Children's Home run by Aspire Child Care Ltd in Rochdale

Inspection report or children’s home: SC413779 1 SC413779 Registered provider: Aspire Child Care Limited Full inspection Inspected under the social care common inspection framework

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Information about this children’s home

This is a privately operated children’s home. The provider states in its statement of purpose that it provides care for two children with social and emotional difficulties.

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Information about this children’s home

The manager registered with Ofsted in January 2023.

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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: good

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good

Enforcement action since last inspection: none Inspection report for children’s home: SC413779 2

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Inspection date Inspection type Inspection judgement

17/08/2021 Full Good 24/02/2020 Full Outstanding 11/09/2018 Full Good 08/08/2017 Full Good Inspection report for children’s home: SC413779 3

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Before moving into the home, children visit and spend time with staff. This helps to reassure children and ease any anxieties that they may have. When children move into the home, they are sensitively welcomed. However, staff do not always carry out direct work with children once they have moved in. As a result of this, children are not given explanations about the children’s guide, how to access advocacy services or how to make a complaint.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Education is promoted by the staff. Children attend school full time and have excellent attendance. Staff support children to do well in education and are ambitious for them. The staff and manager ensure that there is effective liaison with school staff and the manager ensures that the most up-to-date education plans are in place. A teacher commented, ‘I have found the communication with the home to be excellent.’

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Children are supported to develop their independence according to their individual needs. One child regularly attends a local youth club. This provides them with the opportunity to develop their social skills in a safe environment. However, children do not always participate in additional activities outside the home. This limits the opportunities for children to develop their individual interests and hobbies.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

The staff know the children well. They invest time in them and promote their welfare. Children are supported to build trusting and secure relationships with the adults who are looking after them. Children can identify staff who they feel they can talk to and trust. One child spoke about their key worker, saying, ‘She helps me a lot. She helps me to work through anything I feel worried about. I really like her.’ This provides children with an appropriate sense of permanence and belonging.

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

Because the manager and staff know the children well, they understand their risks and can identify any potential new risks. Risk management plans in place have recently been reviewed and are now more individualised. However, they do not clearly set out what action should be taken to mitigate risks.

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

When children have displayed behaviours of concern, these are recorded in an incident report. The documents contain the relevant information, though some records would benefit from being more objective and clearer. The manager does not always evaluate these reports. This reduces the potential to identify any learning outcomes that can be implemented within children’s risk management plans, or to support the development of staff.

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

Any concerns raised by children are managed appropriately. The manager takes decisive action and shares information with a wide range of professionals, including Inspection report for children’s home: SC413779 4 social workers and safeguarding partners. Investigations into allegations or suspicion of harm are shared with the appropriate agencies and are handled fairly, quickly and in accordance with statutory guidance. However, the manager has not always notified Ofsted within the required timescales.

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

There have been occasions when children have displayed self-injurious behaviour. Records of these incidents are detailed and evidence what steps the staff have taken to support children when there are concerns about their well-being. Staff manage these risks effectively and ensure that children are kept safe. Children are supported to access the appropriate services to support them with their emotional well-being and mental health.

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

There is a consequence and reward system in place. The system aims to discourage negative behaviour and to help children recognise the impact of their behaviour on themselves and others. Consequences are evaluated by the manager, but they lack robust scrutiny to consider their effectiveness.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

The home is managed effectively by a qualified and experienced registered manager, who is ambitious for children. The manager ensures that the home is staffed and resourced to meet the needs of the children. Arrangements for recruitment are robust and the manager ensures that staff who work in the home are suitably vetted. This ensures that only suitable people work with the children.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

The manager ensures that there are clear and individual care plans in place to support children. The plans are detailed and contain relevant information from children’s education plans and their local authority plans. However, the manager does not always ensure that children contribute towards these care plans.

