Children's Home run by Priory Education Services Limited in Hampshire

Inspection report for children’s home: 2585129 1 Registered provider: Aspris Children’s Services Limited

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Full inspection Inspected under the social care common inspection framework

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Information about this children’s home

This is a privately owned home. It provides care for up to three children with social and emotional difficulties, where associated moderate learning difficulties and low-risk mental health concerns may be contributors.

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Information about this children’s home

There were two children living at the home at the time of this inspection.

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Information about this children’s home

This home is on the same site as a school and another children’s home, which are all part of the same organisation. The inspector only visited the social care provision on this site. The other children’s home on the same site was not part of this inspection.

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Information about this children’s home

The registered manager post has been vacant since April 2024.

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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: inadequate

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good

Enforcement action since last inspection: none Inspection report for children’s home: 2585129 2

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Inspection date Inspection type Inspection judgement

24/04/2024 Full Inadequate 05/09/2023 Full Good 18/10/2022 Full Good 08/06/2021 Full Good Inspection report for children’s home: 2585129 3

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

The committed staff team provides individualised care that meets the specific needs of each child. Staff know the children well and the best way to work with them. Staff ensure that they involve children in the development of their support plans.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Staff work with professionals to ensure the best possible outcomes for children. They have worked with education professionals to support the education of a child who had previously been disengaged from education. This child has now passed exams and secured a college place. One professional working with this child said, ‘I am flabbergasted that they have managed to do this’.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Children receive good support with their health needs. Staff help the children to maintain good health. They arrange and rearrange appointments to ensure that children attend.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Staff are committed to hearing the children’s views and are responsive to them. Frequent house meetings take place that provide children with opportunities to express their views. Regular one-to-one sessions with staff mean that children have other planned opportunities to express their wishes and feelings. Relationships between staff and children are positive. These enable children to openly share their worries, thoughts and feelings with staff.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Staff encourage children to take part in a range of activities and ensure that they have positive experiences. They support the children to pursue their interests and make progress in all areas of their life. One child is a volunteer with a local steam railway. Another child pursues their love of music. Staff have encouraged one child to undertake their Duke of Edinburgh Award.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Staff support children to prepare for independence. They encourage them to take responsibility for their personal environment. One child manages a small budget and cooks for themself. Staff are effective in managing moves into and away from the house. A child and their parent said that staff had worked well with them to manage a move on from the home.

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

Safeguarding arrangements are effective. Staff understand risks for the children and manage them well. Staff have received training around identifying and responding to child sexual and criminal exploitation. They recognise when children might be at risk of harm and any involvement in risky behaviours.

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

Leaders and staff work together to challenge the responsible authorities when they are not responsive to concerns raised about a child’s safety. They do their best to satisfy themselves of the child’s safety and well-being. For example, staff are carrying out Inspection report for children’s home: 2585129 4 regular welfare checks for one child who is currently staying away from the home. This helps to reassure the child of staff commitment to their well-being.

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

Staff have received safeguarding training and understand their safeguarding responsibilities. They know how to respond if a child makes an allegation, to ensure the child feels safe and cared for.

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

Children have not gone missing from the home since the last inspection. However, staff know what to do when a child goes missing. There are missing-from-home risk assessments for each child that guide staff in what to do.

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

Staff know how to work with the range of behaviours that children display. All children have detailed positive behaviour support plans. Staff follow these plans, which guide them in how to support the children. Regular, planned one-to-one sessions and unplanned conversations mean that staff address these behaviours quickly and effectively. The staff’s support and promotion of positive behaviours helps to build trusting relationships between staff and children.

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

The medication management system is effective. No errors in the dispensing of medication have occurred since the last inspection.

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

Notifications of significant events to Ofsted are well timed. The recording of these significant events is clear and easy to follow. Staff therefore know the most up-to-date situation for the child and any changes to the child’s plans.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: requires improvement to be good

The manager has been in post since June 2024. However, Ofsted has yet to receive an application for registration. The new, clearer management arrangements have improved staff morale.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: requires improvement to be good

Since the last inspection, the quality and frequency of staff supervision has improved. Staff induction is effective. It enables the newest member of staff to feel supported and well prepared to do the work required of them. Good systems are in place to ensure the continued improvement of practice. All staff have received appraisals of their practice. Staff training is of a good standard and staff value this. However, some staff have yet to complete the required, relevant diplomas for the work. This has the potential to undermine staff skills and knowledge.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: requires improvement to be good

The condition of aspects of the home requires improvement. The flooring continues to have an embedded and pervasive odour of cat urine. This does not demonstrate to the children that they are valued.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: requires improvement to be good

Senior leaders have developed positive working relationships with professionals. Professionals said that they are impressed with the staff communication, commitment to the children and quality of care provided. The manager challenged a placing authority Inspection report for children’s home: 2585129 5 when their responses were not effective. This was successful and ensured improved support for the child.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: requires improvement to be good

Senior leaders know and understand the home’s strengths and areas for development. They have been responsive to some of the requirements from the last full inspection. However, some requirements from the previous full inspection remain unmet. Inspection report for children’s home: 2585129 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, 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 within the given timescales.

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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;

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Requirement Due date

ensure that staff have the experience, qualifications and skills to meet the needs of each child;

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Requirement Due date

ensure that the home has sufficient staff to provide care for each child;

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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; and

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Requirement Due date

use monitoring and review systems to make continuous improvements in the quality of care provided in the home. (Regulation 13 (1)(a)(b) (2)(a)(c)(d)(f)(h))

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Requirement Due date

In particular, ensure that the manager submits a valid application to register with Ofsted, can oversee the home effectively and deliver on required outcomes for children.

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Requirement Due date

This requirement was made at the last full inspection and is restated. 30 September 2024 Inspection report for children’s home: 2585129 7 For the purposes of paragraph (3)(b), an individual who works in the home in a care role has the appropriate qualification if, by the relevant date, the individual has attained—

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Requirement Due date

the Level 3 Diploma for Residential Childcare (England) ("the Level 3 Diploma"); or

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Requirement Due date

a qualification which the registered person considers to be equivalent to the Level 3 Diploma. (Regulation 32 (4)(a)(b))

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Requirement Due date

This requirement was made at the last full inspection and is restated. 30 September 2024

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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

In particular, ensure that children are protected from potential risks of animal waste in the home, and that the condition of the home reflects the best standards and is homely.

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Requirement Due date

This requirement was made at the last full inspection and is restated. 30 September 2024 Inspection report for children’s home: 2585129 8

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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: 2585129 9

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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

Vevene Muhammad, Social Care Inspector Inspection report for children’s home: 2585129 10 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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