Children's Home run by Aston Children’s Care Ltd in Birmingham

Unique reference number SC453726 Inspector Anne Daly Type of inspection Interim Provision subtype Children's home

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Registered person Aston Children's Care Ltd Registered person address 73 Dudley Road DUDLEY West Midlands DY3 1TF

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Responsible individual Mahesh Mehan Registered manager Terence William Bull Date of last inspection 02/07/2014 2 of 5 Inspection date 12/02/2015

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Previous inspection good Enforcement action since last inspection none

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This inspection

This home was judged good at the last full inspection. At this interim inspection Ofsted judge that it has sustained effectiveness .

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This inspection

Young people continue to have positive experiences as a result of living at the home. When young people have moved on, their transition has been well planned and coordinated. This means that they are better prepared for the extra responsibility of living independently.

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This inspection

Young people benefit from consistency which gives them a sense of emotional security. Excellent progress has been observed by parents and other professionals working with the young people in reducing challenging behaviour and improving educational outcomes.

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This inspection

Young people benefit from living in a safe and well maintained home. Photographs are displayed throughout the home and give young people a sense of identity.

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This inspection

Staff encourage young people to be healthy. As a consequence of the positive relationships staff have developed, young people have achieved significant health benefits as a result of the help that they have received to stop smoking and attend health appointments.

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This inspection

The home’s outcomes for young people continue to be effectively monitored. Since the last inspection the Registered Manager now collates the views of young people, professionals and family members to assess how the home is meeting the needs of young people. This ensures that the Registered Manager is able to proactively respond to any shortfalls and ensure young people are making progress as a consequence of their placement.

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This inspection

Staff benefit from regular supervision which enables them to reflect upon their practice. Staff training plans are not easily accessed. As a result, staff development is not systematically reviewed which means the Registered Manager is unable to 3 of 5 effectively assess if the staff have the necessary skills and knowledge to care for young people with complex needs.

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This inspection

Young people respond positively to the stable staff team who know their needs and are attentive to them. Staff are consistent in their approach and firm boundaries are in place. This means young people know what is expected and as a result risky behaviour has reduced. Young people live in a safe environment where they feel protected from harm. Young people benefit from consistency and structure as a result feel settled and have a sense of emotional security. As a consequence, young people are rarely missing from care.

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This inspection

Partnership working is evident, with staff effectively communicating and working collaboratively with family members and other professionals. One family member commented ‘there’s such a big difference’ and ‘I can’t thank them enough’. The home has developed a positive relationship with the local police, who offer regular advice and information to staff and young people.

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This inspection

The previous requirement and two of the recommendations have been addressed. These have strengthened the safeguards that help protect young people. One recommendation to share the child protection procedures with the Local Safeguarding Board remains outstanding. 4 of 5

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Information about this children’s home

This children's home is privately operated and provides care and accommodation for up to four young people with emotional and/or behavioural difficulties.

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Inspection date Inspection type Inspection judgement

02/07/2014 Full good 17/03/2014 Interim inadequate progress 05/06/2013 Full adequate

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Recommendations

To improve the quality and standards of care further the service should take account of the following recommendation(s):

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Recommendations

 ensure the learning and development programme is evaluated for effectiveness at least annually and if necessary is updated (NMS 18.2)  ensure the provider's child protection procedures are submitted for consideration and comment to the Local Safeguarding Children’s Board and to the Local Authority Designated Officer. (NMS 20.4) Website: www.ofsted.gov.uk

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Recommendations

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What inspection judgements mean

At the interim inspections we make a judgement on whether the home has improved in effectiveness, sustained effectiveness, or declined in effectiveness since the previous full inspection. This is in line with the Inspection of children’s homes: framework for inspection.

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Information about this inspection

The purpose of this inspection is to assure children and young people, parents, the public, local authorities and government of the quality and standard of the service provided. The inspection was carried out under the Care Standards Act 2000 to assess the effectiveness of the service and to consider how well it complies with the relevant regulations and meets the national minimum standards.

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Information about this inspection

The report details the main strengths, any areas for improvement, including any breaches of regulation, and any failure to meet national minimum standards. The judgements included in the report are made against the framework of inspection for children's homes.

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