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

Inspection report children’s home: SC473631 1 SC473631 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 privately owned and managed home provides care and accommodation for up to six children aged between nine and 18 years. The home supports children who have some form of learning disability. The aim is to provide children with a package of care, education and therapy through linked services.

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Information about this children’s home

The manager was appointed on 16 August 2021 and is not yet registered with Ofsted.

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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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requires improvement to be good

How well children and young people are helped and protected requires improvement to be good

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requires improvement to be good

The effectiveness of leaders and managers inadequate

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requires improvement to be good

The children’s home is not yet delivering good help and care for children and young people. However, there are no serious or widespread failures that result in their welfare not being safeguarded or promoted.

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requires improvement to be good

Overall judgement at last inspection: good

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requires improvement to be good

Enforcement action since last inspection: none Inspection report children’s home: SC473631 2

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Inspection date Inspection type Inspection judgement

02/03/2020 Full Good 30/10/2018 Full Good 02/05/2017 Full Good 28/06/2016 Full Good Inspection report children’s home: SC473631 3

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improvement to be good

Children have positive relationships with core staff members. The use of school staff during the holidays helps to build consistency across the school and home. This provides the children with some stability.

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improvement to be good

Children receive support to engage in education. The staff work closely with the school to support engagement. Children complete education work at the home if they are unable or unwilling to attend school. This provides children with structure to their day and gives them access to learning.

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improvement to be good

There is no routine for children during the school holidays. They stay up gaming throughout the night, which is affecting their sleep patterns and ability to engage in activities the following morning. There is limited recognition of the negative impact on the children’s health and no action taken to address this issue.

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improvement to be good

Therapy is available for the children during term time. Virtual appointments have been offered for medication reviews. However, children have to travel to see psychiatrists for medication changes despite this increasing their anxiety. There is no challenge to the commissioned service to find alternative ways of addressing medication changes. This would help to reduce children’s anxiety.

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improvement to be good

Staff provide children with a healthy diet. However, children will often refuse to eat so staff offer alternative food that is not healthy. Families also bring food to the home when visiting. Staff have not addressed this with families to help children choose healthy options.

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improvement to be good

Some children take part in activities and benefit from the social and active elements of these. For one child, their engagement is limited despite encouragement by staff. Staff have not attended training to help them to adapt their approach to his individual needs and to enable them to engage him fully.

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improvement to be good

Children spend time with their family in line with their plans. Staff will supervise this time and support family members if necessary. The staff support family visits to the home while being aware of the potential impact on other children. This helps children to see their family and supports positive relationships.

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improvement to be good

Discussions with children take place regularly to educate them and to gather their views. Staff are quick to respond to requests and the children’s wishes when these are in the child’s best interests. This helps children to feel valued.

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improvement to be good

The manager has developed the home to help promote a more homely environment. There are plans in place for further changes to the environment and staffing levels. Inspection report children’s home: SC473631 4

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improvement to be good

The managers respond quickly to allegations and complaints. They work with professionals to ensure that children are safeguarded. Additional training has been identified and induction processes have been amended to prevent further incidents occurring.

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improvement to be good

Children’s bedrooms are not always clean and tidy despite this being highlighted to staff by other professionals. At times, staff allow children to eat in their bedrooms, which has led to food waste being in their rooms. Staff have not been creative in their approaches to ensure that the children’s rooms are clean.

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improvement to be good

Children have access to video games and the internet overnight. There are no parental controls on devices and no clear guidance for staff regarding the checks they should undertake. Children are at risk of unknown people contacting them and exposing them to unsafe situations.

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improvement to be good

Staff were quick to respond and engage with other professionals when concerns were raised about a child’s involvement in extremist views. Staff had not seen evidence of this as the child does not present this way at the home. The staff have undertaken work with the child but have not amended the checks or access to the internet for this child. This leaves the child vulnerable.

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improvement to be good

The children’s guide clearly stipulates the expectations and rules of the home. However, these are not being followed by staff. This provides the children with limited structure and may be escalating their anxieties.

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improvement to be good

Risk assessments do not contain all known risks for children. The plans lack detail and, while they are updated to reflect changes in risk, they are not updated to include what strategies staff should use to mitigate the risks. This leaves children at potential risk.

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improvement to be good

Incidents of restraint have reduced. Clear plans are in place that identify the strategies to use to prevent restraint and the type of restraint that is most effective for each child. All records are clearly evaluated, debriefs take place and children are spoken to. Any changes needed are identified and recorded.

