Children's home run by Aspireone Care Ltd in Newcastle-under-Lyme

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The children's home provides effective services that meet the requirements for good.

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The children's home provision is good because:

 There are effective arrangements for reviewing and improving the standard and quality of young people’s care. The home is managed efficiently and effectively for young people.  Young people have excellent relationships with staff and they sustain their positive attachments.  The progress young people make is underpinned by effective, good quality care and support from staff.  Staff actively promote the safety of young people. Young people benefit from effective support, help and protection.  Young people have positive experiences and they benefit from the help and support that they need to enjoy and achieve.  Effective partnerships are maintained with all professional agencies to meet the needs of individual young people.  In order to improve the quality of young people’s care the registered manager needs to ensure that pre-admission assessments are completed and young people have ‘relevant plans’ that meet their identified needs.

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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 when a child returns to the home after being missing from care or away from the home without permission, the responsible local authority must provide an opportunity for the child to have a return home interview. Homes should take account of information provided by such interviews when assessing risks and putting arrangements in place to protect each child. This relates specifically to keeping a written record of the outcome of the return home interview. (The Guide 9.30 page 45)

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Recommendations

 ensure that relevant plans are obtained from the placing authority. This relates specifically to a pathway plan and/or care plan for young people who require them. (The Guide 3.1 page 14)

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Recommendations

 should only accept placements for children where they are satisfied that the home can respond effectively to the child’s assessed needs as recorded in the ‘relevant plans’ and where they have fully considered the impact that the placement will have on other young people. This relates specifically to the completion of a pre-admission assessment in relation to any new admission to the home. (The Guide 11.4 page 56)

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Information about this children's home

This section should outline:  The home is registered to provide care and accommodation for up to two young people who have emotional and/or behavioural difficulties  The home is owned by a private company  The range of needs for whom the home intends to provide care include, young people who go missing from care, are at risk of harm or offending, self-harm, substance misuse and/or in need of support to help prepare them for independence.

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Information about this children's home

 The home provides therapy for young people as outlined in the home's Statement of Purpose

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Recent inspection history

Inspection date Inspection type Inspection judgement

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Recent inspection history

24/02/2015 CH - Interim improved effectiveness

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people living in the home are

Young people benefit from well-planned, good quality care and support. Care planning and practice is highly personalised to meet the needs of individual young people. Consequently, young people make good progress across all aspects of their welfare, physical, social, emotional and behavioural development. Young people are involved in their plans so they a have good knowledge and understanding of them.

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people living in the home are

Young people report, ‘I can sign my daily log and they sit down with me and ask me about what my triggers are instead of writing things about me. In my other placements they just did my placement plan without sitting me down.’

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people living in the home are

Young people who are new to the home do not have pathway plans or care plans provided by the placing authority. However, these have been requested by the Registered Manager to ensure young people’s needs are promoted effectively.

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people living in the home are

Young people who have moved on since the last inspection have been well supported by staff to make the planned transition to independence. A young person who has recently moved on from the home reports, ’I’m alright. I was happy with the support they gave me. They were all so supportive. I miss it. I would happily come back.’

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people living in the home are

Young people’s needs are assessed effectively on their admission, but the recording of pre-admission assessment and planning could be improved, to show what consideration has been given to the suitability of the placement and the likely impact this might have on other young people. That said, young people who are new to the home have settled in quickly and make good progress at the home. There have been no complaints since the last inspection. Young people know how to make a complaint and staff ensure their rights are promoted effectively.

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people living in the home are

Young people are taught life skills with staff routinely providing advice, support and encouragement to develop their independence skills such as planning, shopping, cooking and budgeting. Additionally, they become more resilient and self-sufficient showing improved self-confidence. They are also allowed to take appropriate risks to promote their growth and natural development.

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people living in the home are

Young people have contact with their friends and families even where they are placed a long way from home. As a result, young people can maintain their close relationships with the people who are most important to them. A parent reports, ‘I can’t thank them enough. They’ve been brilliant. I couldn’t wish for any better people to look after my son.’

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people living in the home are

Young people enjoy constructive and positive experiences at the home. They engage in positive activities such as army cadets, going to the gym, cooking, baking and trips out in the local community. Young people and staff are soon to complete a boat race to help raise money for charity. This helps them to develop their social skills and self-confidence benefitting from social activities of choice, that staff, routinely provide for them.

