Children's Home run by Aspris Children’s Services Limited in North Yorkshire

Inspection report for children's home: 1211772 1 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 home is owned and managed by a private provider. It provides care for up to six children who experience social and/or emotional difficulties.

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Information about this children’s home

The manager registered with Ofsted in November 2020.

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Inspection date: 23 March 2022

Date of last inspection: 13 December 2021

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Inspection date: 23 March 2022

Judgement at last inspection: requires improvement to be good

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Inspection date: 23 March 2022

Enforcement action since last inspection: none Inspection report for children's home: 1211772 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 this interim inspection, Ofsted judged that it has sustained effectiveness.

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children and young people since the most recent full inspection

Since the last inspection, the children are starting to make progress. Children are engaging in learning and attending school. The children’s relationships with staff were fractious. Children are now choosing to spend time with the staff and accept their advice and care. The children enjoy going out on activities with the staff and their friends. This creates a more settled and stable environment for children to live in.

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children and young people since the most recent full inspection

No children have moved into or left the home since the last inspection. As children approach adulthood, their transitions from the home are being planned. The manager recognises that children may become anxious as they prepare to leave the home, and the planning and preparation for children is well supported by the staff. When children experience unnecessary delays to their planned move from the home, the manager challenges children’s placing authority. This ensures that children receive the support that they need.

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children and young people since the most recent full inspection

The children are vulnerable and they present behaviours that place themselves and others at risk of harm. Staff use sanctions as a response to children’s behaviours and to encourage them to use alternative strategies to manage their anxieties and frustrations. However, records of these sanctions are not consistently completed to a good standard. This does not allow for management oversight and reflection to ensure that these measures are appropriate.

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children and young people since the most recent full inspection

Risk assessments do not provide staff with the necessary guidance on how to support children when they are in crisis. There were particular shortfalls within the children’s ligature risk assessments, and staff have not had adequate training to ensure that they can confidently respond to a ligature incident. This means that staff practice is inconsistent, and this places children at risk of harm. Furthermore, the manager has failed to inform Ofsted of a significant ligature incident within an acceptable time frame.

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children and young people since the most recent full inspection

Children enjoy time with their friends. The children’s risk assessments provide guidance for staff about the need to complete welfare checks on children when they are away from the home. Staff do not consistently record when they have visually seen or made telephone contact with children while they are in the community with friends. This has the potential to lead to unsafe practice.

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children and young people since the most recent full inspection

The manager is completing additional training and self-reflection to develop her ability to lead and manage the staff team. Senior leaders have oversight of the Inspection report for children's home: 1211772 3 home, and this includes an additional level of quality assurance. The manager has developed the internal and external monitoring systems and is addressing the deficits that were highlighted at the last full inspection. As a result, there is more effective scrutiny over the quality of care for children and the service that the home provides. The requirements and recommendations from the last inspection have been met.

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children and young people since the most recent full inspection

Recruitment processes are in place to address staff vacancies. Staff spend additional time in the home to ensure that children receive care from staff who they know. When staff are appointed, safer recruitment practices are followed. However, the manager has failed to have oversight of staff recruitment records to ensure there are no shortfalls before staff start caring for the children.

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children and young people since the most recent full inspection

Partnership working with other agencies supports children’s progress. The manager advocates for the children to ensure that all professionals supporting the children work together to effectively meet children’s needs. This collaborative approach means that, for one child, they have now completed a specialist assessment for attention deficit hyperactivity disorder. Although staff require additional training to further their knowledge and understanding of this disorder, this joined-up working means that the child’s specific needs are now known.

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children and young people since the most recent full inspection

The home environment has been significantly improved, and this now provides a homely place where the children can relax and feel at home. Inspection report for children's home: 1211772 4

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Inspection date Inspection type Inspection judgement

13/12/2021 Full Requires improvement to be good 15/10/2019 Full Outstanding 26/02/2019 Full Good 08/08/2017 Full Good Inspection report for children's home: 1211772 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 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)) 1 June 2022

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Requirement Due date

The registered person must notify HMCI and each other relevant person without delay if—

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Requirement Due date

there is any other incident relating to a child which the registered person considers to be serious. (Regulation 40 (4)(e)) 1 June 2022

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Recommendations

 The registered person should ensure that all sanctions are recorded and are subject to systems of regular scrutiny to ensure that their use is fair. (‘Guide to the Children’s Home Regulations, including the quality standards’, page 46, paragraph 9.36)  The registered provider should ensure that the staff can access appropriate facilities and resources to support their training needs, specifically about attention deficit hyperactivity disorder. (‘Guide to the Children’s Home Regulations, including the quality standards’, page 53, paragraph 10.11)  The registered person should ensure that they maintain good employment practice. (‘Guide to the Children’s Home Regulations, including the quality standards’, page 61, paragraph 13.1) Inspection report for children's home: 1211772 6

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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: 1211772 7

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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

Jennifer Fenlon, Social Care Inspector Inspection report for children's home: 1211772 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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