Children's home run by Aspirations Care Limited in Gloucester

Inspection report children’s home: SC464630 1 SC464630 Registered provider: Aspirations Care Limited

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Full inspection Inspected under the social care common inspection framework

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Information about this children’s home

This children’s home is part of a national organisation which operates services for children and adults. It is registered to provide care and accommodation for up to two children or young people who may have emotional and/or behavioural difficulties.

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Information about this children’s home

The registered manager has been registered with Ofsted since July 2017.

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Overall experiences and progress of

children and young people, taking into account

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requires improvement to be good

How well children and young people are helped and protected requires improvement to be good

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requires improvement to be good

The effectiveness of leaders and managers requires improvement to be good

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requires improvement to be good

The children’s home is not yet delivering good help and care for children and young people. However, there are no serious or widespread failures that result in their welfare not being safeguarded or promoted.

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requires improvement to be good

Date of last inspection: 18 December 2017

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requires improvement to be good

Overall judgement at last inspection: improved effectiveness

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requires improvement to be good

Enforcement action since last inspection: none Inspection report children’s home: SC464630 2

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Inspection date Inspection type Inspection judgement

18/12/2017 Interim Improved effectiveness 13/09/2017 Full Good 08/02/2017 Full Requires improvement 06/04/2016 Interim Not judged Inspection report children’s home: SC464630 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

13: The leadership and management standard

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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—

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Requirement Due date

helps children aspire to fulfil their potential and promotes their welfare.

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Requirement Due date

In particular, the standard in paragraph (1) requires the registered person to ─

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Requirement Due date

use monitoring and review systems to make continuous improvements in the quality of care provided in the home. (Regulation 13 (1) and (2)(h))

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Requirement Due date

In particular, ensure that all documents including physical intervention records, placement plans, risk assessments and daily records are effectively monitored, evaluated and updated. 31/08/2018

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Requirement Due date

If the Regulatory Reform (Fire Safety) Order 2005(a) applies to the home—

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Requirement Due date

the registered person must ensure that the requirements of that Order and any regulations made under it, except for article 23 (duties of employees), are complied with in respect of the home. (Regulation 25 (2)(b))

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Requirement Due date

In particular, ensure that all staff who work in the home attend a fire evacuation with the children. 31/08/2018

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Requirement Due date

The registered person must ensure that all employees—

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Requirement Due date

undertake appropriate continuing professional development; 31/08/2018 Inspection report children’s home: SC464630 4 receive practice-related supervision by a person with appropriate experience; and

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Requirement Due date

have their performance and fitness to perform their roles appraised at least once every year. (Regulation 33 (4)(a)(b))

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Requirement Due date

The registered person must review the appropriateness and suitability of the location of the premises used for the purpose of the children’s home at least once in each calendar year taking into account the requirement in regulation (12)(2)(c) (the protection of children standard). (Regulation 46 (1))

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Requirement Due date

In particular, the registered person should consider the known risks in the immediate locality of the home that have the potential to effect the safety and well-being of the children living in the home. 31/08/2018

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Recommendations

 Ensure that missing from home protocols are in place for each child and that they have been agreed and reviewed regularly with all agencies and scrutinised by the Local Safeguarding Children’s Board (LSCB). (‘Guide to the children’s homes regulations including the quality standards’, page 45, paragraph 9.23)  Any child who has been restrained should be given the opportunity to express their feelings about their experiences of the restraint as soon as practical, ideally within 24 hours of the restraint incident. Children should be encouraged to add their views and comments to the record of restraint. (‘Guide to the children’s homes regulations including the quality standards’, page 50, paragraph 9.60)  Ensure that staff are familiar with the home’s policies on record-keeping and understand the importance of careful, objective and clear recording. (‘Guide to the children’s homes regulations including the quality standards’, page 62,

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Recommendations

paragraph 9.60) Inspection report children’s home: SC464630 5

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improvement to be good

Not all staff who work in the home have undertaken a fire evacuation with the children who reside here. This means that not all staff know how the children will react when the alarm sounds, or what the staff’s response to support the children should be.

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improvement to be good

Incidents necessitating staff to hold children are rare. Since the last inspection, there have been two reported incidents. Following these incidents, the manager has not ensured that the child’s views about being held have been sought, nor have the staff involved been provided with the opportunity to reflect on their actions and decision- making.

