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

Inspection report children’s home: 2535166 1 Registered provider: Priory Education Services Limited

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Full inspection Inspected under the social care common inspection framework

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Information about this children’s home

This children’s home is owned and managed by a large national organisation. The home provides care and accommodation for three young people aged between 16 and 18 years. This home is linked to a further education special college, operated by the same organisation. Young people who live here may have a diagnosis of autistic spectrum disorder, learning disabilities and associated complex needs. The registered manager’s post has been vacant since 29 November 2019. A new manager has been appointed to commence in January 2020.

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Information about this children’s home

Inspection dates: 10 to 11 December 2019

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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 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: this is the first inspection since the home was registered in August 2019.

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good

Overall judgement at last inspection: not applicable

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good

Enforcement action since last inspection: not applicable Inspection report children’s home: 2535166 2

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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

13: The leadership and management standard The leadership and management standard is that the registered person enables, inspires and leads a culture in relation to the children’s home that—

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Requirement Due date

helps children aspire to fulfil their potential; and

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Requirement Due date

In particular, the standard in paragraph (1) requires the registered person to—

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Requirement Due date

use monitoring and review systems to make continuous improvements in the quality of care provided in the home. (Regulation 13 (1)(a)(b)(2)(h)) 31/01/2020

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Requirement Due date

37: Other records Schedule 4 sets out the other information that the registered person must keep in relation to a children’s home.

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Requirement Due date

maintain in the home the records in Schedule 4;

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Requirement Due date

ensure that the records are kept up to date; and

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Requirement Due date

retain the records for at least 15 years from the date of the last entry. (Regulation 37 (1)(2)(a)(b)(c)) 31/01/2020 Inspection report children’s home: 2535166 3

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Young people develop and sustain positive relationships with the adults who care for them. Young people are valued and treated with respect, as staff ensure that their wishes and feelings are incorporated into their care planning. As a result, young people gain confidence, enabling them to make good progress and benefit from positive experiences.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

At the time of this inspection, two young people lived in this home and said that they like living here. One young person says that the staff team supports and encourages him. He is complimentary about the team saying, ‘They know what they are doing.’ Working in partnership with the college means that young people have bespoke timetables to meet their learning styles and abilities.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Young people are encouraged to pursue their interests and try new things. The first time on an aeroplane, a glamping holiday and entering a dance competition are just some examples of young people’s adventures. For those who struggle to socialise outside of the home, the staff are creative in arranging events within the home and the local college. For example, one young person prepared a chilli festival, a culinary interest of theirs, and in addition they held a cake sale to raise money for a cancer charity.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Young people benefit from the collaborative approach promoted by the staff team. With the full engagement of young people, meetings and discussions are regularly held with college staff, therapists from the child and adolescent mental health service (CAMHS), parents, social workers and occasionally local police officers. This level of multi-agency intervention has a strong focus on agreeing strategies to support young people while living at this home. Additional forward thinking is applied to such strategies to prepare young people for their next step into adult life.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

The promotion of young people’s health and emotional well-being is a strength of this home. Specialist support is available through a range of therapies and the local CAMHS. There are opportunities to attend smoking cessation clinics and staff support young people in their understanding about relationships and their sexual health. The arrangements for managing medication are safe and effective. Some young people become independent with re-ordering and managing their medication as they appropriately self-medicate.

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

Young people benefit from the staff team using a consistently nurturing approach. Care plans and risk assessments provide useful guidance and support for staff to manage young people’s behaviour when they are upset. These techniques are effective, as confirmed by the fact that physical intervention has not been used and there are no reports of young people going missing from this home. Inspection report children’s home: 2535166 4 Safeguarding concerns are managed well, with prompt referrals to other agencies. The staff team members utilise their training well to keep young people safe. Health and social care professionals praise the staff team on its management of risk and working in partnership with others. For example, a significant reduction in self-harm has led to some personal achievement of managing medication, travelling independently and becoming self-sufficient in shopping and cooking meals. For some young people, this

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

level of achievement is considerable when considering that they previously had high levels of medical supervision in response to the severity of their poor mental health.

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

In response to behaviours that cause concern, staff take appropriate action and support young people to understand how to keep themselves, and others, safe. The use of a mobile phone and social media are regularly discussed, with appropriate restrictions applied. Incidents of bullying, harassment, fire-setting and theft are managed well and can appropriately involve the police and the fire service in an educational capacity.

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

Staff support young people in forming relationships. This sensitive area is managed well through providing information about positive and respectful relationships. Subject to an assessment of risk and consultation with others who live here, friends and established partners have the opportunity to have a sleepover at the home in the guest room. This level of care and support enables young people to have similar opportunities to their peers and avoids any discrimination as a result of living in a children’s home.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

The registered manager left her employment less than two weeks prior to this inspection. The organisation has responded quickly by appointing a new manager who will start in January 2020. The interim management arrangements are covered effectively by two assistant managers, with oversight from a senior manager within the organisation. Leaders and managers keep Ofsted informed of these changes to the management of the home.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

The staff team is passionate and enthusiastic in its drive to meet the needs of the young people. This is evident through observing the positive relationships between the staff and young people and confirmed by parents and professionals. A parent reports that ‘it is more than a job’ to many staff, appreciating how staff members will support young people when they are scheduled for a day off, to accompany them to special events. Senior managers are proud to report on the indicators of a strong staff team where morale is high and sickness levels are low. Night staff report how they are made to feel part of the team.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

Leaders and managers support staff well in their professional development through training and supervision. The aspirations of team members are promoted by the organisation, for example by supporting the assistant managers in studying for a management qualification and encouraging a member of staff with additional responsibilities and training as they aspire to be a shift leader.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

Parents and professionals report very positively on the quality of the communication, Inspection report children’s home: 2535166 5 verbally and through written reports. In addition, parents and professionals value the partnership working where they recognise how they work together to support and safeguard young people.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

On the whole, records are of a good quality and reflect the care provided. The level of monitoring lacks depth at times, failing to notice the following:  lack of dates on records  incorrect date on a record  lack of a summary report from a statutory review meeting in August 2019  poor use of language in report writing.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

In addition, the register of children living at the home lacks sufficient detail and is therefore not compliant with the regulations of a children’s home. These administrative shortfalls currently have minimal impact on young people

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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: 2535166 6

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Children’s home details

Registered provider: Priory Education Services Limited

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Children’s home details

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

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Inspector

Clare Davies, social care inspector Inspection report children’s home: 2535166 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 children looked after, safeguarding and child protection.

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Inspector

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Inspector

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Inspector

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