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people living in the home are

Young people are encouraged to attend school or alternative educational provision regularly. Those who are new to the home have college placements identified for them to attend. The home promotes young people’s education and helps them to pursue their individual ambitions, aspirations and educational goals. Staff have consistently high aspirations for young people and they actively promote their educational achievement. Young people have excellent relationships with staff and they value the help and support that they receive. Relationships between staff and young people are based on trust and mutual respect.

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people living in the home are

Young people report, ‘I didn’t like going to school but now I’ve got all of my exams. They’ve helped me with homework and they try their best to help me. I am thinking about joining the navy. It’s brilliant here, I love it. Staff are dead nice and easy to get on with. They give you really good support and they listen to you. I wouldn’t change anything.’

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people living in the home are

Young people enjoy good health and they have access to specialist services and support to promote their physical, emotional and psychological well-being. Young people have access to art therapy where they are able to explore their feelings and emotions in a safe and supportive environment. Additionally, young people and staff both receive specialist input from a specialist worker who is trained in childhood trauma and attachment. This enables staff to understand the needs of young people so they can support them in an effective, caring and nurturing way. Staff help young people to move forward so they can overcome their past experiences, which are often traumatic.

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people living in the home are

Young people report, ‘‘Its good thanks. It’s a really nice house, proper cosy and homely. I settled in quite quickly and I was like wow, it’s a big house. Staff are really nice and they’re very welcoming… It’s like a family and that makes you realise how it should be.’

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people are helped and protected

Young people say they enjoy living at the home, where they live in a safe and supportive environment. Young people benefit from strong relationships with staff. This includes, appropriate adults they feel able to share concerns with and can talk to. Staff have a good understanding young people’s needs and vulnerabilities so they can take appropriate action, to address them. As a result, young people feel safe, supported and protected by staff.

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people are helped and protected

Staff have a good understanding of safe working practice. Risks associated with young people, for example, drug use, offending, risk of exploitation and going missing from care are all known and understood by staff. This knowledge alongside use of clear risk assessment and effective behaviour management strategies reduce risk, to promote the safety of young people.

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people are helped and protected

Young people’s risk taking behaviours are also reduced and minimised through early intervention. Staff anticipate young people’s behaviours so they can take prompt action to keep young people safe from harm. The home maintains effective partnerships with the police and other professional agencies to support and protect young people.

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people are helped and protected

A social worker from the Youth Offending Service reports, ‘My young person has only been there a few weeks. I can say the communication between staff and myself is excellent. I have been very impressed with the regular updates regarding her progress. I am also very impressed with the process they have in place to prevent my young person from absconding and keeping her safe.’

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people are helped and protected

Staff take prompt action to prevent young people from going missing from care. Young people have not been missing from home since the last inspection. If this had occurred risk assessments and action plans are in place to ensure that the most vulnerable young people are protected, benefitting from a well- co-ordinated response to locate them.

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people are helped and protected

Should young people be missing from the home, local police would undertake a return home interview, but records of these interviews are not currently maintained. This is a missed opportunity to consider the reasons why young people are missing, but the registered manager has already begun, to address this. A recommendation is made in respect of this issue.

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people are helped and protected

Staff are trained in child protection so they know to deal with allegations and report suspected abuse. There have been no allegations of abuse or recent referrals to children and young people’s services. Staff employed to care for young people are recruited, selected and vetted carefully. This ensures young people are protected and only safe and suitable people have access to young people.

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people are helped and protected

Young people benefit from good support to manage their feelings, behaviours and emotions. Positive behaviour is consistently promoted and young people are routinely praised for their personal achievements. The use of targeted incentives and rewards are used effectively. So much so, that there have been no restraints or sanctions used since the last inspection.

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people are helped and protected

A social worker reports, ‘I’ve had a very positive experience working with this home. He’s really settled there and he’s come on in all aspects. He has good relationships with all members of staff. It’s all very positive. It’s a great home.’

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people are helped and protected

The home provides young people with a warm, safe, comfortable and homely environment. Health and safety matters are managed effectively to promote the safety of staff and young people. The home’s location ensures young people have good access to shops, public transport and local amenities. As a result, young people benefit from ease of accessibility to places of particular or potential interest to them.

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people are helped and protected

When young people are out in the local community staff ensure their whereabouts are known. Young people benefit from positive activities that promote their routine inclusion and involvement in the running of their home.

