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

Inspection report for children’s home - monitoring visit: SC473631 1 SC473631 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

This home is privately run and provides care for up to six children who experience social and emotional difficulties. No children were living at the home at the time of the visit. The home is subject to a condition which prevents children from living here until it is lifted.

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Information about this children’s home

There is no registered manager at this home. An acting manager has been appointed, who is currently registered at one of the provider’s other homes and has applied to be the registered manager at this home.

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This monitoring visit

The provider made the decision to close the home after internal monitoring identified serious shortfalls with the children’s care, deeming the home as being unsafe for children to live in. The provider made the decision to move the children and closed the home in May 2022.

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This monitoring visit

Ofsted imposed a condition on the home’s registration which meant that the provider must notify Ofsted three months before they intend to move any children into the home. The provider notified Ofsted of their intention to reopen. This visit took place to ensure that the home is ready to open and that it can provide safe care for children.

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This monitoring visit

The provider has refurbished most of the home to make this a welcoming environment for children. One bedroom has been personalised for a child who is moving to the home from a sister home which the provider plans to close. The other children’s bedrooms are not yet ready to welcome children but there are plans for further refurbishment work which had not been achieved at the time of the visit. Inspection report for children’s home - monitoring visit: SC473631 2 The new manager and staff team are moving to this home from the sister home. The child is currently already being cared for by this staff team. The established relationships will support the child to settle into their new home.

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This monitoring visit

The provider has maintained a safe environment for children and staff. The health and safety manager has audited the home to ensure that the premises and fittings are compliant with health and safety and fire safety requirements. Some remedial work identified before the visit will strengthen the health and safety governance at the home. However, this has yet to be carried out.

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This monitoring visit

The provider has undertaken a ‘lessons learned’ exercise to look at the shortfalls that led to them making the decision to close the home. The provider’s analysis of the shortfalls identified areas of development with the quality and effectiveness of support for managers and their internal monitoring systems. As a result, governance and support systems have been strengthened.

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This monitoring visit

The requirements issued at the last inspection have not been considered during this visit and will be revisited at the next full inspection. Inspection report for children’s home - monitoring visit: SC473631 3

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Inspection date Inspection type Inspection judgement

21/12/2021 Interim Sustained effectiveness 17/08/2021 Full Requires improvement to be good 02/03/2020 Full Good 30/10/2018 Full Good Inspection report for children’s home - monitoring visit: SC473631 4

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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 with the given timescales.

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Requirement Due date

The enjoyment and achievement standard is that children take part in and benefit from a variety of activities that meet their needs and develop and reflect their creative, cultural, intellectual, physical and social interests and skills.

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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

develop the child’s interests and hobbies;

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Requirement Due date

participate in activities that the child enjoys and which meet and expand the child’s interests and preferences; and

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Requirement Due date

make a positive contribution to the home and the wider community; and

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Requirement Due date

that each child has access to a range of activities that enable the child to pursue the child’s interests and hobbies. (Regulation 9 (1) (2)(a)(i)(ii)(iii)(b))

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Requirement Due date

In particular, staff should promote positive routines in the home that enable children to engage, including during education hours.

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Requirement Due date

This requirement is restated. 31 March 2022

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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 31 March 2022 Inspection report for children’s home - monitoring visit: SC473631 5 necessary, make arrangements to reduce the risk of any harm to the child;

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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. (Regulation 12 (1) (2)(a)(i)(v))

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Requirement Due date

In particular, ensure that risk assessments identify all risks and give clear guidance for staff to follow.

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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;

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Requirement Due date

ensure that staff work as a team where appropriate;

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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

ensure that the home’s workforce provides continuity of care to each child; 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)(b)(c)(e)(h))

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Requirement Due date

In particular, the manager and senior leadership team should have full oversight of the home and records, evaluating and addressing areas for improvement. Staff should receive training to meet the specific needs of the children. Staff should be provided with opportunities to discuss and share information effectively, including frequent team meetings.

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Requirement Due date

This requirement is restated. 31 March 2022 Inspection report for children’s home - monitoring visit: SC473631 6 The registered person must complete a review of the quality of care provided for children (“a quality of care review”) at least once every 6 months.

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Requirement Due date

In order to complete a quality of care review the registered person must establish and maintain a system for monitoring, reviewing and evaluating—

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Requirement Due date

the quality of care provided for children;

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Requirement Due date

the feedback and opinions of children about the children’s home, its facilities and the quality of care they receive in it; and

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Requirement Due date

any actions that the registered person considers necessary in order to improve or maintain the quality of care provided for children.

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Requirement Due date

After completing a quality of care review, the registered person must produce a written report about the quality of care review and the actions which the registered person intends to take as a result of the quality of care review (“the quality of care review report”).

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Requirement Due date

supply to HMCI a copy of the quality of care review report within 28 days of the date on which the quality of care review is completed; and

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Requirement Due date

make a copy of the quality of care review report available on request to a placing authority, if the placing authority is not the parent of a child accommodated in the home.

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Requirement Due date

The system referred to in paragraph (2) must provide for ascertaining and considering the opinions of children, their parents, placing authorities and staff. (Regulation 45 (1) (2)(a)(b)(c) (3) (4)(a)(b) (5))

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Requirement Due date

This requirement is restated. 31 March 2022 Inspection report for children’s home - monitoring visit: SC473631 7

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Information about this inspection

The purpose of this visit was to monitor the action taken and the progress made by the children’s home since its last Ofsted inspection.

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Information about this inspection

This inspection was carried out under the Care Standards Act 2000. Inspection report for children’s home - monitoring visit: SC473631 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: Aspris, The Forge, 43 Church Street West, Woking, Surrey GU21 6HT

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Inspector

Aaron Mcloughlin, Social Care Inspector Inspection report for children’s home - monitoring visit: SC473631 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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