Children's home run by Aspirations Care Limited

Good

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:

 The registered manager, his staff and the senior leadership team have worked exceptionally hard to bring the home back from a rating of inadequate in August 2015 to the present rating of good. This has required a massive effort from all concerned, and they should be proud of their achievements.  Throughout the home’s previous challenges, the managers and staff have prioritised the young person’s needs. He has been protected from the home’s earlier difficulties and has thrived on the dedicated care and attention that he has received since his admission a year ago.  The young person, staff and managers can now see the benefit of the changes made within the home. Staff feel happy and motivated, and the young person is settled and making impressive progress in all areas of his life.  The young person has been very well supported with attending college. He has 100% attendance and is enjoying the learning process. The staff have worked

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The children's home provision is good because:

very well to help the young person to overcome earlier difficulties with the college environment and peer relationships.  The staff are imaginative and creative in terms of how they help the young person to establish and maintain a healthy lifestyle. This has included staff attending a rigorous programme of physical fitness alongside the young person, in order to encourage and support him. He is now very fit and has gained in confidence.  The staff have ensured that key-worker sessions are focused on the young person’s individual targets. These sessions are frequent and have made a measurable difference to the young person’s independence skills and his life chances.  The high level of senior management support for this home over the past few months has been impressive. This has brought a wide range of management skills and time to the home, and has made a major difference in helping to raise the quality of the provision.

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Statutory requirements

This section sets out the actions that must be taken so that the registered persons meets 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 persons must comply within the given timescales.

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Requirement Due date

13: The leadership and management standard

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Requirement Due date

(1) The leadership and management standard is that the registered person enables, inspires and leads a culture in relation to the children’s home that (a) helps children aspire to fulfil their potential; and (b) promotes their welfare. (2) In particular, the standard in paragraph (1) requires the registered person to (a) 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; (h) use monitoring and review systems to make continuous improvements in the quality of care provided in the home.

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Requirement Due date

In order to meet the leadership and management standard, the registered person should ensure that:

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Requirement Due date

 there is sufficient attention to detail in the home’s documents and records;  the young person’s file records are factually consistent with each other and reflect the latest placement planning information and strategies; and  the staff and managers are effectively supported in their work by fully functioning information technology (IT) systems and reliable internet access. 15 July 2016

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Recommendations

To improve the quality and standards of care further, the service should take account of the following recommendations:  Ensure that the information set out in the statement of purpose is an essential part of the process of agreement between the registered person and placing authority, to demonstrate that the placement in that home is the right one for that child, and that the home will be able to respond effectively to the child’s assessed needs. In particular, ensure that the company’s website displays the current statement of purpose, which accurately reflects the home and staffing arrangements, and that this document complies with the Children’s Homes Regulations 2015 (‘Guide to the children’s homes regulations including the quality standards’, April 2015, paragraph 3.6).  Ensure that the children’s home provides a nurturing and supportive environment that meet the needs of their children, in particular, repair and

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Recommendations

redecorate the lounge ceiling (‘Guide to the Children’s Homes Regulations including the quality standards’, April 2015, paragraph 3.9).

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Information about this children's home

This is a privately owned children’s home, operated by a national organisation. It is registered for up to two children or young people who may have emotional and behavioural difficulties.

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Recent inspection history

Inspection date Inspection type Inspection judgement

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Recent inspection history

1 December 2015 Full Requires improvement

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Recent inspection history

19 March 2015 Interim Sustained effectiveness

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Good

The home has made considerable progress since the second full inspection in December 2015. Following the first full inspection in August 2015, when the home was judged as inadequate, the company made a major commitment to improvement and reinforced the leadership and management team to that end. Months of dedicated hard work, on the part of the home’s managers, the senior leadership team and the staff, have remedied the previous management weaknesses and have brought the home to its present rating of good. The home currently cares for one young person, who has made very good progress since admission in May 2015. He has received nurturing, child-centred care from staff whom he likes and respects. This has helped him to forge warm, supportive relationships with staff who provide positive role models for him. The young person said that he likes the staff and is particularly pleased that there are new male carers to support him. He explained that he enjoys his youth club,

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Good

and training and playing matches with a local rugby club. This has helped to improve the young person’s physical fitness and provides an opportunity for him to play sport with others of a similar age. The young person is fully consulted on a daily basis. The staff understand his needs very well, and tailor their care and activities accordingly. One member of staff went to boot camp and the gym several times a week with the young person, which helped to increase his overall fitness. Sharing this experience with a member of staff provided good motivation for the young person. All the young person’s routine and specialist healthcare needs are met as required. The staff have encouraged him to eat a healthy diet. One member of staff did an inspired piece of work with the young person by showing him how to make spaghetti Bolognese into a healthier meal, by making a homemade sauce and incorporating four portions of vegetables.

