Children's home run by Aspris Care Central Limited in Hammersmith and Fulham

Inspection report children’s home: SC063895 1 SC063895 Registered provider: Castle Homes Care Ltd

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Full inspection Inspected under the social care common inspection framework

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Information about this children’s home

The home is privately owned. It is registered to provide care and accommodation for up to four children and young people who have emotional and/or behavioural difficulties. The home cares for children and young people who display challenging behaviour. This can be in the form of verbal or physical abuse or self-harming behaviour. Children and young people may also be involved in the criminal justice system or be particularly vulnerable to exploitation.

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Overall experiences and progress of

children and young people, taking into account

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outstanding

How well children and young people are helped and protected outstanding

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outstanding

The effectiveness of leaders and managers outstanding

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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.

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outstanding

Date of last inspection: 4 February 2019

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outstanding

Overall judgement at last inspection: improved effectiveness

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outstanding

Enforcement action since last inspection: none Inspection report children’s home: SC063895 2

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Inspection date Inspection type Inspection judgement

04/02/2019 Interim Improved effectiveness 10/04/2018 Full Good 30/01/2018 Interim Improved effectiveness 03/04/2017 Full Requires improvement to be good Inspection report children’s home: SC063895 3

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: outstanding

Young people thrive in this home and make exceptional progress. Relationships between staff and young people are the ‘golden thread’ to support progress. Young people described the staff team as ‘family’. This view is reflected by social workers, who also described the home as ‘like a family’.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: outstanding

Young people make excellent progress from their starting points. This is because the highly qualified and skilled team understands the needs of individual young people. This supports young people to reach their potential.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: outstanding

From their starting points, young people’s educational attendance and attainment are outstanding. Staff prioritise education in the same way that a good parent would. Staff work closely with schools and monitor progress. Clear routines in the home support healthy sleeping patterns. This promotes improved concentration within education. Young people who previously refused to attend education now embrace learning. This means they have improved life chances.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: outstanding

Young people are healthy. They progress and develop very well. Staff are diligent and pay attention to the changing health needs of young people. A designated nurse for the young people said: ‘This is one of the best homes I work with. The atmosphere is great, young people are happy, well cared for and healthcare is promoted.’

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: outstanding

Preparing young people for greater independence is a strength of this home. Young people are assessed and continually supported to develop increasingly complex life skills. They gain accredited food hygiene and first aid qualifications. The home’s housekeeper teaches young people cooking and domestic skills. They benefit from driving lessons and a wide range of support to promote improved life chances.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: outstanding

Care provision is underpinned by strong partnership work. The team has developed an extensive professional network. This enables the team to learn and share information, for example by working closing with the Tavistock clinic to support a young person to understand their gender identity.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: outstanding

The home environment reflects that young people are valued. It is pristine, with high standards of decoration and furnishings. The manager has worked hard with the young people to invest in the home. Young people have been included in plans to redesign and change the functions of some rooms. Senior managers have supported these plans and provided extra funds. The home reflects that the needs of the young people have been put first. Inspection report children’s home: SC063895 4

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

Safeguarding is of paramount importance in this home. Professionals stated that safeguarding practice is excellent. Young people said they feel safe and are taught to keep themselves safe.

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

Managers and staff have an excellent understanding of the vulnerabilities of the young people. Staff benefit from an extensive programme of safeguarding training. Training is highly effective in ensuring that staff understand a diverse range of complex risks.

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

From admission to the home, risks are well understood. Risk assessment is of the highest calibre. Risks are reviewed and strategies to protect young people adapted. Over time, risks reduce for young people. This means they gain a higher level of independence.

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

Young people have been missing from the home. The response to these incidents has been highly effective. Young people are supported and encouraged to enable staff to understand why they have run away. Consequently, staff have been able to prevent further incidents. This means incidents of young people being missing from the home have significantly reduced. Consequently, young people are kept safe.

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

Behaviour management is exceptional. Staff have not used physical interventions to manage young people’s complex behaviours. Staff understand the underlying reasons behind behaviours, particularly the impact of past trauma and abuse. A staff member said: ‘Because we are well trained, we work as a team and know the young people – this means we do not need to use physical interventions.’

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: outstanding

Leadership and management arrangements are exceptional. The registered manager has a clear focus that she uses to drive continual improvement in this home. The culture of the home aims to ensure that all young people succeed and reach their personal potential.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: outstanding

The highly experienced assistant manager supports the registered manager in the day- to-day operation of the home. Together, they are a tenacious management team. They have been highly effective in providing outstanding standards of care.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: outstanding

Managers promote the professional development of all staff. Staff can access high-calibre and diverse training opportunities. They benefit from using research-based practice. The registered manager said: ‘I lead from the front, but I am only as good as my team. I promote the upskilling of the team to enable the team to function effectively without me.’

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: outstanding

Supervision arrangements are excellent. Rigorous supervision enables managers to support staff, identify training needs and monitor the quality of care provided to young Inspection report children’s home: SC063895 5 people.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: outstanding

Staff said the management team members are excellent role models. The staff team is cohesive. Its members have a shared commitment to ensure that young people receive the highest standards of care and support.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: outstanding

Effective partnership work ensures that young people’s care plans are progressed. Social workers and independent reviewing officers are unanimous in their praise for this home. One social worker said: ‘They are a multi-professional team who work with me, not against me. Managers are not afraid to challenge. They consider the holistic needs of the young people. We work as one, for the best interests of the child.’

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: outstanding

Managers routinely analyse the plans and progress of young people. Targets and goals are reviewed and reset. This ensures the continual progress of young people. Consequently, overall life chances considerably improve.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: outstanding

The registered manager has a clear vision and a defined sense of purpose. Meticulous internal and external quality assurance provides detailed analysis of care provision. This means leaders and managers have a clear understanding of the home’s strengths and weaknesses.

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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

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: SC063895 6

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Children’s home details

Registered provider: Castle Homes Care Ltd

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Children’s home details

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

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Children’s home details

Responsible individual: Anthony Armstrong

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Inspector(s)

Amanda Ellis, social care inspector Inspection report children’s home: SC063895 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.

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Inspector(s)

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Inspector(s)

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Inspector(s)

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