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improvement to be good

Not all significant incidents have been recorded, including incidents of aggression towards staff when attempting to clean children’s bedrooms. The information is recorded in the logbook and on children’s daily recordings. However, no chronology or incident record is created. This prevents the manager from being able to identify any triggers or evaluate the incidents to change the approaches used. Inspection report children’s home: SC473631 5

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: inadequate

There has been minimal oversight of the home from the provider since the manager left in May 2021. The acting manager was unable to fulfil this role due to a shortage of staff which meant they needed to be a part of the rota and work with the children. This lack of oversight has contributed to the shortfalls in care which are now affecting the children.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: inadequate

The acting manager uses agency staff and staff on temporary contracts to help with staff shortages. However, induction for these staff is poor. The manager tries to use the same staff each time to help promote consistency of practice for the children. However, these staff do not understand the ethos and purpose of the home or how to fully support the children. This means that children experience inconsistency in the care provided.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: inadequate

No members of the team have received training specific to the needs of each child. Despite this information being in admission documents, this was not put in place at the point of admission of the children by the previous manager or acted on since. Therefore, staff do not have the knowledge or skills to meet the needs of the children.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: inadequate

On certain days, there has been no qualified first aider working in the home. This has been addressed by the manager and training has been planned. In addition, there have been times when staff have not received physical intervention training. This was not known by the acting manager, or risk assessed. This could have had a negative impact on the children and put them and staff at risk.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: inadequate

Communication with professionals and parents has been poor and updates have not been given when concerns have arisen. Concerns have not been raised or escalated with social workers, which prevents them from being able to support change. Equally, concerns raised by parents and social workers have not been responded to quickly or acted on by the acting manager and staff team. This has affected the quality of care provided.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: inadequate

Staff do not receive regular supervision in line with the statement of purpose. Those on a temporary contract have not received supervision for the three months they have been in post. This does not provide staff with sufficient support or enable practice issues to be raised and addressed.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: inadequate

Communication within the team is poor. Handovers lack some detail, and the manager does not ensure that staff read updates promptly. This means that staff may not know pertinent information to support the children. Team meetings have not taken place. This does not promote consistency or improve the practice of those staff who are newer to the home.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: inadequate

A quality of care review has not been completed to cover the most recent six months. There has been no evaluation of the past six months or areas identified for improvement. As a result, the quality of care has not improved. Inspection report children’s home: SC473631 6 The acting manager does not fully understand the home’s statement of purpose and is not clear about what therapy is available to the children. Therefore, the acting manager is unable to identify if this is in place or share this information with social workers. Consequently, the acting manager is unable to lead the staff team effectively to fulfill the ethos of the home.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: inadequate

The acting manager has taken steps to address some of the shortfalls identified during the inspection and received support from senior management. Inspection report children’s home: SC473631 7

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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, the 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

In meeting the quality standards, the registered person must, and must ensure that staff—

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Requirement Due date

seek to involve each child’s placing authority effectively in the child’s care, in accordance with the child’s relevant plans;

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Requirement Due date

seek to secure the input and services required to meet each child’s needs;

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Requirement Due date

if the registered person considers, or staff consider, a placing authority’s or a relevant person’s performance or response to be inadequate in relation to their role, challenge the placing authority or the relevant person to seek to ensure that each child’s needs are met in accordance with the child’s relevant plans; and

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Requirement Due date

seek to develop and maintain effective professional relationships with such persons, bodies or organisations as the registered person considers appropriate having regard to the range of needs of children for whom it is intended that the children’s home is to provide care and accommodation. (Regulation 5 (a)(b)(c)(d)) 3 October 2021

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Requirement Due date

The enjoyment and achievement standard is that children take part in and benefit from a variety of activities that meet their needs and develop and reflect their creative, cultural, intellectual, physical and social interests and skills.

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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

develop the child’s interests and hobbies;

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Requirement Due date

participate in activities that the child enjoys and which meet and expand the child’s interests and preferences; and 3 October 2021 Inspection report children’s home: SC473631 8 make a positive contribution to the home and the wider community; and

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Requirement Due date

that each child has access to a range of activities that enable the child to pursue the child’s interests and hobbies. (Regulation 9 (1) (2)(a)(i)(ii)(iii)(b))

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Requirement Due date

In particular, staff should promote positive routines within the home that enable children to engage. Staff must have the training and ability to engage children to take part in activities.

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Requirement Due date

The health and well-being standard is that—

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Requirement Due date

the health and well-being needs of children are met;

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Requirement Due date

children receive advice, services and support in relation to their health and well-being; and

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Requirement Due date

children are helped to lead healthy lifestyles.

