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

Inspection report for children's home: 1241785 1 Registered provider: Aspris Children’s Services Limited Full inspection Inspected under the social care common inspection framework

p.1

Information about this children’s home

This home is privately owned and run by an education specialist service provider. It is registered to care for up to nine children with autism spectrum disorder and associated difficulties. The home is located within the provider’s school campus, where the children currently living at the home also attend the school.

p.1

Information about this children’s home

The manager was registered with Ofsted in August 2018.

p.1

Overall experiences and progress of

children and young people, taking into account

p.1

requires improvement to be good

How well children and young people are helped and protected requires improvement to be good

p.1

requires improvement to be good

The effectiveness of leaders and managers requires improvement to be good

p.1

requires improvement to be good

The children’s home is not yet delivering good help and care for children and young people. However, there are no serious or widespread failures that result in their welfare not being safeguarded or promoted.

p.1

requires improvement to be good

Overall judgement at last inspection: good

p.1

requires improvement to be good

Enforcement action since last inspection: none Inspection report for children's home: 1241785 2

p.1

Inspection date Inspection type Inspection judgement

21/04/2021 Full Good 22/01/2020 Interim Sustained effectiveness 16/07/2019 Full Good 19/02/2019 Interim Improved effectiveness Inspection report for children's home: 1241785 3

p.2

improvement to be good

Children enjoy living in the home and they make progress; in some cases, this progress is exceptional. However, progress is not consistently strong for all children, and ineffective recording in plans means that the extent of this progress is not always captured.

p.3

improvement to be good

Staff sensitively support children with complex needs and have developed warm relationships with them. Children can play and maintain their routines, but due to inconsistent staffing levels opportunities for children to broaden their experiences in the community are limited.

p.3

improvement to be good

One parent spoke positively about their child’s experience of the home. The child had improved their ability to walk independently, had accessed a more varied diet and had improved their skills in personal care. The parent explained, ‘This has given [child’s name] confidence, they’re less anxious about things. I can’t sing staff praises enough.’

p.3

improvement to be good

However, children’s progress at the home is not mirrored educationally. Staff shortages in the provider’s attached school have led to inconsistent education attendance. Gaps in communication between school and home staff have resulted in children’s routines being disrupted at short notice. This has led to additional pressures being placed on staff at the home to complete daily tasks. In one instance, this increased pressure led to an avoidable behavioural incident for a child.

p.3

improvement to be good

Staff have created an environment in which children are able to explore who they are, including their gender identity, free from discrimination. The sensitive support of staff enables children to feel valued and cared for.

p.3

improvement to be good

At the last inspection, the physical condition of the home was of concern. While some improvements have been made in painting the building, other areas still require attention. Children’s showers continue to be poorly maintained, with evidence of mould and mildew, and fridges and cookers are dirty and require cleaning. These concerns were raised in a health and safety review and have yet to be rectified, leaving children vulnerable to illness.

p.3

improvement to be good

Furthermore, staff training in the safe handling of food is has not been updated, meaning that a large number of staff are not compliant with the provider’s requirements. Senior leaders acknowledged this and agreed to address this matter urgently. Inspection report for children's home: 1241785 4 Staff do not always have clear guidance on how to manage known behaviours, particularly when children are out in the community. Staff use their relationships with the children to inform responses, but plans lack consistency. This had led to some staff avoiding taking a child to a community resource where known triggers for behaviour exist. As a result, the child cannot further develop their socially aware behaviour or enjoy the full experience of opportunities outside of the home.

p.3

improvement to be good

Managers have not reviewed the fire risk assessment in line with the organisation and external auditors’ recommendations. While this has not impacted on children’s safety, it has led to a serious gap in oversight of the safety of the building.

p.4

improvement to be good

Safer recruitment practice is consistently applied when employing new staff. This helps to ensure that children are protected from being cared for by unsuitable people.

p.4

improvement to be good

In most cases, safeguarding concerns are recognised quickly and appropriate action is taken. However, on one occasion, leaders failed to report a concern to the relevant agencies regarding the use of a non-approved hold, despite being advised to do so by the independent visitor. The report of the incident had not been overseen by the registered manager; this demonstrated a slow response by leaders to ensure that the child did not come to harm.

p.4

good

Due to inconsistencies in staffing and absences of senior members of the management team, monitoring in the home has been insufficient. This has led to delays in the reporting of concerns and the updating of children’s plans, a decline in the maintenance of the home and reduced opportunities for children to access the community. This has limited children’s experiences and slowed their progress.

p.4

good

Managers show an understanding of children’s backgrounds and needs and the progress that they have made. Managers ensure that children are able to make progress in some areas of their agreed plans. However, it is not always clear what this progress is, as children’s plans, such as therapeutic plans, have not been updated. This has led to inconsistency in staff knowledge of children’s progress.

