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

Inspection report for children's home: 2597490 1 Registered provider: ASTON CHILDREN’S CARE LTD Full inspection Inspected under the social care common inspection framework

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Information about this children’s home

This home is owned by a private company. The home provides care for up to four children with learning disabilities.

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Information about this children’s home

The registered manager resigned in April 2022 but has not yet submitted his voluntary cancellation form to Ofsted. An interim manager is overseeing the home. They have not submitted an application to register with Ofsted.

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Overall experiences and progress of

children and young people, taking into account

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inadequate

How well children and young people are helped and protected inadequate

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inadequate

The effectiveness of leaders and managers inadequate

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inadequate

There are serious and widespread failures that mean children are not protected and the care and experiences of children and are poor and they are not making progress.

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inadequate

Date of last inspection: 12 January 2022

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inadequate

Overall judgement at last inspection: sustained effectiveness

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inadequate

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

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Inspection date Inspection type Inspection judgement

12/01/2022 Interim Sustained effectiveness 11/05/2021 Full Requires improvement to be good Inspection report for children’s home: 2597490 3

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inadequate

One child was living at the home at the time of the inspection. Two children moved from the home since the last inspection. Serious failures were identified at this inspection. As a result, Ofsted issued a notice to restrict accommodation, meaning no more children can move into the home. Two compliance notices were issued under regulation 13 and regulation 22.

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inadequate

Managers consistently make poor decisions about children moving into, and on from, the home. These poor decisions have a negative impact on children’s experiences and progress. For example, when one child moved on to a different home in the organisation, several staff moved with them leaving the other child to experience significant change in caregivers, many of whom were not qualified or experienced. Despite this, managers still planned to move more children into the home. This shows poor decision-making and a lack of regard for the impact on all children.

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inadequate

Managers fail to consider all children’s needs and match them suitably to other children in the home and the skills of staff. This caused an unsettled period in the home for all children. The failure to match children appropriately contributed to one child moving out abruptly.

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inadequate

Staff do not have the skills and experience to meet children’s individual needs and manage their care safely. For example, the child living at the home uses picture exchange communication systems (PECS) to communicate. Staff are not using these systems to communicate with the child. In addition, although the child has lived at the home for some time, staff have not received training in how to use PECS. This shortfall impacts on the child’s experiences, well-being and progress.

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inadequate

The home does not provide a warm, welcoming or cosy environment where children can unwind and feel relaxed. A lot of signage is displayed across the home and the television in the lounge was locked in a cabinet. Furthermore, the child has not been given the opportunity to personalise his bedroom, and repairs around the home are not promptly addressed. The laundry room is kept locked, even though there are no assessed risks to the child. This places unnecessary limitations to him and contributes to the home having an institutionalised feel.

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inadequate

The child has very limited opportunities to engage in any meaningful one-to-one work or contribute to children’s meetings. This is because staff do not have the necessary skills to communicate effectively with him. Subsequently, the child is not able to express his wishes and feelings about his care or contribute to decisions made about his day-to-day care. This can make the child to feel not listened to or valued. Inspection report for children’s home: 2597490 4 Staff and the manager are not aware of the child’s learning needs or barriers to learning targets. They have not effectively escalated delays in the review of his education care plans with partner agencies. This does not promote the child’s learning and can impact on his ability to make measurable progress.

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inadequate

Staff report that they do not eat dinner with the child, as meals cooked for him are not always healthy. This does not encourage the child to live a healthy lifestyle. Additionally, staff are failing to provide the child with a positive mealtime experience which promotes social skills and experiences.

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inadequate

The child living at the home has made some progress. He is enjoying spending more quality time with his close family.

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

The manager failed to address all recommendations from the fire risk assessment. In addition, fire exit doors were locked and staff did not have keys to hand, neither are they accessible to the child. The manager has not discussed the fire evacuation procedure with a fire safety officer to ensure that the plan in place is acceptable and meets regulation.

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

Staff and the manager have not ensured that the child, who has additional needs, has heard the fire alarm to know what this is, what it sounds like and to get a sense of how he will respond. He has not been given the opportunity to practise a fire drill. Fire safety shortfalls have the potential to seriously compromise children’s and staff’s welfare.

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

Staff and the manager failed to notify the local authority when a child made disclosures of alleged abuse. This poor practice does not keep children safe and does not make children feel listened to.

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

Risk assessments do not contain information about all known risks and how to respond to these. Without the relevant information, staff may be unaware of these risks and the actions to take to reduce the risk of harm to children.

