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

Inspection report for children’s home - monitoring visit: SC408655 1 SC408655

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The Priory Group

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 operated by a large national provider. It provides accommodation and support for up to seven children who may have a learning difficulty and/or be on the autistic spectrum. The home has had no registered manager since 19 March 2018.

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This monitoring visit

This children’s home was judged inadequate at the full inspection on 9 August 2018. At that time, three compliance notices were issued. This visit focused primarily on those notices and other requirements made at the full inspection. The opportunity was also taken to see how the home has changed. During the visit, the inspector spoke to the recently appointed manager, the responsible individual, several other staff in the home, both children currently placed here, and one parent.

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This monitoring visit

The new manager had only been in post for approximately four weeks, but she is already offering needed leadership and she has been warmly received by all in the home. The atmosphere in the home was calm and welcoming and children were seen to be relaxed and enjoying warm relationships with staff. Following the August inspection, compliance notices were issued in respect of three regulatory breaches. The first, against regulation 6, required the provider to:  Take steps to ensure that the home is homely, welcoming and meets the needs of the children living there.  Ensure that all televisions are either replaced or repaired.  Ensure that the sensory room is in full working order, cleaned and suitable for children’s use. This work has been completed to a good standard. A tour of the premises Inspection report for children’s home - monitoring visit: SC408655 2 demonstrated that all child-accessible areas have been restored to a good level of

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This monitoring visit

homeliness. There was no evidence of breakage in the home and televisions were working. The sensory room has been made suitable for use and it is again a source of calm for some young people. This compliance notice has been met. The second compliance notice, against regulation 12, required the provider to:  Ensure that steps are taken to protect children when concerns arise for their safety and well-being; and this had to include managers assuring themselves that all staff have the skills to recognise when a child is at risk of harm.  Staff and managers must act on such signs through reporting what is known to all relevant people.  Managers must take decisive, effective and timely action to keep children safe from any poor practice by staff. It additionally required the provider to:  Ensure that the home does not have any hazards that may expose children to harm, that if a hazard is discovered it should be repaired promptly, minimising

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This monitoring visit

the risk of exposure of children. Further direct work including safeguarding training has been undertaken. Staff spoken with were very clear about what constituted a safeguarding issue and they were knowledgeable about the reporting process. Records of incidents were reviewed. There has been only one reportable incident in this inspection period and that was handled correctly. The new manager is reviewing staff practice robustly and proportionately. Although she has not had to intervene in any explicitly poor practice, she is demonstrating determination to raise the standard of practice in the home. The improvements made to the upkeep and repair of the premises have ensured that the home is free from hazards. This element of the compliance notice particularly related to electrical safety and, at the time of this visit, all fittings and appliances were safe. This compliance notice has been met. The final compliance notice, against regulation 20, required the provider to:

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This monitoring visit

 Take steps to ensure that any physical intervention is done safely and properly by qualified and property trained staff. The action should be undertaken on children if absolutely necessary to prevent harm to self, or others.  Take steps to ensure that all staff employed in the home understand in what circumstances restraint may be necessary, and they know and adhere to Inspection report for children’s home - monitoring visit: SC408655 3 applying this, only using holds for which they are trained. Since the last inspection, there have been no incidents of restraint in the home. The staff awareness of guidance has been raised. The employer’s requirement that staff must exclusively follow the ‘team teach’ training that they are given has been reiterated. The circumstances in which previous poor practice occurred are no longer present in the home. This compliance notice has been met. At this inspection, compliance with other requirements made at the inspection of

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This monitoring visit

August 2018 was also examined. Regulation 11 – the positive relationship standard: During this inspection, staff were observed engaging with both children currently living in the home. Children spoke freely with the inspector, and one parent and sister of a child living in the home also spoke with the inspector. It was evident that staff engage very warmly with children. Staff know the children well and have built both trust a rapport to a good degree. Staff undertake key-working sessions with children. These are purposeful and pitched at the right level for individual children. It was also noted that the manager reviews the content of these sessions and gives staff constructive feedback. This requirement has been met. Regulation 13 – the leadership and management standard: This area of concern at the previous inspection has been addressed comprehensively. The biggest single factor prompting improvement has been the

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This monitoring visit

commencement of the new manager in post. She has led by example and, through team meetings, supervision, role modelling and her presence and availability to staff, she is transforming the culture of the home to one which is genuinely child centred. This work has begun well, but with plenty still to do. It was evident that staff have warmly welcomed the change. The manager, supported by a deputy and by her line manager, has ensured that staff work safely and thoughtfully with children, at all times. This may become a greater challenge when the numbers of children present increase, but the approach now being instilled augurs well. This requirement has been met. Regulation 40 – notification of a serious event: Since the last inspection, there has been one event that required notification to Ofsted and other agencies. This was done promptly and to a good standard. During this visit, other records were reviewed, including behavioural interventions and

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This monitoring visit

children’s daily records. There was no evidence to suggest that any reportable incidents had been overlooked. Inspection report for children’s home - monitoring visit: SC408655 4 This requirement has been met. Regulation 45 – review of quality of care: This requirement was set at the August inspection specifically because the depth and quality of the review within the six months preceding the inspection was insufficiently challenging. This requirement has not yet been met. However, reviews are expected only every six months and a further review was not required in this time. Additionally, the new manager has been in post for only four weeks at the time of this inspection and it is not expected that she would complete such a review until she has had sufficient time to engage with the details of operation of the home. This requirement is repeated.

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Recent inspection history

Inspection date Inspection type Inspection judgement 09/08/2018 Full Inadequate 04/01/2017 Interim Declined in effectiveness 31/08/2016 Full Good 10/02/2016 Interim Improved effectiveness Inspection report for children’s home - monitoring visit: SC408655 5

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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

The registered person must complete a review of the quality of care provided for children (‘a quality of care review’) at least once every 6 months. After completing a quality of care review, the registered person must produce a written report about the quality of care review and the actions which the registered person intends to take as a result of the quality of care review (‘the quality of care review report’). The registered person must— supply to HMCI a copy of the quality of care review report within 28 days of the date on which the quality of care review is completed. (Regulation 45 (1)(4)(a)) 04/12/2018

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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. Inspection report for children’s home - monitoring visit: SC408655 6

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Children’s home details

Registered provider address: Priory Education Services Limited, 80 Hammersmith Road, London W14 8UD

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Inspector

Kenneth Smith, social care inspector Inspection report for children’s home - monitoring visit: SC408655 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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