Children's home run by Aspire Residential Care Home Limited in Birmingham

children and young people since the most recent full inspection

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

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children and young people since the most recent full inspection

In the three months since the full inspection, one young person has been discharged. A second young person is preparing to move on and a new young person has moved in. The registered manager left in December, leaving the deputy manager without a full induction to the home. Despite these significant changes, young people continue to have good outcomes overall due to improvements in staff practice, morale and teamwork.

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children and young people since the most recent full inspection

The outgoing manager, deputy manager and staff have accepted and taken action on the requirements and recommendations that were raised at the full inspection in November 2017. There is real improvement in staff’s levels of engagement with young people and in their willingness to work consistently and proactively as a team. Young people benefit from much more attention and care from staff. Staff are motivated and are taking more responsibility for their work. For example, staff prepared a memories album for the young person who left in December and they keep in touch with him. Staff are doing more activities with young people, including organising theme nights and fun communal meals. Staff are involving young people more effectively in daily living and this is helping and encouraging young people’s independence skills. Staff prepare for shifts and share out tasks better, recognising one another’s strengths and abilities. For example, those that are competent in

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children and young people since the most recent full inspection

their written skills help and support other staff with recording tasks.

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children and young people since the most recent full inspection

The atmosphere and physical environment of the home has improved because staff are no longer locking away essential crockery and cooking equipment in an attempt to force young people preparing for independence to use only their individual things. The house is clean, welcoming and well-maintained. The new young person likes his bedroom and the help he has had to personalise it. He says that all staff are ‘kind and helpful’.

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children and young people since the most recent full inspection

Staff and the manager are not keeping some practices under constant review to check that the safeguarding reasons for them still apply. For example, there are waking night staff used to monitor young people and staff lock away scissors, graters and peelers. These practices have not been reviewed. One young person does not understand why doors must be open when he is in a room watching TV or using computers on his own. Staff do not clearly explain why even when he questions and challenges the practice.

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children and young people since the most recent full inspection

Written details of how young people’s care is planned and the strategies that staff use, are not kept right up to date. Written documents are not regularly shared with young people. This means that young people do not have a good understanding of why their care is organised in the way it is and what they are aiming at for the future. For example, young people are not clear about why their contact arrangements are as they are. They are not clear about when they are moving on to independence and what has to happen before they can move. This confuses and upsets young people unnecessarily and prevents staff from giving young people consistent and clear advice.

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children and young people since the most recent full inspection

One young person moved out of the home in November. The manager decided to serve two weeks’ notice to the placing authority following a serious incident of aggressive and intimidating behaviour in the home. The manager decided that it would be unsafe to inform the young person of his move until a few days before it. This prevented staff and the manager from helping him prepare to leave, either practically or emotionally. Despite this, staff and young people have kept in touch with him and he occasionally comes back to the home to visit. He is managing well in a semi-independent flat and has talked positively to the new young person about what it is like living here.

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children and young people since the most recent full inspection

The deputy manager and staff are more diligent than previously in advocating and organising young people’s education. They have wasted no time in getting the new young person into school and are supporting him well. He said to the home’s monthly visitor: ‘I’m happy I’ve got a school.’ Staff are actively helping the older young person to stick with further college or apprenticeship paths instead of temporary, insecure work.

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children and young people since the most recent full inspection

There have been few serious incidents since the last inspection. One young person was absent without authority for one night and one incident escalated in the home to the point where staff used physical intervention. The deputy manager and staff are reflecting better on the part that their practice plays in incidents. They are working hard to ensure that they consistently focus on positive behaviour management. They are having relevant discussions with young people and using consequences that help young people learn from incidents and make up to persons that they have hurt. However, the manager’s supervision of individual staff still gives no regular one to one opportunity for staff to reflect on how their own feelings and behaviour may be affected by the behaviour of the young people that they care for. In addition, some incidents that the outgoing manager and deputy manager considered to be serious, have not been notified to Ofsted. This prevents

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children and young people since the most recent full inspection

the regulator from having necessary, timely oversight of the service.

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children and young people since the most recent full inspection

The deputy manager was appointed with a view to assuming the manager role after a six-month induction period, overseen by the registered manager. However, the registered manager left suddenly at the end of November 2016. The deputy manager has recently applied for registration and Ofsted are processing his application. He demonstrates good skills and aptitude in making positive relationships with young people and staff. He shows a good understanding of care and behaviour management practice with young people. Staff are confident in him and feel empowered by his leadership. A member of staff said, ‘The atmosphere is relaxed and we are learning more as opposed to being told what to do.’ Staff meetings are happening monthly and the group have reflected on the difficulties and practices of November and December 2016. A staff ‘away day’ is planned for this week. However, the manager lacks good professional support and continuing

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Information about this children's home

This is a three-bedded home, offering care and accommodation for young people who have emotional and/or behavioural difficulties. It is run by a private company.

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Recent inspection history

Inspection date Inspection type Inspection judgement 17 October 2016 Full Good 21 March 2016 Interim Improved effectiveness 13 January 2016 Full Requires improvement 18 March 2015 Interim Declined in effectiveness

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Statutory Requirements

This section sets out the actions which must be taken so that the registered person/s 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 person(s) must comply with the given timescales.

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Requirement Due date

Ensure that the registered person notifies HMCI and each other relevant person without delay if there is any other incident relating to a child which the registered person considers to be serious. (Regulation 40 (4)(e)) 30 March 2017

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Requirement Due date

Ensure that the registered manager undertakes such continuing professional development as is necessary to ensure that the registered manager has the skills needed for managing the home. (Regulation 29 (4)) 30 March 2017

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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 staff supervision enables all staff to reflect and act on how their own feelings and behaviour may be affected by the behaviour of the young people that they care for. ('Guide to the children's homes regulations including quality standards', page 39, paragraph 8.15)

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Recommendations

 Ensure that staff continually and actively assess the risks to each child and the arrangements in place to protect them. Where there are safeguarding concerns for a child, their placement plan, agreed between the home and their placing authority, must include details of the steps the home will take to manage any assessed risks on a day to day basis. ('Guide to the children's homes regulations including quality standards', page 42, paragraph 9.5)

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Recommendations

 Ensure that the home plays its important role in supporting each child leaving the home in the period immediately before their departure. The registered person should work with the placing authority to ensure that each child's transition is planned and help each child to prepare for leaving both practically and emotionally. ('Guide to the children's homes regulations including quality standards', page 57, paragraph 11.9)  Ensure that children's reasonable preferences in relation to day to day arrangements are met with consideration given to safeguarding, particularly in relation to the use of technology. Where a child's preferences are unreasonable or cannot be met for safeguarding reasons, staff should discuss this with the child to help them understand why. ('Guide to the children's homes regulations including quality standards', page 17, paragraph 3.21)

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Recommendations

 Ensure that the home plays its key role in helping children to understand why they are living there and the plans for their future. For looked-after children, the registered person should also seek to ensure that the local authority regularly consults the child and the home about the child's relevant plans. If the child raises concerns about the content of any of their plans, their implementation or the process of review, staff should advocate for the child and seek to ensure that their concerns are addressed. ('Guide to the children's homes regulations including quality standards', page 57, paragraphs 11.7 and 11.11)

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What the inspection judgements mean

At the interim inspection 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

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 focused on the effectiveness of the home and the progress and experiences of children and young people since the most recent full inspection.

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Information about this inspection

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 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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