Children's Home run by Advanced Adolescent Care Solutions Limited in Rotherham

Inspection report children's home: 2577014 1 Registered provider: Advanced Adolescent Care Solutions Limited Full inspection Inspected under the social care common inspection framework

p.1

Information about this children’s home

The home is a privately run children’s home. It provides care and accommodation for up to one child with emotional, social and behavioural difficulties.

p.1

Information about this children’s home

This children’s home was registered in August 2020. Two children have lived in the home since it was registered.

p.1

Information about this children’s home

The provider has made interim management arrangements to cover the absence of the registered manager since November 2021.

p.1

Information about this children’s home

Due to COVID-19, at the request of the Secretary of State, we suspended all routine inspections of social care providers carried out under the social care common inspection framework (SCCIF) on 17 March 2020. We returned to routine SCCIF inspections on 12 April 2021.

p.1

Information about this children’s home

We last visited this setting on 10 and 11 December 2020 to carry out an assurance visit. The report is published on the Ofsted website.

p.1

Overall experiences and progress of

children and young people, taking into account

p.1

good

How well children and young people are helped and protected good

p.1

good

The effectiveness of leaders and managers good

p.1

good

The children’s home provides effective services that meet the requirements for good.

p.1

good

Overall judgement at last inspection: not applicable

p.1

good

Enforcement action since last inspection: not applicable Inspection report children's home: 2577014 2

p.1

Recent inspection history

Not previously inspected Inspection report children's home: 2577014 3

p.2

Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Children benefit from carefully planned admissions to the home. Before their admission, children are visited by staff, and they are encouraged to visit their new home before they move in. This provides children with much needed reassurance about where they are going to live and helps them settle in.

p.3

Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Relationships between staff and children are a significant strength. The staff are supportive, responsive and attuned to the children’s needs. Because of this, the children become happier, healthier, safer and less likely to engage in risk-taking behaviour.

p.3

Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Children’s health and well-being have improved. Their knowledge of the world around them has been extended through participation in new social activities and hobbies. They have developed life skills appropriate to their age. This has given children positive childhood experiences and enhanced their independence skills.

p.3

Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Children enjoy a variety of social and leisure activities, including trips to the coast, going for walks with dogs, trampolining, caring for animals, swimming, go-carting and going out for meals. These activities help to enhance children’s social skills and confidence.

p.3

Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

The staff have developed links with the virtual school and a local education provision. This means that the children have access to an education placement to further their learning. This proactive approach supports children’s learning and attainment. However, the home does not have a full range of books that reflect the reading ability of one child, or other supporting education materials. This does not assist children’s enjoyment of reading or continued learning.

p.3

Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Children benefit from seeing their families. Staff take immediate action to make arrangements for children to see those who are important to them. A child said, ‘I have been to see my brother, and I do speak to my mum on the phone whenever I wish. I will be seeing my mum soon.’

p.3

Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Giving consideration to the views and opinions of the children is part of everyday life at the home. Children are encouraged to read their files and have a purposeful say on what is important to them. This helps to ensure that the child feels listened to and respected.

p.3

Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

The home is decorated and furnished to a good standard throughout. The home has been redecorated and new furniture has been purchased. The front garden is suitably maintained. However, the backyard area has not been developed fully. This is a missed opportunity to extend and benefit from a private and usable outside space. Inspection report children's home: 2577014 4 Consideration is given to children leaving the home. Children have the opportunity to say goodbye to those they have established relationships with. This includes neighbours and teachers. There is an organised farewell for children. This helps to ensure that children have positive endings to their stays at the home.

p.3

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

Staff demonstrate a clear awareness of the risks and vulnerabilities of the children in their care. Specific training is undertaken. This helps to ensure that staff know what action to take to better protect the children.

p.4

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

Written risk assessments for children specifically detail the risks and the strategies staff should use to reduce or eliminate the risk identified. These are regularly reviewed to ensure that information and guidance for the staff are up to date.

p.4

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

Staff understand that children’s experiences are often communicated through their behaviour. When incidents of conflict arise, these are met with negotiation, boundaries and compromise. Staff demonstrate considerable patience and have high tolerance thresholds when managing challenging behaviour. This approach provides the children with security, stability and acceptance.

