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

Inspection report for children’s home: SC062223 1 SC062223 Registered provider: Aspris Children’s Services Limited Interim inspection Inspected under the social care common inspection framework

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Information about this children’s home

This privately run home offers care for up to five children with social and/or emotional difficulties.

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Information about this children’s home

The registered manager was registered with Ofsted in September 2019. The registered manager is appropriately experienced and qualified.

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Inspection date: 8 March 2022

Date of last inspection: 16 November 2021

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Inspection date: 8 March 2022

Judgement at last inspection: requires improvement to be good

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Inspection date: 8 March 2022

Enforcement action since last inspection: none Inspection report for children’s home: SC062223 2

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and young people since the most recent full inspection

This home was judged requires improvement to be good at the last full inspection. At this interim inspection, Ofsted judged that it has sustained effectiveness.

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and young people since the most recent full inspection

At the last full inspection, seven requirements and one recommendation were raised. The manager has met two of the requirements and the recommendation. Two further requirements have been raised at this inspection.

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and young people since the most recent full inspection

Since the last inspection, one child has moved out of the home and one child has moved in. During the inspection, a social worker for one child explained that he felt that the transition was well planned and that communication with the manager has been good. Another social worker explained that the home supports the child well. This helps children to make progress and feel a sense of belonging.

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and young people since the most recent full inspection

Children said that they feel safe and they continue to have good relationships with staff. Since the last inspection, the manager has made changes to the environment. The home has been redecorated and there has been improvements made to the kitchen and dining room. Children’s bedrooms are personalised in line with their interests.

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and young people since the most recent full inspection

Managers have introduced systems to ensure that children are supported to understand their care plans and prepare for their review meetings. The children now have ‘care planning’ booklets, which explain the changes made to care plans. In addition, children are supported to complete a reflective session with staff prior to review meetings, which considers their wishes and feelings. This practice helps children to influence their experiences and understand the progress that they have made.

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and young people since the most recent full inspection

The manager has made improvements to the recording of medication administration. Medication is safely stored and administered. Staff consult with health professionals when changes to medication are required or when children refuse to take medication. However, staff do not always follow up health appointments for children. For example, staff received information that a child needed an appointment with a specialist health professional but there were no records of this being booked. In addition, one child has continued to smoke without any clear plan for reduction. This could have implications for the child’s health and well-being.

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and young people since the most recent full inspection

The progress children make with education is variable. For some children, school attendance is good and progress is being made to achieve their educational targets. In addition, one child has been supported to maintain a part-time job. However, staff do not provide suitable structure and routine for a child who is currently out of education. The child does not have a meal and activity planner in place. This impacts on the child’s progress. A requirement has been made to address this shortfall. Inspection report for children’s home: SC062223 3 Since the last inspection there have been no physical interventions. Incidents of children going missing are rare. When children do go missing, the manager has ensured that the children are provided with an independent return home interview. In addition, the recording of missing incidents has improved. The manager evaluates incidents and arranges strategy meetings with the police and social workers if

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and young people since the most recent full inspection

required. This has increased the support that children receive.

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and young people since the most recent full inspection

There continues to be shortfalls with risk management. Managers do not ensure that risk assessments contain sufficient detail, and risk-management strategies lack rigour. For example, one child’s risk assessment states that staffing ratios can change on an ad-hoc basis, however, the manager failed to demonstrate planning for the reduction in staffing levels. When the staffing levels were reduced, the child went missing. This demonstrates a missed opportunity to ensure effective safeguarding.

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and young people since the most recent full inspection

Since the last inspection, staff have completed mandatory training. However, staff have not completed training specific to the children’s presenting needs. For example, staff have yet to complete attention deficit hyperactivity disorder training and training on the effects of substance misuse. This had been identified at the last full inspection and demonstrates a missed opportunity to ensure the continued development of staff. The manager has plans to ensure that this shortfall is rectified and appropriate training has been identified.

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and young people since the most recent full inspection

Following the last inspection, the manager reviewed the use of alarms on children’s bedroom doors at night. The manager has updated the statement of purpose, completed reflective sessions with children to ensure they are aware of the reason for use, and completed a consultation with social workers. However, managers have still not implemented a written assessment for each child to reflect the rationale for this measure. This means that the alarms continue to be used outside of the home’s internal policy and may lead to alarms being used unnecessarily.

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and young people since the most recent full inspection

Managers have carried out work to improve the standards of record-keeping by introducing a new filing system. Managers have requested children’s health and education plans for children, but these have not been provided. Managers recognise this as an area for further development, and there are plans to create an escalation procedure for when required documents are not received. This shortfall was raised at the last inspection and has been made as a requirement at this inspection. Inspection report for children’s home: SC062223 4

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Inspection date Inspection type Inspection judgement

16/11/2021 Full Requires improvement to be good 21/01/2020 Full Good 13/06/2018 Full Outstanding 27/11/2017 Full Good Inspection report for children’s home: SC062223 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 education standard is that children make measurable progress towards achieving their educational potential and are helped to do so.

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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

understand the barriers to learning that each child may face and take appropriate action to help the child to overcome any such barriers. (Regulation 8(1) (2)(a)(iii)

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Requirement Due date

This specifically relates to the registered manager ensuring that staff provide structure and routine for children when they are not attending education. 30 April 2022

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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. (Regulation 10 (1)(a)(b)(c))

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Requirement Due date

This specifically relates to the registered manager ensuring that children’s appointments are scheduled. In addition, the registered manager should ensure that children are educated to understand the risks related to smoking. 30 April 2022 Inspection report for children’s home: SC062223 6 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. (Regulation 12 (1) (2)(a)(i))

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Requirement Due date

This specifically relates to the registered manager ensuring that the children’s risk assessments consider and assess all known risks. 30 April 2022

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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

Ensure that staff have the experiences, qualifications, and skills to meet the needs of each child. (Regulation 13 (1)(a)(b) (2)(c))

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Requirement Due date

This specifically relates to the registered manager ensuring that all staff complete mandatory training and child-specific training. 30 April 2022

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Requirement Due date

The registered person may only use devices for the monitoring or surveillance of children if—

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Requirement Due date

the monitoring or surveillance is for the purpose of safeguarding and promoting the welfare of the child concerned, or other children.

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Requirement Due date

This specifically relates to ensuring that door alarms are only used as set out in a child’s agreed risk assessment. 30 April 2022 Inspection report for children’s home: SC062223 7 The registered person must maintain records ("case records") for each child which—

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Requirement Due date

include the information and documents listed in Schedule 3 in relation to each child;

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Requirement Due date

are kept up to date. (Regulation 36 (1)(a)(b))

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Requirement Due date

This specifically relates to the need for a child’s up-to-date care plan and education plan to be in place. 30 April 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.

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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: SC062223 8

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Children’s home details

Registered provider: Aspris Children’s Services Limited

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Children’s home details

Registered provider address: The Forge, Church Street West, Woking, Surrey GU21 6HT

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Inspector

Sophie Hills, Social Care Inspector Inspection report for children’s home: SC062223 9 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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