Children's home run by Aurora ASD Ltd

Interim inspection report children’s home: 1263084 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

The home is part of the Aurora Group. It offers 52-week placements with inclusive education at Aurora Hedgeway School. The home is registered to care for children and young people aged between eight and 19 years, irrespective of gender, who have a diagnosis of autism spectrum disorder including Asperger syndrome and additional complex needs and/or learning disabilities.

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Judgement at last inspection: good

Enforcement action since last inspection: none

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and young people since the most recent full inspection

This home was judged good at the last full inspection. At the interim inspection, Ofsted judges that it has sustained effectiveness.

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and young people since the most recent full inspection

The manager and staff team have remained in place since the last inspection. This has had a positive impact on their ability to provide young people with consistency and stability. Young people have formed good relationships with adults who they trust and know well. For some of these young people their confidence has grown, and they are better able to be in the community without supervision.

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and young people since the most recent full inspection

Young people who have since moved into the home have benefited from documented and planned introductions. The registered manager has paid attention to ensuring that family, social workers and young people who live in the home are involved in these introductions. Communication between families and the home is good, and families feel Interim inspection report children’s home: 1263084 2 supported. As a result, some of these young people are enjoying improved relationships with their families.

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and young people since the most recent full inspection

Since the last inspection, there have been several times when two young people new to the home have gone missing. Each episode has been recorded and the young people have been safely returned to the home. However, staff are not consistently following each young person’s missing-from-home protocol, nor is it clear that the protocols have been reviewed and agreed by partner agencies.

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and young people since the most recent full inspection

Most of the young people are attending school or accessing alternative learning opportunities. They are making steady progress in all areas of their development. For those young people who are due to move on from the home, there are plans in place and the young people are working hard to learn new skills. For example, two young people have learned to safely and confidently use public transport. This enables them to visit family without supervision, and to go shopping.

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and young people since the most recent full inspection

One young person has left the home and returned to live with their family. The registered manager recognised the importance of supporting this move and provided the young person and his family with an outreach package. Helping to bridge this period has resulted in lessening the feelings of loss for a young person who had known the staff for a long time.

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and young people since the most recent full inspection

Monitoring and reviewing the quality of the home’s performance is undertaken by the registered manager and deputy manager. In the main, they have identified how the home and staff can continue to make progress. Staff have completed necessary training and receive adequate levels of supervision. However, it was of concern that several medication errors have occurred. Despite supervision and challenge by the registered manager this poor practice has been repeated. A requirement is therefore made to ensure that this issue is addressed.

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Inspection date Inspection type Inspection judgement

26/06/2018 Full Good 13/02/2018 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 Interim inspection report children’s home: 1263084 3 person(s) must comply within the given timescales.

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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.

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Recommendations

 Local authorities should have in place Runaway and Missing From Home and Care (RMFHC) protocols agreed with local police and other partners. Where appropriate, they should also have agreed protocols with neighbouring authorities. The protocols should be agreed and reviewed regularly with all agencies and be scrutinised by the Local Safeguarding Children’s Board (LSCB). (‘Guide to the children’s homes regulations including the quality standards’, page 45, paragraph 9.23)

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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 Interim inspection report children’s home: 1263084 4 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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Inspector(s)

Linda Bond, social care inspector Interim inspection report children’s home: 1263084 5 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.

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Inspector(s)

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Inspector(s)

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Inspector(s)

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