Children's home run by Aspris Children’s Service

Inspection report children’s home: 1241836 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

The home is privately owned and run by an education specialist service provider. It is registered to care for up to seven children with complex needs that may include autism spectrum disorder and associated difficulties. The home is located within the provider’s school campus. The manager has been registered with Ofsted since July 2021. Due to COVID-19 (coronavirus), at the request of the Secretary of State, Ofsted suspended all routine inspections of social care providers on 17 March 2020.

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Information about this children’s home

We last visited this setting on 2 September 2020 to carry out an assurance visit. The report is published on the Ofsted website.

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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: 4 February 2020

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good

Overall judgement at last inspection: requires improvement to be good

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good

Enforcement action since last inspection: none Inspection report children’s home: 1241836 2

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Inspection date Inspection type Inspection judgement

04/02/2020 Full Requires improvement to be good 25/03/2019 Full Good 23/03/2018 Interim Improved effectiveness 10/10/2017 Full Good Inspection report children’s home: 1241836 3

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Children make good progress through the positive relationship they have with the consistent staff team. Staff are enthusiastic and positive with the children. They provide a welcoming and homely environment.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Parents are positive about the home, and they recognise the progress their children are making. They are confident in staff abilities and welcome the regular feedback about their child. Parents have felt able to raise that they would appreciate more feedback in the initial weeks their child is living in the home, and this has been actioned. One parent commented that their son was, ‘settled and thriving’ due to the ‘structure, routines and predictability’.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Close working with education ensures that children are able to attend school as planned. Some children have been out of school for significant time prior to placement, and staff have diligently planned prior to them moving in to ensure that they can overcome any barriers to learning. Children enjoy a range of activities outside of school and develop key-social skills. Trips to trampolining centres, climbing walls and swimming polls are firm favourites. Some children have friendships with others in the school. They can call for them and ‘hang out’ and have made up their own friends’ handshake.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Children are supported to lead healthy lifestyles. Children are encouraged to try a wider variety of foods and have increased exercise. Joint working with the school’s therapy team and mental health professionals ensures that children’s emotional well- being is valued and understood. Staff are good at recognising changes in mood and increased anxiety. They support children to overcome these barriers and seek medical help, as appropriate.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Three children have moved into the home since the last inspection. The level of planning for their move has been highly individualised and involved the children at all stages. Children’s moving packs include letters, calendars and social stories so that they know what is happening and when. Children have chosen how they would like their rooms to be decorated, which have been ready for when they moved in. However, information in children’s records, regarding culture and identity, is basic beyond their ethnicity and religion. Although children are involved in cultural days and activities, these are not often or varied.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Three children have moved on to other placements since the last inspection. The approach to planning for moving on to the next placement has been individualised and has taken the children’s needs into account. Children have been able to express that they are not happy with the plan and do not like where they are supposed to move to. Staff have advocated well to ensure that the child’s next placement is suitable and where the child would like to live. Inspection report children’s home: 1241836 4 Work on independence has been extensive and has ensured that children are ready for adulthood prior to moving on to adult placements. Individualised approaches have ensured that children are able to do as much for themselves as possible, including cooking, understanding a tenancy agreement and sharing their views.

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

Children are well supported and able to take age-appropriate risks. They approach the staff for help or support and are confident in their surroundings. Staff are acutely aware of each child’s vulnerabilities and do all they can to protect children from avoidable risk or harm from others. Safeguarding concerns are reported swiftly to partner agencies, who say they are satisfied with management responses to the issues raised.

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

Children have access to the internet through the protected internet in the home. Those who are able are supported to learn safe access to the internet and use of mobile devices. Children moving on to adult placements benefit from specific sessions in how to use their devices safely, such as who is a friend and when it is appropriate to take photographs. Older children are sensitively supported to understand socially acceptable and age-appropriate behaviour, such as not using paddling pools in parks for small children, but accessing the lido where it is appropriate for an adult to be.

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

The use of physical intervention is low. Staff recognise children’s behaviours as a form of communication. They use the well-planned steps to help prevent children becoming overwhelmed by directing them to known strategies that work. Joint working with the therapies team leads to children being able to express themselves in ways that are less likely to cause them harm, for example, using helmets and other deep pressure tools to help prevent self-injurious behaviours and planned removal of additional restrictions, such as harnesses when travelling in vehicles. Social stories to support children who are becoming anxious or upset are well used, and children engage in this process well. This has led to a significant reduction in children becoming distressed or harming themselves.

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

Children are protected from avoidable risk through regular checks of the safety equipment. Children who are new to the home have been involved in practice evacuations and know what to do should the alarm sound. The building is in good condition, with minor wear and tear. Children’s bedrooms are highly personalised, and children’s decisions inform how their rooms should look.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

The registered manager is highly ambitious for all children. The management team leads by example and is seeking to develop and to improve the skills of the staff team to be consistently aspirational. The recent change in management has had a positive impact on the running of the home. Staff say there is consistency across the teams, and working with schools and parents ensures that there is a consistent Inspection report children’s home: 1241836 5 approach across all settings. Parents are confident in the management team’s ability and appreciate the contact they have with it.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

Staff say that the individualisation and quality of plans have significantly improved since the new manager has taken up post. Regular reviews of targets and progress ensure that children continue to be challenged in an appropriate manner. Social workers comment positively about the quality and the level of communication from the staff. Joint working with partner agencies is recognised as key to ensuring that there are positive outcomes for children. Where children are not receiving the support they require from partner agencies, the management team is confident in challenging the agencies.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

Staff supervision is appropriately challenging and used as an effective development and performance management tool. Staff have set targets and are supported to continuously improve and evolve their skills. Staff say they receive regular supervision and have the training they need to meet the needs of the children.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

Managers have an excellent understanding of the quality of the service provided. They are constantly seeking to improve the quality of care and the outcomes for children. The responsible individual visits regularly to review and to monitor the home, in addition to offering advice and support. The manager’s reviews of the home are clear, reflective and aspirational. The independent visitor provides detailed reports and the management team is reflective of any recommendations made as a result. Inspection report children’s home: 1241836 6

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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 quality and purpose of care standard is that children receive care from staff who—

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Requirement Due date

understand the children’s home’s overall aims and the outcomes it seeks to achieve for children; and

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Requirement Due date

use this understanding to deliver care that meets children’s needs and supports them to fulfil their potential.

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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

provide personalised care that meets each child’s needs, as recorded in the child’s relevant plans, taking account of the child’s background. (Regulation 6 (1)(a)(b) (2)(b)(iv))

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Requirement Due date

In particular, ensure that children’s individual background includes their culture and identity. 29 October 2021

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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: 1241836 7

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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

Jennie Christopher, Social Care Inspector Inspection report children’s home: 1241836 8 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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