Children's home run by Aspire Child Care Ltd

Inspection report for children’s home: SC403464 1 SC403464 Registered provider: Aspire Child Care Limited Full inspection Inspected under the social care common inspection framework

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Information about this children’s home

The children’s home is run by a private organisation. The home is registered to provide care for up to two children with social and emotional difficulties and/or learning disabilities.

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Information about this children’s home

At the time of the inspection, there were two children living at the home.

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Information about this children’s home

The manager registered with Ofsted in January 2023.

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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 requires improvement to be 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: 7 December 2022

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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: SC403464 2

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Inspection date Inspection type Inspection judgement

07/12/2022 Full Good 01/09/2021 Full Good 17/02/2020 Full Outstanding 17/09/2018 Full Outstanding Inspection report for children’s home: SC403464 3

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Both children have lived at the home for over 12 months, and they have made significant progress in the time that they have been there. This is because of the excellent individualised care the staff provide. Children have built trusting and positive relationships with staff and said they liked living at the home. One professional said, ‘[Name of child] speaks positively about the home and recognises the positive experiences and relationships he has with staff there.’

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Children are in good health. Staff support children’s health needs and ensure that they attend all routine health appointments. Staff also educate children on the importance of healthy eating and having an active lifestyle. This supports children’s physical and emotional health and well-being.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Children are attending education and making progress. The manager and staff value the children’s education and are proactive in supporting them to achieve positive outcomes. One teacher said, ‘The progress of [name of child] has been very positive since he moved into the home both in his self-confidence, personal development, his academic ability and conduct in school.’ Children talk positively about their education, and they have positive aspirations for the future.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Children are supported to have positive family time. Staff support children to spend time with their families to ensure that they develop and sustain close relationships with the people who are most important to them. Children are also encouraged to develop and maintain friendships through activities supported by staff. This is helping them to develop their social skills.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Children engage in a wide range of activities and hobbies. Staff promote children’s individual interests and are keen to introduce them to new experiences. One child attends several clubs each week, including football, swimming and cricket. The other child attends the gym; he enjoys running and spends time in the community with friends. This is developing children’s confidence and self-esteem.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Staff are proactive in developing children’s independence skills. Through staff’s continual encouragement and support, children are developing confidence in completing tasks in the home and being safe while out in the community.

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

Children’s safety is consistently at the centre of staff’s practice. Children are helped to stay safe through planned discussions that are meaningful and relevant to them. Both children said they feel safe and can identify a person they would go to if they had a concern. There has been one complaint made, and the manager has responded to this appropriately. Inspection report for children’s home: SC403464 4 Staff understand children’s risks and vulnerabilities. There are clear risk assessments in place that give clear guidance to staff, which are regularly reviewed. Children are supported to take age-appropriate risks as part of their development of independence skills. Children are spending increased unsupervised time in the community, and staff are proactive in educating children about potential risks.

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

There has been one incident of a child going missing from the home. Staff followed guidance in the child’s risk assessment and the child returned safely after a short time. The manager spent time with the child to help them understand the risks involved and there have been no further incidents.

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

Incidents are rare. When incidents have happened, this has been when a child is in school. Staff have built positive working relationships with school staff. Staff speak to the child after an incident. This means the child receives a consistent approach to their care, and this has helped to reduce the likelihood of incidents reoccurring.

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

Positive behaviour is supported in the home. Through positive incentives and having clear house rules and boundaries in place, children understand what is expected of them, and they feel safe and secure. There have been no incidents of physical intervention.

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

The manager ensures that all health and safety checks take place. However, not all hazards are identified . There are some broken floor tiles in the bathroom and the carpet on the stairs is damaged through wear and tear.

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good

The manager is qualified, enthusiastic, child-centred and aspirational for the children. He has a detailed understanding of each child’s needs and is committed to ensuring that they are met. The manager is also registered to manage another home in the organisation. In addition, due to staff shortages, the manager is providing care for the children to ensure consistency and stability and to reduce any impact on them while recruiting. This is having an effect on his ability to complete management tasks and responsibilities.

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good

The manager has oversight of the day-to-day running of the home; however, he has not identified all areas of development required. The manager has completed a review of the quality of care, but he has not evaluated the feedback he received from professionals and parents or made plans to address it. This limits the effectiveness of the review.

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good

Staff understand the aims and objectives set out in the home’s statement of purpose. However, the manager has not shared this, when updated, with the regulator. Inspection report for children’s home: SC403464 5 The independent person visits each month and completes an in-depth report. However, the manager does not ensure that the independent person spends time with children on a regular basis to obtain their views.

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good

The manager has built positive relationships with others who are involved in the children’s care. Other professionals and parents speak highly of the manager and staff, and of their understanding of the children’s needs and the progress children are making.

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good

Supervisions and appraisals take place in the appropriate timescales and there is clear, reflective practice. This allows staff to develop their knowledge and skills. However, the manager has not sourced feedback from children or other professionals to include in staff’s appraisals. This was a recommendation from the last inspection and will be reinstated.

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good

There is a comprehensive training programme in place, and all staff have completed their mandatory training courses. The manager ensures that they receive additional training around the specific needs of children. Staff said they valued the training, and that it has given them the knowledge and skills to meet the children’s needs.

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good

There is an in-depth handover each day. This gives staff an opportunity to discuss any issues and to share their experience and knowledge. This means that there is clear consistency for children. Inspection report for children’s home: SC403464 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

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

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)(h))

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Requirement Due date

In particular, the registered person must ensure that there is effective management oversight in the home. 5 May 2024

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Requirement Due date

The registered person must compile in relation to the children’s home a statement (“the statement of purpose”) which covers the matters listed in Schedule 1.

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Requirement Due date

notify HMCI of any revisions and send HMCI a copy of the revised statement within 28 days of the revision. (Regulation 16 (3)(b)) 5 May 2024

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Requirement Due date

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. 5 May 2024 Inspection report for children’s home: SC403464 7 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

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) (5))

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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. In particular, the standard in paragraph (1) requires the registered person to ensure—

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Requirement Due date

that the premises used for the purposes of the home are designed, furnished, and maintained so as to protect each child from avoidable hazards to the child’s health. (Regulation 12 (1) (2)(d))

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Requirement Due date

In particular, the registered person must ensure that the tiles on the bathroom floor and the carpet on the stairs are repaired or replaced. 5 May 2024

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Recommendations

 The registered person should ensure that the independent person they appoint has the skills and understanding necessary to gain regular feedback from children when they visit each month. (‘Guide to the Children’s Homes Regulations, including the quality standards’, page 65, paragraph 15.8)  The registered person should ensure that the views of the children and other professionals are included when completing appraisals with staff. (‘Guide to the Children’s Homes Regulations, including the quality standards’, page 61, paragraph 13.5.) This recommendation was made at the last inspection and is restated. Inspection report for children’s home: SC403464 8

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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: SC403464 9

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Children’s home details

Registered provider: Aspire Child Care Limited

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Children’s home details

Responsible individual: Christine MacKay

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Inspector

Simon Jones, Social Care Inspector Inspection report for children’s home: SC403464 10 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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