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

Inspection report for children's home: SC472102 1 SC472102 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 owned and operated by a national provider. The home is registered to provide care and accommodation for up to five children with learning disabilities.

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Information about this children’s home

The home shares the site with one other children’s home and two schools, also owned and run by the same organisation. The children from this home may attend one of the schools.

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Information about this children’s home

The registered manager left their post in December 2021.

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Information about this children’s home

Due to COVID-19, at the request of the Secretary of State, we suspended all routine inspections of social care providers carried out under the social care common inspection framework (SCCIF) on 17 March 2020. We returned to routine SCCIF inspections on 12 April 2021.

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Information about this children’s home

We last visited this setting on 26 January 2021 to carry out a monitoring 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

Overall judgement at last inspection: good

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good

Enforcement action since last inspection: none Inspection report for children's home: SC472102 2

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Inspection date Inspection type Inspection judgement

14/05/2019 Full Good 18/07/2018 Full Good 23/05/2017 Full Good 09/11/2016 Interim Sustained effectiveness Inspection report for children's home: SC472102 3

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Children in the home benefit from a positive environment that encourages them to develop their independence skills. Since the monitoring visit in January 2021, one child has moved out of the home. This was a planned move, after the child’s education had ended. The child successfully moved to college to pursue their ambition to become a chef. Their leaving was appropriately celebrated, with the child cooking some creative dishes for staff and children at their request. Staff captured the child’s memories in a transition plan with personalised pictures and loving comments from staff. This allowed the child to feel valued and cared for.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Children who move into the home do so in a well-planned manner. Known risks are considered and careful consideration is given to the impact on the children already living at the home. Staff ensure that statutory information is obtained, and this helps to inform children’s plans. This has resulted in children making progress in their education, health and independence skills.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Children attend school regularly and benefit from accessing the provider’s attached school. Close working between teachers at the school and staff at the home enables children’s plans to be shared and children’s care to be coordinated between home and school. This has enabled children to continue to access education during a recent outbreak of COVID-19 cases at the home.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Children benefit from good relationships with staff at the home. During a recent period of isolation, when children and staff had tested positive for COVID-19, staff remained in the home for the period to ensure that the children were supported well.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Children can access a range of enjoyable activities with staff, such as games, visits to theme parks and beach trips. This allows children to broaden their experiences and benefit from the use of local resources. One child described the staff team as ‘10 out of 10’.

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

Episodes of children going missing from the home are rare. On the one occasion when a child went missing, staff followed the plans for that child and alerted the appropriate people quickly. Staff searched the local area to find the child, but records at the home failed to show the speed of this response. The manager was confident that the response was prompt, but the records do not provide evidence for this.

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

Children with complex medical conditions receive good support. Staff use specialist agencies when necessary to ensure that children receive support to administer their medication safely. Inspection report for children's home: SC472102 4 There has been one complaint during the reporting period. This was investigated promptly. The investigating manager looked at all aspects of the complaint and ensured that there was regular communication with the complainant.

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

Staff act promptly if children raise concerns about external professionals. They inform the relevant professionals and provide support to children in a way that helps them feel valued and safe.

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

Physical restraint is rarely used at the home. However, on one occasion, an approved hold was not used appropriately, and a review of the incident failed to identify the concerns. The current manager expressed a determination to learn from this and to address any shortfalls.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

The registered manager left the home unexpectedly. The provider is actively recruiting for a new manager. In the meantime, a skilled deputy manager is managing the home, with additional cover from other managers within the wider organisation. Staff and senior leaders commented on the positive impact that the deputy manager has had during this period of transition.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

Supervision meetings are regular; they focus on safeguarding and are used to consider the needs of individual children. This allows staff to reflect on their practice and helps to ensure that staff feel supported. Newly appointed staff spoke positively about the support and induction that they had received.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

Staff and managers work together effectively and have provided good care and support for each other and for the children. This was particularly notable when there were a number of COVID-19 cases at the home.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

Staff benefit from accessing training to help to improve their skills. In addition to the provider’s mandatory training, the deputy manager has successfully continued to access bespoke specialist medical training for staff when necessary. This has given staff the confidence and skills to administer complex medication, while adapting to changes in risks being presented. One parent commented that staff at the home ‘have gone above and beyond’ in support of their child.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

The recruitment process is overseen by managers and checks are thorough. Managers are also quick to address staff performance issues. This reduces the known risks that children may face in the home. One parent described the home as ‘a home away from home’. Inspection report for children's home: SC472102 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 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

In particular, the provider must ensure that records of restraint are monitored to ensure that restrain practice is compliant with the home’s policy. that children receive a continuity of care. 20 January 2022

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Recommendation

 The registered person should ensure that records are kept detailing all individual incidents when children go missing from the home, particularly ensuring that records detail all actions taken to locate a child when they are missing. (‘Guide to the children’s homes regulations, including the quality standards’, page 46, paragraph 9.31)

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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 for children's home: SC472102 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 W14 8UD

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Inspector

Matt Nicholls, Social Care Inspector Inspection report for children's home: SC472102 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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