Children's home run by Aspris Children’s Service in Hammersmith and Fulham

Inspection report for children’s home: 1234621 1 Registered provider: Aspris Children’s Services Limited Full inspection Inspected under the social care common inspection framework

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Information about this children’s home

This privately run home provides care for up to five children who have experienced neglect, abuse or trauma that has left them vulnerable.

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Information about this children’s home

There has been no registered manager since May 2021. The current manager was appointed in February 2022 and is not registered with Ofsted.

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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 requires improvement to be 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: improved effectiveness

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good

Enforcement action since last inspection: none Inspection report for children’s home: 1234621 2

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Inspection date Inspection type Inspection judgement

22/03/2022 Interim Improved effectiveness 26/07/2021 Full Requires improvement to be good 13/09/2018 Full Good 10/08/2017 Interim Declined in effectiveness Inspection report for children’s home: 1234621 3

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

At the time of this inspection, two children were living at the home. Children’s moves to the home are well planned and positive. Since the last inspection, one child has moved on from the home unexpectedly, due to a change in family circumstances. The staff supported the child well and have maintained contact with the child’s parent to share advice and offer support.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Staff support the children to attend education. Both children are in full-time education and are progressing well. One child is taking her mock exams. Staff are supporting the other child to move to a secondary school. As a result, the children are making progress towards achieving their educational potential.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

The home is welcoming and nurturing. The children are encouraged to express their individuality by choosing items and colours for their bedrooms. One child has a pet rabbit and is being helped to care for him. This helps children feel that they belong and that the house is their home.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Staff understand the children’s health needs and seek out specialist services for them. One child is being helped by a counsellor to understand the risks of substance misuse. Another child is being supported to use suitable strategies when they are feeling worried. Staff are working closely with the looked after child’s nurse to access emotional well-being support for the child.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Staff provide high levels of support for children to help them maintain relationships with their families. The children have made good friendships at school and are supported to spend time with them in the community. This helps children to retain their identity and improves their confidence.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Children’s experiences are fun and enjoyable. The children participate in a variety of activities, including swimming, cinema trips, bowling and going to the beach. The children enjoy each other’s company and are settled.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

The children know how to complain and are encouraged to share their concerns with staff. The children speak with their social workers regularly and have advocates who they can speak with to share how they are feeling. Staff encourage children to attend their looked after child reviews. Consequently, children feel listened to, included and valued.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Staff support children well when they harm themselves. However, first aid provided for a child when they hurt themselves was not recorded. Inspection report for children’s home: 1234621 4

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

Staff know the children well and understand the risks that they face. Safety plans are put in place for children when they need further help. Staff spoke confidently about the strategies that they use to increase children’s safety.

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

Staff have a good understanding of safeguarding policies and how to whistle-blow. They know who to contact should they have any safeguarding concerns for a child.

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

The manager responds to safeguarding concerns promptly and takes appropriate action to keep children safe. The manager and the deputy manager share information with children when appropriate, to help them to feel safe and listened to.

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

The children have positive relationships with staff. The staff respond confidently to children when they feel worried or anxious. As a result, one child, who has a history of going missing from home, has not left the home without staff agreement.

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

Risk assessments for children are generally detailed and are regularly updated. The risk for one child’s emotional well-being has been assessed. However, the assessment lacks consideration of all the measures available to reduce the risk of self-harm. This does not provide staff with the information that they need to mitigate the risks to children.

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

Staff help the children to understand the potential risks at the home. Children participate in fire drills regularly. However, the detail as to why evacuations for children are delayed is not present in these records. Consequently, learning to consider how fire drills are managed is not effective.

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good

There has been no registered manager at the home since May 2021. In October 2021, a new manager was appointed. However, they left the home in February 2022 without registering with Ofsted. The current manager was appointed in February 2022. Ofsted has not yet received her application to register. Consequently, there has been no registered manager for 14 months. Failure to apply for registration promptly means that Ofsted cannot determine suitability for registration and means that the accountability of this role is missing. The responsible individual has provided oversight of the home when there has been no manager.

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good

The current manager has suitable experience and holds a relevant level 5 diploma. The manager and the deputy manager work closely to ensure that the home is run efficiently. The managers have high expectations for the children and the quality of care that children receive. Inspection report for children’s home: 1234621 5 The manager has established a stable and committed staff team. The staff benefit from training that helps them to understand the children’s individual needs. This includes training in self-harm, managing child sexual exploitation, trauma and substance misuse. The staff are either qualified to a relevant level 3 diploma or are working towards this.

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good

Staff say that they are supported by the manager and the deputy manager. The staff value the knowledge and experience of the managers and feel confident to go to them for help and advice. Supervisions are regular and give staff the opportunity to reflect on the children’s needs and to discuss any concerns at the home and their professional development.

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good

Staff participate in regular team meetings. This provides a forum for staff to reflect on children’s needs, share practice ideas and discuss concerns.

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good

Monitoring systems provide effective oversight of the children’s welfare. The manager responds to any recommendations made by the independent person to improve the home. The manager and the responsible individual work closely together to develop the home and children’s care. Inspection report for children’s home: 1234621 6

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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))

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Requirement Due date

In particular, ensure that risks associated with children self- harming are assessed, and that strategies to mitigate risks are understood by staff. 20 July 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

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. (Regulation 13 (1)(a)(b) (2)(a))

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Requirement Due date

In particular, ensure that the person appointed to manage the home registers with Ofsted without delay. 30 August 2022 Inspection report for children’s home: 1234621 7

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Recommendation

 The registered person should ensure that staff are familiar with the home’s policies on record-keeping and understand the importance of careful, objective, and clear recording. In particular, ensure that children’s care plans reflect any risks to children, that first aid administered to children is documented and that reasons for delays in fire drill evacuations are recorded. (‘Guide to the Children’s Homes Regulations, including the quality standards’, page 62, paragraph 14.4)

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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: 1234621 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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Children’s home details

Responsible individual: Victoria Wallace

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Inspector

Laraine Edmondson, Social Care Inspector Inspection report for children’s home: 1234621 9 regulates and inspects 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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