Children's home run by Achieving Aspirations Community Interest Company

Inspection report for children’s home: 2613488 1 Registered provider: Achieving Aspirations Community Interest Company Interim inspection Inspected under the social care common inspection framework

p.1

Information about this children’s home

The home is registered to provide short-break care and support for up to three children with learning disabilities or sensory impairments. This is one of a small number of short-break children’s services operated by this private provider.

p.1

Information about this children’s home

The manager registered with Ofsted in November 2020.

p.1

Inspection date: 9 March 2022

Judgement at last inspection: requires improvement to be good

p.1

Inspection date: 9 March 2022

Enforcement action since last inspection: none Inspection report for children’s home: 2613488 2

p.1

children and young people since the most recent full inspection

This home was judged requires improvement to be good at the last full inspection. At this interim inspection, Ofsted judged that it has improved effectiveness.

p.2

children and young people since the most recent full inspection

The manager has made several improvements related to managerial oversight, staff practice and record-keeping since the last inspection. Three of the five requirements and two of the three recommendations made at the last inspection have been met.

p.2

children and young people since the most recent full inspection

All except for one child had started their short breaks with the home before the last inspection. The child who has most recently started having breaks has been introduced to the home in a gradual way. This helped to reduce the child’s anxieties.

p.2

children and young people since the most recent full inspection

Staff are well informed about children before their arrival. This allows staff to provide tailored care to the children in line with their likes, dislikes and individual capabilities. A foster parent spoke very highly about the home, the admission process and the support that the staff provide to her foster child. The child’s social worker said, ‘Staff have gone above and beyond expectations with my child’s introduction to the home.’

p.2

children and young people since the most recent full inspection

The staff know the children exceptionally well. Staff have a good understanding of the children’s specific risks and care support needs. Health needs are well understood and met.

p.2

children and young people since the most recent full inspection

Social workers, parents and staff recognise that children particularly benefit from the experience of having a short stay at the home. Benefits included broadening children’s experiences of different social settings, making friendships and positive relationships and having experiences typical of children of a similar age.

p.2

children and young people since the most recent full inspection

Children benefit from a variety of activities such as woodland walks, outings on buses, sensory games and football in the garden. Staff create scrapbooks for the children to record the fun things that children have been involved in during their stays.

p.2

children and young people since the most recent full inspection

A requirement regarding improving fire safety arrangements and increasing safety of the premises, has been met. The pull cords on blinds are appropriately secured and unsafe areas such as the garden shed are inaccessible to children. Staff have been given suitable instruction on how to safely evacuate the building in a variety of scenarios. Children’s personal emergency evacuation plans outline the support that each child requires to enable their safe exit in the event of a fire.

p.2

children and young people since the most recent full inspection

A requirement relating to the accuracy and detail in records has been met. Written consents are now in place for the administration of medication and the use of any restrictive or monitoring equipment. Inspection report for children’s home: 2613488 3 Managerial monitoring arrangements have improved. Requirements made at the last inspection relating to the updating of the statement of purpose, providing training for staff in safeguarding children with disabilities and ensuring that risk assessments are reflective of children’s needs have all been addressed.

p.2

children and young people since the most recent full inspection

A requirement relating to ensuring that recruitment records include all necessary checks could not be reviewed. Recruitment records were stored in the manager’s office, to which no one had access in the manager’s absence. Consequently, this requirement will be repeated. Contingency arrangements have since been put in place to ensure that all records are accessible in the absence of the manager.

p.3

children and young people since the most recent full inspection

A requirement related to the admissions and discharges register has been repeated as insufficient information was recorded as required by regulation.

p.3

children and young people since the most recent full inspection

A recommendation relating to providing suitable arrangements to promote children’s privacy, has been met. Privacy screening has been applied to bedroom windows.

p.3

children and young people since the most recent full inspection

Children’s behaviour support plans are now reflective of their needs. The guidance detailed in behaviour support plans is reflected in incident reports. Reports show that staff practice is guided by the plans to defuse situations and distract and calm children when they become distressed.

p.3

children and young people since the most recent full inspection

The children’s guide still does not contain information on how the children can complain, access advocacy or contact the children’s commissioner. This recommendation is repeated. Inspection report for children’s home: 2613488 4

p.3

Inspection date Inspection type Inspection judgement

09/08/2021 Full Requires improvement to be good Inspection report for children’s home: 2613488 5

p.4

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.

p.5

Requirement Due date

The registered person must recruit staff using recruitment procedures that are designed to ensure children’s safety.

p.5

Requirement Due date

employ an individual to work at the children’s home; if the individual satisfies the requirements in paragraph (3).

p.5

Requirement Due date

the individual is of integrity and good character;

p.5

Requirement Due date

the individual has the appropriate experience, qualification and skills for the work that the individual is to perform;

p.5

Requirement Due date

full and satisfactory information is available in relation to the individual in respect of each of the matters in Schedule 2. (Regulation 32 (1) (2)(a) (3)(a)(b)(d))

p.5

Requirement Due date

In particular, ensure that gaps in employment are explored and that qualifications and references are verified.

p.5

Requirement Due date

This requirement was made at the last inspection and is restated. 1 April 2022

p.5

Requirement Due date

Schedule 4 sets out the other information that the registered person must keep in relation to a children’s home.

p.5

Requirement Due date

maintain in the home the records in Schedule 4;

p.5

Requirement Due date

ensure that the records are kept up to date. (Regulation 37 (1) (2)(a)(b))

p.5

Requirement Due date

In particular, ensure that the admission and discharge register contains all the required information. 1 April 2022 Inspection report for children’s home: 2613488 6 This requirement was made at the last inspection and is restated.

p.5

Recommendations

 The registered person should ensure that the children’s guide helps children to understand the day-to-day routines of the home; how to make a complaint, how to access advocacy support or independent advocacy if eligible and how to contact the Office of the Children’s Commissioner. (‘Guide to the Children’s Homes Regulations including the quality standards’, page 24, paragraph 4.22)

p.6

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.

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 for children’s home: 2613488 7

p.6

Children’s home details

Registered provider: Achieving Aspirations Community Interest Company

p.7

Children’s home details

Registered provider address: 80 Compair Crescent, Ipswich, Suffolk IP2 0EH

p.7

Inspector

Lianne Bradford, Social Care Inspector Inspection report for children’s home: 2613488 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 http://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: http://eepurl.com/iTrDn .

p.8

Inspector

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

p.8