p.4

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

Staff have worked closely with children to discuss events and incidents where their behaviour has escalated, or they have gone into crisis. The direct, one-to-one sessions are recorded to support and assist the children going forward.

p.4

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

When allegations have been made, the staff have followed the agreed procedures and protocols in place to safeguard children. All allegations have been managed in a timely manner. This helps to protect children.

p.4

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

The staff are trained in behaviour management and safe physical intervention techniques. This helps to support children in managing behavioural difficulties. Staff said that physical interventions are only used as a last resort. The staff have discussions after all incidents. This is to assess how they can reduce or stop such incidents reoccurring. The incidents are routinely reviewed by the placing social worker, the manager and the independent visitor. This is to ensure that physical interventions are only used when the safety of the child or others is compromised.

p.4

The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

The registered manager has been absent from the service since November 2021. However, an interim manager has been appointed. This means that there has been minimal disruption to the operation of the home.

p.4

The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

There is effective monitoring, both internally and externally. The independent visitor and the responsible individual scrutinise the care and service provided to the children. When shortfalls and deficits are identified, the manager takes prompt action. This helps to bring improvement to the quality of care provided to children. Inspection report children's home: 2577014 5 Action has been taken to implement the requirements and recommendations made at the assurance visit. This includes the safe implementation of recruitment practices. This helps to ensure that as much as possible is done to assess the suitability of staff before they are appointed.

p.4

The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

Sound communication systems exist to ensure that all staff are clear on how best to support and care for the children. Staff meetings are held routinely. Staff told the inspector that there is a daily shift handover and they receive routine formal supervision. However, the responsible individual is not receiving formal supervision from a suitably qualified person. This hinders her professional development.

p.5

The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

All new staff receive induction training that includes safeguarding, first aid, medication and fire safety training. In addition, they receive behaviour management and physical intervention training. Staff confirm that they have undertaken more specialist training in self-harm, the use of ligature cutters and attention deficit hyperactivity disorder. This has helped to upskill the staff team.

p.5

The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

Partnership working is given importance. The manager and staff speak and correspond with social workers and other professionals often, checking and reporting on the child’s progress and other relevant matters. Social workers state that communication and the sharing of information are very good. A social worker said, ‘I think the care given is excellent. It was personalised to [name of child], not a blueprint used for all.’ Inspection report children's home: 2577014 6

p.5

Recommendations

 The registered person should ensure that the ethos of the home supports each child to learn, emphasising the value of independent study and reading for enjoyment. In particular, the home should have books that are of interest to the child and are at an appropriate key stage level. Other resources that promote the child's engagement and enjoyment of learning should also be available, such as puzzle books, magazines, and educational computer games and programs.(‘Guide to the children’s homes regulations, including the quality standards’, page 29, paragraph 5.18)  The registered person should ensure that the children’s home is a nurturing and supportive environment that meet the needs of their children and is a homely and domestic environment. In particular, the registered person should develop the rear outside yard to make this a usable space. (‘Guide to the children’s homes regulations, including the quality standards’, page 15, paragraph 3.9)

p.6

Recommendations

 The registered person must ensure that systems are in place so that all staff, including the manager, receive supervision of their practice from an appropriately qualified and experienced professional. Supervision should allow them to reflect on their practice and the needs of the children assigned to their care. (‘Guide to the children’s homes regulations, including the quality standards’, page 61 paragraph 13.2)

p.6

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: 2577014 7

p.6

Children’s home details

Registered provider: Advanced Adolescent Care Solutions Limited

p.7

Children’s home details

Registered provider address: 38 Sherwood Road, Worksop S80 1QW

p.7

Inspector

Debbie Foster, Social Care Inspector Inspection report children's home: 2577014 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.

p.7

Inspector

If you would like a copy of this document in a different format, such as large print or Braille, please telephone 0300 123 1231, or email enquiries@ofsted.gov.uk . You may reuse this information (not including logos) free of charge in any format or medium, under the terms of the Open Government Licence. To view this licence, visit www.nationalarchives.gov.uk/doc/open-government-licence , write to the Information Policy Team, The National Archives, Kew, London TW9 4DU, or email: psi@nationalarchives.gsi.gov.uk .

p.8

Inspector

Interested in our work? You can subscribe to our monthly newsletter for more information and updates: eepurl.com/iTrDn .

p.8

Inspector

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

p.8