Children's Home run by Aspris Care Central Limited in Norfolk

Inspection report children’s home: SC379357 1 SC379357 Registered provider: Castle Homes Care Limited 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 company, provides care for up to four children who may have experienced neglect, abuse or trauma and family or placement breakdowns.

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Information about this children’s home

The manager was registered with Ofsted on 26 July 2016.

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Information about this children’s home

Inspection dates: 19 to 20 November 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 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

Date of last inspection: 19 February 2019

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good

Overall judgement at last inspection: improved effectiveness

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good

Enforcement action since last inspection: none Inspection report children’s home: SC379357 2

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Inspection date Inspection type Inspection judgement

19/02/2019 Interim Improved effectiveness 04/06/2018 Full Good 12/03/2018 Interim Improved effectiveness 19/07/2017 Full Requires improvement to be good Inspection report children’s home: SC379357 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 registered person must notify HMCI and each other relevant person without delay if–

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Requirement Due date

there is an allegation of abuse against the home or a person working there. (Regulation 40(4)(c)) 06/01/2020

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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. (Regulation 44(1)(2)(a)(b)) 13/01/2020

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Requirement Due date

The registered person must complete a review of the quality of care provided for children (‘a quality of care review’) at least once every 6 months.

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Requirement Due date

supply to HMCI a copy of the quality of care review report within 28 days of the date on which the quality of care review is completed. (Regulation 45(1)(4)(a)) 06/01/2020 Inspection report children’s home: SC379357 4

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Children make good progress. The children have established positive relationships with a well-skilled and committed staff team. Children receive individualised support that enhances their opportunities and experiences.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

The home is spacious and appointed to a high standard. The children benefit from personalised bedrooms that are decorated in line with their preferences, creating a space that they are proud of.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

The staff help the children to express their views and influence their daily activities through effective and creative key-working meetings. The key-work sessions are responsive to the individual and emerging complex needs of each child and enable them to understand their responsibilities and their impact on the wider community. One child has access to an independent advocate.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

The children enjoy a diverse range of activities. These include visiting the cinema, trips to Laser Quest and theme parks, shopping trips and using public transport. The staff find local clubs for the children that relate to their interests and hobbies. These opportunities provide the children with new and meaningful experiences.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

The children have an active role in the running of the house. The staff encourage high levels of participation through house meetings, daily activities and household tasks, using individual weekly incentive charts. Consequently, the children develop independence skills that will help them in their adulthood and employment.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

All children attend education regularly. The staff work closely with schools to ensure that they continue to make progress towards their targets. The staff offer good support to ensure high attendance. This reduces any barriers to children’s learning.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

The staff have managed the children’s transitions into the home effectively. Assessments are comprehensive and carefully considered. The staff consult the children who live at the home before deciding on new admissions. The staff spend time with children prior to their admission. This ensures that children are suitably matched and experience a positive welcome to the home.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

The staff help the children to celebrate their accomplishments. The children take an active role in adding photographs and memorabilia to memory books, which detail important milestones and achievements.

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How well children and young people are helped and protected: good

Children’s risks reduce significantly. Familiar staff and established routines help the children to feel secure. The staff enable the children to take appropriate risks. Carefully considered free time for one child supports his independence and develops the breadth of Inspection report children’s home: SC379357 5 his experiences.

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How well children and young people are helped and protected: good

The effective implementation of good-quality individual risk assessments actively ensures that children are safe. Children regularly review their risk assessments with staff during key-work sessions and house meetings. The children understand why risks may change and what they need to do to manage these.

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How well children and young people are helped and protected: good

Behaviour management plans are comprehensive and current. There is an emphasis on proactive strategies and individual incentive programmes that reinforce positive behaviour. The staff impose negative consequences proportionately. These approaches are effective in helping children to change their behaviour.

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How well children and young people are helped and protected: good

The staff rarely use restrictive physical interventions. The occasional incidents are recorded and subject to good managerial oversight. The manager checks that staff’s responses reflect the child’s identified needs and behaviour management plan. This encourages the staff to provide safe, individualised care.

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How well children and young people are helped and protected: good

The staff are aware of their safeguarding responsibilities and have good knowledge of whistle-blowing procedures. Children know how to raise concerns. When allegations against staff have been made, they have been suitably managed. Children have been consulted and appropriate referrals have been made to safeguard them.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

The manager is suitably qualified and experienced. She is well regarded by the staff team and has high aspirations for children. The management team is child-focused and expects the same of the staff.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

The staff benefit from a comprehensive training programme. They are well skilled to meet the children’s individual complex needs.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

The staff value their child-focused and personal development discussions in supervision meetings and annual appraisals. The regular staff meetings ensure that effective communication and good support are embedded. Staff said that they feel well supported. This range of guidance provides the staff with direction and time for suitable reflection.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

The staff and management team have sustained good relationships with parents and professionals, who provided consistently positive feedback about the quality of care and effectiveness of communication.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

The managerial monitoring of records is generally good. Children’s records are detailed and managerial oversight of them is effective. However, internal quality reviews are not completed within the required timescales. This reduces the opportunity for the manager to identify the strengths and consider the developmental areas consistently.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

External monitoring visits provide a good level of scrutiny and challenge. However, a high proportion of these visits occur during times when the children are at school. This means Inspection report children’s home: SC379357 6 that children cannot consistently be consulted on their experiences at the home and undermines the assurances and additional safeguards intended by these visits.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

Although the managers have responded effectively to significant incidents, they have failed to consistently notify Ofsted about the incidents and resulting action. As a result, Ofsted’s capacity to monitor children’s safety has been reduced. Inspection report children’s home: SC379357 7

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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 difference 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: SC379357 8

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Children’s home details

Registered provider: Castle Homes Care Limited

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Children’s home details

Registered provider address: Fifth floor, 80 Hammersmith Road, London W14 8UD

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Inspectors

Mark Anderton: social care inspector Inspection report children’s home: SC379357 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 looked after children, safeguarding and child protection.

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Inspectors

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Inspectors

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Inspectors

T: 0300 123 1231 Textphone: 0161 618 8524 E: enquiries@ofsted.gov.uk W: www.gov.uk/ofsted

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