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

Inspection report children’s home: 1236278 1 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 children’s home is part of a large national organisation. Generally, children who live in this home attend a school which is also owned by the organisation.

p.1

Overall experiences and progress of

children and young people, taking into account

p.1

inadequate

How well children and young people are helped and protected inadequate

p.1

inadequate

The effectiveness of leaders and managers inadequate

p.1

inadequate

There are serious and widespread failures that mean children and young people are not protected or their welfare is not promoted or safeguarded and the care and experiences of children and young people are poor.

p.1

inadequate

Overall judgement at last inspection: Requires improvement to be good

p.1

Enforcement action since last inspection:

A number of requirements were made at the last full inspection. Not all of these requirements have been met. Inspection report children’s home: 1236278 2

p.1

Inspection date Inspection type Inspection judgement

04/05/2017 Full Requires improvement to be good 24/02/2017 Interim Sustained effectiveness 06/10/2016 Full Good Inspection report children’s home: 1236278 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

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— (a) understand and apply the home’s statement of purpose; (b) ensure that staff— (i) understand and apply the home’s statement of purpose; (ii) protect and promote each child’s welfare; (iii) treat each child with dignity and respect; (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; (v) help each child to understand and manage the impact of any experience of abuse or neglect; (vi) help each child to develop resilience and skills that prepare

p.3

Requirement Due date

the child to return home, to live in a new placement or to live independently as an adult; (i) meet the needs of each child; and (ii) enable each child to participate in the daily life of the home; and (d) ensure that any care that is arranged or provided for a child that— (i) relates to the child’s development (within the meaning of section 17(11) of the Children Act 1989) or health; and 31/08/2018 Inspection report children’s home: 1236278 4 (ii) is not arranged or provided as part of the health service continued under section 1(1) of the National Health Service Act 2006(a), satisfies the conditions in paragraph (3). (3) The conditions are— (a) that the care is approved, and kept under review throughout its duration, by the placing authority; (b) that the care meets the child’s needs; (c) that the care is delivered by a person who— (i) has the experience, knowledge and skills to deliver that care; and (ii) is under the supervision of a person who is appropriately

p.3

Requirement Due date

skilled and qualified to supervise that care; and (d) that the registered person keeps the child’s general medical practitioner informed, as necessary, about the progress of the care throughout its duration. 7: The children’s views, wishes and feelings standard (1) The children’s views, wishes and feelings standard is that children receive care from staff who— (a) develop positive relationships with them; (b) engage with them; and (c) take their views, wishes and feelings into account in relation to matters affecting the children’s care and welfare and their lives. (2) In particular, the standard in paragraph (1) requires the registered person to— (a) ensure that staff— (i) ascertain and consider each child’s views, wishes and feelings, and balance these against what they judge to be in the child’s best interests when making decisions about the child’s care and welfare; (ii) help each child to express views, wishes and feelings;

p.4

Requirement Due date

(iii) help each child to understand how the child’s views, wishes and feelings have been taken into account and give the child reasons for decisions in relation to the child; (iv) regularly consult children, and seek their feedback, about the quality of the home’s care; 31/08/2018 Inspection report children’s home: 1236278 5 8: The education standard (1) The education standard is that children make measurable progress towards achieving their educational potential and are helped to do so. (2) In particular, the standard in paragraph (1) requires the registered person to ensure— (a) that staff— (i) help each child to achieve the child’s education and training targets, as recorded in the child’s relevant plans; (ii) support each child’s learning and development, including helping the child to develop independent study skills and, where appropriate, helping the child to complete independent study; (iii) understand the barriers to learning that each child may face

p.4

Requirement Due date

and take appropriate action to help the child to overcome any such barriers; (iv) help each child to understand the importance and value of education, learning, training and employment; (ix) help each child who is above compulsory school age to participate in further education, training or employment and to prepare for future care, education or employment; (x) help each child to attend education or training in accordance with the expectations in the child’s relevant plans; 31/08/2018

p.5

Requirement Due date

11: The positive relationships standard 1) The positive relationships 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 (c) positive responses to other children and adults. (2) In particular, the standard in paragraph (1) requires the registered person to ensure— (a) that staff— (i) meet each child’s behavioural and emotional needs, as set out in the child’s relevant plans; (ii) help each child to develop socially aware behaviour; (iii) encourage each child to take responsibility for the child’s behaviour, in accordance with the child’s age and understanding; (iv) help each child to develop and practise skills to resolve conflicts positively and without harm to anyone; 31/08/2018 Inspection report children’s home: 1236278 6 (v) communicate to each child expectations about the child’s

p.5

Requirement Due date

behaviour and ensure that the child understands those expectations in accordance with the child’s age and understanding; (vi) help each child to understand, in a way that is appropriate according to the child’s age and understanding, personal, sexual and social relationships, and how those relationships can be supportive or harmful; (vii) help each child to develop the understanding and skills to recognise or withdraw from a damaging, exploitative or harmful relationship; (viii) strive to gain each child’s respect and trust; (ix) 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; (x) are provided with supervision and support to enable them to understand and manage their own feelings and responses to the behaviour and emotions of children, and to help children to do

p.6

Requirement Due date

the same; (xi) de-escalate confrontations with or between children, or potentially violent behaviour by children; (xii) understand and communicate to children that bullying is unacceptable; and (xiii) have the skills to recognise incidents or indications of bullying and how to deal with them; and (b) that each child is encouraged to build and maintain positive relationships with others. 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

p.6

Requirement Due date

31/08/2018 Inspection report children’s home: 1236278 7 at risk of harm; (iv) manage relationships between children to prevent them from harming each other; (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; (c) that the premises used for the purposes of the home are located so that children are effectively safeguarded; (d) that the premises used for the purposes of the home are designed, furnished and maintained so as to protect each child from avoidable hazards to the child’s health; and (e) that the effectiveness of the home’s child protection policies

