Children's home run by Aspireone Care Ltd in Newcastle-under-Lyme

Inspection report for children’s home: SC439116 1 SC439116 Registered provider: Aspireone Care Limited Full inspection Inspected under the social care common inspection framework

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Information about this children’s home

This privately run children’s home provides care for up to three children who may have social and emotional difficulties.

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Information about this children’s home

The manager registered with Ofsted in July 2019.

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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

Date of last inspection: 28 February 2023

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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: SC439116 2

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Inspection date Inspection type Inspection judgement

28/02/2023 Full Good 21/03/2022 Full Good 25/11/2019 Full Outstanding 17/10/2018 Full Outstanding Inspection report for children’s home: SC439116 3

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Three children currently live in the home. Since the last inspection, one child has moved to semi-independent supported living and two children have moved in to the home. Children receive good-quality care and make progress in all areas of their lives. Children are supported to make positive relationships with the staff who care for them. One child told the inspector, ‘they [staff] make me feel safe’.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

All three children are accessing education and making good progress. Staff successfully advocated for one child’s wish to move school. Staff have bought educational resources to support one child’s progress with telling the time and understanding monetary value. Staff use a nurturing approach to support children who are learning to read, and they sit and read with children every night.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Children are in good health and are being supported to live healthy lifestyles. Children are supported by staff to understand the importance of a healthy, balanced diet so they can have a healthy relationship with food. Children’s views on managing their health needs are respected and listen to. One child was supported to make an informed decision about starting new medication.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Staff ensure that children have clear, consistent and appropriate boundaries in place. This helps children to build positive relationships with one another. Children are praised and rewarded for acts of kindness towards one another. This has helped to reduce conflict in the home.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

When children move in to the home, staff ensure that children know how to make a complaint and what action will be taken because of this. Children said, ‘There isn’t any reason to complain, it’s nice here.’

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Children enjoy the responsibility of daily house chores. This helps children to learn new independence skills. Children are rewarded for helping to run the house, and enjoy days out at theme parks and the seaside.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

The house is homely and inviting. Children helped to pick the décor of the home and their rooms are personalised to meet their individualised needs.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

When children leave the home, this is done in a planned and nurturing way. One child was given several personalised photo books as a reminder of all the positive memories made at the home.

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How children and young people are helped and protected: good

Children are kept safe in the home because risks are identified, understood and managed well by staff. Staff have a clear and consistent approach to behaviour Inspection report for children’s home: SC439116 4 management that is well understood by children living in the home. As a result, children do not go missing from home and restraints have not been used.

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How children and young people are helped and protected: good

Children are supported to learn how to stay safe. For example, staff used a fun and interactive approach to teach children about the risks associated with vaping.

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How children and young people are helped and protected: good

When children move in to the home, the managers consider the possible risks of children living together. Staff have a clear understanding of the strategies to protect children. When needed, additional training has been sought to help staff to develop their specific safeguarding skills further.

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How children and young people are helped and protected: good

Bedroom door alarms are used in the home at night. The use of this monitoring system has been kept under review to ensure that it remains necessary and proportionate. Children are consulted and understand why door alarms are used.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

The registered manager is an experienced leader and is supported by a competent deputy. The managers are ambitious for children and driven to support children to achieve good outcomes.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

The managers challenged partner agencies to ensure that planning for one child who was moving in to the home was child centred and delivered at a pace in line with their individual needs. The manager is a strong advocate for children and has successfully challenged delays in receiving children’s relevant plans. This ensured that children received good-quality care when moving in to the home.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

Managers provide staff with monthly team supervisions, which include input from the organisation’s clinical psychologist lead. This has supported staff to develop their skills and knowledge. Staff feel well supported and have time to reflect on their practice. Staff enjoy working in the home.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

The manager has introduced a research-based approach to mapping children’s needs and behaviours. This is in its infancy, and not yet influencing the staff’s day- to-day practice.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

The experienced staff team provides children with consistent levels of care. Managers have made recent changes to staff responsibilities so that children will have more than one member of staff leading on the support they receive. This means that all staff will have a focus on improving outcomes for children. Inspection report for children’s home: SC439116 5

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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: SC439116 6

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Children’s home details

Registered provider: Aspireone Care Limited

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Children’s home details

Registered provider address: 4 Lyme Drive, Lyme Vale Court, Parklands, Stoke- On-Trent, Staffordshire ST4 6NW

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Inspector

Alexandra Pearson, Social Care Inspector Inspection report for children’s home: SC439116 7 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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