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

Inspection report for children’s home – monitoring visit: 1236278 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

A full inspection in July 2018 judged this service to be inadequate. A further inspection undertaken on 8 August 2018 identified further serious and significant shortfalls. As a result, the service received a Compliance Notice. This inspection considered if enough action had been taken to meet the requirements of the Compliance Notice.

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This monitoring visit

Action has been taken to ensure that enough progress has been made to meet the requirements set out in the Compliance Notice. These requirements focused upon the quality of care that children receive. Mangers recognise that there are still areas of practice that need significant improvement.

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This monitoring visit

Additional support has been provided to this service form the quality team within the organisation. This has helped managers begin to make improvements to the care that children receive.

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This monitoring visit

The significant damage noted at the last inspection has been repaired. Damage to a wardrobe and wall in one of the children’s bedrooms had not been fixed; steps were made during this inspection to rectify this.

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This monitoring visit

There have been two significant incidents since the last inspection that could have been avoided. Staff failed to manage these incidents effectively and they lost the balance of power within the home. In response, managers have critically analysed the incidents and are taking action to address practice shortfalls and hold staff to account. This oversight has also highlighted that the current managerial arrangements out of hours are not always effective.

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This monitoring visit

Staff spoken to by the inspector demonstrated that they held a better understanding of children’s needs. They were much clearer about expectations on them. This clarity Inspection report for children’s home – monitoring visit: 1236278 2 was also reflected in the care documentation. The impact for children is difficult to consider as the changes are not yet fully embedded into practice.

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This monitoring visit

The use of physical intervention has been reduced. Managers have ensured that staff have received the training required to safely and effectively manage dangerous behaviour. There is some commitment from managers to continue to reduce physical intervention.

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This monitoring visit

Children spoken to by the inspector reported an improving picture. One said that the house was calmer. Excited discussion took place about the possible arrival of a kitten to the home. Children had been making plans about how they would care for their pet.

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This monitoring visit

Some safeguarding concerns were noted at this inspection; for example, managers failed to demonstrate that they understood the disclosure and barring service process. As a result, managers did not make a referral in respect of poor practice when they should have.

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Recent inspection history

Inspection date Inspection type Inspection judgement 04/07/2018 Full Inadequate 04/05/2017 Full Requires improvement to be good 24/02/2017 Interim Sustained effectiveness 06/10/2016 Full Good Inspection report for children’s home – monitoring visit: 1236278 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— (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

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Requirement Due date

prepare the child to return home, to live in a new placement or to live independently as an adult; (vii) provide to children living in the home the physical necessities they need in order to live there comfortably; (viii) provide to children personal items that are appropriate for their age and understanding; and (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 (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). 31/08/2018 Inspection report for children’s home – monitoring visit: 1236278 4 (3) The conditions are— (a) that the care is approved, and kept under review

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Requirement Due date

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 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—

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Requirement Due date

(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; (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

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Requirement Due date

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 31/08/2018 Inspection report for children’s home – monitoring visit: 1236278 5 may face 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

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Requirement Due date

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. 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;

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Requirement Due date

(iv) help each child to develop and practise skills to resolve conflicts positively and without harm to anyone; (v) communicate to each child expectations about the child’s 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;

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Requirement Due date

(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 31/08/2018 Inspection report for children’s home – monitoring visit: 1236278 6 children to do 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—

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Requirement Due date

(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; (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

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Requirement Due date

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 is monitored regularly. 31/08/2018

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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 fulfil their potential; and (b) promotes their welfare. 31/08/2018 Inspection report for children’s home – monitoring visit: 1236278 7 (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

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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 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. 16: Statement of purpose (2) The registered person must— (a) keep the statement of purpose under review and, where appropriate, revise it; and (b) notify HMCI of any revisions and send HMCI a copy of the revised statement within 28 days of the revision. (3) if a home has a website, the registered person must ensure that a copy of the statement of purpose is published

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Requirement Due date

on that website unless the registered person considers that such publication would prejudice the welfare of children in the home. (4) subject to paragraph (6), the registered person must ensure that the home is at all times conducted in a manner which is consistent with its statement of purpose. 31/08/2018

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Requirement Due date

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

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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 31/08/2018 Inspection report for children’s home – monitoring visit: 1236278 8 the child); or (c) a child who is accommodated in a secure children’s home from absconding from the home. 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

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Requirement Due date

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

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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 Inspection report for children’s home – monitoring visit: 1236278 9 Responsible individual: Clive Coombes

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Inspector

Tracey Ledder, social care inspector Inspection report for children’s home – monitoring visit: 1236278 10 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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