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

Recruitment practice is not robust. The manager lacks the professional curiosity needed to explore staff’s employment histories, and does not request all relevant documentation for staff who have worked abroad in recent years. These failings increase the risk of unsuitable people being employed to care for children.

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

Some restraint records do not contain all the required information. For example, the manager does not consistently offer staff and the children debriefs following the use of restraints. This is a missed opportunity to identify any issues in staff’s practice that have the potential to place children at risk of harm. This does not give children the platform to raise any concerns that they may have about the restraint.

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

The manager has recently reviewed the locality risk assessment. However, he did not consult partner agencies in compiling this assessment to ensure that it contains information about all current risks. This does not show good partnership working to Inspection report for children’s home: 2597490 5 help inform staff and children about potential risks that children may face when they are out in their local community and how they can keep themselves safe from harm.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: inadequate

Leadership and management of the home is poor and puts children at risk of harm. The registered manager resigned and the interim management arrangements are insufficient. The new manager is an experienced leader; however, he is not familiar with children’s services and the inspection and legislative frameworks involved. Subsequently, the monitoring and reviewing of the home by the manager and senior manager is ineffective and does not lead to sustained improvements.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: inadequate

Leaders and managers do not keep an up-to-date statement of purpose to reflect staff currently working at the home. Consequently, the regulator was unable to promptly identify shortfalls in staffing. None of the staff assigned to work at the home have attained their Level 3 Diploma for Residential Care (England) or equivalent qualification. They are largely inexperienced, and this limits the staff’s ability to provide and maintain good-quality care to children who have additional needs.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: inadequate

Staff have not received the required training to provide them with skills to meet the needs of children who live at this home. For example, staff do not have training in learning disabilities, safeguarding disabled children or alternative communication methods. Furthermore, they lack training in a wide range of areas relevant to their role and care of children. The manager does not always ensure that at least one member of staff on duty is first-aid trained. This has the potential to compromise the care given to children.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: inadequate

Medication management is not robust. Shortfalls were identified in the storage and auditing of medications.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: inadequate

Staff do not receive supervision regularly and new staff are not effectively supported with their induction process. This is a missed opportunity to provide staff with guidance, address any shortfalls in their practice and enable them to reflect on their own development. This shortfall contributes to the lack of good-quality care being provided to children.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: inadequate

Staff and the manager do not keep children’s records up to date. For example, staff did not have up-to-date local authority review plans and education plans for the child. This does not support children’s progress. It also limits staff and the manager’s ability to review and keep track of children’s progress. Inspection report for children’s home: 2597490 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, 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;

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Requirement Due date

understand and apply the home’s statement of purpose;

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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

that the care is delivered by a person who—

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Requirement Due date

has the experience, knowledge and skills to deliver that care;

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Requirement Due date

and is under the supervision of a person who is appropriately skilled and qualified to supervise that care. (Regulation 6 (1)(a)(b) (2)(a)(b)(i)(ii)(c)(i) (3)(b)(c)(i)(ii)) 30 July 2022 Inspection report for children’s home: 2597490 7 The children’s views, wishes and feelings standard is that children receive care from staff who—

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Requirement Due date

take their views, wishes and feelings into account in relation to matters affecting the children’s care and welfare and their lives.

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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

help each child to express views, wishes and feelings;

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Requirement Due date

regularly consult children, and seek their feedback, about the quality of the home’s care.(Regulation 7 (1)(c) (2)(a)(ii)(iv)) 30 July 2022

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Requirement Due date

The education standard is that children make measurable progress towards achieving their educational potential and are helped to do so.

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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

help each child to achieve the child’s education and training targets, as recorded in the child’s relevant plans;

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Requirement Due date

support each child’s learning and development, including helping the child to develop independent study skills and, where appropriate, helping the child to complete independent study;

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Requirement Due date

understand the barriers to learning that each child may face and take appropriate action to help the child to overcome any such barriers. (Regulation 8 (1) (2)(a)(i)(ii)(iii)) 30 July 2022

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Requirement Due date

The health and well-being standard is that—

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Requirement Due date

children are helped to lead healthy lifestyles. (Regulation 10 (1)(c)) 30 July 2022

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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— 30 July 2022 Inspection report for children’s home: 2597490 8 that staff—

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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;

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Requirement Due date

take effective action whenever there is a serious concern about a child’s welfare. (Regulation 12 (1) (2)(a)(i)(v)(vi))

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Requirement Due date

*The leadership and management standard is that the registered person enables, inspires and leads a culture in relation to the children’s home that—

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Requirement Due date

helps children aspire 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

ensure that staff have the experience, qualifications and skills to meet the needs of each child;

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Requirement Due date

use monitoring and review systems to make continuous improvements in the quality of care provided in the home. (Regulation 13 (1)(a)(b) (2)(c)(h)) 26 June 2022

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Requirement Due date

The care planning standard is that children—

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Requirement Due date

receive effectively planned care in or through the children’s home; and

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Requirement Due date

have a positive experience of arriving at or moving on from the home.

