Children's home run by Aurora ASD Ltd

Inspection report children’s home: 1272075 1 Registered provider: Aurora Asd Ltd Interim inspection Inspected under the social care common inspection framework

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Information about this children’s home

Aurora Pear Tree Cottage is part of the Aurora Group. The home offers accommodation with education at Aurora Hedgeway School. The home is registered to care for children and young people aged between eight and 19 years, who have a diagnosis of autistic spectrum disorder, Asperger syndrome and additional complex needs and/or learning disabilities.

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Information about this children’s home

Judgement at last inspection: Requires improvement to be good

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Information about this children’s home

Enforcement action since last inspection: None

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and young people since the most recent full inspection

This home was judged requires improvement at the last full inspection. As a result of this interim inspection, Ofsted judges that it has declined in effectiveness.

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and young people since the most recent full inspection

In the main, the care and support that staff give to the children keep them safe. Staff spoken with show care and warmth. However, since the last inspection there has been a decline in the performance of the home. Some staff fail to consistently follow the children’s care plans and to provide consistency of care. Some staff do not adhere to the protocol and procedures for the reporting of concerns and the making of accurate recordings. Anti-social behaviours by the children have upset neighbours, resulting in several complaints. Responses to the complaints have not all been timely, and records kept do not demonstrate that a rigorous approach was taken.

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and young people since the most recent full inspection

Despite these concerns, children attend school regularly and enjoy a choice of activities Inspection report children’s home: 1272075 2 including walking, swimming, going to the cinema and visiting friends and family. Children enjoy these activities and are making friends and gaining confidence. The use of physical intervention has reduced, and children do not go missing.

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and young people since the most recent full inspection

When away from the home, children are safely supported and helped to understand how to behave in the community. Conversely, when at home, some staff do not always follow agreed plans. Children are not consistently helped to understand boundaries. They are not always provided with structure to their days and not always given consistent responses to their behaviours. Consequently, since the last inspection, there have been a high number of incidents of one child significantly damaging the property and assaulting staff.

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and young people since the most recent full inspection

These incidents are mostly recorded with sufficient detail, and there is timely oversight by the acting manager. However, the quality of analysis and evaluation of these incident records, is variable, and not all demonstrate sufficient rigour. More recently, there has been a reduction in these types of incidents.

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and young people since the most recent full inspection

Since the last inspection, a new manager has been appointed and a permanent staff team recruited. This has resulted in a full staff team and the minimal use of agency workers. Nevertheless, a high turnover of staff since the last inspection has meant that children have not received consistency of care from adults whom they know well. In turn, this has had a negative impact on children’s ability to form long-lasting and trusting relationships.

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and young people since the most recent full inspection

Allegations that children made against staff during this period were investigated, and there is evidence of a timely response from managers. However, protocol and procedures were not consistently followed. Members of staff failed to promptly share concerning and relevant information with managers, and this will undoubtedly have flawed the investigations. Senior managers and leaders failed to recognise that protocol had not been followed.

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and young people since the most recent full inspection

The inspector identified several medication errors. Staff failed to give children prescribed medication.

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and young people since the most recent full inspection

Leaders and managers have failed to ensure that staff receive supervision and that all staff have completed relevant online training.

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and young people since the most recent full inspection

Not all records kept in the home are sufficiently comprehensive.

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and young people since the most recent full inspection

Staff fail to help one child keep their bedroom tidy and clean.

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and young people since the most recent full inspection

The newly appointed manager is aware of these shortfalls and is in the process of producing an action plan to address them. He recognises that much work is required to ensure that staff’s practice is safe and to embed learning in line with the home’s statement of purpose. Requirements are made so that the manager focuses on the improvements necessary to ensure that children are cared for by adults who are skilled and adequately supervised, in order to ensure that children receive good, safe care. Inspection report children’s home: 1272075 3

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Inspection date Inspection type Inspection judgement

15/05/2018 Full Requires improvement to be good

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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 leadership and management standard is that the registered person enables, inspires and leads a culture in relation to the children’s home that helps children aspire to fulfil their potential; and

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Requirement Due date

In particular, the standard in paragraph (1) requires the registered person to

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Requirement Due date

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;

