Children's Home run by Aspire House Ltd in Brent

Inspection report children‟s home: 1278959 1 Registered provider: Aspire House Ltd Full inspection Inspected under the social care common inspection framework

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Information about this children’s home

 This home is operated by a limited company. It is registered to provide care and accommodation for up to five children.  The responsible individual is also the registered manager of this home.  The registered manager has been in post since the home opened in May 2018. In their Statement of Purpose, the provider states that they provide care for children who have emotional and/or behavioural difficulties.

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Overall experiences and progress of

children and young people, taking into account

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good

How well children and young people are helped and protected requires improvement to be good

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good

The effectiveness of leaders and managers good

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good

The children‟s home provides effective services that meet the requirements for good.

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good

Date of last inspection: 22 February 2019

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good

Overall judgement at last inspection: sustained effectiveness

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good

Enforcement action since last inspection: none Inspection report children‟s home: 1278959 2

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Inspection judgement

Good Sustained effectiveness Inspection report children‟s home: 1278959 3

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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

Restraint in relation to a child is only permitted for the purpose of preventing–

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Requirement Due date

injury to any person (including the child);

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Requirement Due date

serious damage to the property of any person (including the child).

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Requirement Due date

Restraint in relation to a child must be necessary and proportionate. (Regulation 20(1)(a)(b), (2)) 25/10/2019

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Requirement Due date

within 24 hours of the use of a measure of control, discipline or restraint in relation to a child in the home, a record is made which includes–

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Requirement Due date

details of the child‟s behaviour leading to the use of the measure;

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Requirement Due date

the date, time and location of the use of the measure;

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Requirement Due date

a description of the measure and its duration;

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Requirement Due date

details of any methods used, or steps taken to avoid the need to use the measure;

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Requirement Due date

the name of the person who used the measure (“the user”), and of any other person present when the measure was used;

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Requirement Due date

the effectiveness and any consequences of the use of the measure; and

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Requirement Due date

a description of any injury to the child or any other person, and any medical treatment administered, as a result of the measure; 25/10/2019 Inspection report children‟s home: 1278959 4 within 48 hours of the use of the measure, the registered person, or a person who is authorised by the registered person to do so (“the authorised person”)–

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Requirement Due date

has spoken to the user about the measure; and

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Requirement Due date

has signed the record to confirm it is accurate; and

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Requirement Due date

within 5 days of the use of the measure, the registered person or the authorised person adds to the record confirmation that they have spoken to the child about the measure. (Regulation 35(3)(a)(i)(ii)(iii)(iv)(v)(vi)(vii)(viii), (b)(i)(ii)(c)(iv)) The registered person must ensure that an independent person visits the children‟s home at least once each month.

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Requirement Due date

When the independent person is carrying out a visit, the registered person must help the independent person–

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Requirement Due date

if they consent, to interview in private such of the children, their parents, relatives and persons working at the home as the independent person requires; and

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Requirement Due date

to inspect the premises of the home and such of the home‟s records (except for a child‟s case records, unless the child and the child‟s placing authority consent) as the independent person requires.

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Requirement Due date

A visit by the independent person to the home may be unannounced.

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Requirement Due date

The independent person must produce a report about a visit (“the independent person‟s report”) which sets out, in particular, the independent person‟s opinion as to whether–

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Requirement Due date

children are effectively safeguarded; and

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Requirement Due date

the conduct of the home promotes children‟s well-being.

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Requirement Due date

The independent person‟s report may recommend actions that the registered person may take in relation to the home and timescales within which the registered person must consider whether or not to take those actions. (Regulation 44(1), (2)(a)(b), (3), (4)(a)(b), (5) 25/10/2019

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Requirement Due date

The registered person must complete a review of the quality of care provided for children (“a quality of care review”) at least once every 6 months. 25/10/2019 Inspection report children‟s home: 1278959 5 In order to complete a quality of care review the registered person must establish and maintain a system for monitoring, reviewing and evaluating–

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Requirement Due date

the quality of care provided for children;

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Requirement Due date

the feedback and opinions of children about the children‟s home, its facilities and the quality of care they receive in it; and

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Requirement Due date

any actions that the registered person considers necessary in order to improve or maintain the quality of care provided for children.

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Requirement Due date

After completing a quality of care review, the registered person must produce a written report about the quality of care review and the actions which the registered person intends to take as a result of the quality of care review (“the quality of care review report”).

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Requirement Due date

supply to HMCI a copy of the quality of care review report within 28 days of the date on which the quality of care review is completed; and

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Requirement Due date

make a copy of the quality of care review report available on request to a placing authority, if the placing authority is not the parent of a child accommodated in the home.

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Requirement Due date

The system referred to in paragraph (2) must provide for ascertaining and considering the opinions of children, their parents, placing authorities and staff. (Regulation 45(1), (2)(a)(b)(c), (3), (4)(a)(b), (5)) The registered person must review the appropriateness and suitability of the location of the premises used for the purposes of the children‟s home at least once in each calendar year taking into account the requirement in regulation 12(2)(c) (the protection of children standard).

