Children's home run by Aspris Homes Limited in North Northamptonshire

Inspection report children’s home: SC015254 1 SC015254 Registered provider: Castle Homes 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 five children. The home seeks to provide a safe and understanding environment in which children can be assisted to address their abusive behaviour and to take responsibility for their own actions. The emphasis of the work is by way of intervention to challenge the inappropriate behaviour.

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Information about this children’s home

The manager has been registered with Ofsted since January 2012.

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Information about this children’s home

Inspection dates: 19 to 20 February 2020

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Overall experiences and progress of

children and young people, taking into account

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outstanding

How well children and young people are helped and protected outstanding

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outstanding

The effectiveness of leaders and managers outstanding

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outstanding

The children’s home provides highly effective services that consistently exceed the standards of good. The actions of the children’s home contribute to significantly improved outcomes and positive experiences for children and young people who need help, protection and care.

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outstanding

Overall judgement at last inspection: outstanding

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outstanding

Enforcement action since last inspection: none Inspection report children’s home: SC015254 2

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Inspection date Inspection type Inspection judgement

06/08/2018 Full Outstanding 31/08/2017 Full Outstanding 13/03/2017 Interim Sustained effectiveness 20/09/2016 Full Outstanding Inspection report children’s home: SC015254 3

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outstanding

The children continue to make exceptional progress while living at the home. A highly committed, dynamic and ambitious staff team that understands the children’s individual needs enables this progress. Children’s quality of life and future opportunities are enhanced because of their experiences at the home.

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outstanding

Children are supported to have valued roles in their community. Children are involved in instigating a variety of fundraising events for local charities. They participate in regular litter picks with local residents. Staff support the children to rescue chickens from battery farms and care for them to full recovery. This variety of involvement in community projects results in children having an enhanced sense of responsibility and pride in their achievements.

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outstanding

The children enjoy a diverse and wide range of meaningful activities. The staff are committed to furthering children’s social experiences. Planned nature camping holidays, trips to theme parks, short breaks away abroad and a range of local trips help to widen the children’s experience of the world around them and give them opportunities that they have not had previously. The staff find local clubs for the children that relate to their interests and hobbies. This provides the children with an extensive breadth of experiences that support their well-being.

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outstanding

The children’s attendance in education and academic attainment from their starting points is exceptional. The staff understand the importance of education and support the children with homework tasks and revision for exams. Some children have been able to re-engage and make progress with their education, which has resulted in accessing further employment opportunities at a local shop. Another child is now expected to achieve enhanced grades in their GCSEs because of their ongoing progress.

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outstanding

The children benefit from and engage with specialist therapeutic support. This support enables them to make significant progress emotionally, socially and behaviourally. Effective communication between the professionals involved in therapy and the staff enables the children to have ongoing support from staff between sessions. This means that the children can reflect on and work through their feelings constructively.

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outstanding

The children make substantial progress with their independence skills. The staff help the children to develop these skills through responsibilities for household chores and the use of incentive schemes. The children volunteer in local environmental restoration schemes. Staff ensure that progress is continuously tracked and evaluated. Consequently, the children benefit from increased self-determination and esteem that will help them transition to adulthood. Inspection report children’s home: SC015254 4 Children benefit from a welcoming, spacious and nurturing home. They said that they are happy. One child said, ‘This is a great place. I love the staff and the activities. The home is amazing.’

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outstanding

The experienced and skilled staff team helps children to confront and understand their past traumas. Children make significant progress in taking responsibility for and understanding the effects of their actions on others and the wider community.

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outstanding

Children said that they feel safe living at the home because of the strong rapport that they have forged with the staff. These strong relationships mean that the children feel confident in engaging in open and honest communication. Consequently, the children develop the sense of security and stability that they need to flourish.

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outstanding

The implementation of high-quality risk assessments actively ensures that children are safer. Children regularly review their risk assessments with the staff during key- work sessions. Carefully considered free time in the community further supports the range of their experiences and development.

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outstanding

The staff successfully implement clear and concise behaviour support plans. There is an emphasis on proactive strategies and positive reinforcement. Creative children’s meetings include sessions around mindfulness and relaxation techniques. This enhances children’s coping skills and emotional resilience. As a result, incidents between the children are significantly minimised.

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outstanding

The staff are aware of their safeguarding responsibilities and they have good knowledge of whistle-blowing procedures. The depth of staff’s knowledge is continuously reflected on through practice-based meetings and questionnaires. Effective implementation of safeguarding policies provides assurances that there are suitable systems in place to safeguard children.

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outstanding

The staff are proactive when children go missing from the home. There have only been two incidents of a child going missing since the last inspection. The staff searched the local area and followed the child’s individual protocol. Return-home interviews were undertaken by the social worker. The staff worked with the child to review his plan to reduce future risks.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: outstanding

The home is managed effectively by an experienced and qualified manager. The manager and staff are extremely child-focused. A culture of high aspiration is embedded, resulting in support that enhances outcomes and future opportunities for the children. Inspection report children’s home: SC015254 5 The staff and manager are particularly innovative in driving continuous improvements and progress. Creative recycling and keeping fit programmes have invigorated children’s interest and imagination, which has resulted in excellent participation and success for children in these schemes.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: outstanding

Regular team meetings are highly attended and reflective. Staff have responsibility to research theory and evidence-based approaches and present their findings to the rest of the team. Effective discussions take place on how to practically implement these findings into their practice. As a result, the staff feel empowered and motivated to increase their knowledge and they use this to provide high-quality care.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: outstanding

The staff take advantage of a comprehensive training programme. Effective and robust training ensures that the staff are well equipped to meet the children’s needs. The staff use their knowledge in their daily practice. Following training courses, the staff continue to reflect on their learning through supervisions, team meetings and practice discussions.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: outstanding

The manager makes good use of external monitoring visits by an independent person to enhance support. Internal monitoring reviews are equally rigorous, and the home’s development plan identifies clear opportunities to further enhance support. This level of monitoring supports the manager to identify the home’s strengths and areas of development effectively.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: outstanding

The staff and management teams have sustained exceptionally positive relationships with parents and professionals, who provided unanimously good feedback about the quality of care and effectiveness of communication. One child’s social worker said, ‘This is the best home that I have been to. [The child] has made astonishing progress. It really is a special place.’ Inspection report children’s home: SC015254 6

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Information about this inspection

Inspectors have looked closely at the experiences and progress of children and young people, 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: SC015254 7

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Children’s home details

Registered provider: Castle Homes 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: SC015254 8 to 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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Inspectors

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Inspectors

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Inspectors

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