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

Inspection report for children‟s home - monitoring visit: 1236278 1

p.1

The Priory Group

Monitoring visit Inspected under the social care common inspection framework

p.1

Information about this children’s home

This children‟s home provides care for up to four children. The home is part of a large, national organisation.

p.1

This monitoring visit

This children‟s home has received three full inspections since July 2018. At each of these three inspections, the home was judged to be inadequate. At the last inspection, inspectors remained concerned about serious weaknesses in how well children were helped and protected, the quality of care provided to children and the safekeeping and administration of medication. These weaknesses stemmed from poor leadership and management oversight.

p.1

This monitoring visit

At the full inspection in November 2018, it was found that compliance notices served following the full inspection in October 2018 had not been met. Enforcement action has been taken.

p.1

This monitoring visit

This monitoring visit was undertaken to review the actions leaders and managers have taken to address the weaknesses.

p.1

This monitoring visit

Leadership and management of this home remain ineffective. The compliance notices remain unmet. Likewise, several requirements that have featured in the last three inspections have not been comprehensively addressed.

p.1

This monitoring visit

An interim manager has been appointed on a short-term basis, and at the time of this monitoring visit he had been in post for just over two weeks. The organisation continues to provide additional support to the home, with a focus on overseeing practice and improving documentation. There are examples where this oversight has failed to identify or challenge concerns effectively.

p.1

This monitoring visit

Children are still not provided with consistent, good-quality care. Boundaries, house Inspection report for children‟s home - monitoring visit: 1236278 2 rules and expectations remain unclear. Examples of staff allowing poor eating habits and failing to discourage children from eating and drinking unhealthy items continue. The interim manager stated that he was going to put immediate systems in place to address this shortfall.

p.1

This monitoring visit

Strategies to motivate all children to attend school regularly remain unsuccessful as they are not applied consistently by staff. Lateness and absence from school continue, and mean that some children are not reaching their educational potential. However, the interim manager is implementing new strategies that are starting to help one child to begin to make progress.

p.2

This monitoring visit

The identification and escalation of safeguarding concerns by staff have improved. However, the quality, timeliness and rigour of investigations carried out by senior leaders into child protection concerns, complaints and poor practice issues remain inadequate.

p.2

This monitoring visit

Although systems to improve the safekeeping and administration of medication have been introduced, they were not implemented promptly following the last inspection, and are not yet fully effective. For example, medication recording errors continue. Two such errors were identified by external agencies but had not been picked up by managers through their auditing processes.

p.2

This monitoring visit

Weak recruitment practices continue. One recruitment file was reviewed at this inspection. Leaders and managers failed to ensure that all of the discrepancies and gaps in this recruitment file were thoroughly explored before the member of staff started work in the home.

p.2

This monitoring visit

The interim manager has earned the respect of the children and staff very quickly. His leadership has brought about improved morale, and changes he has implemented have been received positively. Staff spoken to stated that they felt supported and are clear about what the interim manager expects. He leads by example and states that he is determined to get things right for the children.

p.2

This monitoring visit

Inspectors will continue to monitor this home.

p.2

Recent inspection history

Inspection date Inspection type Inspection judgement 29/11/2018 Full Inadequate 10/10/2018 Full Inadequate 04/07/2018 Full Inadequate 04/05/2017 Full Requires improvement to be good Inspection report for children‟s home - monitoring visit: 1236278 3

p.2

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.3

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; (vi) help each child to develop resilience and skills that prepare the child to return home, to live in a new placement

p.3

Requirement Due date

In particular:  Ensure that when the care provided falls below expectations, action is taken to swiftly address this.  Ensure that children receive care that meets their individual, emotional needs.  Ensure that all staff understand the importance of providing a consistent approach to care and that they have the training, skills, confidence and expertise to deliver that care.  Ensure that staff receive practice-related supervision that supports them to reflect and offers appropriate levels of challenge. 04/01/2019

p.3

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. 04/01/2019 Inspection report for children‟s home - monitoring visit: 1236278 4 (2) In particular, the standard in paragraph (1) requires the registered person to— (iii) understand the barriers to learning that each child 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; (x) help each child to attend education or training in accordance with the expectations in the child‟s relevant plans.

p.3

Requirement Due date

In particular:  Ensure that children are consistently encouraged and motivated to attend school.  Ensure that staff understand the importance of education and how best to support children to attend. 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— (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; (v) understand the roles and responsibilities in relation to protecting children that are assigned to them by the registered person;

p.4

Requirement Due date

(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; (e) that the effectiveness of the home‟s child protection policies is monitored regularly.

p.4

Requirement Due date

In particular:  Ensure that any allegations or complaints are progressed promptly and investigated rigorously.  Ensure that any safeguarding concerns are escalated and managed effectively.  Ensure that staff undertaking internal investigations have the skills, knowledge and experience to do so and that children are consulted effectively as part of 04/01/2019 Inspection report for children‟s home - monitoring visit: 1236278 5 that process. 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. (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

p.4

Requirement Due date

out in the home‟s statement of purpose; (c) ensure that staff have the experience, qualifications and skills to meet the needs of 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 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.

p.5

Requirement Due date

In particular:  Ensure that any staff practice concerns are addressed promptly.  Ensure that leaders have robust oversight and effectively monitor the quality of care that children receive.  Ensure that leaders have the skills, knowledge and experience to take effective and robust action when the quality of care is poor. 04/01/2019

p.5

Requirement Due date

23: Medicines The registered person must make arrangements for the handling, recording, safekeeping, safe administration and disposal of medicines received into the children‟s home. (2) In particular the registered person must ensure that— (a) medicines kept in the home are stored in a secure place so as to prevent any child from having unsupervised access to them; (b) medicine which is prescribed for a child is administered 04/01/2019 Inspection report for children‟s home - monitoring visit: 1236278 6 as prescribed to the child for whom it is prescribed and to no other child; and (c) a record is kept of the administration of medicine to each child. (3) Paragraph (2) does not apply to medicine which— (a) is stored by the child for whom it is provided in such a way that other persons are prevented from using it; and (b) may be safely self-administered by that child. (4) In this regulation, “prescribed” means—

p.5

Requirement Due date

(a) ordered for a patient, for provision to the patient, under or by virtue of the National Health Service Act 2006 or section 176(3) of the Health and Social Care (Community Health and Standards) Act 2003(b); or (b) in a case not falling within sub-paragraph (a), prescribed for a patient in accordance with regulation 217 of the Human Medicines Regulations 2012(c).

p.6

Requirement Due date

In particular:  Ensure that the systems used to manage medication are safe.  Ensure that managers can identify and act upon any medication errors or concerns.  Ensure that staff understand the importance of accurate and prompt recording of medication administration and ensure that action is taken to make such recordings. 32: Fitness of workers (1) The registered person must recruit staff using recruitment procedures that are designed to ensure children‟s safety. 31/12/2018

p.6

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.

p.6

Information about this inspection

This inspection was carried out under the Care Standards Act 2000. Inspection report for children‟s home - monitoring visit: 1236278 7

p.6

Children’s home details

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

p.7

Inspector

Tracey Ledder, social care inspector Inspection report for children‟s home - monitoring visit: 1236278 8 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 looked after children, safeguarding and child protection.

p.7

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.8

Inspector

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

p.8

Inspector

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

p.8