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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

manage and review the placement of each child in the home; 30 July 2022 Inspection report for children’s home: 2597490 9 and plan for, and help, each child to prepare to leave the home or to move into adult care in a way that is consistent with arrangements agreed with the child’s placing authority. (Regulation 14 (1)(a)(b) (2)(b)(ii)(iii))

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Requirement Due date

The registered person must compile in relation to the children’s home a statement ("the statement of purpose") which covers the matters listed in Schedule 1. (Regulation 16 (1)) 30 July 2022

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Requirement Due date

the privacy of children is appropriately protected;

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Requirement Due date

children can access all appropriate areas of the children’s home’s premises; and

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Requirement Due date

any limitation placed on a child’s privacy or access to any area of the home’s premises—

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Requirement Due date

is intended to safeguard each child accommodated in the home;

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Requirement Due date

is kept under review and, if necessary, revised;

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Requirement Due date

and allows children as much freedom as is possible when balanced against the need to protect them and keep them safe. (Regulation 21 (a)(b)(c)(i)(ii)(iv)) 26 June 2022

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Requirement Due date

*The registered person must ensure that a disabled child accommodated in the home is provided with access to such aids and equipment as the child may require as a result of the child’s disability in order to facilitate the child’s communication with other persons. (Regulation 22 (4)) 26 June 2022

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Requirement Due date

The registered person must make arrangements for the handling, recording, safekeeping, safe administration and disposal of medicines received into the children’s home. (Regulation 23 (1)) 26 June 2022

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Requirement Due date

After consultation with the fire and rescue authority, the registered person must—

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Requirement Due date

take adequate precautions against the risk of fire, including the provision of suitable fire equipment in the children’s home; 26 June 2022 Inspection report for children’s home: 2597490 10 provide adequate means of escape from the home in the event of fire. (Regulation 25(1)(a)(b))

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Requirement Due date

have the capacity, experience and skills to supervise the management of the home, or the homes, in respect of which the responsible individual is nominated. (Regulation 26 (7)(b)) 30 July 2022

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Requirement Due date

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

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Requirement Due date

employ an individual to work at the children’s home; or

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Requirement Due date

if an individual is employed by a person other than the registered person to work at the home in a position in which the individual may have regular contact with children, allow that individual to work at the home,

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Requirement Due date

if the individual satisfies the requirements in paragraph (3).

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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)(b) (3)(d)) 30 July 2022

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Requirement Due date

ensure that each employee completes an appropriate induction.

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Requirement Due date

The registered person must ensure that all employees—

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Requirement Due date

receive practice-related supervision by a person with appropriate experience. (Regulation 33 (1)(a)(2)(a)(b) (4)(b)) 30 July 2022

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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")— 30 July 2022 Inspection report for children’s home: 2597490 11 has spoken to the user about the measure;

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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)(b)(i))(c))

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Requirement Due date

The registered person must maintain records ("case records") for each child which—

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Requirement Due date

include the information and documents listed in Schedule 3 in relation to each child;

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Requirement Due date

are kept up to date. (Regulation 36 (1)(a)(b)) 30 July 2022

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Requirement Due date

The registered person must review the appropriateness and suitability of the location of the premises used for the purposes of the children’s home at least once in each calendar year taking into account the requirement in regulation 12(2)(c) (the protection of children standard).

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Requirement Due date

When conducting the review, the registered person must consult, and take into account the views of, each relevant person. (Regulation 46 (1)(2)) 30 July 2022

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Requirement Due date

* These requirements are subject to a compliance notice.

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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 for children’s home: 2597490 12

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Children’s home details

Registered provider: ASTON CHILDREN’S CARE LTD

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Children’s home details

Registered provider address: Aston Children’s Care Ltd, 181 Penn Road, Wolverhampton WV3 0EQ

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Inspector

Rumbi Mangoma, Social Care Inspector Inspection report for children’s home: 2597490 13 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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