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

Inspection report children’s home: SC449307 1 SC449307 Registered provider: The Priory Group

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Full inspection Inspected under the social care common inspection framework

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Information about this children’s home

The home is registered to provide care and accommodation for up to seven children. It is owned by a large private organisation that also provides education. The statement of purpose states that the home supports children who have complex needs which may include emotional and behavioural difficulties, epilepsy, attention deficit hyperactivity disorder, oppositional defiant disorder, autism spectrum disorder and post-traumatic stress disorder.

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Information about this children’s home

The manager was registered with Ofsted on 13 October 2016.

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Information about this children’s home

Inspection dates: 20 to 21 November 2018

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Overall experiences and progress of

children and young people, taking into account

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outstanding

How well children and young people are helped and protected outstanding

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outstanding

The effectiveness of leaders and managers outstanding

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outstanding

The children’s home provides highly effective services that consistently exceed the standards of good. The actions of the children’s home contribute to significantly improved outcomes and positive experiences for children and young people who need help, protection and care.

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outstanding

Overall judgement at last inspection: outstanding

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outstanding

Enforcement action since last inspection: none Inspection report children’s home: SC449307 2

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Inspection date Inspection type Inspection judgement

20/03/2018 Full Outstanding 07/02/2017 Interim Improved effectiveness 26/07/2016 Full Good 01/02/2016 Interim Sustained effectiveness Inspection report children’s home: SC449307 3

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Recommendations

 The registered person should only accept placements for children where they are satisfied that the home can respond effectively to the child’s assessed needs as recorded in the child’s relevant plans and where they have fully considered the impact that the placement will have on the existing group of children. (‘Guide to the children’s homes regulations including the quality standards, page 56, paragraph 11.4)

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: outstanding

Children experience warmth and attentiveness from highly skilled staff who understand their complex needs. Individualised and insightful approaches help children to manage their emotions and to keep themselves safe. Within a nurturing, welcoming and stable home, children feel safe and respond to the high-quality care they receive from staff. One child said, ‘Staff actually do care and they really listen.’

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: outstanding

Close communication with the organisation’s school staff and therapists contributes to ensuring that children have positive education experiences. Children’s attendance is excellent and they are making significant progress.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: outstanding

Staff have paid careful attention to creating a warm and relaxing home where children can grow and develop. Thoughtful furnishing and design, with space for children to be away from the group when needed, contribute to children’s positive experiences. Children are proud of their bedrooms, which reflect their personal identities.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: outstanding

Well-considered and staged plans for children who move to the home enable them to settle quickly. They benefit from staff who recognise and understand their needs. Children make significant progress in developing their self-confidence, their relationships with their peers and they make improvements in their emotional well-being.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: outstanding

Staff support children to develop their independence skills to prepare them for their future adult lives.

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

The registered manager and the staff know the children extremely well. Care plans and risk assessments are up to date and guide staff in reducing risks for children. Key-work sessions are used effectively to raise children’s awareness of how to keep themselves safe and link directly to children’s behaviour, which is closely observed by staff. Through the positive relationships children have with the staff and the staff’s thoughtful and Inspection report children’s home: SC449307 4 sensitive care, children respond and their behaviour improves.

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

Incidents of children leaving the home without permission are infrequent. Individual protocols are followed if such an incident occurs. Excellent responses from staff following incidents help children to understand the risks they face, which results in children learning from their experiences.

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

Warm and trusting relationships are at the heart of the staff’s practice. Staff are responsive and consistent in their support. The use of physical intervention to manage children’s behaviour is extremely rare.

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

Managers understand the importance of making child-centred decisions about children who come to live at the home. Risk assessments for new children comprehensively identify their needs and the support they require. However, the assessments do not focus sufficiently on the potential impact on the children who are already living in the home.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: outstanding

The registered manager has extensive experience and uses her knowledge and skills to provide strong support for the staff team. With a passion for helping children to achieve their best outcomes, and her knowledge of children’s needs and the progress they are making, she provides aspirational leadership for the staff team to help children to achieve their goals.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: outstanding

The staff appreciate the support that they receive from managers, which, alongside appropriate training and effective regular supervision, enables them to provide high- quality care to meet children’s complex needs.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: outstanding

Managers are committed to maintaining and improving the high standards of care. Frequent and routine auditing of all aspects of the home as part of a rigorous quality assurance system ensures that shortfalls are quickly identified.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: outstanding

Within a culture that drives continuous improvement, managers have positive relationships with external professionals. They work together in the best interests of the children. Managers actively challenge other professionals’ practice when it is not in the best interest of children. Inspection report children’s home: SC449307 5

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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.

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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: SC449307 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

Jan Hunnam, social care inspector Inspection report children’s home: SC449307 7 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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