Children's home run by Aspire Child Care Ltd

Inspection report for children’s home: SC403464 1 SC403464 Registered provider: Aspire Child Care Limited Full inspection Inspected under the social care common inspection framework

p.1

Information about this children’s home

The children’s home is operated by a private organisation. The home is registered to provide care for up to two children with social, emotional and learning disabilities.

p.1

Information about this children’s home

The manager is not yet registered with Ofsted.

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

Date of last inspection: 1 September 2021

p.1

good

Overall judgement at last inspection: good

p.1

good

Enforcement action since last inspection: none Inspection report for children’s home: SC403464 2

p.1

Inspection date Inspection type Inspection judgement

01/09/2021 Full Good 17/02/2020 Full Outstanding 17/09/2018 Full Outstanding 03/10/2017 Full Good Inspection report for children’s home: SC403464 3

p.2

Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

There are two children currently living in the home; one child has moved in since the last inspection. Children who have moved into the home have done so with the best possible planning. Children are welcomed sensitively, and staff do everything they can to reassure them and help them to settle. However, staff do not always carry out direct work with children once they have moved in. As a result, children are not given explanations about the children’s guide, how to access advocacy services or how to make a complaint.

p.3

Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Education in the home is promoted by the manager and staff. Children that live in the home have 100% attendance. They are learning and making good progress. One child’s social worker commented, ‘[Name of child] is doing so well with his education. This is a result of having somebody who believes in him.’ The manager liaises with schools and colleges effectively. However, the manager does not always ensure that the most up-to-date education plans are in place, nor are they incorporated into the children’s care plans.

p.3

Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Children have their own bedrooms and are given the freedom to personalise them. However, when furniture is broken or faulty, it is not always replaced or repaired in a timely manner. The home environment is clean, tidy and welcoming. There are locks on some internal doors. Although children say that these are not locked, this makes the home feel less like a family home. The use of locks was explored with the manager, who said that the locks on internal doors will be removed.

p.3

Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

The manager and staff know the children well and actively promote their welfare. Children have been supported to build trusting relationships with the adults that care for them. As a result, they have been able to develop an appropriate sense of permanence and belonging. I ndependence is also promoted. One child can now confidently travel to college alone without support from staff.

p.3

Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Children are supported to understand their individual health needs and are being helped to improve their health. Children are up to date with all health assessments and have access to local health services when they need them. The manager ensures that arrangements for managing medication are safe and effective.

p.3

Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Relationships between family and friends are promoted. Children are supported to see their families, in line with their plans. One social worker said, ‘Family time has been brilliant. They really promote the relationships. Children’s friends are welcomed to the home. Children can spend time with friends in their home and feel confident to do so.’ Inspection report for children’s home: SC403464 4

p.3

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

The manager and staff know the children well and can identify and understand their risks. Risk management plans are in place, up to date and individual to the children. However, they do not clearly set out what action should be taken to mitigate risks.

p.4

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

There have been incidents involving self-injurious behaviour. The records of these incidents are detailed and evidence what action staff have taken to keep children safe. However, when children have attended a hospital due to serious incidents relating to self-injurious behaviour, the manager has failed to notify Ofsted.

p.4

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

There have been three occasions when children have been missing from care. The manager and staff team are proactive in their response, and the missing-from-care protocol is routinely followed. There are individual missing-from-care support plans in place for children, including for children who do not go missing from care. This ensures that the staff have access to relevant, up-to-date information and strategies.

p.4

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

There have been some occasions when children have displayed behaviours of concern. These occasions have been documented in the daily log sheets and key- worker sessions rather than being recorded as incidents. As a result, this impacts the manager’s ability to appropriately monitor patterns and trends linked to incidents.

p.4

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

The staff help children to safely manage their behaviour and feelings. The staff communicate well with children and can support children to self-regulate. There are clear boundaries in place, and children are supported to understand what is safe and acceptable. The manager ensures that positive behaviour is regularly promoted and rewarded.

p.4

The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

The home is led by a manager who has high expectations and aspirations for all children. The ethos and objectives of the home are demonstrated in practice. The manager ensures that the home is properly staffed and resourced to meet the needs of children. However, arrangements for recruitment are not always robust and there is not always evidence to support that gaps in employment are scrutinised prior to employment.

p.4

The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

Staff receive regular supervision in line with the statement of purpose. Records of supervision are detailed and provide evidence that reflective discussions take place regarding practice, the children and the running of the home. Appraisals also take place regularly. However, they do not include the views of children and other professionals.

p.4

The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

The manager and staff work proactively with other agencies, professionals and also parents. The manager understands the importance of building and maintaining these relationships and the positive effect that these relationships can have on the Inspection report for children’s home: SC403464 5 children. One social worker said, ‘The staff are meeting [name of child]’s needs 100%. Communication is excellent. I cannot fault it. They are 10 out of 10. They do what they say they do. They really care.’

p.4

The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

The manager actively and regularly monitors the quality of care provided and completes a quality-of-care review. However, this review does not contain the feedback and opinions of children about the children ’ s home, its facilities and the quality of care they receive in it. This does not meet the regulation. Inspection report for children’s home: SC403464 6

p.5

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.6

Requirement Due date

The children’s views, wishes and feelings standard is that children receive care from staff who—

p.6

Requirement Due date

develop positive relationships with them;

p.6

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.

