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 Interim 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 has been registered since April 2019.

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Inspection date: 28 February 2020

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

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children 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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children and young people since the most recent full inspection

Children are well supported and the care that they receive is making a positive difference to their lives. Staff demonstrate a good understanding of each child and are committed to helping them to achieve their full potential and have fun. Children enjoy coming to spend time at this home and they make good progress. Close, caring relationships with the staff help the children to feel safe.

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children and young people since the most recent full inspection

Some children’s needs arising from culture, faith, religion and ethnicity and dietary requirements have not been fully met. Children of Muslim faith, and who have regular stays at the home, mainly receive vegetarian meals, despite not being vegetarian. Some children have gluten-free diets. This has resulted in other children staying during the same period receiving gluten-free meals. As a result, the children have not been supported to have a choice. This shortfall was raised as a requirement at previous inspections.

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children and young people since the most recent full inspection

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 and furniture. Some bedrooms are in need of redecoration, and walls throughout the home are bare. Staff try to be creative, making pictures; however, these do not stay in place for long. Overall, the children’s bedrooms and some parts of the home do not present as a child-friendly, welcoming or a homely environment. This shortfall was raised as a requirement at previous inspections.

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children and young people since the most recent full inspection

Daily routines are strongly adhered to and they provide stability and structure for the children. Behaviour management plans and strategies are known and, in time, understood by the children. As a result, the children are safe and feel secure and protected both in and outside the home. The children gain an understanding of their behaviours and opportunities to develop positive coping strategies.

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children and young people since the most recent full inspection

There have been no incidents of children going missing from the home. The use of sanctions is minimal and proportionate to the behaviour. There have been four physical interventions since the last inspection. When physical restraint is used, the records of the incidents do not contain the information required. There is no date of when the intervention took place, no name of the child and the views of the staff and children involved are not always recorded. This shortfall was raised as a recommendation at the last inspection.

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children and young people since the most recent full inspection

The manager’s practice is child-centred and makes the children’s needs her highest priority. She has a good relationship with the staff and the children, with whom she spends time daily. Inspection report children’s home: 1250253 3 The registered manager works hard to establish and maintain good working relationships with families and with other professionals. A social worker was very complimentary about the support that the manager and the staff team provided in an emergency. The social worker said that the support went over and above expectations and had a significant impact on a child’s well-being, giving the child stability during a difficult time in their life.

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children and young people since the most recent full inspection

Monthly staff team meetings cover all aspects of practice and how to develop the staff further and use their strengths. There have been opportunities to ensure that the staff develop their skills, with individualised training for staff who are progressing in their careers. Eligible staff hold the necessary level 3 qualification in residential care or are working towards it. All the staff attend the organisation’s mandatory training.

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children and young people since the most recent full inspection

Staff receive regular supervision and yearly appraisals. Safer recruitment is generally good. However, one member of staff’s disclosure and barring information is missing from their recruitment file.

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children and young people since the most recent full inspection

There has been one formal complaint since the last inspection. Although the complaint has been investigated and responded to, there is no record of whether the complainant was satisfied with the conclusion. Without clear records, it is not evident that issues have been addressed appropriately. This shortfall was raised as a requirement at the last inspection.

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children and young people since the most recent full inspection

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. Four visit reports have not been received by the provider or by Ofsted. Therefore, the home is not monitored effectively, and potential shortfalls are not fully identified. This shortfall was raised as a requirement at the last inspection.

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children and young people since the most recent full inspection

The manager has met two of the five requirements and one of the two recommendations raised at the last inspection. Inspection report children’s home: 1250253 4

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Inspection date Inspection type Inspection judgement

10/04/2019 Full Good 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 5

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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

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 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)) 30/04/2020

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Requirement Due date

within 24 hours of the use of a measure of control, discipline or restraint in relation to a child in the home, a record is made which includes—

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Requirement Due date

details of the child’s behaviour leading to the use of the measure;

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Requirement Due date

the date, time and location of the use of the measure;

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Requirement Due date

a description of the measure and its duration; 31/03/2020 Inspection report children’s home: 1250253 6 details of any methods used or steps taken to avoid the need to use the measure;

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Requirement Due date

the name of the person who used the measure (‘the user’), and of any other person present when the measure was used;

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Requirement Due date

the effectiveness and any consequences of the use of the measure; and

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Requirement Due date

a description of any injury to the child or any other person, and any medical treatment administered, as a result of the measure;

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Requirement Due date

within 48 hours of the use of the measure, the registered person, or a person who is authorised by the registered person to do so (‘the authorised person’)—

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Requirement Due date

has spoken to the user about the measure; and

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Requirement Due date

has signed the record to confirm it is accurate; and

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Requirement Due date

within 5 days of the use of the measure, the registered person or the authorised person adds to the record confirmation that they have spoken to the child about the measure. (Regulation 35(3)(a)(i)(ii)(iii)(iv)(v)(vi)(vii)(viii)(b)(i)(ii)(c)) 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 31/03/2020 Inspection report children’s home: 1250253 7 the action that was taken in response to each complaint. (Regulation 39(1)(2)(3)(4)(5)) 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 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)) 31/03/2020 Inspection report children’s home: 1250253 8

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Recommendations

 As set out in regulations 31-33, the registered person is responsible for maintaining good employment practice. They must ensure that recruitment, supervision and performance management of staff safeguards children and minimises potential risks to them. (‘Guide to the children’s homes regulations including the quality standards’, page 61, paragraph 13.) This in particular reference to the recruitment of staff.

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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

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: 1250253 9

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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 10 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 looked after children, safeguarding and child protection.

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Inspector

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Inspector

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Inspector

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