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Requirement Due date

ensure that staff have the experience, qualifications and skills to meet the needs of each child;

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Requirement Due date

ensure that the home has sufficient staff to provide care for each child;

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Requirement Due date

ensure that the home’s workforce provides continuity of care to each child; and

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Requirement Due date

use monitoring and review systems to make continuous improvements in the quality of care provided in the home. 29/03/2019 Inspection report children’s home: 1272075 4 (Regulation 13 (1)(2)(a)(c)(d)(e)(h))

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Requirement Due date

The quality and purpose of care standard

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Requirement Due date

The quality and purpose of care standard is that children receive care from staff

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Requirement Due date

who understand the children’s home’s overall aims and the outcomes it seeks to achieve for children; and

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Requirement Due date

use this understanding to deliver care that meets children’s needs and supports them to fulfil their potential.

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Requirement Due date

In particular, the standard in paragraph (1) requires the registered person to understand and apply the home’s statement of purpose;

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Requirement Due date

understand and apply the home’s statement of purpose;

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Requirement Due date

protect and promote each child’s welfare;

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Requirement Due date

treat each child with dignity and respect.

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Requirement Due date

The conditions are that the care is delivered by a person who has the experience, knowledge and skills to deliver that care. (Regulation 6 (1)(a)(b)(2)(a)(b)(i)(ii)(iii)(3)(c)(i)) 29/03/2019

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Requirement Due date

The registered person must make arrangements for the handling, recording, safekeeping, safe administration and disposal of medicines received into the children’s home.

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Requirement Due date

In particular the registered person must ensure that

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Requirement Due date

medicine which is prescribed for a child is administered as prescribed to the child for whom it is prescribed and to no other child; and

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Requirement Due date

a record is kept of the administration of medicine to each child. (Regulation 23 (1)(2)(b)(c)) 29/03/2019

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Requirement Due date

The registered person must ensure that a record is made of any complaint, the action taken in response, and the outcome of any investigation. 29/03/2019 Inspection report children’s home: 1272075 5 In particular, ensure that complaints are responded to in a timely manner and records kept are clear, dated and signed by the author. (Regulation 39 (3)) The protection of children standard

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Requirement Due date

The protection of children standard is that children are protected from harm and enabled to keep themselves safe.

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Requirement Due date

In particular, the standard in paragraph (1) requires the registered person to ensure

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Requirement Due date

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;

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Requirement Due date

have the skills to identify and act upon signs that a child is at risk of harm;

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Requirement Due date

manage relationships between children to prevent them from harming each other;

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Requirement Due date

understand the roles and responsibilities in relation to protecting children that are assigned to them by the registered person;

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Requirement Due date

take effective action whenever there is a serious concern about a child’s welfare; and

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Requirement Due date

are familiar with, and act in accordance with, the home’s child protection policies. (Regulation 12 (1)(2)(a)(i)(iii)(iv)(v)(vi)(vii)) 29/03/2019

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Requirement Due date

The registered person must ensure that all employees

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Requirement Due date

receive practice-related supervision by a person with appropriate experience. In particular, ensure that this is regular and in line with the home’s statement of purpose and workforce development plan. Regulation 33 (4)(b)) 29/03/2019

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Recommendations

Inspection report children’s home: 1272075 6  For children’s homes to be nurturing and supportive environments that meet the needs of their children, they will, in most cases, be homely, domestic environments. Children’s homes must comply with relevant health and safety legislations (alarms, food hygiene etc.); however, in doing so, homes should seek as far as possible to maintain a domestic rather than ‘institutional’ impression. Ensure that children’s bedrooms are tidy and clean and provide children with a space to play and relax in. (‘Guide to the children’s homes regulations including the quality standards’ page 15, paragraph 3.9)

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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

This inspection focused on the effectiveness of the home and the progress and experiences of children and young people since the most recent full inspection.

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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’.

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Children’s home details

Registered provider address: 33 Holborn, London, EC1N 2HT

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Children’s home details

Registered manager: Elaine Philpott Inspection report children’s home: 1272075 7

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Inspector

Linda Bond, social care inspector Inspection report children’s home: 1272075 8 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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