p.6

Requirement Due date

In particular, the standard in paragraph (1) requires the registered person to—

p.6

Requirement Due date

ensure that an explanation is given to each child as soon as reasonably practicable after the child’s arrival about—

p.6

Requirement Due date

how to make a complaint or representations in relation to the home or the care the child receives and how any such complaint or representations will be dealt with; and

p.6

Requirement Due date

what advocacy support or services are available to the child, how the child may access that support or those services and any entitlement the child may have to independent advocacy provision. (Regulation 7 (1)(a)(b)(c) (2)(d)(i)(ii)(iii))

p.6

Requirement Due date

In particular, ensure that when children move into the home, there is a clear plan of introduction covering the children’s guide and other relevant topics to the home. 3 February 2023

p.6

Requirement Due date

The protection of children standard is that children are protected from harm and enabled to keep themselves safe.

p.6

Requirement Due date

In particular, the standard in paragraph (1) requires the registered person to ensure— 3 February 2023 Inspection report for children’s home: SC403464 7 that staff—

p.6

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;

p.7

Requirement Due date

help each child to understand how to keep safe;

p.7

Requirement Due date

have the skills to identify and act upon signs that a child is at risk of harm;

p.7

Requirement Due date

understand the roles and responsibilities in relation to protecting children that are assigned to them by the registered person;

p.7

Requirement Due date

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

p.7

Requirement Due date

In particular, ensure that the children’s individual risk management plans provide staff with clear strategies to manage and reduce risk. Ensure that behaviour that places children or others at risk is recorded in an incident report.

p.7

Requirement Due date

The care planning standard is that children receive effectively planned care in or through the children’s home.

p.7

Requirement Due date

In particular, the standard in paragraph (1) requires the registered person to ensure—

p.7

Requirement Due date

that each child’s relevant plans are followed;

p.7

Requirement Due date

that staff help each child to access and contribute to the records kept by the registered person in relation to the child. (Regulation 14 (1)(a) (2)(c)(f))

p.7

Requirement Due date

In particular, ensure that children’s care plans include information about children’s education targets and achievements, including overall progress and achievements that children have made.

p.7

Requirement Due date

Ensure that children’s information includes up-to-date children’s review minutes, education, health and care plans and personal education plans. 3 February 2023 Inspection report for children’s home: SC403464 8 Ensure that children are supported to contribute to their individual care plans.

p.7

Requirement Due date

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

p.8

Requirement Due date

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

p.8

Requirement Due date

is intended to safeguard each child accommodated in the home;

p.8

Requirement Due date

is kept under review and, if necessary, revised; and

p.8

Requirement Due date

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

p.8

Requirement Due date

In particular, ensure that internal locks on the communal doors are removed. 3 February 2023

p.8

Requirement Due date

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

p.8

Requirement Due date

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

p.8

Requirement Due date

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

p.8

Requirement Due date

the individual is of integrity and good character;

p.8

Requirement Due date

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

p.8

Requirement Due date

the individual is mentally and physically fit for the purposes of the work that the individual is to perform; and

p.8

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)(c)(d)) 3 February 2023 Inspection report for children’s home: SC403464 9 In particular, ensure that gaps in employment are scrutinised and evidence of scrutiny is recorded.

p.8

Requirement Due date

The registered person must notify HMCI and each other relevant person without delay if—

p.9

Requirement Due date

a child is involved in or subject to, or is suspected of being involved in or subject to,

p.9

Requirement Due date

an incident requiring police involvement occurs in relation to a child which the registered person considers to be serious;

p.9

Requirement Due date

there is an allegation of abuse against the home or a person working there;

p.9

Requirement Due date

a child protection enquiry involving a child—

p.9

Requirement Due date

concludes (in which case, the notification must include the outcome of the child protection enquiry); or

p.9

Requirement Due date

there is any other incident relating to a child which the registered person considers to be serious. (Regulation 40 (4)(a)(b)(c)(d)(i)(ii)(e))

p.9

Requirement Due date

In particular, ensure that significant incidents are notified to Ofsted without delay. 3 February 2023

p.9

Requirement Due date

The registered person must complete a review of the quality of care provided for children (“a quality of care review”) at least once every 6 months.

p.9

Requirement Due date

In order to complete a quality of care review the registered person must establish and maintain a system for monitoring, reviewing and evaluating—

p.9

Requirement Due date

the quality of care provided for children;

p.9

Requirement Due date

the feedback and opinions of children about the children’s home, its facilities and the quality of care they receive in it; and 3 February 2023 Inspection report for children’s home: SC403464 10 any actions that the registered person considers necessary in order to improve or maintain the quality of care provided for children. (Regulation 45 (1) (2)(a)(b)(c))

p.9

Requirement Due date

In particular, ensure that when completing a quality of care review, children’s feedback is taken into consideration and evidenced in the report.

p.10

Recommendations

 The registered person should ensure that children are provided with appropriate furniture. Broken furniture should be replaced or repaired. (‘Guide to the Children’s Homes Regulations, including the quality standards’, page 16, paragraph 3.19)  The registered person should ensure that the views of the children and other professionals are included when completing appraisals with staff. (‘Guide to the Children’s Homes Regulations, including the quality standards’, page 61, paragraph 13.5)

p.10

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: SC403464 11

p.10

Children’s home details

Registered provider: Aspire Child Care Limited

p.11

Children’s home details

Responsible individual: Christine MacKay

p.11

Inspector

Kimmy Feeley, Social Care Inspector Inspection report for children’s home: SC403464 12 regulates and inspects 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.11

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.12

Inspector

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

p.12

Inspector

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

p.12