Children's Home run by Aspireone Care Ltd in Staffordshire

Inspection report for children’s home: 1228191 1 Registered provider: Aspireone Care Ltd Full inspection Inspected under the social care common inspection framework

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Information about this children’s home

The home provides care for two children aged between eight and 18 years old who have come from a variety of situations, backgrounds and experiences and who have a range of complex needs.

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Information about this children’s home

The registered manager has been registered with Ofsted since October 2019. He is suitably experienced and 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: outstanding

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good

Enforcement action since last inspection: none Inspection report for children’s home: 1228191 2

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Inspection date Inspection type Inspection judgement

16/08/2021 Full Outstanding 03/12/2019 Full Outstanding 23/10/2018 Full Good 07/03/2018 Interim Sustained effectiveness Inspection report for children’s home: 1228191 3

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Both children are happy and settled. They have positive and meaningful relationships with the staff. The team is committed to providing children with good- quality care. Staff provide children with emotional warmth and genuine affection. As a result, children are nurtured and feel secure.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

The strong relationships with staff positively influence the progress made by the children. The children are supported to manage and improve their emotional health and well-being. Both children are now engaging in one-to-one sessions with a therapist. Professionals complimented the staff’s good communication and described them as positive advocates for the children.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

The staff and registered manager promote education well in the home, and both children have full-time educational placements, with one child on course to achieve qualifications this summer. When children struggle with their education, the home is supportive and provides appropriate guidance. However, one child did not have an up-to-date personal education plan on file.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

As children become older, staff prepare them well for adult life by ensuring that they learn a good range of self-care and independence skills. Children’s day-to-day experiences are positive and provide them with good life opportunities. One child told the inspector that staff, ‘Do anything for you and are always there for you.’

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Staff and the registered manager ensure that arrangements are in place for children to spend time with their families. Family visits are well organised. This contributes to the stability of the children’s placements.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

The home provides a welcoming environment for the children to live in and is generally well maintained, with plans for further improvements. However, the presence of internal locks gives an institutional feel that does not reflect the rest of the environment.

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

Staff keep children safe. The children informed inspectors that they feel safe. Most risk assessments are clear and include relevant information. However, the registered manager had failed to pick up that some children’s risk assessments contradicted their behaviour support plans. This has the potential to cause confusion for staff.

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

When children are absent without permission from the home, staff make sure that a detailed record is made to reflect their response. Staff are proactive in their efforts to locate children by searching known areas and following the guidance provided for them. Inspection report for children’s home: 1228191 4 Because of these proactive approaches, children are returned to their home safe and well. The registered manager also ensures that children receive an independent return home interview after periods of absence.

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

Children who have been subject to exploitation are now safer. Well-planned, one-to- one sessions cover important and emerging topics. These include exploring how to stay safe when using the internet, understanding healthy relationships and risks in the community. This enhances the children’s knowledge of personal safety. However, children would further benefit from staff being more curiosity when discussing their personal identities.

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

Staff use their relationships with children to support them during difficult incidents. Because of this calm approach, there has been no use of restraint since the last inspection.

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

The children’s behaviour records are generally well recorded and include their views. However, managerial evaluations of consequences given are not clearly documented, which reduces the monitoring and oversight in these important records.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

The manager is suitably experienced and qualified. He is supported by an established deputy manager. Together, they instil a positive child-focused culture, which is reflected by the staff and evident throughout the home.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

Staff value the management team’s commitment, knowledge and approachability. They say that they feel supported well. Staff receive good-quality training that equips them with the skills and knowledge to meet the children’s individual needs.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

Children are supported by a consistent and motivated staff team. Staff morale is high and staff retention is good. This provides stability and good continuity of care for children.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

Records for children include clear, up-to-date information. They show the development of each child, and staff encourage children to review and contribute to their records. This daily routine helps children to understand their care experiences better.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

Staff supervision sessions are of a good quality. Supervision provides an opportunity for staff to reflect on their practice and well-being and review their training needs. Each supervision record has clear action points that are reviewed in future sessions.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

The registered manager utilises additional monthly consultation that informs how staff support the needs of the children. New staff receive an appropriate induction, which prepares them well for their role. However, training records were not up to date and did not reflect what formal training staff had completed. The registered manager also needs to ensure that the workforce development plan includes relevant information and plans for staff’s professional development. Inspection report for children’s home: 1228191 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 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

understand the impact that the quality of care provided in the home is having on the progress and experiences of each child and use this understanding to inform the development of the quality of care provided in the home. (Regulation 13 (1)(a)(b) (2)(f))

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Requirement Due date

This specifically relates to ensuring that personal education plans are received for all children, that accurate training records for all staff are maintained and that missing-from- home support plans and risk assessments are accurate. 10 April 2023

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Requirement Due date

The registered person may permit an individual to start work at the home despite the fact that the requirement in paragraph (3)(d) has not been met if—

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Requirement Due date

the registered person has taken all reasonable steps to obtain full information about each of the matters in Schedule 2 in respect of the individual, but the enquiries in relation to any of the matters in paragraphs 3 to 6 of Schedule 2 are incomplete. (Regulation 32 (7)(a))

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Requirement Due date

This specifically relates to staff recruitment records not all having a reference from the last employer, verifying the reasons staff have left previous positions of trust and an explanation of gaps in employment history. 10 April 2023 Inspection report for children’s home: 1228191 6

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Recommendations

 The registered person should ensure that the children’s home seeks as far as possible to maintain a domestic rather than ‘institutional’ impression and removes any surplus locks on internal doors. (‘Guide to the Children’s Homes Regulations, including the quality standards’, page 15, paragraph 3.9)  The registered person should ensure that the home’s workforce development plan details the process for managing and improving poor performance, and records the ongoing training and continuing professional development needs of staff, including the home’s manager. (‘Guide to the Children’s Homes Regulations, including the quality standards’, page 53, paragraph 10.8)  The registered person should ensure that all incidents of control and discipline are subject to systems of regular scrutiny to ensure that their use is fair. (‘Guide to the Children’s Homes Regulations, including the quality standards’, page 46,

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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: 1228191 7

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Children’s home details

Registered provider address: 4 Lyme Drive, LymeVale Court, Parklands, Stoke- on-trent, Staffordshire ST4 6NW

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Inspector

Mark Dickinson, Social Care Inspector Inspection report for children’s home: 1228191 8 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 looked after children, safeguarding and child protection.

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Inspector

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Inspector

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Inspector

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