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

Inspection report for children’s home - monitoring visit: 2535166 1 Registered provider: Aspris Children’s Services Limited

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Inspected under the social care common inspection framework

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Information about this children’s home

This children’s home is registered to care for up to three children who may have learning disabilities. At the time of this monitoring visit, one child was living in the home.

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Information about this children’s home

The home has been without a registered manager since January 2024. The home’s manager was not present at the time of this visit. The responsible individual was in charge of the home.

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This monitoring visit

This children’s home was judged inadequate at the full inspection in February 2024. At that time, the inspector found shortfalls in the quality of the care provided to the child, practice to safeguard the child online and in the leadership and management of the home.

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This monitoring visit

This monitoring visit was carried out to review actions taken by managers to address the areas of concern.

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This monitoring visit

Senior managers have implemented a comprehensive action plan to improve the care and safety of the child. While some changes are not embedded, the quality of care and the child’s experiences have improved.

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This monitoring visit

Staff are supporting the child to develop better daily routines. This includes the child being offered meals regularly and a significant reduction in the time that the child spends gaming online. Records relating to the care being given are now more detailed. Inspection report for children’s home - monitoring visit: 2535166 2 Staff interact with the child well and speak about them with emotional warmth and pride. Staff are investing time with the child to build relationships and to engage them in positive activities, including learning to play the guitar.

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This monitoring visit

The child has not attended an education provision for a lengthy period of time. They receive online learning sessions. Tutoring in the home is planned to start. The child is keen to learn. They have continually expressed their wish to attend a school. The lack of an education provision negatively impacts on the opportunities for the child to build peer relationships. Senior managers have taken action to escalate these concerns and to advocate for the child to return to an education provision.

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This monitoring visit

The child’s safety online has increased. A new online safety protocol has been created, and staff team members have developed a greater awareness about the child’s online activities. There have been no concerns reported relating to the child using electronic devices, and their sleep pattern has improved.

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This monitoring visit

During incidents, staff act to safeguard the child. Following incidents, strategies to reduce future risk are not always implemented, and support identified for the child is slow to progress. This includes risks and support relating to the child vaping. Additional support requested by the child to help them at times of distress has not progressed in a timely way.

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This monitoring visit

While there have been no known health implications for the child, there have been repeated non-prescribed medication errors in the home. Procedures have not been implemented robustly to prevent the risk of errors occurring. Senior managers have taken swift action to address the concerns, and changes to improve practice have started.

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This monitoring visit

New staff team members describe being welcomed into the home and feeling supported. However, not all staff have received regular supervision.

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This monitoring visit

Ofsted will continue to monitor the home and complete a full inspection in due course. The requirements and the recommendation from the previous inspection will remain and will be reviewed at the next full inspection. Inspection report for children’s home - monitoring visit: 2535166 3

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Inspection date Inspection type Inspection judgement

27/02/2024 Full Inadequate 10/05/2022 Full Good 27/04/2021 Full Good 10/12/2019 Full Good Inspection report for children’s home - monitoring visit: 2535166 4

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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, The 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 with 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

understand and apply the home’s statement of purpose;

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Requirement Due date

protect and promote each child’s welfare;

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Requirement Due date

provide personalised care that meets each child’s needs, as recorded in the child’s relevant plans, taking account of the child’s background;

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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)(i)(ii)(iv)(vi))

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Requirement Due date

This directly relates to the manager ensuring that staff have clear direction and strategies to ensure that the child develops positive daily routines. 29 March 2024

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Requirement Due date

The education standard is that children make measurable progress towards achieving their educational potential and are helped to do so. 29 March 2024 Inspection report for children’s home - monitoring visit: 2535166 5 In particular, the standard in paragraph (1) requires the registered person to ensure—

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Requirement Due date

help each child to achieve the child’s education and training targets, as recorded in the child’s relevant plans;

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Requirement Due date

promote opportunities for each child to learn informally;

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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;

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Requirement Due date

help a child who is excluded from school, or who is of compulsory school age but not attending school, to access educational and training support throughout the period of exclusion or non-attendance and to return to school as soon as possible. (Regulation 8 (1) (2)(a)(i)(v)(vi)(viii))

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Requirement Due date

This specifically relates to managers ensuring that if a child is out of education, a timetable of educational activities is implemented during the school day. In addition, managers should challenge services effectively to ensure that the child is provided with suitable formal education and that they return to an education provision as soon as possible.

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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;

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Requirement Due date

help each child to understand how to keep safe;

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Requirement Due date

have the skills to identify and act upon signs that a child is at risk of harm; 29 March 2024 Inspection report for children’s home - monitoring visit: 2535166 6 manage relationships between children to prevent them from harming each other;

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Requirement Due date

understand the roles and responsibilities in relation to protecting children that are assigned to them by the registered person;

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Requirement Due date

take effective action whenever there is a serious concern about a child’s welfare; and are familiar with, and act in accordance with, the home’s child protection policies. (Regulation 12 (1) (2)(a)(i)(ii)(iii)(iv)(v)(vi)(vii))

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Requirement Due date

In particular, the manager must ensure that risks posed to the child online are fully understood and inform decisions about the day-to-day arrangements for the child.

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Requirement Due date

In addition, the manager must ensure that staff are provided with clear strategies to intervene effectively to reduce the risk of incidents occurring.

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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;

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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 the impact that the quality of care provided in the home is having on the progress and experiences of each child and use this understanding to inform the development of the quality of care provided in the home. (Regulation 13 (1)(a)(b) (2)(f))

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Requirement Due date

In particular, the manager must ensure that the monitoring of care is effective in safeguarding the child and promoting their well-being. 29 March 2024

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Recommendation

 The registered person should ensure that the home is a nurturing and supportive environment that meets the needs of their children. It should be a homely, Inspection report for children’s home - monitoring visit: 2535166 7 domestic environment. (‘Guide to the Children’s Homes Regulations, including the quality standards’, page 15, paragraph 3.9)

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Information about this inspection

The purpose of this visit was to monitor the action taken and the progress made by the children’s home since its last Ofsted inspection.

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Information about this inspection

This inspection was carried out under the Care Standards Act 2000. Inspection report for children’s home - monitoring visit: 2535166 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: Michelle Garstang

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Inspector

Louise Bacon, Social Care Inspector Inspection report for children’s home - monitoring visit: 2535166 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 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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