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

Inspection report children‟s home: SC402406 1 SC402406 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 three young people, aged 11 to 18, who have complex needs, which may include autistic spectrum disorders and complex associated difficulties. The registered manager has managed the home since November 2014.

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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

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Inspection date Inspection type Inspection judgement

11/05/2017 Full Good 07/02/2017 Interim Sustained effectiveness Inspection report children‟s home: SC402406 2 06/06/2016 Full Good 12/01/2016 Interim Sustained effectiveness Inspection report children‟s home: SC402406 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

A person may only manage a children‟s home if for the purposes of paragraph (1)(b)(i), a person has the appropriate experience and qualification if the person has by the relevant date, attained the Level 5 Diploma in Leadership and Management for Residential Childcare (England) (“the Level 5 Diploma”); or a qualification which the registered provider considers to be equivalent to the Level 5 Diploma.

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Requirement Due date

The relevant date is in the case of a person who starts managing a home after 1st April 2014, the date which falls 3 years after the date on which that person started managing a home; or in the case of a person who was managing a home on 1st April 2014, 1st April 2017.The registered provider may defer the relevant date if the person—does not manage, or has not managed, a home for a prolonged period; or manages, or has managed, a home on a part-time basis.

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Requirement Due date

(Regulation 28(1)(2)(c)(i)(ii)(3)(a)(b)(4)(a)(b)) 18/01/2019

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Requirement Due date

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 and dated by the author of each entry.

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Recommendations

 Ensure that the children‟s home is a nurturing, supportive environment that meets the needs of the children and is homely, and a domestic environment. Children‟s homes must comply with relevant health and safety legislations (alarms, food hygiene etc.). However, in doing so, homes should seek as far as possible to maintain a domestic rather than „institutional‟ impression. („Guide to the children‟s homes regulations including the quality standards‟, page 15, paragraph 3.9)  Ensure that, just as in a family home, children are able to access all shared areas Inspection report children‟s home: SC402406 4 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,

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Recommendations

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)

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Recommendations

This is with reference to ensuring that bedroom door alarms are only used when there is an identified safeguarding need.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Young people benefit from individualised care that starts to be planned before they are admitted. For example, young people are supported to look round the home with their family. They receive a welcome pack on admission. This includes a welcome card which has been signed by everyone. This helps young people to feel welcomed into their new home. When it is time to move on, staff continue to support young people into independence and complete outreach work in the community. As a result, young people feel that they truly matter and are cared for.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Staff work closely with schools. However, staff are not afraid to challenge schools to ensure that young people get the right educational support. One young person told the inspector, „Staff are good here to be honest. Staff push me beyond my mental capabilities. I didn‟t used to go to school and now I do. They make me get up in the morning and have a routine.‟

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Staff promote positive relationships and mutual respect. This is because the staff role- model positive behaviour. For example, staff are clear that discrimination will not be tolerated and help young people to understand the concepts of gender equality.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Staff listen to young people‟s opinions and requests. For example, when one young person asked if he could go to Blackpool, the staff made sure that all the arrangements were put in place to ensure that the trip happened.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Although care plans are kept up to date, they do not reflect the knowledge and information that staff hold. For example, not all risks are identified. Information about one young person‟s requirement to wear glasses is missing from their care plan. This means that staff must rely on their knowledge to ensure that young people‟s needs are closely monitored.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Although the home is clean and has a nice atmosphere, the bars on some of the Inspection report children‟s home: SC402406 5 windows create an „institutional‟ impression. Also, the slow action to address repairs creates a distraction from the overall welcoming environment.

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

Young people benefit from clear structures and boundaries. As a result, there have been no instances of staff needing to use physical restraint. This is because the staff are skilled in using good communication to help young people self-regulate their emotions.

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

Young people rarely go missing from the home. They do not self-harm and are not at risk of child sexual exploitation.

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

The manager and staff work closely with partner agencies. For example, the staff encourage the local police officers to visit the home and undertake work with the young people.

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

Safe recruitment practice ensures that anyone employed in the home is safe to work with young people.

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

Staff routinely use bedroom door alarms without any assessment to determine if this level of surveillance is necessary to keep young people safe.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

The manager and staff are committed to helping young people to make progress in all areas of their lives. Young people benefit from being cared for by a stable staff team. There is good staff morale and all staff work hard to give young people the best care possible.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

Staff feel supported by the manager. This is because staff receive good-quality supervision that focuses on their own personal development and the needs of young people. As a result, each staff member can reflect on their practice and develop their skill base.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

The manager works proactively with families and professionals. One parent told the inspector, „Staff keep me updated, they are really good. I can discuss any problems. We are in contact all the time.‟ This positive partnership is central to practice in the home, and ensures that the service continues to meet the aims and objectives of the home as set out in the statement of purpose.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

Although staff are qualified to the level 3 diploma in residential childcare, the manager is yet to achieve her level 5 in leadership and management.

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Information about this inspection

Inspection report children‟s home: SC402406 6 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: SC402406 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, Middlesex W14 8UD

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Inspector

Louise Battersby: social care inspector Inspection report children‟s home: SC402406 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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