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

Inspection report children’s home: SC441514 1 SC441514 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 owned by a private company. It is registered to provide care for up to three children and young people aged between eight and 18 who have experienced adverse childhood experiences that have led to associated trauma and complex behaviours.

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Information about this children’s home

The manager registered with Ofsted in April 2021. She is in the process of completing her level 5 qualification in leadership and management.

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Information about this children’s home

Due to COVID-19 (coronavirus), at the request of the Secretary of State, we suspended all routine inspections of social care providers on 17 March 2020.

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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: 18 February 2020

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good

Overall judgement at last inspection: sustained effectiveness

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good

Enforcement action since last inspection: not applicable Inspection report children’s home: SC441514 2

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Inspection date Inspection type Inspection judgement

18/02/2020 Interim Sustained effectiveness 19/08/2019 Full Good 23/01/2019 Interim Sustained effectiveness 22/05/2018 Full Requires improvement to be good Inspection report children’s home: SC441514 3

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Staff have sensitively supported two children to move into the home over the last three months. Prior to moving in, the children were given information about the home, met staff and visited the home to look around and join in with activities. As a result, both children have settled in quickly.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Staff build trusting relationships with children. They make them feel safe and help them to gradually rebuild confidence and self-belief. Staff do this by promoting children’s interests and engagement. They encourage participation in outdoor activities, including cycling and football, and activities in the home, including cooking and baking. These tasks require children to focus, listen to instructions and be part of the activity. As a result, children are proud of their achievements, learn new skills, and experience adrenalin in the form of planned and age-appropriate activities.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Children are at ease with staff and enjoy spending time with them. Staff involve them in discussions about the home and their personal plans. Children make good progress. For example, they have successfully re-engaged with education. They are learning new life skills by completing tasks around the home alongside staff. They are researching local football clubs and gyms to join as COVID-19 restrictions are lifted.

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

The registered manager and staff team promote the well-being and safety of children. They complete training to ensure that they have current knowledge of practice relating to safeguarding, missing from care and child sexual exploitation. This ensures that they can meet children’s specific needs and work effectively in partnership with other agencies.

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

There have been no complaints or safeguarding concerns since the home reopened in February 2021.

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

Staff develop their knowledge and understanding of children. They have good insight into triggers that might result in a challenging situation or an increase in the likelihood that a child might struggle to cope. They provide reassurance and understanding. As a result, there has only been one occasion when a consequence has been used, there have been no physical interventions and no incidents where a child has gone missing from care.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

The provider made the decision to close this home in July 2020. While closed, a new registered manager and staff team were recruited, and the home was refurbished. The home reopened in February 2021. Inspection report children’s home: SC441514 4 The home has been refurbished to a good standard. Recent work to fit a new shower, rail and curtain above a bath has not been completed to a good or durable standard. It presents potential trip and flood hazards.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

The new staff team is well supported by the newly appointed registered manager. They make good use of team meetings, handovers and supervision sessions to reflect on practice. This is creating a consistent parenting approach to support and reassure children.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

Staff also access a range of training sessions that increase their knowledge and develop their work practice. Plans for the children currently living at the home identify the need for them to develop life skills and work towards independent living. Staff have not completed training or workshops to develop the team’s skills and approach to supporting the children to successfully meet these aims.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

The responsible individual and registered manager have a clear understanding of the strengths of the service and the areas for further development. They use development plans and internal and external quality assurance systems to monitor and improve staff practice and outcomes for children.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

Where necessary, the registered manager challenges other professionals to ensure that children’s needs are met, for example by increasing a child’s educational timetable, requesting more schoolwork and ensuring that a child has access to tutors. Advocating on a child’s behalf promotes and increases their potential. Inspection report children’s home: SC441514 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 protection of children standard is that children are protected from harm and enabled to keep themselves safe.

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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 the premises used for the purposes of the home are designed, furnished and maintained so as to protect each child from available hazards to the child’s health. (Regulation 12 (1) (2)(d))

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Requirement Due date

This specifically relates to children having access to a suitable shower. 30 September

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Recommendations

 The registered person should ensure that staff have the skills to 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, where 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)

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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: SC441514 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: Priory Group, Fifth Floor, 80 Hammersmith Road, London, Middlesex W14 8UD

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Inspector

Dawn Bennett, Social Care Inspector Inspection report children’s home: SC441514 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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Inspector

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Inspector

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Inspector

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