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Requirement Due date

When conducting the review, the registered person must consult, and take into account the views of, each relevant person. (Regulation 46(1), (2))

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Requirement Due date

In particular, the registered person must ensure that the location premises risk assessment contains full information on known or suspected risks for young people in the community and strategies to safeguard them. 25/10/2019 Inspection report children‟s home: 1278959 6

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Recommendations

 Staff should continually and actively assess the risks to each child and the arrangements in place to protect them. Where there are safeguarding concerns for a child, their placement plan, agreed between the home and their placing authority, must include details of the steps the home will take to manage any assessed risks on a day-to-day basis. („Guide to the children‟s homes regulations including the quality standards‟, page 42, paragraph 9.5) In particular, the provider must ensure that risk assessments are kept under review and that they contain information relevant to each individual child.  The registered person should ensure that all incidents of control, discipline and restraint are subject to systems of regular scrutiny to ensure that their use is fair. („Guide to the children‟s homes regulations including the quality standards‟, page 46, paragraph 9.36)  Any individual appointed to carry out visits to the home as an independent person

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Recommendations

must make a rigorous and impartial assessment of the home‟s arrangements for safeguarding and promoting the welfare of the children in the home‟s care. („Guide to the children‟s homes regulations including the quality standards‟, page 65, paragraph 15.5)  The skills, experience and professional background of the independent person, for example in undertaking work of a similar nature, will also be a relevant factor in assessing their ability to reach a rigorous and impartial judgement. („Guide to the children‟s homes regulations including the quality standards‟, page 65, paragraph 15.9) Inspection report children‟s home: 1278959 7

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Young people mature, make steady progress and significantly improve their life experiences from their starting points while living in this home.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Young people are positive about the home. They say that they are happy and that the staff care for them very well. The staff team‟s nurturing, highly individualised and consistent care plays a significant role in helping the young people to build trusting relationships. As a result, the home is a settled and peaceful environment.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

The staff recognise that routines and boundaries provide stability and security. This has resulted in young people becoming more able to calmly manage frustrations. Interactions between the staff and the young people are warm and considerate.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Education is given a high priority in this home. Staff have an understanding of the barriers to learning for some young people and how this can impact on their progress. They work closely with colleges and social workers to find ways to better support them in education.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Staff monitor the young people‟s health and provide the necessary support to ensure that routine appointments and checks are up to date. This ensures that the young people‟s health needs are met.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Consultation with the young people is a strength of the home. Their input is sought in all aspects of their care and the support provided to them. Young people say that they value this and feel listened to. The ethos of this home is to focus on the positives and strengths of each young person while gently supporting them to become responsible members of society.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Young people enjoy and benefit from spending time with their friends in a planned way in a safe environment. A young person said: „I enjoy having my friends come to visit. I cook for them and we socialise together in the house or the garden. They are respectful to the staff, who always make them welcome.‟

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

The atmosphere in the home is very warm and calm, and social interactions are friendly and fun. Young people are able to enjoy a range of activities, such as go-karting and trips out. The garden is a much-used social space.

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improvement to be good

Young people told the inspector that they are happy and feel safe living in the home and accessing the local community. They know that they can talk to the staff if they have any concerns or worries. Inspection report children‟s home: 1278959 8 The staff team‟s approach to behaviour management is to promote acceptable behaviour through positive role modelling, constant praise, incentives and rewards.

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improvement to be good

Risks to young people are known and understood. However, these are not always reflected in risk assessments. Assessments are not individualised to each young person and contain out-of-date or unnecessary information. No management reviews of risk assessments are in place. As a result, the staff are in danger of not recognising the signs when a young person may be at risk of harm.

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improvement to be good

In the main, restraint is used appropriately. However, restraints records are not kept in line with regulations. Management scrutiny of the appropriateness of physical interventions is not in place. As a result, the safety of young people can be compromised.

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improvement to be good

Episodes of young people going missing from the home have reduced. However, for one high-risk young person who has been missing for an extended period of time, the staff do not have reliable strategies in place to ensure his safety. Staff depend heavily on keeping in touch with this young person by mobile phone. As a result, staff cannot be certain of his safety in the community.

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improvement to be good

Staff undertake a range of training in safeguarding matters. In addition to attending the local authority‟s safeguarding training, staff undertake online courses on a range of topics, including challenging behaviours and health and safety. This ensures that staff have a good understanding of their safeguarding roles and responsibilities.

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improvement to be good

Home maintenance and regular health and safety checks are carried out. Additionally, safer recruitment practices ensure that staff are suitably vetted before they start work in the home.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

The registered manager is an experienced and suitably qualified leader who knows the service, his staff team and the young people well. Staff describe the manager as „respectful and supportive‟ of them.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

The stability and commitment of the staff are a strength of the home. They work well as a team, and this ensures that the young people receive consistent care and support. A staff member commented, „We are a working family who care for each other and the young people who live in this home.‟

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

Staff are aspirational and ambitious for all the young people in their care. All staff are experienced and suitably qualified.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

Practice-related supervision for all staff is conducted by an independent practitioner. The inspector was unable to access these records. However, the lack of management supervision of the staff fails to give them the opportunity to reflect on their practice. Shortfalls in supervision potentially undermine the stability of the team. Inspection report children‟s home: 1278959 9 Strong partnership working with social workers and education and other involved professionals supports young people to make measurable progress. An education professional commented, „Communication with the carers is frequent and very helpful. I felt that we were working as a team to provide the best possible educational outcomes for the young person. Staff are always responsive to any concerns and always try their best.‟

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

The independent monitoring of the home is not rigorous. For example, reports lack scrutiny of the quality of care and protection of the young people. The reports do not provide the manager with detailed action points on how to improve the service. Inconsistencies in the monitoring of the service are weakening the home‟s improvement journey.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

Internal quality assurance is not robust. For example, management oversight of the home‟s location premises assessment does not fully address identified risks for the young people in the local and wider community or the strategies to safeguard them. Management monitoring systems of the care provided to young people are in place. However, these are not sent to the regulator in a timely manner. Inspection report children‟s home: 1278959 10

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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 difference 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

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: 1278959 11

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Children’s home details

Registered provider address: 37 Headstone Lane, Harrow, Middlesex HA2 6JJ

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Inspector

Juanita Mayers, social care inspector Inspection report children‟s home: 1278959 12 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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