p.4

good

Staff have regular supervision. However, staff do not always have access to their records due to the supervisor not making them available. Similarly, team meeting records are not always available for staff to read, leading to inconsistencies and a missed opportunity for staff to have access to vital information.

p.4

good

Leaders have some understanding of the home’s strengths and weaknesses. The independent visitor was keen to inform inspectors of the positive approach that leaders have taken to making improvements. However, some areas of the home remain poorly maintained, despite being identified in external health and safety Inspection report for children's home: 1241785 5 plans. There is a clear development plan for the coming year that identifies actions to improve the service. Inspection report for children's home: 1241785 6

p.4

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.

p.6

Requirement Due date

The protection of children standard is that children are protected from harm and enabled to keep themselves safe.

p.6

Requirement Due date

In particular, the standard in paragraph (1) requires the registered person to ensure—

p.6

Requirement Due date

that the premises used for the purposes of the home are designed, furnished and maintained so as to protect each child from avoidable hazards to the child’s health. (Regulation 12 (2)(d)) 25 May 2022

p.6

Requirement Due date

The registered person must maintain records ("case records") for each child which—

p.6

Requirement Due date

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

p.6

Requirement Due date

are kept up to date. (Regulation 36 (1)(b)) 25 May 2022

p.6

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—

p.6

Requirement Due date

helps children aspire to fulfil their potential; and

p.6

Requirement Due date

In particular, the standard in paragraph (1) requires the registered person to—

p.6

Requirement Due date

ensure that the home has sufficient staff to provide care for each child. (Regulation 13 (2)(d)) 25 May 2022

p.6

Requirement Due date

The education standard is that children make measurable progress towards achieving their educational potential and are helped to do so. 25 May 2022 Inspection report for children's home: 1241785 7 In particular, the standard in paragraph (1) requires the registered person to ensure—

p.6

Requirement Due date

maintain regular contact with each child’s education and training provider, including engaging with the provider and the placing authority to support the child’s education and training and to maximise the child’s achievement. (Regulation 8 (2)(vi))

p.7

Requirement Due date

The protection of children standard is that children are protected from harm and enabled to keep themselves safe.

p.7

Requirement Due date

In particular, the standard in paragraph (1) requires the registered person to ensure—

p.7

Requirement Due date

help each child to understand how to keep safe. (Regulation 12 (1) (2)(a)(ii)) 25 May 2022

p.7

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—

p.7

Requirement Due date

helps children aspire to fulfil their potential; and

p.7

Requirement Due date

In particular, the standard in paragraph (1) requires the registered person to—

p.7

Requirement Due date

ensure that the home’s workforce provides continuity of care to each child. (Regulation 13 (2)(e)) 25 May 2022

p.7

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—

p.7

Requirement Due date

helps children aspire to fulfil their potential; and

p.7

Requirement Due date

In particular, the standard in paragraph (1) requires the registered person to— 25 May 2022 Inspection report for children's home: 1241785 8 use monitoring and review systems to make continuous improvements in the quality of care provided in the home. (Regulation 13 (2)(h))

p.7

Requirement Due date

The protection of children standard is that children are protected from harm and enabled to keep themselves safe.

p.8

Requirement Due date

In particular, the standard in paragraph (1) requires the registered person to ensure—

p.8

Requirement Due date

take effective action whenever there is a serious concern about a child’s welfare. (Regulation 12 (1) (2)(a)(vi)) 25 May 2022

p.8

Requirement Due date

ensure that each employee completes an appropriate induction;

p.8

Requirement Due date

ensure that each permanent appointment of an employee is subject to the satisfactory completion of a period of probation; and

p.8

Requirement Due date

provide each employee with a job description outlining the employee’s responsibilities.

p.8

Requirement Due date

The registered person must ensure that all employees—

p.8

Requirement Due date

receive practice-related supervision by a person with appropriate experience. (Regulation 33 (4)(b)) 25 May 2022

p.8

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: 1241785 9

p.8

Children’s home details

Registered provider: Aspris Children’s Services Limited

p.9

Children’s home details

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

p.9

Inspectors

Matt Nicholls, Social Care Inspector (lead) Jennie Christopher, Social Care Inspector Inspection report for children's home: 1241785 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.

p.9

Inspectors

If you would like a copy of this document in a different format, such as large print or Braille, please telephone 0300 123 1231, or email enquiries@ofsted.gov.uk . You may reuse this information (not including logos) free of charge in any format or medium, under the terms of the Open Government Licence. To view this licence, visit www.nationalarchives.gov.uk/doc/open-government-licence , write to the Information Policy Team, The National Archives, Kew, London TW9 4DU, or email: psi@nationalarchives.gsi.gov.uk .

p.10

Inspectors

Interested in our work? You can subscribe to our monthly newsletter for more information and updates: http://eepurl.com/iTrDn .

p.10

Inspectors

T: 0300 123 1231 Textphone: 0161 618 8524 E: enquiries@ofsted.gov.uk W: www.gov.uk/ofsted

p.10