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leaders and managers

The home is managed efficiently and effectively. The home employs a suitably qualified Registered Manager, who has been in post since the home’s registration. The home also employs a suitably qualified deputy manager. Consequently, the home’s leadership and management arrangements are strong.

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leaders and managers

Sufficient numbers of skilled, well-trained and qualified staff are employed to meet the needs of young people. A stable and capable staff team is employed to provide young people with continuity of care and support. This ensures young people’s attachments and relationships are not unduly disrupted or put at risk. Leaders and managers prioritise the needs of individual young people. They routinely monitor the home’s performance to improve the standard and quality of young people’s care. Feedback received from young people, their social workers and families is used to inform and improve the home’s practice.

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leaders and managers

The home maintains positive partnerships with the families and professionals of young people. Development plans are in place and these are used to promote the home’s continuing development and improvement.

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leaders and managers

Independent monitoring visits to the home are undertaken each month. This enables managers and leaders to understand the home’s strengths and weaknesses and areas for improvement. Leaders and managers are ambitious and they work enthusiastically to improve outcomes for young people. There were no requirements or recommendations from the last inspection.

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leaders and managers

The home meets the aims and objectives of its Statement of Purpose. The home works closely and pro-actively with the placing authority, health workers, schools, and the youth offending service in order to meet the identified needs of young people. Leaders and managers will request, arrange and attend all professional meetings and contribute to young people’s planning meetings and reviews. Leaders and managers are prepared to escalate concerns and challenge underperforming services if they feel the needs of young people are not being met, effectively.

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leaders and managers

Significant incidents are promptly reported to the appropriate authorities. This ensures appropriate action can be taken by the home and other professional agencies, as result of any significant event. Staff training is of high quality and staff benefit from effective support, professional and regular supervision. This ensures staff can develop their skills and explore their own personal development.

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What the inspection judgements mean

The experiences and progress of children and young people are at the centre of the inspection. Inspectors will use their professional judgement to determine the weight and significance of their findings in this respect. The judgements included in the report are made against Inspection of children's homes: framework for inspection.

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What the inspection judgements mean

An outstanding children's home provides highly effective services that contribute to significantly improved outcomes for children and young people who need help and protection and care. Their progress exceeds expectations and is sustained over time. A good children's home provides effective services that help, protect and care for children and young people and have their welfare safeguarded and promoted. In a children's home that requires improvement , there are no widespread or serious failures that create or leave children being harmed or at risk of harm. The welfare of looked after children is safeguarded and promoted. Minimum requirements are in place, however, the children's home is not yet delivering good protection, help and care for children and young people. A children's home that is inadequate is providing services where there are widespread or serious failures that create or leave children and young people being

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What the inspection judgements mean

harmed or at risk of harm or result in children looked after not having their welfare safeguarded and promoted.

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Information about this inspection

Inspectors have looked closely at the experiences and progress of children and young people living in the children's home. Inspectors considered the quality of work and the difference adults make to the lives of children and young people. They read case files, watched how professional staff work with children, young people and each other and discussed the effectiveness of help and care given to children and young people. Wherever possible, they talked to children, young people and their families. In addition the inspectors have tried to understand what the children's home knows about how well it is performing, how well it is doing and what difference it is making for the children and young people who it is trying to help, protect and look after. This 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 Children's

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Information about this inspection

Homes (England) Regulations 2015 and the Guide to the children's homes regulations including the quality standards. the guidance raising concerns and making complaints about Ofsted, which is available from Ofsted's website: www.gov.uk/government/organisations/ofsted . If you would like Ofsted to send you a copy of the guidance, please telephone 0300123 4234, or email enquiries@ofsted.gov.uk .

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Information about this inspection

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, workbased learning and skills training, adult and community learning, and education and training in prisons and other secure establishments. It inspects services for looked after children and child protection. If you would like a copy of this document in a different format, such as large print or Braille, please telephone 0300 123 4234, or email enquiries@ofsted.gov.uk . You may reuse this information (not including logos) free of charge in any format or medium, under the terms of the Open Government Licence. To view this licence, visit www.nationalarchives.gov.uk/doc/open-government-licence , write to the Information Policy Team,

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Information about this inspection

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Information about this inspection

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Information about this inspection

Store Street Manchester M1 2WD T: 0300 123 1231 Textphone: 0161 618 8524 E: enquiries@ofsted.gov.uk W: www.gov.uk/government/organisations/ofsted

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