Children's home run by Ashwood Children’s Care Home Ltd

Inspection report for children’s home: 1259184 1 Registered provider: Ashwood Children’s Care Home Ltd 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 operated by a private provider. It is registered to provide care for up to four children with social and emotional difficulties.

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Information about this children’s home

The home is led by a registered manager. Since the last inspection, one child has moved into the home and one child has moved out. At the point of inspection, there were four children living at the home.

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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: 16 January 2023

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good

Overall judgement at last inspection: outstanding

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good

Enforcement action since last inspection: none Inspection report for children’s home: 1259184 2

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Inspection date Inspection type Inspection judgement

16/01/2023 Full Outstanding 01/09/2021 Full Outstanding 30/12/2019 Interim Sustained effectiveness 20/08/2019 Full Outstanding Inspection report for children’s home: 1259184 3

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Children are happy and settled. Staff provide children with emotional warmth and genuine affection. Children experience a family environment, such as eating meals together and playing games. Children and staff holidayed abroad in the summer, spending time as a family. As a result, children have close relationships with staff and feel a sense of belonging.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Children enjoy good health. Staff understand children’s individual healthcare needs. They support children to attend required appointments. Staff are in regular contact with relevant healthcare professionals, such as an epilepsy nurse. This helps to maintain children’s health and emotional well-being.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Children are supported to achieve in education. Staff support with homework and incentivise children to do well. One child who was behind academically is now achieving at age-related expectations. When children have been unable to attend school, staff have supported them to engage in home learning.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Children’s transitions are well planned, personalised and supported. When children move into the home, they are helped to settle. Great consideration is given to maintaining relationships with young people when they move out. This ensures that young people continue to feel loved and supported.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Feedback from professionals, such as social workers and teachers, is unanimously positive. They feel that children’s needs are well met, ensuring that children make good progress.

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

Children have trusting relationships with the manager and staff. Children know how to complain and feel listened to. Complaints are taken seriously and promptly investigated. Children receive a response to their complaint, ensuring that they feel heard and valued.

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

Staff know the risks children can be exposed to. Effective safety plans are in place and reviewed regularly. Safeguarding training is appropriate for the current needs of the children. Issues of safeguarding are discussed in team meetings and supervisions. This provides staff with opportunities to develop and maintain good safeguarding practices.

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

Staff are well trained and supported in their role. Therapeutic support is provided to staff and children by the home’s psychotherapist. Staff receive trauma-informed training. This has developed staff’s responses to children’s behaviours and strengthened their relationships with children. For some children, behaviours that are difficult to manage have reduced. Inspection report for children’s home: 1259184 4 Staff use physical restraint as a last resort when staff feel that children or adults are at risk of harm. Children and staff receive appropriate support following an incident of restraint. Each incident is reviewed by the manager. Learning from incidents is used to improve practice through training and development. However, records of restraint currently lack an appropriate level of detail and are an area for development.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

The registered manager has a warm and nurturing approach. She is passionate about achieving the best outcomes for children. Staff feel well supported by her and enjoy working at the home.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

There is a stable staff team who refer to themselves as a family. Team morale is good, and staff have close relationships with each other. This emulates a harmonious family environment for children to enjoy.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

Staff have opportunities to develop. Staff complete the mandatory training required. They also receive training which is tailored to the needs of the children, such as epilepsy and autism training. This supports the individualised care provided to children.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

The manager has good oversight of the service. There are effective monitoring and quality assurance systems in place. She knows what is happening in the home daily and oversees all aspects of children’s care. The manager therefore has good insight into the strengths of the home and areas for development.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

Staff receive regular supervision by the manager and senior staff. Staff have opportunities for reflective practice discussions and are supported with their well- being. Areas of poor practice are identified and appropriately addressed by the manager. Staff are helped and encouraged to develop their practice. This enables the service to maintain good standards of care. Inspection report for children’s home: 1259184 5

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Recommendation

 The registered person should ensure that records of restraint are kept and should enable the registered person and staff to review the use of control, discipline and restraint to identify effective practice and respond promptly where any issues or trends of concern emerge. The review should provide the opportunity for amending practice to ensure that it meets the needs of each child. (‘Guide to the Children’s Homes Regulations, including the quality standards’, page 49, paragraph 9.59)

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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: 1259184 6

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Children’s home details

Registered provider: Ashwood Children’s Care Home Ltd

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Children’s home details

Registered provider address: G43a Repton House, Bretby Business Park, Burton- on-Trent, Staffordshire DE15 0YZ

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Inspector

Emma Dacres, Social Care Inspector Inspection report for children’s home: 1259184 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 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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Inspector

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