Children's home run by Aspris Children’s Service in Hammersmith and Fulham

Inspection report for children's home - monitoring visit: 1234621 1

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Priory Education Services Limited

Monitoring visit Inspected under the social care common inspection framework

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Information about this children’s home

The home, which is run by a large national organisation, provides care for up to five children with emotional and behavioural difficulties.

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Information about this children’s home

The manager registered with Ofsted in April 2020.

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This monitoring visit

The children’s home was judged to be good at the last full inspection, on 13 September 2018. This monitoring visit was undertaken as the home has not had an on-site visit since this inspection.

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This monitoring visit

The home was not operational between January 2020 and July 2020 and had a condition in place that required the provider to give Ofsted three months’ notice before admitting a child. The condition was lifted, and the home resumed operation in July 2020 following a virtual monitoring visit by Ofsted. The purpose of the monitoring visit in July was to satisfy Ofsted that the home had made suitable arrangements to reopen.

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This monitoring visit

At the time of this monitoring visit, the home was caring for two children. One child moved into the home in November 2020, the second child joined the home soon after, at the beginning of December 2020. The focus of this monitoring visit was on the home’s referral and matching process.

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This monitoring visit

The manager undertakes detailed impact risk assessments to help inform decisions about whether the home can meet a child’s needs. These assessments include an assessment of the risks that children may present with at the home and in the community and to each other. The manager said that both children’s needs are higher than identified at the referral stage and during planning. This was due to a combination of change to the associated professionals and restrictions imposed due Inspection report for children's home - monitoring visit: 1234621 2 to COVID-19. The manager was reflective of this experience and how she can improve the process.

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This monitoring visit

Currently, the staff are caring for children with very different needs. The staff have undertaken relevant training, which has helped them to understand how to support each child.

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This monitoring visit

One child will be moving to a more specialist provision in February 2021. Planning is under way, and staff will be supporting the child with the move.

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This monitoring visit

Although the children have different routines and interests, there are no concerns about their relationship with each other. Staffing levels enable both children to have one-to-one attention, which means that they can do things individually.

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This monitoring visit

One child has low engagement in education and with staff when experiencing low mood. Staff are supporting this child with serious incidents of self-harm. The manager has arranged bespoke training, supported by the home’s therapist, to provide staff with strategies for responding to specific self-harming behaviour.

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This monitoring visit

Staff are managing incidents of self-harm in line with the child’s safety plan. The child’s social worker said that she is ‘impressed with staff’s professionalism and calm but firm approach’ in dealing with incidents.

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This monitoring visit

The manager escalated her concerns about a child’s unmet mental health needs with the child-in-care nurse. This resulted in a professionals’ meeting to identify a lead service.

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This monitoring visit

Due to the level of children’s needs, a waking night member of staff has been put in place. Waking night staff are currently being provided by an agency. The manager does not routinely confirm that all safer recruitment checks are in place for agency staff. This does not provide the manager with the information that she needs to assess the suitability of these staff before they work at the home.

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This monitoring visit

The house is spacious and decorated to a good standard. All bedrooms have their own bathrooms. Children’s rooms are personalised. Children have access to a large enclosed garden and a separate woodland garden situated at the back of the property. An annex area offers children additional space for spending time with family and a quiet space for arts and crafts or focusing on learning, in addition to a therapy room.

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This monitoring visit

At the last inspection, a requirement was raised in relation to monitoring and recording incidents of physical intervention. There have been no incidents of physical intervention since the home reopened. Although the inspector was unable to evidence that this requirement has been met, the home is not breaching this regulation. The requirement has, therefore, been removed. Two recommendations Inspection report for children's home - monitoring visit: 1234621 3 from the last inspection remain as these were not reviewed as part of this focused monitoring visit.

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Recent inspection history

Inspection date Inspection type Inspection judgement 13/09/2018 Full Good 10/08/2017 Interim Declined in effectiveness 31/05/2017 Full Good 23/11/2016 Full Good Inspection report for children's home - monitoring visit: 1234621 4

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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 person must recruit staff using recruitment procedures that are designed to ensure children’s safety.

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Requirement Due date

employ an individual to work at the children’s home; or

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Requirement Due date

if an individual is employed by a person other than the registered person to work at the home in a position in which the individual may have regular contact with children, allow that individual to work at the home,

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Requirement Due date

if the individual satisfies the requirements in paragraph (3).

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Requirement Due date

full and satisfactory information is available in relation to the individual in respect of each of the matters in Schedule 2. (Regulation 32 (1) (2)(a)(b) (3)(d))

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Requirement Due date

This specifically relates to ensuring that checks are in place for agency staff working at the home. 27 January 2021

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Recommendations

 The registered person should help each child to prepare for any moves from the home, whether they are returning home, moving to another placement or adult care, or to live independently. This includes supporting the child to develop emotional and mental resilience to cope without the home’s support and, when the child is moving to live independently, practical skills such as cooking, housework, budgeting and personal self-care. (‘Guide to the children’s homes regulations including the quality standards’, page 17, paragraph 3.27)  The registered person should consult children regularly on their views about the home’s care, to inform and support continued improvement in the quality of care provided. (‘Guide to the children’s homes regulations including the quality standards’, page 22, paragraph 4.11) Inspection report for children's home - monitoring visit: 1234621 5

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Information about this inspection

The purpose of this visit was to monitor the action taken and the progress made by the children’s home since its last Ofsted inspection.

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Information about this inspection

This inspection was carried out under the Care Standards Act 2000.

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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: Priory Group, 80 Hammersmith Road, London W14 8UD

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Inspector

Paula Edwards, Social Care Inspector Inspection report for children's home - monitoring visit: 1234621 6 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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