Children's home run by Ascent Fostering Agency ltd

Inspection report for children’s home: 2647163 1 Registered provider: Ascent Fostering Agency Full inspection Inspected under the social care common inspection framework

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Information about this children’s home

This privately owned children’s home provides care for up to five children between the ages of 11 and 15 years with social and emotional difficulties. The home’s statement of purpose states that they offer a therapeutic approach that supports boys who require residential care, to enable them to ‘step down’ to foster care or return to their birth families.

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Information about this children’s home

The children’s home was registered with Ofsted in December 2021. This is the home’s first inspection. The registered manager has been in post since the home’s registration. She is suitably qualified.

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Overall experiences and progress of

children and young people, taking into account

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good

How well children and young people are helped and protected good

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good

The effectiveness of leaders and managers good

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good

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

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good

Overall judgement at last inspection: not applicable

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good

Enforcement action since last inspection: none Inspection report for children’s home: 2647163 2

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Staff and children create a home with a strong emphasis on family values. Children are happy, they play together, take part in fun competitions and develop trusting relationships with staff and each other. They share meals and celebrate their achievements and birthdays, which all adds to the home’s family ethos. A member of staff said, ‘The joy in our home is nothing like I have worked in before.’

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

All staff are trained in an accredited therapeutic parenting model. This approach ensures that staff provide personalised care to each child living at the home. Individualised care includes behaviour support strategies, such as emotion cards, creative music and bespoke bedroom lighting.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Children thrive from their positive experiences in the home and make good progress in all aspects of their lives. Children’s notable achievements include increased social and personal care skills. Budgeting guidance and cooking skills help children to grow in confidence and become more independent. Children are proud of their home and they are eager to show new children around it.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Children have a voice in the home and take part in regular ‘community’ meetings. Children help plan the nutritious food menu and choose their individual and group activities, such as attending the local football club and boxing club, going go-karting and trips to theme parks. Children personalise their bedrooms and they have chosen the new garden furniture.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Staff promote children’s education and learning well. All children are either attending school or receiving home tuition. Staff find mentors to support children in school if required. One child has returned to education after an absence of two years.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Children move into the home in a planned way. They visit the home in advance and meet other children and staff. Staff ensure that children’s particular requests are acted on before they move in. This has included providing a larger bed, welcome gifts and arranging a language course. Staff’s attention to detail increases children’s sense of ownership of their home.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Staff build close relationships with children’s parents and carers, who are invited to the home and contribute to their children’s care planning. Children enjoy regular opportunities to meet with their families. Staff also make sure that family time arrangements coincide with important family milestones.

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

The home employs a psychotherapist, who helps staff to understand children’s background, past trauma and how this can influence children’s well-being and behaviour. As a result, children benefit from being cared for by staff who understand Inspection report for children’s home: 2647163 3 their emotional needs well. Staff create a caring environment which enables children to thrive.

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

Children know what helps them when they are upset and contribute to their behaviour support plans. Effective behaviour support strategies are helping children to manage difficult emotions more appropriately. Restraint is rarely used in the home. There has been one incident of restraint since the home opened, which was necessary, proportionate and managed well.

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

Children’s risk assessments are clear, sufficiently detailed and kept up to date. This ensures that staff are alert to all known risks and safeguarding practice is consistent across the staff team.

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

Staff talk to children about risk and provide them with support and guidance on keeping themselves safe. This helps increase children’s safety both inside and outside the home. Children report that they feel safe.

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

Staff maintain clear and consistent boundaries in the home. Staff help children to resolve fall-outs and disagreements amicably. Staff encourage reparation meetings between children and help them to write apology letters.

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

Children know who they can talk to if they have any concerns. The comprehensive child-friendly children’s guide sets out their rights, entitlements and the home’s complaints procedures.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

A strong and visible leadership team manages the home effectively. Leaders and managers have an ambitious vision for the children and ensure that high standards of individualised care are maintained.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

Staff describe the manager as professional, approachable and caring towards both children and staff. The responsible individual regularly visits the home and joins in with the children’s games. A member of staff said, ‘We are like an extended family.’

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

Leaders and managers provide a supportive environment for staff. A high-quality staff induction, regular supervision and ongoing training ensure that staff are suitably equipped with the knowledge, skills and support to meet the children’s needs. However, the home’s statement of purpose does not include details of the staffing structure or staff’s experience and qualifications.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

The home’s therapeutic approach to care is embedded in staff’s day-to-day care. The home’s psychotherapist provides enhanced support, guidance and reflection opportunities for the staff team.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

The quality of relationships between staff and other professionals is good. Staff attend children’s pastoral support meetings at school and all health and care meetings. A social worker describes staff as ‘child-focused’. The registered manager Inspection report for children’s home: 2647163 4 acts on her regular feedback from children, staff, parents and professionals. However, this feedback is not included in her quality of care review report.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

Leaders and managers ensure that the home’s care planning processes are effective. They make child-centred decisions about children coming to live in the home, which includes considering the needs of the children already living there. This helps to ensure that children are suitably matched, so that they remain settled and stable. Inspection report for children’s home: 2647163 5

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Recommendations

 The registered person should ensure that the staffing structure and staff’s qualifications and experience are included in the home’s statement of purpose. (‘Guide to the Children’s Homes Regulations, including the quality standards’, page 53, paragraph 10.10)  The registered person should ensure that the quality of care review report reflects the views and opinions of children, parents, placing authorities and staff. (‘Guide to the Children’s Homes Regulations, including the quality standards’, page 55, paragraph 10.24)

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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: 2647163 6

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Children’s home details

Registered provider: Ascent Fostering Agency

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Children’s home details

Registered provider address: Ascent Fostering Agency, Suite 5, 1st Floor Hillcrest House, 51 Woodcote Road, Wallington, Surrey SM6 0LT

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Children’s home details

Registered manager: Michelle Pryce-Morally

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Inspector

Victoria Jones, Social Care Inspector Inspection report for children’s home: 2647163 7 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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