children’s home: SC393567 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 registered person must make arrangements for the handling, recording, safekeeping, safe administration and disposal of medicines received into the children’s home.

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Requirement Due date

In particular the registered person must ensure that – A record is kept of the administration of medicine to each child. (Regulation 23 (1) (2)(c))

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Requirement Due date

Specifically, ensure that there is consistency in the use of codes for the recording of why medication was not administered. 30/08/2018

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Requirement Due date

The registered person must – Provide each employee with a job description outlining the employee’s responsibilities. (Regulation 33 (1)(c))

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Requirement Due date

Specifically, ensure that there is a copy of individual staff job descriptions located in staff files. In addition, ensure that all staff have the correct place of work written in their contract. 30/08/2018

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Requirement Due date

The registered person must prepare and implement a policy which – Provide for records to be kept of an allegation of abuse or neglect, and the action taken in response; (Regulation 34(10(d))

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Requirement Due date

Specifically, ensure that all external safeguarding responses to conclusions of investigations are recorded and filed. 30/08/2018

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

The staff team has created a safe and calm environment in which young people make very good progress. The staff’s ability to develop meaningful and trusting relationships with the young people is a strength. The young people are very suitably placed and have developed caring relationships with each other as well as the staff team. Inspection report children’s home: SC393567 4 The manager and her staff team work with a range of professionals to ensure that young people make progress in their education, health and social development. Education attendance is good, with individual goals of achievement clear for each young person. The staff maintain effective communication with schools and support young people to have a positive view of education.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Young people have opportunities to learn independently, meet friends and have fun. The staff arrange and support many activities, including rural pursuits, which the home’s location suits. Together, the young people and staff plan well-organised activities that young people benefit from.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

The staff team listens to the young people and takes their views and opinions seriously. Young people feel comfortable in expressing their views. No complaints have been made since the last inspection.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

The staff safely administer medication to young people. Generally, the recording of medicines is much improved with fewer hard-to-decipher entries. However, records do not consistently explain the reason why a certain code has been used. For example, the code ‘N’ refers to a medication not given, but there is poor consistency in the recording as to why it has not been given.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Although there has been a significant change to the staff team since the last inspection, the registered manager has ensured that this has not affected the consistency of care; in fact, it has improved it.

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

The staff help young people to understand risk and how to stay safe. Staff assist the young people to become more independent and to take appropriate risks. This helps young people to improve their behaviour and reflect thoughtfully on their own decision- making.

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

The staff are trained to keep young people safe. Safeguarding training is targeted and meaningful. There is a consistent and proactive response from the staff that reduces the actual harm or risk of harm to young people. This includes regular and effective contact and planning with the young people’s family, where appropriate. Young people say that they feel safe at the home and with the staff team.

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

Child protection and safeguarding concerns are managed efficiently and effectively. However, there is a lack of consistency in the recording and filing of feedback given by external safeguarding agencies in response to internal investigations carried out.

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

The staff understand the risk that the use of the internet and social media may pose to young people. The staff use key-worker sessions effectively to help young people understand how to keep themselves safe. Inspection report children’s home: SC393567 5 The staff provide young people with a safe place to live. The staff have a good understanding of the young people’s needs. Well-written individual risk assessments provide clear strategies to lessen the risks associated with known or new presenting behaviours. The implementation of these has, for example, significantly reduced the number of incidents of going missing.

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

Robust health and safety checks ensure that the physical environment for young people is safe and secure. Recruitment procedures and regular monitoring of the staff help to prevent unsuitable people being employed.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

The home is effectively and efficiently managed by a permanent, suitably experienced and qualified registered manager. She leads a team of enthusiastic and dynamic staff; the majority are new in post since the last inspection. The registered manager has been successful in recruiting and identifying a staff team with individual strengths and utilising these strengths to develop practices in the home. The members of the staff team work very well together and they are creative in their practice. They enjoy their roles and the time spent with the young people.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

The registered manager has developed effective working relationships with other professionals who are involved with each young person. A social worker spoke highly of the registered manager’s abilities and of the communication received from the home.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

The members of the staff team complete mandatory training so that they can practise safely. The registered manager has identified additional training to ensure that the staff team continues to develop and is able to meet the needs of future young people and the different challenges they may pose. The staff are very well supported through supervision; they are well informed and focused on their roles. They practise without fear or prejudice.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

Staff records are not fully complete in so far as individual staff contracts relate to the organisation as a whole and not to the place of work. The lack of job descriptions on staff files may inhibit accountability.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

The registered manager knows the home’s strengths and areas for improvement. She has addressed all areas highlighted at the last inspection. She is influential in making positive changes at the home, for the staff team and the outcomes for young people.

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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 Inspection report children’s home: SC393567 6 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: SC393567 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

Liz Driver, social care inspector Inspection report children’s home: SC393567 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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