Children's Home run by Advanced Adolescent Care Solutions Limited in Rotherham

Inspection report for children’s home: 2651405 1 Registered provider: Advanced Adolescent Care Solutions Limited Full inspection Inspected under the social care common inspection framework

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Information about this children’s home

The home is owned and managed by a private provider. It provides care for one child who may have emotional and/or social difficulties.

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Information about this children’s home

The manager registered with Ofsted in December 2021.

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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 requires improvement to be 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 children’s home: 2651405 2

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Inspection date Inspection type Inspection judgement

10/08/2022 Full Good Inspection report children’s home: 2651405 3

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

The child is happy, settled and making progress. They have positive relationships with staff. The child lives in a home that is welcoming, well maintained and homely. There is a sense of the child’s personality throughout the home.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

The child is making progress in their education. Staff understand the barriers to the child’s education and have helped the child to overcome their anxieties about school. Good support and encouragement provided by staff have led to the child having improved attendance and aspirations. Staff also have high aspirations for the child, and they celebrate their achievements.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

The child is in good physical health. They are supported to have a healthy lifestyle and to attend their health appointments. Staff talk to the child about how they are feeling. This helps staff to have a better understanding of the difficult emotions that the child may experience. Referrals for specialist support have been made in response to the child’s identified needs.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Family time is promoted in line with the child’s plan. Staff support the child to spend time with the people who are important in their lives and facilitate the travel arrangements. Staff talk to the child about their friendships, which has helped them to maintain positive relationships with their peers.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

The child takes part in activities that reflect their hobbies and interests. They enjoy going for walks in the countryside, swimming, ice skating and baking. ‘Pamper nights’ at home and a nail art course through school have helped develop the child’s interests in hair and beauty.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Children make progress with their independence. For one child, this meant that their transition from the home to living independently was planned and resulted in a positive experience.

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

Risk assessments are comprehensive and clear. Staff understand the child’s risks and vulnerabilities and are clear about the steps they should follow to mitigate them.

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

Staff understand the risks and the indicators of child sexual exploitation. They are clear about the safeguards and apply their knowledge to ensure that the child is better protected. Staff talk to the child about the importance of positive relationships Inspection report children’s home: 2651405 4 and how to stay safe online. The child said, ‘I know the risks. There have been less incidents and that is because of the support that I receive from staff.’

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

There have been no missing-from-home incidents. However, should this happen, there is a clear plan for staff to follow. Staff understand their responsibilities for children who go missing.

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

Allegations against staff are taken seriously, and information is shared with safeguarding professionals. Staff understand how to respond to allegations, and they know the whistle-blowing policy.

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

Input from mental health professionals has developed the staff’s insight into their responses to the child. This has led to a reduction in the child’s behavioural incidents. This has been further supported through a change of staff, which has led to improved relationships. As a result, holds and restraints are rarely needed. When they have been used, the records, including the debriefs, have not always been made in a timely way and some details have been missed.

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good

The manager is suitably qualified and experienced. She knows the child well and understands the child’s individual needs. She is committed to staff development and being a role model for the team. She is aware of the strengths of the home, and there is a development plan in place.

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good

The manager has not ensured that the systems in place to audit and monitor the quality of care provided to children are effective. Shortfalls in how incidents are recorded and reported by staff have not always been identified. One incident of restraint was recorded retrospectively only after it was identified by the independent visitor despite, the child making an allegation of how they were held. There was evidence of this record of restraint being recorded on a member of staff’s personal device and this had not been addressed by the manager.

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good

Mandatory training ensures that staff have the necessary knowledge to care for children. However, not all staff have completed the trauma-related package to help them care for children. Records are not always updated to reflect what training staff have completed, and there is conflicting information recorded in the home’s workforce plan and the statement of purpose.

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good

The manager has reviewed the suitability of the location of the premises. However, they have not consulted with and taken into consideration the views of each relevant Inspection report children’s home: 2651405 5 person when completing their annual review. This is a missed opportunity to determine the changing risks to children in the local community.

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good

Delays in the child’s access to local services, and concerns about missing documents from the placing authority, have not been escalated.

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good

The manager has notified Ofsted of serious incidents when they have happened. However, they have not submitted notifications of when the manager is absent from the home in a timely way.

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good

Staff receive regular supervision, and team meetings happen regularly. This provides staff with the opportunity to discuss the child’s plan. Staff said that they feel supported by the manager. While the manager has identified and addressed several shortfalls in staff practice, the discussions with individual staff and the actions taken have not always been recorded in supervision. Inspection report children’s home: 2651405 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

In meeting the quality standards, the registered person must, and must ensure that staff—

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Requirement Due date

seek to involve each child’s placing authority effectively in the child’s care, in accordance with the child’s relevant plans;

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Requirement Due date

seek to secure the input and services required to meet each child’s needs; and

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Requirement Due date

if the registered person considers, or staff consider, a placing authority’s or a relevant person’s performance or response to be inadequate in relation to their role, challenge the placing authority or the relevant person to seek to ensure that each child’s needs are met in accordance with the child’s relevant plans. (Regulation 5 (a)(b)(c)) 2 October 2023

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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

lead and manage the home in a way that is consistent with the approach and ethos, and delivers the outcomes, set out in the home’s statement of purpose; and

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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)(a)(h)) 2 October 2023

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Requirement Due date

The registered person must ensure that— 2 October 2023 Inspection report children’s home: 2651405 7 within 24 hours of the use of a measure of control, discipline or restraint in relation to a child in the home, a record is made which includes—

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Requirement Due date

a description of the measure and its duration;

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Requirement Due date

details of any methods used or steps taken to avoid the need to use the measure;

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Requirement Due date

the effectiveness and any consequences of the use of the measure; and

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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")—

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Requirement Due date

has spoken to the user about the measure; and

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Requirement Due date

has signed the record to confirm it is accurate; and

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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)(a)(iv)(v)(vii)(b)(i)(ii)(c))

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Recommendations

 The registered person should have a system in place so that all serious events are notified, within 24 hours, to the appropriate people. The system should cover the action that should be followed if the event arises in the manager’s absence including at the weekend or on a public holiday. Notification must include details of the action taken by the home staff in response to the event. (‘Guide to the Children’s Home Regulations, including the quality standards’, page 63, paragraph 14.13)  The registered person should, under Regulation 46, review the appropriateness and suitability of the location of the home at least once a year. In particular, when conducting the review, they must consult, and take into account the views of each relevant person. (‘Guide to the Children’s Home Regulations, including the quality standards’, page 64, paragraph 15.1)  The registered person should maintain good employment practice, as set out in

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Recommendations

Regulations 31-33. They must ensure that the recruitment, supervision and performance management of staff safeguard children and minimise potential risks Inspection report children’s home: 2651405 8 to them. (‘Guide to the Children’s Home Regulations, including the quality standards’, page 61, paragraph 13.1)

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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 children’s home: 2651405 9

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Children’s home details

Registered provider: Advanced Adolescent Care Solutions Limited

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Children’s home details

Registered provider address: 38 Sherwood Road, Worksop S80 1QW

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Inspector

Rachel Webster, Social Care Inspector Inspection report children’s home: 2651405 10 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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