Children's Home run by Aspris Children’s Services Limited in Devon

Assurance inspection report for children’s home: 1271467 1 Registered provider: Aspris Children’s Services Limited

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Inspected under the social care common inspection framework

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Information about this children’s home

The home is operated by a national private provider of education and social care. It is registered to provide care for up to three children. The provider states in the statement of purpose that the home provides care for children aged between seven and 18 who may have learning disabilities and complex associated difficulties.

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Information about this children’s home

At the time of this inspection, one child was living in the home.

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Information about this children’s home

The manager registered with Ofsted in April 2023.

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Inspection date: 30 October 2023

Judgement at last inspection: requires improvement to be good

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Inspection date: 30 October 2023

Enforcement action since last inspection: none

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Information about this inspection

At this inspection, the inspector evaluated:

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Information about this inspection

 the care of children  the safety of children  the effectiveness of leaders and managers. Inspectors have looked closely at the experiences and progress of children, using the social care common inspection framework. This assurance 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’. Assurance inspection report for children’s home: 1271467 2

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Outcome from the inspection

We did not identify any serious or widespread concerns in relation to the care or protection of children at this assurance inspection.

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Findings from the inspection

Since the previous inspection, two children have moved on from the home. Following delayed care-planning, one child has moved on successfully and is attending college. Despite careful planning for another child to move into the home, full information about the extent of their specific needs was not provided and, subsequently, it was found that their needs could not be met.

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Findings from the inspection

When two children lived together, one child spoke out to staff about actions of the other child negatively impacting on them. The manager implemented safety measures in the home and staffing arrangements were increased to ensure that the children were safe. The child told their social worker that they were satisfied with the actions taken.

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Findings from the inspection

Senior managers have taken swift action in response to serious safeguarding concerns for the one child living in the home. They have implemented measures to increase the child’s immediate safety and they have taken robust action to address practice concerns that they have identified.

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Findings from the inspection

Prior to these interventions, managers and staff did not take effective action to protect the child from harm in the community. Records lack detail, and staff have failed to record key events that have happened. This reduces oversight of the care provided to the child and staff actions cannot be monitored effectively. At times, child-protection procedures have not been followed.

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Findings from the inspection

The home’s link with partner agencies has strengthened to inform safety-planning around the child. The child is responding to boundaries that have been implemented to increase their immediate safety. Further work with the child is needed to fully understand their experiences in the community, including time spent with unsafe adults, and to inform any additional actions.

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Findings from the inspection

The child is attending an education provision for short periods. When they are not attending education, their day is structured, and they are participating in different activities to promote their development. While photos are taken to help them build their life-story memories, they are not collated in a way that is meaningful to them.

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Findings from the inspection

While the home environment meets the child’s needs, decoration of their bedroom in line with their wishes would create a more nurturing and personalised environment for them. The child describes being happy about living in the home. They enjoy friends coming to their home and spending time with them. Assurance inspection report for children’s home: 1271467 3 At all previous full inspections, shortfalls have been identified in the leadership and management of this home. Senior managers have taken action to address these concerns, and a senior manager is overseeing the day-to-day arrangements of the home effectively. The responsible individual said that there are no current plans to move another child into the home. This is because of the need to improve the quality of care and the experiences of the child currently living in the home. Assurance inspection report for children’s home: 1271467 4

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Inspection date Inspection type Inspection judgement

31/05/2023 Full Requires improvement to be good 17/01/2023 Full Requires improvement to be good 04/11/2021 Full Good 05/11/2018 Interim Declined in effectiveness Assurance inspection report for children’s home: 1271467 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, 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

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; and

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Requirement Due date

are familiar with, and act in accordance with, the home’s child protection policies.

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Requirement Due date

that the home’s day-to-day care is arranged and delivered so as to keep each child safe and to protect each child effectively from harm. (Regulation 12 (1) (2)(a)(i)(ii)(iii)(v)(vi)(vii)(b)) 25 December

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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— 25 December Assurance inspection report for children’s home: 1271467 6 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;

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Requirement Due date

ensure that staff have the experience, qualifications and skills to meet the needs of each child;

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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;

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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)(b)(c)(f)(h))

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Recommendations

 The registered person should ensure that the home provides a nurturing and supportive environment that meets the needs of the children living there, and is a homely, domestic environment. In particular, the child’s bedroom should be decorated to create a nurturing environment. (‘Guide to the Children’s Homes Regulations, including the quality standards’, page 15, paragraph 3.9)  The registered person should ensure that children’s life-story records are collated in a way that is meaningful for children and kept up to date. (‘Guide to the Children’s Homes Regulations, including the quality standards’, page 16, paragraph 3.14) Assurance inspection report for children’s home: 1271467 7

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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: Aspris, The Forge, 43 Church Street West, Woking, Surrey GU21 6HT

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Children’s home details

Responsible individual: Michelle Garstang

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Inspector

Louise Bacon, Social Care Inspector Assurance inspection report for children’s home: 1271467 8 regulates and 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 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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