Children's home run by Aspris Children’s Services Limited

Inspection report children’s home: 1269421 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 home is registered to provide care and accommodation for up to three young people. This home is owned and operated by a large private provider.

p.1

Overall experiences and progress of

children and young people, taking into account

p.1

good

How well children and young people are helped and protected good

p.1

good

The effectiveness of leaders and managers good

p.1

good

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

p.1

good

Date of last inspection: This is the home’s first inspection since its registration in January 2018.

p.1

good

Overall judgement at last inspection: not applicable

p.1

good

Enforcement action since last inspection: none Inspection report children’s home: 1269421 2

p.1

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.2

Requirement Due date

The registered person must maintain records ("case records") for each child which include the information and documents listed in Schedule 3 in relation to each child. (Regulation 36 (1)(a))

p.2

Requirement Due date

Specifically, the registered person should ensure that each child has a copy of any education and healthcare plan, or statement of special educational needs in relation to the child. 05/10/2018

p.2

Recommendations

 Staff should report any allegation of abuse immediately to a senior manager within the home. (‘Guide to the children’s homes regulations including the quality standards’, page 44, paragraph 9.17)  The registered person should oversee the welfare of the children in their care through engagement with each child and their teachers, specifically to monitor school attendance. (‘Guide to the children’s homes regulations including the quality standards’, page 54, paragraph 10.23)

p.2

Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

This home provides young people with stability and consistency. Daily routines are consistent. This helps young people to settle and to feel secure.

p.2

Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Staff work hard to develop positive relationships with young people. They support young people to manage challenging behaviours. Staff teach young people how to understand the underlying reasons for behaviours. Over time, young people learn how to regulate their behaviours and develop more positive ways of managing their emotions.

p.2

Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Education is a priority in this home. The provider has its own registered school. Depending on individual needs, young people either attend the provider’s school, a mainstream school or a training provider. Attainment is variable, but from their starting Inspection report children’s home: 1269421 3 points, young people have improved educational outcomes.

p.2

Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

The physical, emotional and psychological health of young people improves because of the care provided. Young people benefit from regular medical check-ups and benefit from access to the provider’s psychologist. This ensures a high level of therapeutic support. As a result, young people experience holistic improvement in their health.

p.3

Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

This home provides young people with opportunities to have fun, and young people benefit from a wide range of recreational and social activities. Most recently, they have enjoyed a range of holidays over the summer period.

p.3

Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Staff are successful in helping young people to develop self-care skills. This supports increased levels of independence and means that young people are well equipped to manage when they move to semi-independence.

p.3

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

Safeguarding is the top priority in this home. On admission, risks to young people are well understood. Plans are put in place to reduce risk. Risks are reviewed and strategies are adapted to protect young people. From the point of admission to the home, risk- taking behaviours significantly reduce for all young people.

p.3

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

Since registration, there have been no incidents of young people being missing or absent from the home. There have been no complaints or allegations. Young people said that they like the managers and staff and that they enjoy living in this home.

p.3

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

Staff only use physical intervention when young people are at risk of harm. Managers analyse and monitor records of physical intervention thoroughly. Managers assess all interventions to ensure that they are necessary and proportionate. This analysis ensures that young people are cared for safely.

p.3

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

Young people say that rules and expectations are fair. Behaviour management methods are highly effective, with a focus on rewarding positive behaviours.

p.3

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

Overall, staff understand their safeguarding roles and responsibilities. However, on one occasion, concerns about staff practice were not escalated in a timely manner. This fails to ensure that a prompt investigation can be carried out.

p.3

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

The safety of young people, staff and visitors to the home is a priority. Managers ensure that the environment is safe. Health and safety and fire arrangements are excellent. The locality risk assessment is extensive, up to date, and describes a wide range of risks.

p.3

The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

The registered manager for this home provides very strong leadership. He successfully manages one other children’s home which has had four consecutive outstanding judgements. Inspection report children’s home: 1269421 4 In the registered manager’s absence, the deputy provides seamless quality of care. The operation of the home ensures high standards of care and support. This provides a firm foundation for young people to thrive, develop and progress.

p.3

The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

Managers are inspirational role models. They have high expectations of the staff team. They are unafraid to challenge unacceptable work practice. Conversely, they support staff to achieve excellence in their professional roles.

p.4

The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

Managers have an in-depth understanding about young people, their needs, risks and progress. They are aspirational for young people.

p.4

The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

Partnership arrangements are positive. Professionals report high levels of satisfaction. They say that managers and staff communicate very well.

p.4

The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

Internal and external monitoring drives the improvement of service provision. However, school attendance is not currently monitored. This means that managers cannot identify if young people are consistently engaging in education.

p.4

The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

Care planning for young people is not consistent. Managers have not obtained one young person’s education and healthcare plan. This does not ensure that care is being planned and delivered in line with the young person’s assessed needs.

p.4

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.

p.4

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: 1269421 5

p.4

Children’s home details

Registered provider: Priory Education Services Limited

p.5

Children’s home details

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

p.5

Children’s home details

Responsible individual: Katherine Bridon

p.5

Inspector:

Amanda Ellis, social care regulatory inspector Inspection report children’s home: 1269421 6 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.

p.5

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.6

Inspector:

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

p.6

Inspector:

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

p.6