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

Inspection report children’s home: 1183069 1 Registered provider: Priory Education Services Limited Full inspection Inspected under the social care common inspection framework

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Information about this children’s home

This home is registered for up to six children who have mental health needs. It is privately owned and is also registered with the Care Quality Commission.

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Information about this children’s home

The suitably qualified and experienced manager has been registered since April 2018.

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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: 21 November 2018

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good

Overall judgement at last inspection: good

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good

Enforcement action since last inspection: none Inspection report children’s home: 1183069 2

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Inspection date Inspection type Inspection judgement

21/11/2018 Full Good 20/11/2017 Full Good 26/01/2017 Interim Improved effectiveness 13/04/2016 Full Good Inspection report children’s home: 1183069 3

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

The thorough planning of new admissions ensures that young people who are new to the home settle well into the existing group of residents. As a result, the young people live at a caring home where the high-quality individualised support meets their particular needs. The transitions for young people who are moving on are similarly well planned.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

The young people know that the staff care about them and are always emotionally available. The staff are highly sensitive to young people’s personalities and needs. The staff spoke warmly about the young people, highlighting their strengths and personalities. The young people are consistently positive about their experiences. They said the staff are ‘lovely’ and rated the home as ‘brilliant’.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Over time, even the most reluctant young people, with the gentle but challenging support of staff, do things that they previously would not have tried, such as horse riding and roller skating. This builds their confidence. The young people are encouraged to learn or return to previous artistic hobbies that promote relaxation and mindfulness. Some of the young people enjoy music, others enjoy cooking, drawing or crochet. As result, the home is a hive of creativity.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

The commitment to equality and diversity is threaded through the service. The staff and young people are respectful of difference. This helps young people who have gender dysmorphia to feel accepted and valued for who they are. The wraparound therapeutic support provided by the staff helps the young people to understand, and begin to come to terms with, their personal identity and histories.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

The well-trained and insightful staff are not fazed by the young people’s mental health needs. The staff provide high levels of care and support in the least intrusive way possible. The staff, without fail, support the young people to have as much control over their lives as possible. A social worker said, ‘It is an outstanding service that balances the complexities of my child’s needs and rights well.’

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

The staff skilfully distract anxious young people from the emotions that are overwhelming them. The staff listen to the young people, so that they feel safe and emotionally held. The young people are therefore usually calm, and do not need further staff intervention. A parent said, about their child, ‘I know that she’s in the right place. The staff really care for her and want the best for her.’

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

The staff have suitable training and skills to support the young people who present with highly complex self-harming behaviour. The staff are highly attuned to the young people’s emotional presentation and consistently make dynamic risk assessments effectively. The detailed care plans help the staff to understand the strategies for managing the risks presented to, and by, the young people. As a Inspection report children’s home: 1183069 4 result, the young people benefit from an effective risk-management approach that keeps them safe while enabling them to have as much freedom as possible.

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

The young people’s self-awareness and sense of personal safety improve because they trust the staff and feel safe. When the young people have unsafe items, they will often seek out the support of staff. The young people get along well together and share a collective sense of responsibility for keeping each other safe.

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

The building is safe and well maintained. It is designed and furnished to minimise risks, such as those associated with ligatures. However, every effort has been made to ensure that the young people have a cosy and homely environment in which to live.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

The manager consistently provides enthusiastic, visible and effective leadership. She purposefully communicates and models her aspirations to deliver a high-quality, child-focused service.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

The manager and the therapist provide a positive and reflective working environment for the staff. The staff are valued and their opinions are respected. The manager ensures, through effective induction, training and supervision, that the staff gain the proficiencies and confidence needed to carry out their roles effectively. Research is disseminated and discussed during team meetings. This ensures that the team remains professionally challenged and motivated.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

The staff nurture the young people, which helps to build mutually trusting relationships. These good-quality relationships underpin the success that the staff have in supporting the young people to begin to recover.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

The manager and senior staff have developed close working relationships with families and partner professionals. A social worker said, ‘Communication is absolutely brilliant and there is an awful lot of collaboration.’ The manager and staff have no hesitation in challenging other professionals to ensure that young people receive the care and support that they need.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

The children’s guide contains some inaccurate information and does not inform the young people about how to raise any concerns with Ofsted. The provider has not sent a copy of the new statement of purpose and the most recent review of the quality of care to Ofsted. This means that young people and Ofsted are unable to easily access relevant and accurate information. Inspection report children’s home: 1183069 5

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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 children’s views, wishes and feelings standard is that children receive care from staff who—

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Requirement Due date

develop positive relationships with them;

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Requirement Due date

and take their views, wishes and feelings into account in relation to matters affecting the children’s care and welfare and their lives.

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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

keep the children’s guide and the home’s complaints procedure under review and seek children’s comments before revising either document. (Regulation 7(1)(2)(b)(ii)) 31/03/2020

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Requirement Due date

keep the statement of purpose under review and, where appropriate, revise it; and

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Requirement Due date

notify HMCI of any revisions and send HMCI a copy of the revised statement within 28 days of the revision. (Regulation 16(3)(a)(b)) 31/03/2020

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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.

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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’). 31/03/2020 Inspection report children’s home: 1183069 6 The registered person must—

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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. (Regulation 45(1)(3)(4)(a)(b)) Inspection report children’s home: 1183069 7

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Information about this inspection

Inspectors have looked closely at the experiences and progress of children and young people, 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: 1183069 8

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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

Joanna Heller, Social Care Inspector Inspection report children’s home: 1183069 9 to 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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