Children's home run by Aspris Children’s Services Limited

Inspection report for children’s home: 1278017 1 Registered provider: Aspris Children’s Services Limited Full inspection Inspected under the social care common inspection framework

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Information about this children’s home

This privately run home provides care and support for up to eight children who may have experienced neglect, abuse and/or trauma that has left them vulnerable. The children may have autism, a diagnosis of developmental delay, or have learning difficulties.

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Information about this children’s home

There is a Department for Education-registered school on the same site. The inspector only inspected the social care provision.

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Information about this children’s home

The manager registered with Ofsted in April 2023.

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Overall experiences and progress of

children and young people, taking into account

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outstanding

How well children and young people are helped and protected outstanding

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outstanding

The effectiveness of leaders and managers good

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outstanding

The children’s home provides highly effective services that consistently exceed the standards of good. The actions of the children’s home contribute to significantly improved outcomes and positive experiences for children and young people who need help, protection and care.

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outstanding

Overall judgement at last inspection: good

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outstanding

Enforcement action since last inspection: none Inspection report for children’s home: 1278017 2

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Inspection date Inspection type Inspection judgement

11/05/2022 Full Good 07/02/2022 Interim Improved effectiveness 13/04/2021 Full Requires improvement to be good 16/04/2019 Full Good Inspection report for children’s home: 1278017 3

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outstanding

At the time of this inspection, three children were living at the home. The fourth child is benefiting from being supported by staff to move out of the home and return to their family.

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outstanding

Children make exceptional progress at this home. They have enriching experiences while living there. A parent said that the support offered by staff and the child’s experiences have been ‘life changing’ for their child.

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outstanding

Staff consistently support the children’s well-being and emotional needs. They provide strong and consistent help to enable the children to learn new skills to communicate and manage their emotions. Staff ensure that there are frequent opportunities to talk to children about their feelings. They are inquisitive and have thought-provoking and meaningful conversations with children. Staff are tenacious advocates for children to ensure that children’s mental health and well-being needs are met. Specifically, staff are exceptional in their approach to supporting children’s gender identity.

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outstanding

Children who have been out of education for some time are now engaging in education. One child, before moving into the home, had not been out of their bedroom for several years. This child was able to engage with education. Staff offered bespoke support to help the child to learn. This child went on to enjoy a variety of recreational and vocational activities in their local community. They developed confidence to travel independently to pursue educational opportunities in other parts of the country. This was considerable progress for this child. Another child has been able to return to a mainstream school setting after many months out of education.

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outstanding

Children who move into or out of the home receive exceptional support from staff to manage this change. The steps that staff take to prepare children for moving in or out are well documented. Significant and meaningful consultation with children contributes to this planning. A social worker commented that, since moving into the home, their child is the happiest that they have ever seen them. They said that the well-considered welcome package provided for this child showed how staff had listened to the child’s likes and interests. The social worker said, ‘The staff are attuned to children from an early stage.’ Staff make consistent efforts to stay in touch with children who have moved on. This helps the children to sustain the important relationships that they have developed with staff.

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outstanding

Innovative children’s meetings enable children to regularly explore their experiences at the home. There is a dedicated commitment from staff to make these meetings valuable for all the children. Over time, children have developed the confidence and Inspection report for children’s home: 1278017 4 resilience to challenge one another about their own behaviours. Children and staff strive for all children to have high standards of behaviour and respect towards their peers.

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outstanding

Children enjoy exciting and extremely well-thought-out and planned activities such as rock climbing on Snowdon, zip wiring, music concerts, paddle boarding and wild swimming. These activities are captured excellently in their life-story books with photos and staff comments. Staff have planned a summer holiday, and the children have contributed to this planning. One child views this as a significant event for them as their last holiday while living at this home.

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outstanding

Staff are extremely sensitive and responsive to children’s individual identity and cultural needs. Since receiving feedback from a social worker, staff have made changes to better incorporate the diverse needs of the children. Consequently, they have supported a child to find the skin and hair products and preparations that work for them.

