Children's Home run by Aspire Child Care Ltd in Rochdale

Inspection report children’s home: SC413779 1 SC413779 Registered provider: Aspire Child Care Limited 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 operated by a private company. The home is registered to provide care and accommodation for up to two children and young people. The manager was registered with Ofsted in September 2010.

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Overall experiences and progress of

children and young people, taking into account outstanding

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Overall experiences and progress of

How well children and young people are helped and protected good

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Overall experiences and progress of

good The effectiveness of leaders and managers

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Overall experiences and progress of

Date of last inspection: 11 September 2018

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Overall experiences and progress of

Overall judgement at last inspection: good

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Overall experiences and progress of

Enforcement action since last inspection: none Inspection report children’s home: SC413779 2

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Inspection date Inspection type Inspection judgement

11/09/2018 Full Good 08/08/2017 Full Good 08/03/2017 Interim Sustained effectiveness 02/08/2016 Full Good Inspection report children’s home: SC413779 3

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outstanding

Children have made outstanding progress since their admission to the home. They have increased attendance at education, their health and diet have improved and they are not involved in any risk-taking behaviours. As a consequence of this, their safety and overall welfare have significantly improved. Children said that they have really good relationships with staff and that the home does not feel like a children’s home, but more like a family home. They said that they like the fact that it is only a small staff team because this means that they don’t have to get to know lots of people. The manager and staff have high aspirations for the children, and this in turn has provided children with confidence to express their wishes and views in relation to their current and future care. Prior to moving into the home, children had limited engagement with education. However, children now have 98% and 100% attendance, respectively. Their

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outstanding

excellent attendance is supporting them to exceed previous predicted attainment. One teacher said: ‘[Name of child] has benefited greatly from his placement at the home. The manager and staff attend all meetings and work in partnership with school staff to fully support educational outcomes. It is envisaged he will gain higher than originally predicted grades in his exams, as well as achieving a number of vocational-based certificates.’ Children’s healthcare is well promoted. Children attend all of their routine health appointments. They are involved in planning their weekly menus and are encouraged to make healthy food choices. This helps children to reduce their intake of food which has limited nutritional value. They take part in regular exercise, including going to the youth gym several times each week. Children also play football and enjoy trampolining. This not only benefits their overall health, but also

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outstanding

enables them to meet and make friends from the local community. Staff understand the importance for children to maintain family and friend relationships. Detailed contact arrangements are included within individual care plans. Staff support these arrangements and make excellent relationships with people who are important to the young people. One parent said: ‘I am always welcomed by staff when I visit. They tell me how he is doing and I couldn’t be happier with the care provided to my child. He likes the staff and has a great relationship with the other child living there.’ The home feels like a family home and is not distinguishable from other houses in the area. It provides a warm, nurturing and comfortable environment for the children. Both children say that they are happy, feel safe and call it their home. Inspection report children’s home: SC413779 4

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

Children’s safety and welfare is central to the ethos of the home. Previous high instances of risk-taking behaviours have significantly reduced. As a result of the care and support that they receive, children feel safer and have a desire to achieve in all aspects of their future development. Positive relationships with staff enable children to voice any concerns or worries they may have. Staff take effective action to address individual concerns. Children say that staff listen to them and help them to make safer choices in their day-to-day lives. Staff understand the importance of safeguarding. Staff have all completed safeguarding training, which is updated on a regular basis to ensure that their knowledge and practice remains current. Staff are trained in de-escalation strategies, which includes physical intervention training. Staff implement clear structure and boundaries for the children in accordance with agreed care and behaviour management plans. These are

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

discussed with children and they are supported to develop positive behaviours. As a result, there have been no physical interventions. Detailed risk assessments help staff to understand known and possible risks for children. Potential trigger points are clearly identified, as are the strategies that staff need to follow to manage the risks. These assessments are reviewed and updated in response to incidents. The risk assessments are discussed and shared with the staff team and other professionals involved in promoting the children’s safety. Children rarely go missing from the home. The recorded incidents relate to a young person who previously lived at the home. Appropriate action was taken by staff, who notified and worked with other agencies involved in safeguarding children to support the safe return of the young person to the home. There have been no incidents of missing from home relating to the children who currently live at the home.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

The registered manager has the appropriate experience, skills and qualifications to manage the home. She is supported by a deputy manager who also has the necessary experience and qualifications. Professionals and parents contacted as part of this inspection were exceptionally complementary about the manager, deputy and staff team in relation to the nurturing, supportive and positive impact on the outcomes of the children currently living there. One social worker said: ‘The care and support provided to [Name of child] is excellent. This has supported him to feel safe, happy and settled. The progress he has made is exceptional.’ Children benefit from a consistent staff team. This provides them with consistent care and support, while enabling them to build positive relationships. Not all staff hold the relevant level 3 qualification in caring for children and young people. However, they all have experience of working with children and young people and

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

there are plans in place for them to undertake the training as required. All staff have completed and are up to date with mandatory training. They receive further support Inspection report children’s home: SC413779 5 and guidance through individual monthly supervisions as well as team meetings. This further supports their practice in caring for the children. The home operates in accordance with the statement of purpose and function. This document has been reviewed and updated. However, the manager has not provided a copy to the regulator as required by regulations. This does not enable the regulator to have oversight of any changes to the home. Independent monthly monitoring visits to the home provide external oversight of the home and the care that the children receive. The manager responds promptly to any recommendations made to enhance the care provided. She completes six-monthly monitoring reports to reflect the care provided. However, these are repetitive and

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

lack overall evaluation to show how the service will develop and improve. Children’s plans and records are well maintained. They reflect the individual needs and how these are being met. These are shared and discussed with the children and placing social workers. This supports the children to be involved in their current and future care plans. Effective action has been taken to address the two requirements and one recommendation made at the last inspection. Allegation training has been completed and comprehensive impact assessments ensure that effective matching of children’s needs take place. Inspection report children’s home: SC413779 6

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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, the 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 keep the statement of purpose under review and, where appropriate, revise it; and notify HMCI of any revisions and send HMCI a copy of the revised statement within 28 days of the revision. (Regulation 16 (3)(a)(b)) 30/03/2020

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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 six months. In order to complete a quality of care review the registered person must establish and maintain a system for monitoring, reviewing and evaluating the quality of care provided for children and any actions that the registered person considers necessary in order to improve or maintain the quality of care provided for children. (Regulation 45 (1)(2(a)(c)) 30/05/2020

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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: SC413779 7

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Children’s home details

Registered provider: Aspire Child Care Limited

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Children’s home details

Responsible individual: Christine MacKay

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Inspector

Sarah Oldham, Ofsted inspector Inspection report children’s home: SC413779 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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Inspector

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Inspector

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Inspector

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