Children's Home run by Achieving Aspirations Community Interest Company in Suffolk

Inspection report children’s home: 1250253 1 Registered provider: Achieving Aspirations Community Interest Company

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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 home, which is run by a private organisation, provides a short-break service by offering overnight stays and assessment breaks.

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Information about this children’s home

The manager’s fitness was assessed on 10 April 2019 and registration was confirmed on 15 April 2019.

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Overall experiences and progress of

children and young people, taking into account

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good

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

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good

The effectiveness of leaders and managers good

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good

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

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good

Overall judgement at last inspection: requires improvement to be good

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good

Enforcement action since last inspection: none Inspection report children’s home: 1250253 2

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Inspection date Inspection type Inspection judgement

11/07/2018 Full Requires improvement to be good 05/03/2018 Interim Declined in effectiveness 27/06/2017 Full Good Inspection report children’s home: 1250253 3

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Some of the children progress well from their starting points. Staff consider that the reasons for the improvements are the strong bonds and warm relationships that they develop with the children. Some children have reduced their level of aggressive behaviours. A social worker said, ‘[The child] found transitions, especially from home to school, difficult, and he struggled. However, since coming to stay at [the home], his behaviour has improved significantly.’ During the inspection, the manager’s and staff team’s interactions with all of the children were observed to be caring and supportive.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

The children really value this service, which makes a great difference to them and their families. Children, parents and professionals spoke very highly of the home. Their comments included, ‘I don’t know what I would do without them,’ ‘this home has stepped up massively’ and ‘absolutely brilliant’.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

The support that the staff provide results in improvements to children’s learning and achievements. All of the children have an education placement and attend school every day. Staff are fully aware of children’s education plans. This awareness, coupled with good communication between the home, parents and teachers, helps children to reach their potential.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Activities are well organised and provide a range of opportunities to extend children’s learning, skills and interests. During the inspection, the children were excited about activities that were planned for the Easter holidays. Staff made robust plans for a trip out. There have been plenty of walks in the local community parks, and the home’s sensory den is extremely well resourced.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

A child’s needs arising from culture, faith, religion and ethnicity have not been fully met. A child of Muslim faith, who has regular stays at the home, mainly receives vegetarian meals, despite not being vegetarian. Other children staying during the same period also only receive vegetarian meals. As a result, the children have not been supported to have a choice. Leaders and the manager acknowledged a lack of individualised approach to meeting children’s needs.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

The home is adequately decorated and furnished and is clean and tidy. However, the children’s bedrooms lack warmth and colour. Bedrooms are clinical in their appearance and lack accessories, furniture and bedding. Some bedrooms are in need of redecoration and the corridor on the first floor is bare and dirty. Overall, the children’s bedrooms and some parts of the home do not present as a welcoming and homely environment. Inspection report children’s home: 1250253 4

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improvement to be good

Most of the children’s care plans and risk assessments are not up to date. The plans do not contain the relevant information required to enable staff to adequately care for the children. The lack of information means that there is potential for confusion and inconsistency in the approach to safeguarding children effectively.

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improvement to be good

There have been two physical interventions since the last inspection. When physical restraint is used, the records do not always contain the clarity of information required. For example, the views of the staff and children involved are not always recorded.

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improvement to be good

The manager monitors the incident records and notifies Ofsted of significant incidents. There has been one safeguarding incident since the last inspection, which was dealt with efficiently and effectively.

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improvement to be good

Parents are aware of their right to complain. There has been one formal complaint since the last inspection, which was not fully investigated by the previous manager. When a complaint was made by a parent raising concerns , the registered manager at that time did not maintain a full and accurate record of the concern. During the inspection, the current manager tried, unsuccessfully, to gather this information. Without clear records, it is not evident that issues have been addressed appropriately.

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improvement to be good

The standards of recruitment practice have significantly improved since the last inspection. Records are organised, concise and completed in full. Safe recruitment helps to ensure that suitable people work with the children.

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improvement to be good

Although some areas for improvement have been identified, the children, their parents and professionals all said that the children’s experiences are very positive, and the quality of care and support are good.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

The current manager has good insight into the challenges of her role, having been a deputy manager for a number of years. She knows the home’s strengths and the areas for development. The manager understands how to develop an effective team and help children to progress well from their starting points. She also understands the importance of accurate, detailed paperwork. The manager leads by example, putting the children first and having aspirations for them to achieve, enjoy life and make good progress. She ensures that the service operates in line with the statement of purpose.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

All of the staff have undertaken mandatory training, including safeguarding, in addition to individualised training that relates to children’s identified needs. However, one member of staff has not achieved a relevant level 3 qualification in the required time frame. The staff receive regular supervision. However, not all staff have had annual appraisals. There has been a significant improvement in the induction of new staff since the last inspection. New staff consulted during the inspection spoke of feeling very Inspection report children’s home: 1250253 5 supported, of being part of a committed team and wanting to maintain continuity of care for the children.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

The manager’s review of the quality of care does not include an evaluation of the information collated. The views of children and others are not utilised effectively to contribute to analysis of the service. Although the service provides a good level of care and support, this is not documented and shared to give an effective overview and does not reflect the improvements that the new manager is making.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

Monitoring reports written by the independent visitor lack information. The reports do not give a clear overview of the home or reflect the views of the staff and the children. The service is not monitored effectively, and potential shortfalls are not fully identified.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

The newly appointed manager has worked very hard in her short time at the home. She has met nine of the 11 requirements and the three recommendations raised at the last inspection to good effect.

