Children's Home run by Aston Children’s Care Ltd in Dudley

Inspection report children’s home: 2597490 1 Registered provider: Aston Children’s Care Limited Full inspection Inspected under the social care common inspection framework

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Information about this children’s home

This home is privately owned and is registered to provide care and accommodation for up to four children with learning disabilities.

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Information about this children’s home

The home was registered with Ofsted on 13 October 2020.

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Information about this children’s home

Due to COVID-19 (coronavirus), at the request of the Secretary of State, we suspended all routine inspections of social care providers on 17 March 2020.

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Overall experiences and progress of

children and young people, taking into account

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requires improvement to be good

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

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requires improvement to be good

The effectiveness of leaders and managers requires improvement to be good

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requires improvement to be good

The children’s home is not yet delivering good help and care for children and young people. However, there are no serious or widespread failures that result in their welfare not being safeguarded or promoted.

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requires improvement to be good

Overall judgement at last inspection: not applicable

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requires improvement to be good

Enforcement action since last inspection: none Inspection report children’s home: 2597490 2

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improvement to be good

One child is currently living at the home and is cared for by a consistent staff team.

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improvement to be good

Staff have got to know the child well and started to form positive relationships with him. These positive relationships and the fact that it is a solo placement means that the child is more relaxed and less anxious than in their previous placements.

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improvement to be good

Staff have developed plans to inform them of how to care for the child. However, these plans are not comprehensive and do not contain information on how the child’s diagnosis impacts on his day-to-day life. Furthermore, the plans are not regularly reviewed. Consequently, staff do not always have up-to-date information. This has led to some inconsistencies in the child’s care.

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improvement to be good

Staff support the child’s interests in animals. Staff have purchased two pet rabbits and two pet hamsters. This has given the child the opportunity to learn about caring for animals.

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improvement to be good

The child’s social opportunities have been impacted by the COVID-19 pandemic and not having a school placement. Staff have suggested groups, but these have been declined by the child.

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improvement to be good

Managers have made efforts to try and secure a school placement for the child. However, through no fault of the home, no placement has been secured. In the absence of a school placement, the child receives help with their learning from a visiting tutor. Staff also promote education through activities such as pet care, cooking, shopping and watching informative videos.

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improvement to be good

Staff help the child to keep in touch with his family and support regular visits to the home. Consequently, the relationship with his family is positive.

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improvement to be good

Staff do not always ensure the child’s safety. The inspector found that someone could access many parts of the home without staff’s knowledge. For example, an internal door was propped open. The inspector found a pan had been left unattended simmering on the stove. There was damage to a light switch and some of the bedding was not clean. These risks have the potential to compromise the child’s safety and welfare.

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improvement to be good

Risk management plans are not regularly reviewed following incidents. This has resulted in incidents which could have been avoided. Inspection report children’s home: 2597490 3 Managers follow safer recruitment procedures for all staff working at the home. However, on one occasion, a proposed member of staff had unexplained gaps in their employment history. These gaps were not explored by the organisation. This omission means that there is a potential risk of unsuitable staff working with children.

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improvement to be good

Managers have not ensured that staff receive online safety training or that checks are made of all the child’s devices. This limited knowledge and recognition of the need to check devises means that staff can potentially miss the signs and dangers when children are online.

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good

The home is managed by a qualified child-focused practitioner who wants the best for the child.

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good

Due to the COVID-19 pandemic, staff training has been moved online. This has enabled staff to stay up to date with their mandatory training. However, managers have not ensured that staff have received training in online safety or sensory awareness. These omissions leave staff with gaps in their knowledge of how to keep children safe and meet their individual needs.

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good

Managers provide staff with reflective supervision. However, the frequency of supervisions is not kept in line with the company’s policy. For example, new members of staff do not receive fortnightly supervision. This omission could result in new staff not having all the opportunities they need to reflect on their practice.

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good

The manager involves the child in decisions. For example, prior to moving in to the home, the manager arranged for the child to visit. The child was able to choose his bedroom and helped personalise the home. Consequently, the child feels valued and listened to. Inspection report children’s home: 2597490 4

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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

provide personalised care that meets each child’s needs, as recorded in the child’s relevant plans, taking account of the child’s background. (Regulation 6 (1)(a)(b) (2)(b)(iv))

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Requirement Due date

This specifically relates to care plans being regularly updated and staff reading and following those plans. 25 June 2021

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Requirement Due date

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

that the premises used for the purposes of the home are designed, furnished and maintained so as to protect each child from avoidable hazards to the child’s health. (Regulation 12 (1) (2)(d))

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Requirement Due date

This specifically relates to a stained bed sheet not being replaced and damage to a light switch in the child’s bedroom not being reported. 25 June 2021

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Requirement Due date

The protection of children standard is that children are protected from harm and enabled to keep themselves safe. 25 June 2021 Inspection report children’s home: 2597490 5 In particular, the standard in paragraph (1) requires the registered person to ensure—

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Requirement Due date

that the home’s day-to-day care is arranged and delivered so as to keep each child safe and to protect each child effectively from harm. (Regulation 12 (1) (2)(b))

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Requirement Due date

This specifically relates to the security of the building, doors not being propped open and pans not being left unattended.

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Requirement Due date

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;

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Requirement Due date

understand the roles and responsibilities in relation to protecting children that are assigned to them by the registered person. (Regulation 12 (1) (2)(a)(i)(v))

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Requirement Due date

This specifically relates to risk assessments being regularly reviewed, ensuring that they have all the information staff need to keep the child safe and that staff follow those plans. 25 June 2021

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Requirement Due date

The registered person must ensure that all employees—

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Requirement Due date

undertake appropriate continuing professional development.

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Requirement Due date

receive practice-related supervision by a person with appropriate experience. (Regulation 33 (4)(a)(b))

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Requirement Due date

This specifically relates to managers ensuring that all staff receive reflective supervision in line with the company policy and staff receive training in online safety and sensory difficulties. 25 June 2021 Inspection report children’s home: 2597490 6

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Recommendations

 The registered person should ensure that they maintain good employment practice as set out in regulations 31-33. Specifically, to ensure that all gaps in employment history are explored. (‘Guide to the children’s homes regulations including the quality standards’, page 60, paragraph 13.1)  The registered person should ensure that children are offered a wide range of activities both inside and outside of the home (where appropriate) and are encouraged to participate in those activities. Staff should support children to take part in clubs, volunteering and leisure activities. Specifically, that the child has opportunities to engage socially with other children. (‘Guide to the children’s homes regulations including the quality standards’, page 31, paragraph 6.4)

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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: 2597490 7

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Children’s home details

Registered provider: Aston Children’s Care Limited

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Children’s home details

Registered provider address: 181 Penn Road, Wolverhampton WV3 0EQ

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Inspector

Debbie Bond, Social Care Inspector Inspection report children’s home: 2597490 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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