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Good

The young person has made very good progress in terms of his education. He attends college every day and his knowledge, resilience and self-esteem have increased as a result. The staff help and support the young person when there are any difficulties in college or with peers. The young person in this home is developing good independence skills. He is now increasing his responsibility, and receives appropriate challenge from the staff to encourage and support him. The young person has learned to go to college independently on the bus and he is now having carefully managed free time. External professionals commented on how the young person’s confidence has increased in recent months. They are impressed with his progress and value the quality of the staff’s weekly communications. The young person receives plenty of support to enjoy good-quality contact with their families. The staff help to support contact arrangements and welcome his

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Good

parents to the home. External professionals like the way in which parents are invited to participate in activities, and included in Sunday lunch. There is some professional concern about the current plan to introduce a second young person into the home, and about what impact this may have on the existing resident. It was clear during the inspection that this process is being carefully planned, and the risks evaluated. The atmosphere in the home is one of a very warm, nurturing and close-knit family, which will have to adapt to the change in dynamics that a second resident will bring. This may prove to be a challenge, but the staff and managers are confident that they will be able to help both the young people to make this transition. The young person’s care planning documentation is generally of good quality. Case files have been substantially reorganised and improved since last August. The single requirement made at this inspection under quality standard 13 is about

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Good

further improving the attention to detail in recording, to provide greater clarity and consistency. It also reflects the home’s challenges with their IT system. Two recommendations have been made to support improvement in the home’s documentation and environment.

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Good

The young person is very well helped and protected. He does not go missing or engage in any other risky activities. When he has needed additional support, for example when relationships with peers are difficult, the staff have provided this. There have been some incidents when the young person was exposed to bullying and discriminatory behaviour from his peers. He is learning to respond to this appropriately, and to manage online interactions with friends and acquaintances. The staff have been extremely supportive and have involved the police appropriately in resolving difficult peer relationships when necessary. The home has improved its safeguarding practice by increasing the amount of training for staff, and encouraging discussion about child protection matters in supervision and in team meetings. Individual risk assessments for the young person are very detailed and contain clear strategies to help the staff to take

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Good

appropriate action in foreseen circumstances. The young person’s activities are also carefully risk assessed, to help to keep him safe. The registered manager leads the team in such a way that the quality of relationships between the staff and young person is kept at the centre of practice. This child-focused approach to managing behaviour has contributed to the young person’s progress and development. The young person’s demeanour shows that he feels safe and confident with his staff team. His behaviour is generally very good, with very few incidents since the previous inspection. The staff have managed incidents very well, and are very proud of the young person’s increasing ability to regulate his own behaviour when feeling anxious. If consequences are required, these are restorative, and the young person is often involved in setting these actions. There have been no physical interventions and no complaints, but the young person understands how to raise a concern should he

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Good

need to do so. At the previous full inspection, the staff recruitment files met regulatory requirements, but the conversations with referees when references were verified were not fully recorded. The company has responded to this and other recruitment file shortfalls. There is now a much more effective file auditing system within the south west region for checking all recruitment information as it is received. A new human resources professional has been appointed to help lead on improved recruitment practices. The impact on this home is that telephone checks on references for new staff are now recorded in detail. The registered manager has completed risk assessments on prospective employees and existing agency staff, to help to assess their suitability for the home. The registered manager works well with the local authority designated officer for child safeguarding, in order to ensure that correct procedures are followed and

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Good

that any investigations necessary are conducted appropriately. Since the previous inspection, there has been only one matter that required a report to the designated officer. This matter is still under investigation. The home has good relationships with the police, notably the local community support officers who visit the home from time to time to get to know the young person and to build mutual trust. Judgement grade