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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 quality and purpose of care standard is that children receive care from staff who—

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Requirement Due date

understand the children’s home’s overall aims and the outcomes it seeks to achieve for children;

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Requirement Due date

use this understanding to deliver care that meets children’s needs and supports them to fulfil their potential.

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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

understand and apply the home’s statement of purpose; and

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Requirement Due date

ensure that staff— make decisions about the day-to-day arrangements for each child, in accordance with the child’s relevant plans, which give the child an appropriate degree of freedom and choice;

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Requirement Due date

ensure that the premises used for the purposes of the home are 30/06/2019 Inspection report children’s home: 1250253 6 designed and furnished so as to—

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Requirement Due date

meet the needs of each child. (Regulation (6) (1)(a)(b)(2)(a)(b)(ix)(c)(i)) 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—

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Requirement Due date

assess whether each child is at risk of harm, taking into account information in the child’s relevant plans, and, if necessary, make arrangements to reduce the risk of any harm to the child. (Regulation 12 (1)(2)(a)(i))

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Requirement Due date

In particular, ensure that all children’s risk assessments and care plans are up to date. 31/05/2019

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Requirement Due date

For the purposes of paragraph (3)(b), an individual who works in the home in a care role has the appropriate qualification if, by the relevant date, the individual has attained—

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Requirement Due date

the Level 3 Diploma for Residential Childcare (England) (‘the Level 3 Diploma’); or

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Requirement Due date

a qualification which the registered person considers to be equivalent to the Level 3 Diploma.

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Requirement Due date

in the case of an individual who starts working in a care role in a home after 1 April 2014, the date which falls 2 years after the date on which the individual started working in a care role in a home; or

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Requirement Due date

in the case of an individual who was working in a care role in a home on 1 April 2014, 1 April 2016.

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Requirement Due date

The registered person may defer the relevant date if the individual—

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Requirement Due date

does not work, or has not worked, in a care role in a home for a prolonged period; or

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Requirement Due date

works, or has worked, in a care role in a home on a part-time basis. (Regulation 32 (4)(a)(b)(5)(a)(b)(6)(a)(b)) 31/07/2019 Inspection report children’s home: 1250253 7 Subject to paragraph (6), the registered person must establish a procedure for considering complaints made by or on behalf of children.

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Requirement Due date

In particular, the procedure must provide that no person who is the subject of a complaint takes any part in its consideration or investigation, except at the informal resolution stage if the registered person considers it appropriate.

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Requirement Due date

The registered person must ensure that a record is made of any complaint, the action taken in response, and the outcome of any investigation.

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Requirement Due date

The registered person must ensure that no child is subject to any reprisal for making a complaint or representation.

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Requirement Due date

The registered person must supply to HMCI, at HMCI’s request, a statement containing a summary of any complaints made during the preceding twelve months and the action that was taken in response to each complaint. (Regulation 39 (1)(2)(3)(4)(5)) 31/05/2019

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Requirement Due date

The registered person must ensure that an independent person visits the children’s home at least once each month.

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Requirement Due date

When the independent person is carrying out a visit, the registered person must help the independent person—

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Requirement Due date

if they consent, to interview in private such of the children, their parents, relatives and persons working at the home as the independent person requires; and

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Requirement Due date

to inspect the premises of the home and such of the home’s records (except for a child’s case records, unless the child and the child’s placing authority consent) as the independent person requires.

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Requirement Due date

A visit by the independent person to the home may be unannounced.

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Requirement Due date

The independent person must produce a report about a visit (‘the independent person’s report’) which sets out, in particular, the independent person’s opinion as to whether— children are effectively safeguarded; and

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Requirement Due date

the conduct of the home promotes children’s well-being.

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Requirement Due date

The independent person’s report may recommend actions that 31/05/2019 Inspection report children’s home: 1250253 8 the registered person may take in relation to the home and timescales within which the registered person must consider whether or not to take those actions.

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Requirement Due date

The independent person must provide a copy of the independent person’s report to—

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Requirement Due date

upon request, the local authority for the area in which the home is located;

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Requirement Due date

the registered provider and, if applicable, the registered manager; and

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Requirement Due date

the responsible individual (if one is nominated). (Regulation 44 (1)(2)(a)(b)(3)(4)(a)(b)(5)(7)(a)(b)(c)(d)(e))

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Recommendations

 Records of restraint must be kept and should enable the registered person and staff to review the use of control, discipline and restraint to identify effective practice and respond promptly when any issues or trends of concern emerge. The review should provide the opportunity for amending practice to ensure that it meets the needs of each child. (‘Guide to the children’s homes regulations including the quality standards’, page 49, paragraph 9.59)  All staff must have their performance and fitness to carry out their role formally appraised at least once annually. This appraisal should take into account, where reasonable and practical, the views of other professionals who have worked with the staff member over the year and children in the home’s care. As part of the performance management process, poor performance should be addressed by a timely plan to bring about improvement. (‘Guide to the children’s homes regulations

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Recommendations

including the quality standards’, page 61, paragraph 13.5)

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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 Inspection report children’s home: 1250253 9 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: 1250253 10

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Children’s home details

Registered provider: Achieving Aspirations Community Interest Company

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Children’s home details

Registered provider address: Suffolk House, 7 Hydra Orion Court, Addison Way, Great Blakenham, Ipswich IP6 0LW

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Inspector

Cathy Russell: social care inspector Inspection report children’s home: 1250253 11 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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