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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.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

The manager ensures that regular supervisions and appraisals take place, which is in line with the home’s statement of purpose. Supervisions are structured and focus on the development of staff. They provide opportunities for staff to discuss the care of children and to reflect on practice. Appraisals are completed annually. These are reflective and provide feedback on performance. However, they do not contain feedback from children or other professionals.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

The manager and staff have established excellent working relationships with a range of agencies, schools, social workers and health professionals. Feedback from stakeholders is positive, praising the communication, support and relationships between staff and children. One social worker commented, ‘[Name of child] has made so much progress since moving into the home. If I could place all of my children in the home, I would.’ Inspection report for children’s home: SC413779 5

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

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Requirement Due date

develop positive relationships with them;

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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

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

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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

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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))

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Requirement Due date

In particular, the provider must ensure that when children move into the home, there is a clear plan of introduction covering the children’s guide and other topics relevant to the home. 2 March 2023

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Requirement Due date

The enjoyment and achievement standard is that children take part in and benefit from a variety of activities that meet their needs and develop and reflect their creative, cultural, intellectual, physical and social interests and skills. 2 March 2023 Inspection report for children’s home: SC413779 6 In particular, the standard in paragraph (1) requires the registered person to ensure—

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Requirement Due date

develop the child’s interests and hobbies;

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Requirement Due date

participate in activities that the child enjoys and which meet and expand the child’s interests and preferences; and

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Requirement Due date

make a positive contribution to the home and the wider community; and

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Requirement Due date

that each child has access to a range of activities that enable the child to pursue the child’s interests and hobbies. (Regulation 9 (1) (2)(a)(i)(ii)(iii)(b))

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Requirement Due date

In particular, the provider must ensure that children are provided with opportunities to take part in activities and to have more positive experiences outside the home.

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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—

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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

help each child to understand how to keep safe;

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Requirement Due date

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

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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)(ii)(iii)(v)(vi)) 2 March 2023 Inspection report for children’s home: SC413779 7 In particular, the provider must ensure that the children’s individual risk management plans provide staff with clear strategies to manage and reduce risk. The plans must also include potential triggers and signs.

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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; and

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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

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

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Requirement Due date

In particular, the provider must ensure that all incidents are evaluated with scrutiny, taking into consideration any possible learning outcomes that can be implemented in children’s risk management plans, or that support the development of staff. 2 March 2023

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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.

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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

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)(f))

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Requirement Due date

In particular, the provider must ensure that children are supported to contribute towards their individual care plans. 2 March 2023

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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.

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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— 2 March 2023 Inspection report for children’s home: SC413779 8 the quality of care provided for children;

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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

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Requirement Due date

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))

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Requirement Due date

The provider must ensure that when completing a quality-of- care review, children’s feedback is taken into consideration and evidenced within the report.

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Recommendations

 The registered person should ensure that all incidents of control, discipline and restraint are subject to systems of regular scrutiny to ensure that their use is fair. This relates specifically to the use of consequences; the registered person must ensure that they are also reviewed for their effectiveness. (‘Guide to the Children’s Homes Regulations, including the quality standards’, page 48, paragraph 9.36)  The registered person should include the views of the children and other professionals when completing appraisals with staff. (‘Guide to the Children’s Homes Regulations, including the quality standards’, page 61, paragraph 13.5)  The registered person should ensure that staff are familiar with the home’s policies on record-keeping and understand the importance of careful, objective and clear recording. Specifically, this is in relation to the need for clearer recording when completing incident reports. (‘Guide to the Children’s Homes

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Recommendations

Regulations, including the quality standards’, page 62, paragraph 14.4)  The registered person should notify Ofsted and other relevant persons if one of the situations specified in regulation 40(4)(a)-(d) occurs. (‘Guide to the Children’s Homes Regulations, including the quality standards’, page 63, paragraph 14.10)

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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: SC413779 9

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Children’s home details

Registered provider: Aspire Child Care Limited

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Children’s home details

Responsible individual: Christine MacKay

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Inspector

Kimmy Feeley, Social Care Inspector Inspection report for children’s home: SC413779 10 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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