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

Inspection report for children’s home – monitoring visit: 1263270 1

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Priory Education Services Limited

Monitoring visit Inspected under the social care common inspection framework

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Information about this children’s home

This children’s home is part of a large national organisation. This home is currently registered to care for up to five children.

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This monitoring visit

On 8 and 9 May 2018, Ofsted completed a full inspection of this home and found significant shortfalls in care practices. The home was judged to be inadequate. The purpose of this monitoring visit was to consider the action leaders and managers have taken to address the three compliance notices that were served following the full inspection.

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This monitoring visit

Insufficient action has been taken to meet the requirements set out in the three compliance notices, and concerns remain in respect of the safety and well-being of children, leadership of the home and the management of medication.

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This monitoring visit

The arrangements to safeguard children remain ineffective. The handling, recording and administration of medication remains inadequate and unsafe. Audit systems that have been introduced since the last inspection are not fit for purpose and do not include an audit of controlled medication. Too many mistakes and errors have occurred. Leaders and managers failed to identify these areas of concern or take action to address them. As a result, children are still placed at risk of harm.

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This monitoring visit

Leaders and managers have failed to ensure that staff have been provided with the training they require to safely care for the children. For example, not all staff have been provided with the training to ensure that they have the skills and knowledge to manage medication safely. This remains a serious weakness.

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This monitoring visit

Weaknesses remain in the management of allegations made about staff. In response to one concern, the manager did not consider all relevant aspects of the allegation Inspection report for children’s home – monitoring visit: 1263270 2 and failed to provide full details to the designated officer. This hinders effective multi-agency working to ensure that children are safeguarded.

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This monitoring visit

Leaders and managers fail to lead this service safely and effectively. Weaknesses in practice are not always identified or addressed with staff. For example, the inspector raised questions about the appropriateness of staff responses to a child during one incident. Leaders and managers had not asked these questions themselves. As a result, they do not understand what happened fully and are unable to identify ways to avoid the same practice from happening again.

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This monitoring visit

No effective action has been taken by leaders and managers to ensure that children receive care that is delivered in a consistent way. This lack of consistency is negatively affecting one child, resulting in emotional distress and incidents of self- harm.

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This monitoring visit

Systems have been introduced to ensure that incidents that take place in the home are reviewed. These reviews are not yet effective to improve practice in the home.

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This monitoring visit

There has been no registered manager in consistent day-to-day charge of this home since it was registered. The current manager has been in post since January 2018, and has not yet progressed an application to register with Ofsted.

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This monitoring visit

Ofsted has served three further compliance notices in relation to the protection of children, leadership and management and medicines. Ofsted will continue to monitor the performance of this home.

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Inspection date Inspection type Inspection judgement

09/05/2018 Full Inadequate 20/11/2017 Full Requires improvement to be good Inspection report for children’s home – monitoring visit: 1263270 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

6: The quality and purpose of care standard (1) The quality and purpose of care standard is that children receive care from staff who— (a) understand the children’s home’s overall aims and the outcomes it seeks to achieve for children; (b) use this understanding to deliver care that meets children’s needs and supports them to fulfil their potential. (2) In particular, the standard in paragraph (1) requires the registered person to (ii) protect and promote each child’s welfare; (iv) provide personalised care that meets each child’s needs, as recorded in the child’s relevant plans, taking account of the child’s background; (ix) make decisions about the day-to-day arrangements for each child, in accordance with the child’s relevant plans, which give the child an appropriate degree of freedom and choice; (3) (c) the care is delivered by a person who— (i) has the experience, knowledge and skills to deliver that

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Requirement Due date

care; and (ii) is under the supervision of a person who is appropriately skilled and qualified to supervise that care.

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Requirement Due date

In particular, careful and considered assessment and decision making must take place in respect of the mix and compatibility of the group. Due regard must be given to the needs and vulnerabilities of existing children and what impact a new child may have on them. 10/07/2018

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Requirement Due date

11: The positive relationships standard (1) The positive relationship standard is that children are helped to develop and to benefit from relationships based on (a) mutual respect and trust; (b) an understanding about acceptable behaviour and positive responses to other children and adults.

