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

Inspection report children’s home: 1249259 1 Registered provider: Priory Education Services Limited

p.1

Full inspection Inspected under the social care common inspection framework

p.1

Information about this children’s home

This home is privately owned by a large organisation. It is registered to accommodate up to four children who have learning disabilities. The statement of purpose states that it accommodates children with a diagnosis of moderate to severe autism spectrum disorder, often with difficult and challenging behaviour.

p.1

Information about this children’s home

The manager was registered with Ofsted in December 2018.

p.1

Overall experiences and progress of

children and young people, taking into account

p.1

outstanding

How well children and young people are helped and protected outstanding

p.1

outstanding

The effectiveness of leaders and managers outstanding

p.1

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.

p.1

outstanding

Date of last inspection: 6 November 2018

p.1

outstanding

Overall judgement at last inspection: good

p.1

outstanding

Enforcement action since last inspection: none Inspection report children’s home: 1249259 2

p.1

Inspection date Inspection type Inspection judgement

06/11/2018 Full Good 26/03/2018 Interim Improved effectiveness 01/11/2017 Full Outstanding Inspection report children’s home: 1249259 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

The positive relationships standard is that children are helped to develop, and to benefit from, relationships based on— mutual respect and trust; an understanding about acceptable behaviour; and positive responses to other children and adults.

p.3

Requirement Due date

In particular, the standard in paragraph (1) requires the registered person to ensure— that staff— meet each child’s behavioural and emotional needs, as set out in the child’s relevant plans. (Regulation 11 (1)(a)(b)(c)(2)(a)(i)

p.3

Requirement Due date

In particular, ensure that staff receive training to meet a child’s specific needs. 27/09/2019

p.3

Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: outstanding

Within this nurturing and stable home, children experience a sense of safety and security. They settle in the home, respond to high-quality, individualised care from the staff and make significant progress. In the lively and vibrant environment, children have fun and have opportunities to develop their personal interests and build their confidence and self-esteem.

p.3

Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: outstanding

Children receive close, tailored support to help them develop. Children’s speech, language and communication skills are improving considerably. They are learning how to identify their feelings and manage their emotions. Their levels of anxiety are reducing and their behaviour improving, as they build trusting and meaningful relationships with the staff.

p.3

Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: outstanding

Staff encourage and support the children to be independent. Children are making excellent progress from their starting points in their self-care skills and everyday living skills. They are learning to express their views and make choices. Weekly children’s Inspection report children’s home: 1249259 4 meetings are effective as a forum for children to voice their opinions and preferences and be involved in day-to-day matters in the home. These meetings are thoughtfully structured, with the children’s level of understanding and communication needs at the forefront. A ‘topic of the week’ enables staff to address a variety of relevant issues with the children to further their understanding and awareness of social interactions and matters affecting their well-being.

p.3

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

The registered manager and the staff know the children extremely well. Working closely and collaboratively with the children’s families, staff have an in-depth understanding of their specific characteristics and their particular needs and vulnerabilities.

p.4

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

Children’s plans are markedly detailed with insightful and thoughtful support strategies that guide staff in supporting the children’s development. The same attention is given to protecting children. Risk management is comprehensive and individualised, with all incidents closely monitored by managers. Managers are continuously evaluating the support provided for children, particularly when incidents occur that require staff to provide physical support. The deputy manager is qualified to provide training for physical interventions. Staff benefit from his expertise and frequent refresher sessions, enabling them to support children in the safest way.

p.4

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

The registered manager and the staff are skilled at identifying potential risks and triggers associated with children’s behaviour. They involve the children in identifying how the staff can help them manage their emotions and their behaviour. Key-work sessions are used appropriately to promote children’s understanding of keeping themselves safe.

p.4

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

Children respond to the consistency and stability provided by staff. Through the positive relationships staff have with the children, and the staff’s attentive and sensitive care, children respond and their behaviour improves.

p.4

The effectiveness of leaders and managers: outstanding

The registered manager leads the staff team with passion and enthusiasm, instilling an aspirational team approach to support children to develop and achieve positive outcomes. Her belief in the commitment and dedication of the staff team is evidenced by the significant progress children are making.

p.4

The effectiveness of leaders and managers: outstanding

Managers inspire the staff team to build meaningful relationships with the children and to respond to their individual needs. Through the staff’s dedication to helping the children develop, they are making a difference and improving the children’s future life chances.

p.4

The effectiveness of leaders and managers: outstanding

The registered manager is aware of the home’s strengths and areas for development. Currently the focus is on developing staff skills and empowering them to take more responsibility, particularly in relation to key-working. The manager and the experienced deputy manager effectively role model best practice. Support for the staff, through Inspection report children’s home: 1249259 5 formal supervision and informal advice and guidance from managers, is appreciated and valued by staff. Good communication between the staff and managers, resulting in consistent working, is benefiting the children.

p.4

The effectiveness of leaders and managers: outstanding

Training for staff is wide-ranging. Managers ensure that staff learning is embedded so that staff have the necessary skills and knowledge to meet the children’s very complex needs. However, the staff have not received formal training in relation to one child’s specific need.

p.5

The effectiveness of leaders and managers: outstanding

Recruitment to fill staff vacancies is ongoing and the number of staff vacancies has reduced. Managers ensure that there are sufficient staff to meet children’s needs and that the children receive consistency of care, through staff doing overtime and utilising the organisation’s school staff, who know the children well. All staff receive an induction to ensure that they have the knowledge to work effectively within the home.

p.5

The effectiveness of leaders and managers: outstanding

Through rigorous internal and external monitoring, managers have successfully established a culture that promotes and drives continuous improvement.

p.5

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.

p.5

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: 1249259 6

p.5

Children’s home details

Registered provider: Priory Education Services Limited

p.6

Children’s home details

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

p.6

Inspector

Jan Hunnam, social care inspector Inspection report children’s home: 1249259 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 looked after children, safeguarding and child protection.

p.6

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.7

Inspector

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

p.7

Inspector

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

p.7