Children's Home run by Aspireone Care Ltd in Staffordshire

Inspection report children’s home: 1228191 1 Registered provider: Aspireone Care Ltd

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Inspected under the social care common inspection framework

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Information about this children’s home

Ofsted has registered this home for two children who may have emotional and/or behavioural difficulties. A small private provider operates the service and the manager’s other home across the road.

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Information about this children’s home

Date of last inspection: 19 September 2017

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Information about this children’s home

Enforcement action since last inspection: none

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and young people since the most recent full inspection

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

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and young people since the most recent full inspection

The home operates sufficiently separately from the manager’s other home, which is directly opposite.

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and young people since the most recent full inspection

Young people show improvements in their engagement with formal education. One young person is looking forward to a school trip to Germany, where she will practise the language and learn more about the culture. Young people try a wide range of new activities with staff and develop their own interests. One regularly attends cadets and feels that it gives her skills that could lead to a career in the armed forces. Another young person has been to football matches and tried a local boxing club. These experiences broaden young people’s horizons. Inspection report children’s home: 1228191 2 Young people enjoy the company of staff and speak positively about them. They feel safe in the home and speak to staff about their concerns. In return, staff know the young people well and respond thoroughly to issues that arise. They liaise well with other agencies to ensure that young people receive coordinated care.

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and young people since the most recent full inspection

The manager has addressed the recommendation arising from the last inspection. Staff now have ready access to the contact details of the local safeguarding officers. This reduces the risk of delay in staff reporting concerns to them in the event of a serious incident. The service continues to reflect its statement of purpose, although the document itself is inaccurate in places. This does not affect young people. The manager has a good understanding of her service in most regards. Ofsted receives regular reports, as required. The service benefits from young people’s views, although this is not demonstrated sufficiently in the reports.

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and young people since the most recent full inspection

Staff ensure that professionals monitor young people’s health closely. For one young person, this has resulted in gradual changes in her medication, which is welcome progress. However, the management of medication in the home is not sufficiently robust in some areas. Staff do not always record doses accurately or show when young people have refused medication. A small minority of staff have not completed the necessary training. Furthermore, monitoring the effectiveness of medication management requires some improvement. These shortfalls reflect on individual staff and the leadership. They have not directly affected young people but they increase the risk of mistakes occurring.

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and young people since the most recent full inspection

The staff have clear procedures for keeping items in the office secure, such as keys and money. However, some staff do not always follow these procedures. This shortfall increases the likelihood of items going missing.

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and young people since the most recent full inspection

The overall progress made by young people remains good. However, it naturally fluctuates. One young person is currently in crisis and requires substantial support. Staff provide this to promote her welfare and safety. They understand the risks this young person poses to herself and manage these risks well. However, a small proportion of staff have not undertaken some of the relevant training. This increases the danger of staff overlooking important issues.

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Inspection date Inspection type Inspection judgement

19/09/2017 Full Good 10/11/2016 Full Requires improvement Inspection report children’s home: 1228191 3

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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, 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 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 that the home’s day-to-day care is arranged and delivered so as to keep each child safe and to protect each child effectively from harm. (Regulation 12(1) (2)(b))

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Requirement Due date

In particular, ensure that keys, money, and other valuables, are stored securely in the office. 30/04/2018

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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 promotes their welfare.

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Requirement Due date

In particular, the standard in paragraph (1) requires the registered person to— ensure that staff have the experience, qualifications and skills to meet the needs of each child; use monitoring and review systems to make continuous improvements in the quality of care provided in the home. (Regulation 13(1)(2)(c)(h))

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Requirement Due date

In particular, ensure that all staff receive suitable training about self-harming behaviour and the administration of medication, and monitor the arrangements for administering medication to ensure that staff do this correctly. 30/04/2018

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Requirement Due date

The registered person must— keep the statement of purpose under review and, where appropriate, revise it; and notify HMCI of any revisions and send HMCI a copy of the revised statement within 28 days of the revision. (Regulation 16(3)(a)(b)) 30/04/2018

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Requirement Due date

The registered person must complete a quality of care review by establishing and maintaining a system for monitoring, reviewing 30/04/2018 Inspection report children’s home: 1228191 4 and evaluating the feedback and opinions of children about the children’s home, its facilities and the quality of care they receive in it. (Regulation 45(2)(b)) In particular, children’s views must be a clear consideration in the report.

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Information about this inspection

Inspectors have looked closely at the experiences and progress of children and young people. Inspectors considered the quality of work and the differences made to the lives of children and young people. They watched how professional staff work with children and young people and each other and discussed the effectiveness of help and care provided. Wherever possible, they talked to children and 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.

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Information about this inspection

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

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’.

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Children’s home details

Registered provider address: 4 Lyme Drive, Lyme Vale Court, Parklands, Stoke-on- Trent, Staffordshire ST4 6NW

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Inspector

David Morgan, social care inspector Inspection report children’s home: 1228191 5 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 children looked after, safeguarding and child protection.

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Inspector

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Inspector

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Inspector

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