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Requirement Due date

In particular, children’s safety and well-being should not be compromised by placing them in situations within their home 10/07/2018 Inspection report for children’s home – monitoring visit: 1263270 4 that exposes them to harmful experiences. 12: The protection of children standard * (1) The protection of children standard is that children are protected from harm and enabled to keep themselves safe. (2) In particular, the standard in paragraph (1) requires the registered person to ensure— (a) that staff— (i) assess whether each child is at risk of harm, taking into account information in the child’s relevant plans, and, if necessary, make arrangements to reduce the risk of any harm to the child; (ii) help each child to understand how to keep safe; (iii) have the skills to identify and act upon signs that a child is at risk of harm; (iv) manage relationships between children to prevent them from harming each other;

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Requirement Due date

(v) understand the roles and responsibilities in relation to protecting children that are assigned to them by the registered person; (vi) take effective action whenever there is a serious concern about a child’s welfare; and (vii) are familiar with, and act in accordance with, the home’s child protection policies; (b) that the home’s day-to-day care is arranged and delivered so as to keep each child safe and to protect each child effectively from harm; (e) that the effectiveness of the home’s child protection policies is monitored regularly.

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Requirement Due date

In particular, ensure that any concerns in respect of children are managed swiftly and effectively and in line with policy and procedure. Communication with other agencies should be open and honest and full details of any concern should be shared. 10/07/2018

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Requirement Due date

13: The leadership and management standard * 1) The leadership and management standard is that the registered person enables, inspires and leads a culture in relation to the children’s home that— (a) helps children aspire to their full potential; and (b) promotes their welfare. (2) In particular, the standard in paragraph (1) requires the registered person to— (a) 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; (b) ensure that staff work as a team where appropriate; (c) ensure that staff have the experience, qualifications and 10/07/2018 Inspection report for children’s home – monitoring visit: 1263270 5 skills to meet the needs of each child; (d) ensure the home has sufficient staff to provide care for each child; (e) ensure the home’s workforce provides continuity of care for each child; (f) understand the impact that the quality of care provided in

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Requirement Due date

the home is having on the progress and experiences of each child and use this understanding to inform the development of the quality of care provided in the home; (g) demonstrate that practice in the home is informed and improved by taking into account and actin on— (i) research and developments in relations to the ways in which the needs of the children are best met; and (ii) feedback on the experiences of children, including complaints received; and (h) the use of monitoring and review systems that make continuous improvements in the quality of care provided in the home.

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Requirement Due date

In particular, the manager should have the skills, knowledge and experience required to safely and effectively lead the service; management oversight should promote a reflective ethos, seeking to learn lessons from serious incidents. 22: Contact and access to communications (3) Subject to paragraph (5), the registered person must ensure that children are provided at all reasonable times with access to the following facilities which they may use without reference to persons working in the home— (a) a telephone on which to make and receive telephone calls in private. 10/07/2018

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Requirement Due date

23: Medicines * (1) The registered person must make arrangements for the handling, recording, safekeeping, safe administration and disposal of medicines received into the children’s home. (2) In particular the registered person must ensure that— (c) a record is kept of the administration of medicine to each child.

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Requirement Due date

In particular, the administration of PRN medication must be clear and directive to staff in respect of when this medication should be administered and the care planning documents should leave no room for confusion. The oversight and review of medication should be robust and any shortfalls or concerns should be acted upon and investigated effectively. This includes all types of medication including controlled drugs. 10/07/2018

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Requirement Due date

37: Other records 10/07/2018 Inspection report for children’s home – monitoring visit: 1263270 6 1) Schedule 4 sets out the other information that the registered person must keep in relation to a children’s home. (2) The registered person must— (a) maintain in the home the records in Schedule 4; (b) ensure that the records are kept up to date.

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Requirement Due date

*These requirements are subject to a compliance notice.

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Information about this inspection

The purpose of this visit was to monitor the action taken and the progress made by the children’s home since its last Ofsted inspection.

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Information about this inspection

This inspection was carried out under the Care Standards Act 2000.

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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, Middlesex W14 8UD

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Inspector

Tracey Ledder, social care inspector Inspection report for children’s home – monitoring visit: 1263270 7 to 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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