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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

achieve the health and well-being outcomes that are recorded in the child’s relevant plans;

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Requirement Due date

understand the child’s health and well-being needs and the options that are available in relation to the child’s health and well-being, in a way that is appropriate to the child’s age and understanding;

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Requirement Due date

take part in activities, and attend any appointments, for the purpose of meeting the child’s health and well-being needs; and

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Requirement Due date

understand and develop skills to promote the child’s well- being;

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Requirement Due date

that each child has access to such dental, medical, nursing, psychiatric and psychological advice, treatment and other services as the child may require. (Regulation 10 (1)(a)(b)(c) (2)(a)(i)(ii)(iii)(iv)(c))

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Requirement Due date

In particular, staff must: encourage children to engage in healthy lifestyles; actively encourage children to follow a 3 October 2021 Inspection report children’s home: SC473631 9 healthy diet and sleep routine; ensure children live in a clean and healthy environment; ensure that therapeutic appointments are available to children in a range of ways, to reduce anxiety.

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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

assess whether each child is at risk of harm, taking into account information in the child’s relevant plans, and, if necessary, make arrangements to reduce the risk of any harm to the child;

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Requirement Due date

help each child to understand how to keep safe;

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Requirement Due date

have the skills to identify and act upon signs that a child is at risk of harm;

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Requirement Due date

understand the roles and responsibilities in relation to protecting children that are assigned to them by the registered person;

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Requirement Due date

take effective action whenever there is a serious concern about a child’s welfare; and

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Requirement Due date

are familiar with, and act in accordance with, the home’s child protection policies;

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Requirement Due date

that the home’s day-to-day care is arranged and delivered so as to keep each child safe and to protect each child effectively from harm. (Regulation 12 (1) (2)(a)(i)(ii)(iii)(v)(vi)(vii)(b))

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Requirement Due date

In particular, ensure that: risk assessments include all known risks and give clear guidance for staff to follow; safeguards are implemented for children when accessing the internet, including regular checks and parental controls; staff have the relevant training, including Team Teach and first aid; incidents are recorded and evaluated to enable learning. 3 October 2021

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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— 3 October 2021 Inspection report children’s home: SC473631 10 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

lead and manage the home in a way that is consistent with the approach and ethos, and delivers the outcomes, set out in the home’s statement of purpose;

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Requirement Due date

ensure that staff work as a team where appropriate;

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Requirement Due date

ensure that staff have the experience, qualifications and skills to meet the needs of each child;

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Requirement Due date

ensure that the home has sufficient staff to provide care for each child;

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Requirement Due date

ensure that the home’s workforce provides continuity of care to each child;

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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)(a)(b)(c)(d)(e)(h))

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Requirement Due date

In particular, the manager and senior leadership team must: have full oversight of the home and records and evaluate and address areas for improvement; ensure that staff receive training that meets the specific needs of the children; ensure that there are sufficient staff who have experience and knowledge of the children and the home; provide staff with opportunities to discuss and share information effectively, including team meetings and detailed handovers.

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Requirement Due date

ensure that each employee completes an appropriate induction.

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Requirement Due date

The registered person must ensure that all employees—

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Requirement Due date

undertake appropriate continuing professional development;

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Requirement Due date

receive practice-related supervision by a person with appropriate experience. (Regulation 33 (1)(a) (4)(a)(b)) 3 October 2021 Inspection report children’s home: SC473631 11 This specifically relates to ensuring that agency staff and temporary staff receive a thorough induction and that all staff receive regular supervision.

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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

In order to complete a quality of care review the registered person must establish and maintain a system for monitoring, reviewing and evaluating—

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Requirement Due date

the quality of care provided for children;

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Requirement Due date

the feedback and opinions of children about the children’s home, its facilities and the quality of care they receive in it; and

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Requirement Due date

any actions that the registered person considers necessary in order to improve or maintain the quality of care provided for children.

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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”).

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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; and

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Requirement Due date

make a copy of the quality of care review report available on request to a placing authority, if the placing authority is not the parent of a child accommodated in the home.

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Requirement Due date

The system referred to in paragraph (2) must provide for ascertaining and considering the opinions of children, their parents, placing authorities and staff. (Regulation 45 (1) (2)(a)(b)(c) (3) (4)(a)(b) (5))

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Requirement Due date

This is a repeated requirement. 10 January 2022 Inspection report children’s home: SC473631 12

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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: SC473631 13

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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

Debra Boldy, Social Care Inspector Inspection report children’s home: SC473631 14 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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