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outstanding

Children feel safe and protected. One child, in 18 months, progressed from years of not coming out of their room to interact to becoming trusting of the staff and standing up and giving a leaving speech in front of the staff and other children. This child went on to college and went into performing arts. They now have an agent and audition for performance roles. The strength of relationships has underpinned this child’s success.

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outstanding

Staff respond quickly on the rare occasions when children go missing from care. Staff are proactive and work with children’s family members and friends to locate them. Children feel reassured that staff will look for them, and they often stay in contact with staff when they do go missing. Staff follow up these incidents with the children and discuss healthier ways for children to communicate difficult feelings. Staff’s responses and care have led to a reduction in the frequency and severity of these incidents.

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outstanding

Staff know children’s risks extremely well. There has been one serious incident of self-harm for a child. Staff managed this incident confidently. They offered the child reassurance and appropriate medical attention. Adaptable safeguarding practices support children to stay safe. Staff discuss these practices with the children, who contribute to changing their risk plans over time. There is clear management oversight of these changes.

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outstanding

Staff understand the significant risks that using the internet may pose to children. For one child, who faces extremely high risks online, staff have managed these risks very well. Staff have an excellent understanding of the impact that their support has had on the child to help them become safer over time. The child has contributed to their plan and is now successfully communicating with staff about their worries Inspection report for children’s home: 1278017 5 when online. Consequently, the child has developed coping and safe access strategies that enable them to use the internet more safely.

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outstanding

When children have worries or display behaviour that can be difficult for staff to manage, staff respond with exceptional care and consideration. Staff have discussions with the children to follow up on significant incidents and to consider children’s important feelings. These discussions are insightful and comprehensive. Staff are consistently helping children to recognise what is unsafe, to keep themselves safe and to talk about their feelings.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

The experienced, permanent registered manager oversees the home effectively and efficiently. He is supported by a competent deputy manager who knows all the children well. Staff said, and the evidence supports, that there has been a highly positive cultural shift at the home since this manager has been in post.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

The manager champions team meetings as learning opportunities for staff. Staff view these meetings as valuable for their learning and development. One member of staff spoke positively about the focus on learning, trauma and attachment-informed approaches, and the frequency with which children’s behaviour needs are discussed. The manager uses team meetings to create an open culture of challenge.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

Staff receive regular, good-quality supervision sessions. The manager regularly reviews the learning needs of the staff. The manager is proactive in putting in place appropriate supervision, additional mentorship and action plans to help staff to develop and learn about good practice.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

The manager actively monitors the quality of care for children. His feedback is recorded on most children’s records. Staff’s recording is detailed and consistent across the staff team, and children’s care plans are regularly updated.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

Staff training is good. The manager has arranged additional bespoke training to meet the children’s specific needs. However, one staff member has not achieved a relevant level 3 qualification in the required timescale. Inspection report for children’s home: 1278017 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, The 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

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

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Requirement Due date

if an individual is employed by a person other than the registered person to work at the home in a position in which the individual may have regular contact with children, allow that individual to work at the home,

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Requirement Due date

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

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Requirement Due date

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

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Requirement Due date

For the purposes of paragraph (3)(b), an individual who works in the home in a care role has the appropriate qualification if, by the relevant date, the individual has attained—

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Requirement Due date

the Level 3 Diploma for Residential Childcare (England) ("the Level 3 Diploma"); or

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Requirement Due date

a qualification which the registered person considers to be equivalent to the Level 3 Diploma.

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Requirement Due date

in the case of an individual who starts working in a care role in a home after 1 April 2014, the date which falls 2 years after the date on which the individual started working in a care role in a home; or

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Requirement Due date

in the case of an individual who was working in a care role in a home on 1 April 2014, 1 April 2016. (Regulation 32 (2)(a)(b) (3)(b) (4)(a)(b) (5)(a)(b)) 16 February 2024 Inspection report for children’s home: 1278017 7

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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 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: 1278017 8

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Children’s home details

Registered provider: Aspris Children’s Services Limited

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Children’s home details

Registered provider address: The Forge, 43 Church Street West, Woking, Surrey GU21 6HT

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Children’s home details

Responsible individual: Michelle Batchelor

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Inspector

Rebecca Hannell, Social Care Inspector Inspection report for children’s home: 1278017 9 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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