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

Inspection report children’s home: SC407790 1 SC407790 Registered provider: Partnerships in Care 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 home is owned by a private company. Its statement of purpose specifies that it will provide care and accommodation for up to five children, aged nine to 18, who have complex needs which may include autism spectrum disorders and associated difficulties, such as learning disabilities, attachment disorder, mental health problems and troubled family relationships.

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Information about this children’s home

The manager has been registered with Ofsted since 2015.

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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 good

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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

Overall judgement at last inspection: good

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outstanding

Enforcement action since last inspection: none Inspection report children’s home: SC407790 2

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Inspection date Inspection type Inspection judgement

25/07/2018 Full Good 08/01/2018 Full Good 07/03/2017 Full Good 07/09/2016 Interim Sustained effectiveness Inspection report children’s home: SC407790 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

The registered manager must review the appropriateness and suitability of the location of the premises used for the purpose of the children’s home at least once in each calendar year taking into account the requirements in regulation 12(2)(c) (the protection of children’s standard). (Regulation 46(1))

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Requirement Due date

In particular, ensure that the location assessment is used as a working document and is easily accessible to the staff. 28/02/2010

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: outstanding

The children enjoy excellent relationships with the staff, who know the children very well. The skilled and insightful staff understand the impact that previous childhood experiences have had on the children’s ability to develop, to maintain healthy relationships and to gain an education. The staff deliver a high standard of support to children, ensuring that they are always meeting the children’s individual needs. The staff regularly achieve positive outcomes for the children and go above and beyond, when needed. The home is a safe space that has a homely atmosphere in which the children can flourish.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: outstanding

The staff use creative ways to match each child’s interests to tailored educational activities. This promotes the children’s engagement with and enjoyment of school. Consequently, the children make outstanding progress in their education, often in a short period of time. The children are expected and supported to attend education every day, and they do. All the current children stay at the home between 38 and 52 weeks per year. During term time, they attend the company’s school located nearby. A child said, ‘I love the school. It’s the best school I have ever been to.’

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: outstanding

The children have opportunities every day to learn and have fun. The staff demonstrate a very good understanding of each of the children’s likes and dislikes. Together, the children and staff design structured, well-planned activities that the children enjoy and benefit from. The staff have high aspirations for the children and help them to believe Inspection report children’s home: SC407790 4 that they can achieve. Children’s self-esteem, confidence and resilience increase, and there are numerous examples of children achieving new things. Individual goals and targets are often exceeded in a short period of time.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: outstanding

The enthusiastic staff team instils a sense of pride in the children, and this encourages them to make further progress. The staff support the children to develop independence skills that are age-appropriate and that prepare them well for the next stage of their lives.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: outstanding

Professionals and parents are consistently positive about the impact of the care provided, the working relationships with the staff and the progress that the children make.

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

The staff use one-to-one discussion sessions to help children understand how to keep themselves safe. The staff are aware of the risks to children in the community. The home’s location assessment, although detailed, is not as visible in the home as it could be; it is not used as a working document to guide staff.

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

The children are at ease with the staff and say they know what to do if they have a worry or concern. The quality assurance processes in place ask the children if they ‘feel safe in the home’. The registered manager recognised that this question was too generic and is reviewing the questions, so they are more focused.

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

The staff team’s focus on providing high standards of care means that children make good progress in changing negative behaviours. Individual risk assessments provide clear and sensible strategies to lessen the risks associated with known or new behaviours. As a result, there have been no incidents of children going missing, significantly decreasing numbers of restraints and no serious incidents. In addition, there have been no safeguarding referrals.

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

All the staff receive thorough safeguarding training. The registered manager, who is the designated safeguarding lead in the home, is supported by an assistant manager to monitor practice. The registered manager and assistant manager are fully informed of the procedures to follow if allegations are made, although none have been since the last inspection. The registered manager undertakes regular audits of all aspects of safeguarding. She has discussions with staff to ensure that they keep themselves up to date. All staff spoken to were able to describe to the inspector how to pass on and manage any concerns or allegations.

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

The staff understand the risks that the use of the internet and social media may pose to the children. There are clear and robust boundaries put in place which the staff team consistently apply. The children are well informed of what they need to do to keep themselves safe, and the reasoning behind the house rules. The registered manager Inspection report children’s home: SC407790 5 continues to develop strategies to improve safety, and to support children in learning how to keep themselves safe.

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

The children are protected by careful recruitment procedures and the regular monitoring of staff. Thorough and regular health and safety checks ensure that the physical environment of the home is safe and secure and protects the children from harm or the risk of harm.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: outstanding

The registered manager is passionate and inspirational. She knows the children and her staff team well. Her enthusiasm permeates through the staff team, which shares her passion to achieve the best outcomes for children. The registered manager is suitably qualified and experienced. She has held this post for five years. She has a good understanding of the home’s strengths and areas for improvement. An action plan gives good detail about the areas she is focusing on with her staff team.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: outstanding

The staff team is highly supportive of the registered manager. The staff appreciate the support and wide range of experiences she provides and which they make use of positively in their roles. The manager supports her staff team and successfully develops its skills further. She uses competency testing to evaluate training, knowledge and day- to-day practice. The staff are strong advocates for the children. They successfully challenge other agencies on the children’s behalf if they believe an agency has not acted in the child’s best interests.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: outstanding

Through the provision and implementation of learning from mandatory and selected training, staff have the skills to meet the children’s needs. The registered manager provides staff with regular and effective supervision. This is in addition to meetings where information is shared, and incidents reflected on. Staff feel very well supported, valued and motivated as a result.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: outstanding

An exemplary amount of detail, thought and discussion goes into assessing all new referrals. The involvement of the whole staff team and its determination to ensure compatibility and safety for all the children has resulted in very successful placements.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: outstanding

The registered manager and staff strive relentlessly to promote positive outcomes for the children while developing their self-esteem and confidence to ensure that they are more likely to achieve. This they accomplish to an excellent standard. Inspection report children’s home: SC407790 6

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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: SC407790 7

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Children’s home details

Registered provider: Partnerships in Care Limited

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Children’s home details

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

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Inspector

Liz Driver, social care inspector Inspection report children’s home: SC407790 8 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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