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

Inspection report children’s home: SC407783 1 SC407783 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 home is run by a national, private organisation and provides accommodation linked to an education provision. It provides care for up to five children who experience social and emotional difficulties. The education provision was not inspected at this inspection.

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Information about this children’s home

The manager registered with Ofsted in September 2022.

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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 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: good

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good

Enforcement action since last inspection: none Inspection report children’s home: SC407783 2

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Inspection date Inspection type Inspection judgement

05/05/2021 Full Good 07/01/2020 Full Good 15/08/2018 Full Good 21/11/2017 Full Good Inspection report children’s home: SC407783 3

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Staff help children to explore and celebrate their identity. Staff are sensitive to children’s faith, gender identity and sexual orientation, and they promote inclusivity. For example, children attend local LGBTQ+ clubs and ‘Pride’ events. Staff help children to develop a positive self-view, which increases their self-esteem. Children feel that they fit in and say that they love living at the home.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Staff help children to write their curriculum vitae and prepare for job interviews. Staff use checklists and workshops to help children to develop these skills. Staff celebrate children’s achievements and reward them with activities and extra pocket money. As a result, children are developing independence skills to prepare them for adulthood.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Children see their families often and staff encourage children to spend time with their friends. Staff speak frequently with parents to ensure that communication between the home and children’s family members is open. Parents say that they receive daily updates about their children, which helps them to understand their child’s progress at the home.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Children’s care plans are clear and detailed. Staff ensure that children are involved in their own care planning and set achievable targets and goals. Staff help children with life-story work. For instance, one child has been supported to explore their gender identity and interest in the ‘drag’ scene. This is an important part of the child’s identity development, and records map out important milestones. Staff know and understand children well.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Staff regularly seek the views of children and involve them in day-to-day decisions, such as activity planning and meal choices. Staff encourage children to take part in conversations and to contribute to regular children’s meetings to obtain their views. Staff listen to what children have to say and act on their wishes. As a result, children have a range of experiences, including shopping trips, attending the gym, taking part in local events and going to activity centres.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

All children are in full-time education and are working towards their GCSE qualifications. They have clear aspirations for their future education. Staff proactively encourage children with their education. Children who have previously not attended education are now in school and doing well.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Leaders and managers have not always made effective decisions about new children coming to live at the home. This is because a child who moved into the home did not have their needs and known risks appropriately matched to children already living in the home. As a result, conflict and bullying between children occurred, which resulted in a placement breakdown. Leaders and managers helped to prepare the child for moving out by talking with the child, their family and social worker to Inspection report children’s home: SC407783 4 provide consistent support and plans. Leaders and managers acted with consideration for the child moving out and the other children in the home to ensure that the move was as positive as possible.

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

Staff help children to understand risks through informal conversations and pre- planned workshops. Staff work with parents to put safeguards in place which help children to identify risks and stay safe online. Staff ensure that any safeguards that are put in place are subject to continual review. As a result, staff help children to take and manage age-appropriate risks in accordance with their stage of development.

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

Children understand the rules of the home. Staff seek to understand the reasons behind behaviour that is difficult to manage and use positive approaches to help children to understand their feelings. Although staff have not used physical intervention, they are appropriately trained and confident should they be required to use it. Children say that they feel safe in the home.

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

Generally, staff know how to raise safeguarding concerns and how to use the escalation procedure. However, when this has not happened promptly, the manager has identified support for staff to improve practice. The manager takes appropriate action when safeguarding concerns arise.

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

Children who have experienced past abuse and trauma receive effective support. Staff follow advice from specialist agencies and work with families to ensure that children receive appropriate emotional support.

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

Staff help children to understand bullying by facilitating workshops, initiating conversations and through children’s meetings. Staff challenge discriminatory behaviours and help children to understand how to treat each other. However, these approaches have not been effective for all children.

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

There have been occasions when police have been called to the home to help support staff to manage children’s behaviour. This has been investigated by the registered manager who concluded that the police involvement was not necessary. The registered manager identified learning from their investigation. Despite this, the behaviour management procedures, to reflect the learning and new staff practices, have not been updated to reflect the identified learning.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

The registered manager is experienced and knowledgeable. They are working towards the level 5 diploma in leadership and management for residential childcare.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

Leaders and managers have systems in place to monitor the quality of care for children. These systems include audits completed by the responsible individual and feedback from the independent visitor. The registered manager uses these systems Inspection report children’s home: SC407783 5 to identify the strengths and weaknesses of the home and to ensure that the development within the home is meaningful.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

There has been a high turnover of staff since the last inspection. New staff to the home are supported by the registered manager through a good-quality induction. Staff are well trained and receive continuous feedback on their performance. The registered manager challenges poor practice and uses supervision well to identify learning opportunities. As a result, staff receive effective support to do their job well.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

The registered manager responds to complaints well, listens to parents and takes prompt action if required. Parents say that they can speak with the manager when they need to.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

The registered manager and staff have been involved in making improvements to the decor of the home. Clear progress has been made in the communal areas on the ground floor. However, window restrictors on the ground floor and unfinished fireplaces detract from the improvements made. The response to repairs has not been timely. For example, a child’s bedroom door, which has been damaged for two months, has not been fixed. Inspection report children’s home: SC407783 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

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 (1) (2)(d))

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Requirement Due date

Specifically, the registered person must ensure that damage to a child’s bedroom door is promptly repaired. 11 November

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Requirement Due date

The care planning standard is that children—

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Requirement Due date

receive effectively planned care in or through the children’s home; and

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Requirement Due date

have a positive experience of arriving at or moving on from the home.

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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

that children are admitted to the home only if their needs are within the range of needs of children for whom it is intended that the home is to provide care and accommodation, as set out in the home’s statement of purpose. (Regulation 14 (1)(a)(b) (2)(a)) 11 November

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Recommendations

 The registered person should agree procedures and guidance on police involvement with the home to reduce unnecessary police involvement in managing behaviour and criminalisation of behaviours. (‘Guide to the Children’s Homes Regulations, including the quality standards’, page 47, paragraph 9.40) Inspection report children’s home: SC407783 7  The registered person should seek as far as possible to maintain a domestic rather than ‘institutional’ impression of the home. (‘Guide to the Children’s Homes Regulations, including the quality standards’, page 15, paragraph 3.9)

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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 children’s home: SC407783 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

Mark Dawkins, Social Care Inspector Inspection report children’s home: SC407783 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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