Children's Home run by Aspris New Education Services Limited in Lancashire

Inspection report children’s home: SC412971 1 SC412971 Registered provider: Priory New Education Services Limited 07221650 Interim inspection 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 private organisation. The home provides residential accommodation for up to four young people who have learning disabilities. The manager has been registered since November 2017.

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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 good at the last full inspection. At the interim inspection, Ofsted judges that it has sustained effectiveness. Young people continue to receive individualised care specifically designed to meet their complex needs. The home is warm and welcoming and provides a nurturing environment. Staff encourage young people to express their wishes and feelings in a meaningful way. This maximises the choice and control that young people have over their lives. Visual aides have been developed to support young people to understand routines, ease anxieties and maximise their independence. The use of a ‘preference board’ with one young person has increased his ability to communicate with staff. All the young people who live at this home attend a school that is run by the organisation. Attendance of young people at school is good and staff in both settings work in partnership to promote consistent practice. Young people are making good

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and young people since the most recent full inspection

progress and learning self-care skills to increase their independence. Staff have developed individual visual aides to support young people with routines such as dressing and bathing. Inspection report children’s home: SC412971 2 Each young person has an outcomes folder which records targets and celebrates their achievements. This would be strengthened by incorporating the outcomes identified within each young person’s EHC plan. Staff work sensitively with young people to support them to overcome anxieties. Careful and slow desensitisation work has taken place with one young person around visiting the hairdresser. This has enabled him to manage his anxieties and he is now able to have his hair cut regularly. Young people benefit from accessing a wide range of community activities. Personal choice is encouraged, and staffing levels are sufficient to support both individual and group activities. Parents are confident in the staff’s abilities to care for their child safely. Social workers

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and young people since the most recent full inspection

receive monthly reports on young people’s progress and welfare. One social worker commented, ‘Since being placed at the home, (Name of young person) has flourished in all aspects of their development.’ The management team exhibits an enthusiasm and desire to understand and respond to young people’s complex needs and behaviours. Managers encourage reflective practice to ensure that staff are responsive to the changing needs of young people. Detailed care plans, risk assessments and behaviour support plans are in place to provide clear guidance for staff. The manager keeps these documents under review and monitors them for trends that can inform practice. The strength of the management team is their comprehensive knowledge of the young people that they support. This is an area for development for new members of staff who do not yet have the same level of understanding. Since the last inspection, there have been a lot of changes within the staff team. This

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and young people since the most recent full inspection

has led to the increased use of agency and bank staff to cover shortfalls on the rota, which has resulted in an inconsistent staff team caring for the young people. The management team has identified this issue and is making efforts to recruit more permanent team members. At the last inspection, a requirement was raised in relation to the safe management of young people’s medication. The registered manager has implemented a monitoring system to address this matter. However, further clarity is still required within the home’s medication policy to support consistent practice.

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Inspection date Inspection type Inspection judgement

06/06/2018 Full Good 10/07/2017 Full Requires improvement to be good 15/03/2017 Interim Improved effectiveness 15/08/2016 Full Good Inspection report children’s home: SC412971 3

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Recommendations

 Regulation 23 requires the registered person to ensure that they make suitable arrangements to manage, administer and dispose of any medication. (Guide to the children’s homes regulations including the quality standards’, page 35, paragraph 7.15)  A high proportion of children in children’s homes have special educational needs (SEN) (a research study found 38% to have a statement of special educational needs) and staff need to understand the specialist support children may need to be able to engage positively and achieve in education. Staff must be aware of whether a child has an EHC plan and the information in it. An EHC plan details the education, health and social care support that is to be provided to a child or young person who has special educational needs or a disability. For further information see the SEND Code of Practice: 0 to 25 years. (Guide to the children’s homes regulations including the quality standards’, page 26, paragraph 5.4)

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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’. Inspection report children’s home: SC412971 4

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Children’s home details

Registered provider: Priory New Education Services Limited 07221650

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Children’s home details

Registered provider address: 80 Hammersmith Road, London W14 8UD

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Inspector

Sophie Thomson, social care inspector Inspection report children’s home: SC412971 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

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Inspector

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Inspector

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