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

Inspection report for children’s home: SC473631 1 SC473631 Registered provider: Priory Education Services Limited Interim inspection Inspected under the social care common inspection framework

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Information about this children’s home

This is a privately-run children’s home that provides care and accommodation for up to six children aged nine to 18 years old. 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 has applied to register with Ofsted.

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Information about this children’s home

Due to a potential COVID-19 (coronavirus) case in the home, the visit was undertaken remotely after a physical tour of the outside of the building.

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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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Inspection date: 21 December 2021

Judgement at last inspection: requires improvement to be good

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Inspection date: 21 December 2021

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

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children and young people since the most recent full inspection

This home was judged requires improvement to be good at the last full inspection.

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children and young people since the most recent full inspection

At the interim inspection, Ofsted judges that it has sustained effectiveness.

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children and young people since the most recent full inspection

The manager is responding to the feedback from the previous inspection and regulation 44 visits and is implementing changes. He has increased oversight of the home and is evaluating incidents within timescales to ensure that lessons learned can be shared and changes to the plans implemented.

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children and young people since the most recent full inspection

Since the last inspection, one child has moved out of the home. The staff worked hard to promote the child’s transition and the manager undertook a full review of practice. This has helped the manager to identify ways to improved transition planning in the future.

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children and young people since the most recent full inspection

One child has recently moved into the home. The manager ensured that the child’s risks and needs were identified and understood from the point of placement. However, some staff training has not yet been implemented and no interim measures had been put in place. This means that not all staff are equipped with the skills and knowledge needed to support the child.

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children and young people since the most recent full inspection

The manager has changed the purpose of some of the communal areas of the home. This provides children with a more welcoming space to eat together and relax, as well as other areas of the home where they can have some privacy or engage in their own activities with staff. This is helping children to engage and spend time out of their rooms.

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children and young people since the most recent full inspection

Some risk assessments are not accurate or up to date, which means staff do not have clear guidance on how to support children. Staff are also not routinely reading children’s documents when they are updated, which prevents them from having the full information. The manager was unaware that items had not been updated or were inaccurate. This does not role model good practice to the team.

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children and young people since the most recent full inspection

Children spoken to recognise that there have been some changes, and that there are firmer boundaries and routines and more opportunities to engage in activities. However, this is not yet fully embedded in staff practice. This means that not all staff are consistent in their day-to-day practice. This has the potential to hinder the progress children make.

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children and young people since the most recent full inspection

The manager has worked hard to put safeguards in place for internet use. This is a recent change but is already having a positive effect. However, further work is needed with some children to help embed their understanding of the risks associated with online activity. Inspection report for children’s home: SC473631 3 Feedback from professionals is positive; they feel that children are making progress. One child has been able to attend his recent review and there has been a significant reduction in the use of physical restraints. For the child new to the home, it is recognised that staff are responding well to him and working proactively to reduce risk.

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children and young people since the most recent full inspection

Training for staff is not yet up to date and no efforts have been made to provide staff with interim guidance. However, rotas are now in place to ensure that a first aider and someone with restraint training is always on shift.

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children and young people since the most recent full inspection

An outbreak of COVID-19 in the home and illness of the responsible individual during this period has hindered progress. The manager’s oversight is improving, and there are plans in place to continue to address the issues and improve the quality of care the children receive. Inspection report for children’s home: SC473631 4

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Inspection date Inspection type Inspection judgement

17/08/2021 Full Requires improvement to be good 02/03/2020 Full Good 30/10/2018 Full Good 02/05/2017 Full Good Inspection report for children’s home: SC473631 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 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

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Requirement Due date

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 in the home that enable children to engage, including during education hours.

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Requirement Due date

This is a repeated requirement. 31 March 2022

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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 31 March 2022 Inspection report for children’s home: SC473631 6 necessary, make arrangements to reduce the risk of any harm to the child;

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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. (Regulation 12 (1) (2)(a)(i)(v))

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Requirement Due date

In particular, that risk assessments identify all risks and give clear guidance for staff to follow.

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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

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’s workforce provides continuity of care to each child; and

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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)(e)(h))

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Requirement Due date

In particular, the manager and senior leadership should have full oversight of the home and records, evaluating and addressing areas of improvement. Staff should receive training to meet the specific needs of the children. Staff should be provided with opportunities to discuss and share information effectively, including frequent team meetings.

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Requirement Due date

This is a repeated requirement. 31 March 2022 Inspection report for children’s home: SC473631 7 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. 31 March 2022

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Information about this inspection

This inspection focused on the effectiveness of the home and the progress and experiences of children and young people since the most recent full inspection. Inspection report for children’s home: SC473631 8 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: SC473631 9

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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 for children’s home: SC473631 10 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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