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improvement to be good

Other weaknesses identified at this inspection relate to the quality and effectiveness of management monitoring, record-keeping and risks assessments. These recording weaknesses have the potential to impact on children.

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improvement to be good

Children are looked after by a manager and team who are intuitive and nurturing in their approach. The team shows genuine care to the children, and their parenting skills are admirable. Staff are enthusiastic and confident. Their child-centred delivery of care ensures that children are safe and that their time in this home is memorable and fun. Children are thriving because they are provided with continuity of care.

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improvement to be good

Children’s educational attendance and achievements since living at the home have improved. Education reports confirm that targets are being achieved and children’s educational needs are met. A headteacher who contributed to this inspection spoke highly of how well the team in the home supports children’s learning needs. She said, ‘The team are strong advocates for children. They attend all meetings and information sharing is of a high quality.’

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improvement to be good

One of the manager’s strengths is how well she plans for children to move into and leave the home. One child’s move back to live with her family has been successful. The team continues to support the child. Staff telephone her regularly and visit her and family members weekly.

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improvement to be good

Children’s physical and emotional health needs are met. Children are registered with health providers and attend all healthcare appointments. Children are provided with a healthy, balanced diet that is nutritious. Activities that children engage in promote their physical health and well-being, for example swimming, walking and bike riding.

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improvement to be good

Inspection report children’s home: SC464630 6 Environmental and behavioural risks are known by staff and managed well. However, children’s risk assessments, the home’s locality assessment and health and safety records require improvement. The manager has not identified all the known risks and hazards.

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improvement to be good

Although fire evacuations take place frequently and all staff have received training on the actions to take in the event of a fire, not all staff who work in the home have undertaken a fire evacuation with the children.

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improvement to be good

The manager has established and maintains regular contact with safeguarding agencies. She has correctly referred two disclosures that are historic safeguarding concerns to the child’s placing authority, the local designated officer and the police. Since the last inspection, there have not been any reported missing from home incidents or complaints. Missing from home protocols are in place, but these documents have not been shared with safeguarding agencies.

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improvement to be good

In the main, children’s behaviour is managed well. There have been two incidents of physical intervention used with one child since the last inspection. These holds were for a minimum amount of time and only used to manage risks. The manager’s monitoring of the physical intervention records requires improvement, as she has not identified that insufficient information has been recorded. As a result of poor recording, the manager is unable to accurately assess whether the actions taken by staff are appropriate and proportionate.

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improvement to be good

The manager reviews and updates children’s risk assessments. However, she has not considered current risks and new behaviours. This means that temporary staff are not provided with sufficient information to identify, manage and mitigate all risks.

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improvement to be good

The manager has completed a locality assessment. Although detailed in parts, this document requires improvement. The manager has not identified all known risks in the local area or considered emergency services opening and response times.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: requires improvement to be good

Management monitoring requires improvement. Monitoring systems have not helped the manager to identify and rectify deficiencies in records. Reporting and recording systems are extensive. Staff are required to duplicate information in a wide range of records. As a result, omissions and errors are a common feature.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: requires improvement to be good

Not all staff receive regular, formal supervision or have their performance appraised. Team meetings are well attended. However, the manager has not used these meeting to reflect on events that have occurred or share good practice that develops staff’s skills.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: requires improvement to be good

The home is properly staffed and resourced to meet the needs of the children. Staff receive mandatory awareness training in specialist areas. To improve the staff’s ability to understand and respond to a current child’s needs, the manager is sourcing training for Inspection report children’s home: SC464630 7 the team to help staff understand harmful sexualised behaviour.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: requires improvement to be good

The manager and team are very child focused, and the quality of direct care is nurturing. Feedback from professionals is positive. A teacher said, ‘The home makes a different to children’s lives. Children are fully supported in all aspects of their care.’ Another teacher said, ‘From an educational and emotional point of view, there has been huge progress in her needs being met and progress achieved.’ The home is still supporting the child, her family and her learning even though she no longer lives at the home.

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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

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’. Inspection report children’s home: SC464630 8

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Children’s home details

Registered provider: Aspirations Care Limited

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Children’s home details

Registered provider address: 5a Hare Lane, Gloucester GL1 2BA

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Children’s home details

Responsible individual: Christine Cameron

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Inspector

Sharron Escott, social care inspector Inspection report children’s home: SC464630 9 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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