p.6

Requirement Due date

is monitored regularly. 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 fulfil their 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 skills to meet the needs of each child; (d) ensure that the home has sufficient staff to provide care for each child; (e) ensure that the home’s workforce provides continuity of care to each child; (f) understand the impact that the quality of care provided in

p.7

Requirement Due date

the home is having on the progress and experiences of each 31/08/2018 Inspection report children’s home: 1236278 8 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 acting on— (i) research and developments in relation to the ways in which the needs of children are best met; and (ii) feedback on the experiences of children, including complaints received; and (h) use monitoring and review systems to make continuous improvements in the quality of care provided in the home. 19: Behaviour management and discipline (1) No measure of control or discipline which is excessive, unreasonable or contrary to paragraph (2) may be used in relation to any child. 31/08/2018

p.7

Requirement Due date

20: Restraint and deprivation of liberty (1) Restraint in relation to a child is only permitted for the purpose of preventing— (a) injury to any person (including the child); (b) serious damage to the property of any person (including the child); or (c) a child who is accommodated in a secure children’s home from absconding from the home. 31/08/2018

p.8

Requirement Due date

33: Employment of staff (1) The registered person must— (a) ensure that each employee completes an appropriate induction; (4) The registered person must ensure that all employees— (a) undertake appropriate continuing professional development; (b) receive practice-related supervision by a person with appropriate experience; and (c) have their performance and fitness to perform their roles appraised at least once every year. 31/08/2018 Inspection report children’s home: 1236278 9 39: Complaints and representations (1) Subject to paragraph (6), the registered person must establish a procedure for considering complaints made by or on behalf of children. (2) In particular, the procedure must provide that no person who is the subject of a complaint takes any part in its consideration or investigation, except at the informal resolution stage if the registered person considers it appropriate. (3) The registered person must ensure that a record is made of

p.8

Requirement Due date

any complaint, the action taken in response, and the outcome of any investigation. 31/08/2018

p.9

Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: inadequate

The home at times is chaotic. Children have been exposed to dangerous and aggressive behaviours. This has resulted in some children feeling scared and anxious. Their emotional distress and needs have not been adequately addressed. Children do not always receive care in line with their care plans. The quality of the information in the care plans is poor, it does direct staff in how to care for each child. Too many staff failed to demonstrate that they fully understood what is expected of them. This has led to some inconsistences in the care that children receive. Staff fail to engage and motivate all of the children. During the inspection, two children remained in bed, one until 12.30 pm and the other until 6.30 pm. In addition, staff failed to ensure that the children had sufficient food and drinks. On too many occasions, staff and managers fail to take action when children raise concerns. For example, one child complained to a member of staff that they were

p.9

Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: inadequate

unhappy about the way that a peer had behaved towards them. The staff member failed to progress this as the child did not want to formalise the complaint. The manager failed to identify this complaint when overseeing the incidents. Some children have made progress. Some are motivated to attend school and have aspirations for their futures. Social interaction has improved for some children and this is giving them the confidence to try out new things. They are proud of their achievements.

p.9

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

The arrangements in place to safeguard children are not effective. There have been high levels of violent and aggressive incidents in the home. Significant damage has been caused to the property over recent months. Insufficient action has been taken to prevent a reoccurrence, to reduce these risks and to ensure that the emotional effect on other children is reduced. As a result, children living in this home feel scared and anxious. Inspection report children’s home: 1236278 10 Physical intervention is frequently used to manage children’s behaviour. Not all of these incidents are managed appropriately. Staff intervene too quickly, and children have been escorted to their rooms and been restrained in their rooms. One child reported to the inspector that they felt anxious about this practice. Management oversight of physical intervention is poor. Key themes such as poor peer relationships and bullying have not been clearly identified or addressed by the manager.

p.9

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

Action has not been taken quickly enough to prevent incidents from escalating. As a result, staff do not respond consistently in their approach to managing the children’s behaviour or in deciding when to use physical interventions. The manager and staff do not follow policy and procedure on every occasion, when dealing with allegations that children make against adults. In one case, the disclosure made by a child was not accurately recorded and there was a delay in passing the information to the designated officer. These shortfalls place children at risk. There has been one recent internal investigation in respect of concerns about staff. This investigation was clear and concise and managed well.

p.10

The effectiveness of leaders and managers: inadequate

Senior leaders have failed to provide adequate support to the registered manager. The home has been chaotic and the approach to care reactive and inconsistent. This has been further compounded by staff shortages. These shortages resulted in the registered manager providing direct care to children, rather than focusing on management tasks. Leaders and managers failed to ensure that the requirements that were made at the last inspection were met. A number of key areas of poor practice that were identified at the last inspection remain. Leaders and managers have failed to ensure that staff working at this home have been provided with the training that they require to safely care for the children. For example, not all staff demonstrate that they know enough about attachment. As a result, their interactions with children are not always appropriate. In addition, one member of staff was working without the training required to safely respond to incidents.

p.10

The effectiveness of leaders and managers: inadequate

The quality of the induction training for new staff is poor. New staff do not retain sufficient information about the children’s needs and how to care for them. In addition, not all new staff have been provided with the training that they require to respond to and manage violent and aggressive situations. One member of staff who should not have been alone with children was observed by the inspector alone with a child in their room. This practice can leave both children and staff at risk of harm.

p.10

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: 1236278 11 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.10

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: 1236278 12

p.11

Children’s home details

Registered provider: Priory Education Services Limited

p.12

Children’s home details

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

p.12

Inspector

Tracey Ledder, social care inspector Inspection report children’s home: 1236278 13 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.

p.12

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.13

Inspector

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

p.13

Inspector

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

p.13