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Requires improvement

Leadership and management requires improvement because the home does not yet have fully effective systems for ensuring that the young people’s and staff records are accessible, clear and accurate. For example, the young person’s file records contain a number of inconsistencies in factual details. Legal status was recorded on some documents, but not on all. An outdated placement plan was on file, which has some information missing, for example the young person’s wishes, feelings and views. In some places, it refers to the young person being transported to college by staff, and, in another, it states that he uses public transport. There are also inconsistencies in recording whether the young person is considering attending a youth club, or has actually started to attend. An historical disclosure is listed as an incident. The registered manager thinks it possible that the updated plan had been accidentally archived, leaving the old one on file. Apart

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Requires improvement

from this, the young person’s case records are generally of good quality. The file records have benefitted from major reorganisation over the past few months. The home’s computer system is not always fully functioning. During the inspection, the registered manager had difficulty in accessing some important records in the paper files and on his laptop, and had no access to the internet all day. Observation of staff attempting to resolve these problems indicated that this was not a one-off incident and that they did not always feel well supported by the technology available to them. Ultimately, this may have an impact on the service provided and the staff’s ability to communicate with other professionals on behalf of the young people. During the inspection, the registered manager was unable to locate supervision notes for a member of staff who had for some months been supervised by a management colleague. Although these notes were obtained after the inspection,

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Requires improvement

they should be readily accessible to the current line manager. A requirement has been made to include the improvements needed to recording and management systems. The company’s website includes the statements of purpose for all their children’s homes. This is good practice, but the copy on the site for this service is extremely out of date. The home’s statement of purpose was updated following the two full inspections and monitoring visit in 2015, to reflect the current regulations, management and staffing arrangements for the home. The inspector is aware of this because it was seen at the time of those inspections. However, the version on the website refers to the 2011 regulations and to an interim manager who has not been in charge of this home for over a year. A recommendation has been made. The home has been redecorated and is clean, tidy and homely. A leak in the upstairs bathroom has been repaired, but has caused a small area of water

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Requires improvement

damage to the lounge ceiling. A recommendation has been made to help to progress the redecoration work. Since the previous full inspection in December 2015, the home’s manager has been registered by Ofsted, and is awaiting his certificate. Management monitoring systems were in place at that time, but are now much more established. The remaining shortfalls are mainly about attention to detail, but the basic systems are in place. The manager is working on his Regulation 45 report, which is almost complete, and understands that this has to be sent to Ofsted. The home receives monthly visits from an independent visitor, which result in well-constructed and evaluative reports. These have helped to provide the home with a clear framework for improvement. Staff receive regular, focused supervision, which is well recorded and includes all relevant areas of professional practice and development. The experienced

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Requires improvement

registered manager already holds the national vocational qualification (NVQ) in leadership and management at level 4, and is working towards his level 5 qualification in order to promote his professional development. The manager was supported for many months by a colleague who helped him to set up effective monitoring systems and worked a considerable number of shifts to support the young person and the staff team. This person has now moved on to manage her own home. The registered manager is now supported by a recently appointed senior practice manager, who has brought fresh ideas, support and challenge to the management team. By deploying additional management support and reinforcing the senior leadership team, the company has driven up standards in this home. The senior practice manager and the registered manager have worked hard to recruit and retain five new staff. This is a very good achievement. The senior

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Requires improvement

practice manager has a clear understanding of what motivates and attracts the right people, and encourages them to stay. Consequently, the home is now almost fully staffed, which means that the rota works effectively and that the young person does not have to cope with constant changes in the team. The new and existing staff have received all the necessary training for their roles. Some of the new staff already hold a qualification at level 3 in the care of children and young people. Others are still undertaking the award, but there are now several more qualified staff in post than there were at the previous inspection. The home’s having several staff who are qualified at level 3 in the care of children and young people increases the team’s overall skill base and this has an impact on the staff’s confidence and effectiveness in all areas of practice. The improvements in recruitment, induction, supervision and training have

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Requires improvement

supported the staff team and raised morale. During the inspection, the staff were talking very positively to their managers about looking forward to admitting a second young person. The previous requirement under the leadership and management quality standard, and most of the recommendations from the previous inspection have been met. The only recommendation that has not yet been met is that the registered manager should receive supervision from a qualified social worker. The manager explained that he is extremely well supported, and this was confirmed by observation during the inspection. The manager does not consider it necessary to remain a registered social worker to do his job. The recommendation has not, therefore, been repeated. The registered manager has maintained positive relationships with Ofsted, and sends in Regulation 40 notifications when necessary.

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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 children looked after 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 that 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 that 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 whom 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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