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

Inspection report for children’s home - monitoring visit: SC465940 1 SC465940

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Monitoring visit Inspected under the social care common inspection framework

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Information about this children’s home

This home is part of a large private organisation. Children who live in this home attend a school run by the same organisation.

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Information about this children’s home

The home can provide care for up to seven children and young people with learning disabilities.

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Information about this children’s home

The registered manager has been registered with Ofsted since September 2020.

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This monitoring visit

This monitoring visit was carried out because Ofsted had not visited this home since October 2019. In addition, the inspectors wanted to review whether staff could meet a child’s needs, following comments in the independent visitor’s report that the severity of incidents had increased. Since the last inspection, the home has employed a new manager, who is registered with Ofsted. On the day of this visit, there was one child living in the home.

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This monitoring visit

This monitoring inspection included a visit to the home to speak to the child. The inspectors also observed staff interactions and practice, spoke with staff, interviewed the registered manager and checked the environment. In response to the current COVID-19 (coronavirus) lockdown restrictions, a review of the records took place remotely.

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This monitoring visit

The child who currently lives at the home was relaxed and comfortable in his living environment. He was observed enjoying time in the sensory room, listening to his cultural music, completing an exercise routine with staff, choosing what food he would like for his lunch and watching his favourite television programmes. Inspection report for children’s home - monitoring visit: SC465940 2 In recent months, there has been an increase in behavioural incidents for one child. During this time, the adults caring for the child were assaulted and significant damage was caused to the home environment. In response, the registered manager increased staffing levels and assessed that the home could no longer meet the child’s needs. Consequently, the placing authority was given notice to end the child’s placement. As a result of the COVID-19 pandemic and lockdown restrictions, the child’s move from the home was delayed. However, this delay provided the child with

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This monitoring visit

an opportunity to learn more about his new home and meet the adults that would be caring for him before he moved in. This child moved to his new home on the day of this monitoring visit.

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This monitoring visit

The quality of records relating to safeguarding concerns requires improvement. Monitoring by the registered manager lacks robust scrutiny and evaluation. Discussions with children and staff do not always take place after incidents and internal investigations do not always identify recommendations that will improve practice and decision-making.

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This monitoring visit

The registered manager ensures that children’s care plans and risk assessments are regularly revised and updated. These plans provide information for staff that includes the progress children have made and targets they are working towards. Despite this good practice, children’s plans are extensive and include historical information dating back to 2017. This means that bank and agency team members who work at the home are not provided with clear, concise information on how to meet and respond to the children’s current needs.

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This monitoring visit

The COVID-19 pandemic has impacted on opportunities for the staff to refresh their knowledge and/or complete basic and specialist training. As a result, children have not always been cared for by adults who have the skills to meet their complex needs. The registered manager had recognised this as a concern prior to this inspection. In response, she assessed the potential risks and introduced alternative behaviour management strategies. The registered manager has now secured a date for all staff to attend essential training. This includes training in using physical intervention, first aid and alternative communication.

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This monitoring visit

The registered manager and staff team benefit from receiving regular formal supervision. Due to the COVID-19 restrictions, these sessions have been a mixture of face-to-face and virtual meetings. Records of these meetings do not show that previous actions set are reviewed or that staff members are provided with an opportunity to reflect on their practice individually or as a team.

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This monitoring visit

The registered manager and independent visitor’s monitoring lacks robust scrutiny and evaluation. The effectiveness of physical interventions is not evaluated, safeguarding records do not include information about all the actions taken and staff rotas do not confirm when agency and bank staff work. In addition, necessary improvements to the environment are required. Neither the independent visitor nor Inspection report for children’s home - monitoring visit: SC465940 3 the registered manager had identified these weaknesses prior to this monitoring inspection.

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Recent inspection history

Inspection date Inspection type Inspection judgement 16/10/2019 Full Good 29/10/2018 Full Good 30/10/2017 Full Good 25/07/2017 Full Inadequate Inspection report for children’s home - monitoring visit: SC465940 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 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))

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Requirement Due date

The registered person should ensure that the manager and independent visitor monitoring is effective. 9 April 2021

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Requirement Due date

The care planning standard is that children—

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Requirement Due date

receive effectively planned care in or through the children’s home; and

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Requirement Due date

have a positive experience of arriving at or moving on from the home.

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Requirement Due date

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

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Requirement Due date

that children are admitted to the home only if their needs are within the range of needs of children for whom it is intended that the home is to provide care and accommodation, as set out in the home’s statement of purpose;

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Requirement Due date

ensure the effective induction of each child into the home; 9 April 2021 Inspection report for children’s home - monitoring visit: SC465940 5 manage and review the placement of each child in the home; and

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Requirement Due date

plan for, and help, each child to prepare to leave the home or to move into adult care in a way that is consistent with arrangements agreed with the child’s placing authority. (Regulation 14 (1)(a)(b) (2)(a)(b)(i)(ii)(iii))

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Requirement Due date

In particular, the provider should ensure that all care plans are clear, concise and relevant to the child’s current needs and behaviours. The registered person must ensure that—

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Requirement Due date

within 24 hours of the use of a measure of control, discipline or restraint in relation to a child in the home, a record is made which includes—

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Requirement Due date

the effectiveness and any consequences of the use of the measure.

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Requirement Due date

within 48 hours of the use of the measure [of control, discipline or restraint], the registered person, or a person who is authorised by the registered person to do so ("the authorised person")—

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Requirement Due date

has spoken to the user about the measure; and

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Requirement Due date

within 5 days of the use of the measure, the registered person or the authorised person adds to the record confirmation that they have spoken to the child about the measure. (Regulation 35 (3)(a)(vii)(b)(i)(c)) 9 April 2021

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Recommendations

 The registered person should ensure that the home is a homely, domestic environment and that maintenance work documented in the home’s development plan is completed. (‘Guide to the children’s homes regulations including the quality standards’, page 15, paragraph 3.9)  The registered person should ensure that staff rotas clearly identify where staff are bank staff, staff from one of the organisation’s other homes or agency staff. (‘Guide to the children’s homes regulations including the quality standards’, page 54, paragraph 10.19) Inspection report for children’s home - monitoring visit: SC465940 6  The registered person should ensure that staff are up to date in basic mandatory and specialist training. (‘Guide to the children’s homes regulations including the quality standards’, page 43, paragraph 9.12)

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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

Responsible individual: Michelle Garstang

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Inspectors

Sharron Escott, social care inspector Wendy Anderson, social care inspector Inspection report for children’s home - monitoring visit: SC465940 7 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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Inspectors

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Inspectors

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Inspectors

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