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

Inspection report for children’s home: 1271467 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

The home is operated by a national private provider of education and social care. It is registered to provide care for up to three children. The provider states in the statement of purpose that the home provides care for children aged between seven and 17. These children may have autism spectrum disorder or associated difficulties.

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Information about this children’s home

At the time of this inspection, one child was living in the home.

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Information about this children’s home

The manager registered with Ofsted in April 2023.

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Overall experiences and progress of

children and young people, taking into account

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requires improvement to be good

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

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requires improvement to be good

The effectiveness of leaders and managers requires improvement to be good

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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.

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requires improvement to be good

Date of last inspection: 17 January 2023

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requires improvement to be good

Overall judgement at last inspection: requires improvement to be good

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requires improvement to be good

Enforcement action since last inspection: none Inspection report for children’s home: 1271467 2

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Inspection date Inspection type Inspection judgement

17/01/2023 Full Requires improvement to be good 04/11/2021 Full Good 05/11/2018 Interim Declined in effectiveness 12/06/2018 Full Requires improvement to be good Inspection report for children’s home: 1271467 3

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improvement to be good

The experiences of one young person who has lived in the home for over three years, are mixed. Their views indicate that they have developed a sense of belonging and have built trusting relationships with established staff team members. However, incidents and the breakdown of another child’s care arrangements have negatively impacted on their emotional well-being.

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improvement to be good

The young person attends school and is achieving in different areas of their life. They are proud of their achievements. They participate in sporting events and medals are displayed in the home. Photos capturing the young person’s important life events are not collated in a meaningful way, and a recommendation relating to this is repeated.

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improvement to be good

While the young person has made progress in some areas of their life, a lack of focused support has impeded their ability to develop important self-care skills needed for adulthood. This includes learning to manage their medication safely. Despite the manager describing support to help the young person to develop a healthy diet, this has not been achieved.

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improvement to be good

There is a lack of cohesive care planning relating to the young person’s transition into adulthood, including their future living arrangements. Their options for further education and adult accommodation are not known. The young person has continually described the uncertainty about their future as ‘stressful’.

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improvement to be good

There have been no significant incidents relating to the young person in the home. They respond to the care provided to them. They identify the manager as a person who they can talk to about any concerns and say that they feel listened to.

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improvement to be good

One child has moved on from the home as their needs could not be managed safely. At times, strategies used to help calm the child when they were distressed were effective. At other times, they were not, and risks in the home and community increased.

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improvement to be good

Over this period, the child was restrained seven times by staff team members, and on other occasions by police. Restraint used by staff team members is detailed in records and reviewed. On one occasion, records did not accurately reflect restraint discussed by the manager when the police responded to the child. There is not a joined-up approach to ensure that responses help and protect the child. Inspection report for children’s home: 1271467 4 A coordinated response for one child who went missing from home was implemented. This included actions to locate the child and to contact the police promptly. Return home interviews were offered to the child each time they returned home.

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improvement to be good

Leaders and managers respond to complaints when they are made. This includes the responsible individual ensuring that complainants are informed about any investigation outcome. When incidents occur, the manager takes action to maintain relationships in the community. Strengthening processes in these circumstances will help to ensure a consistent approach in the future.

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good

Leaders and managers responded to concerns raised at the previous inspection, and an improvement plan is in place. While the manager discussed learning from significant events with the inspector, some areas are not yet embedded. This includes robust decision-making processes about children coming to live at the home to ensure that their needs can be met.

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good

Further work is needed to ensure that progress is monitored effectively. The young person’s plans are not up to date and do not reflect their current needs. Goals to help the young person increase their independence are not clearly defined.

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good

Since the previous inspection, the home environment has improved. This includes deep cleaning and decoration of children’s bedrooms. Some other areas need attention, including a window which needs to be repaired. The manager told the inspector that they intend to make further changes to improve the home environment and outside area.

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good

Staff feedback gathered by the inspector highlights training that positively impacts their practice. This includes them developing a deeper knowledge about children’s needs and how best to respond. Records demonstrate staff responding to children calmly and providing reassurance to them in challenging circumstances. Staff told the inspector that they enjoy working in the home and that they feel supported.

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good

A new deputy manager has been appointed. Leaders and managers say that the deputy manager is a positive addition to support the home’s development. They have created a new recording system aimed to improve the quality of daily records and to ensure that care and children’s progress are monitored effectively.

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good

Following this inspection, the registered manager said that they intend to update the home’s statement of purpose to reflect care provided to the young person living in the home. Inspection report for children’s home: 1271467 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 quality and purpose of care standard is that children receive care from staff who—

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Requirement Due date

understand the children’s home’s overall aims and the outcomes it seeks to achieve for children;

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Requirement Due date

use this understanding to deliver care that meets children’s needs and supports them to fulfil their potential.

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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

understand and apply the home’s statement of purpose;

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Requirement Due date

help each child to develop resilience and skills that prepare the child to return home, to live in a new placement or to live independently as an adult. (Regulation 6 (1)(a)(b) (2)(a)(b)(vi))

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Requirement Due date

In particular, the registered manager must ensure that effectively planned care and focused support, is implemented for the child at the earliest opportunity to help them develop important skills needed in adulthood. 31 August 2023

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Requirement Due date

In meeting the quality standards, the registered person must, and must ensure that staff—

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Requirement Due date

if the registered person considers, or staff consider, a placing authority’s, or a relevant person’s performance or response to be inadequate in relation to their role, challenge the placing authority or the relevant person to seek to ensure that each child’s needs are met in accordance with the child’s relevant plans; and

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Requirement Due date

seek to develop and maintain effective professional relationships with such persons, bodies or organisations as 30 June 2023 Inspection report for children’s home: 1271467 6 the registered person considers appropriate having regard to the range of needs of children for whom it is intended that the children’s home is to provide care and accommodation. (Regulation 5 (c)(d)).

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Requirement Due date

This directly relates to the registered person ensuring that a joined-up approach is implemented to ensure that responses help and protect the child at times of distress. The registered person must challenge responses that they consider to be inadequate.

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Recommendation

 The registered person should ensure that children’s life-story records are collated in a way that is meaningful for children and kept up to date. (‘Guide to the Children’s Homes Regulations, including the quality standards’, page 16, paragraph 3.14)

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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: 1271467 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

Louise Bacon, Social Care Inspector Inspection report for children’s home: 1271467 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 looked after children, safeguarding and child protection.

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Inspector

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Inspector

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Inspector

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