Children's Home run by Advanced Adolescent Care Solutions Limited in Rotherham

Inspection report for children’s home: 2735148 1 Registered provider: Advanced Adolescent Care Solutions Limited 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 run by a private company. The home can care for one child with emotional or social difficulties.

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Information about this children’s home

One child was living in the home at the time of the inspection.

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Information about this children’s home

The manager and the home were registered with Ofsted in August 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 good

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good

The children’s home provides effective services that meet the requirements for good.

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good

Overall judgement at last inspection: not applicable

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good

Enforcement action since last inspection: not applicable Inspection report for children’s home: 2735148 2

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Inspection date Inspection type Inspection judgement

Not previously inspected Inspection report for children’s home: 2735148 3

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Admissions into the home are well planned. Information from referral meetings and assessments provide clear plans to manage risk and provide safe care. Meetings take place to meet the child and give them time to process the move at their own pace. The manager organises time for the child to meet their new teacher and children from their class.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

The home environment is nicely furnished and reflects the child and their interests. The child chose the colour of their bedroom and items of furniture before they arrived. The bathroom is the child’s own space with their personal items in it. The lounge is also home to the child’s pet hamster. The child is comfortable in a home they see as their own.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Positive relationships have supported the child’s progress. The child now has a secure base and nurturing relationships with the manager and the staff. The child is now able to attend and engage in regular therapy sessions. The child is making sense of their life and progressing with their emotional stability.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Education attendance and attainment is good. The child has new school friends and attends after-school booster classes. Education planning meetings identify and implement the support needed for the child to progress. The manager works well with teaching staff to ensure the child remains engaged.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

The child enjoys many different activities in the community. This includes ice skating and playing in a local football team. The child loves horses and small animals. The manager has organised regular livery visits for the child to care for horses and pursue riding lessons. Long walks and park visits allow the child to experience nature and feed the squirrels.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

The manager and staff have implemented structure, routine and boundaries. Morning and evening routines have been adapted quickly and sensitively. Bedtime stories and relaxing music have been introduced to support better sleep for the child. Social stories are used to help the child understand the difference in routines at weekends and school holidays. This approach has aided a sense of well-being for the child.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Staff use a padlock to lock away bubble baths and shampoos to ensure that these are not used harmfully. This strategy to manage the risks is disproportionate and does not reflect a homely environment.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

The child’s diet is not well balanced. Breakfast regularly involves high sugar items. Intake of fresh fruit and vegetables is limited. The child can cook independently, but there is little evidence of those meals being healthy. Inspection report for children’s home: 2735148 4

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

The child feels safe at the home with staff they have good relationships with. The staff know the child’s plans and missing from care protocols. Items to support the child’s well-being are included in emergency ‘grab bags’. This supports the child during difficult times in the car, or if the child goes missing. Electronic devices are monitored with a parent application. Checks to devices happen naturally with the child, who understands the checks are for their safety.

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

The staff know the child well and recognise small changes in their behaviour. The staff understand how to engage the child and align their care to the child’s plans. This allows the child to navigate their day with reduced anxiety and greater emotional well-being during difficult times.

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

The child’s behaviour support plan is detailed and informative. The brief overviews allow new staff and those supporting caring for the child from a sister home to quickly understand the child and keep them safe. The manager updates these plans regularly with the staff to ensure that they are aware of the most up-to-date information.

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

The child is developing resilience. Natural discussions take place daily, aimed at learning and development of the child. The staff discuss all aspects of the child’s life, from self-care and independence to their safety, including when online. The direct work sessions are written in a diary format, which makes the reading experience positive for the child.

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

The need for physical intervention is rare. There have been two incidents requiring the child to be held by staff during this inspection period. These were needed to keep the child and other road users safe from harm. The recording of those incidents is clear, the child is supported, and reflective learning takes place.

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

Safeguarding concerns are managed well. The child is kept safe, feels listened to and supported throughout the process. The manager establishes facts quickly and informs professionals, keeping them appraised of developments.

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

Investigations are thorough, timely and staff and managers take on board the learning. Restorative discussions take place to repair relationships and aid understanding for the child. This promotes a positive safeguarding culture.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

The home is managed by a suitably experienced and qualified registered manager and deputy manager. The staff are new and have transferrable skills from other employment prior to working at the home. The staff are enrolled on their level 3 qualifications as soon as they have completed the probation period. Inspection report for children’s home: 2735148 5 The manager knows the child and the staff team well. The progress of the child and the staff is at the forefront of the manager’s planning. The manager has high aspirations for the child and the home.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

The manager and staff are supporting the progression of family time. The child is now writing letters to parents. The manager works well with the social worker and clinicians to develop life-story work to piece together memories for the child. This is supporting the child’s understanding of their own family and history.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

Staff and the managers’ reflection on their practice is improving the quality of care. Behaviours and incidents are reviewed and analysed by the manager. The learning from this analysis is shared during staff meetings and in daily conversations before the manager updates the child’s plans. The staff then adapt their daily care of the child and continually repeat the cycle to ensure that care is always aligned with the child’s needs.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

The manager’s monthly monitoring is effective. This includes audits and reviews of the child’s files and all records. Gaps and shortfalls are completed before the next audit. These are timely and evidence good-quality assurance of systems and processes.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

The staff receive training and an effective induction. Probation reviews and supervisions are reflective and take place regularly. The mandatory training reflects the statement of purpose of the home. Additional training is sourced to ensure that the staff have the skills and knowledge to meet the specific needs of the child.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

Overseas employment checks have not taken place for one member of staff who has worked abroad. Leaders and managers have not carried out these checks as part of safer recruitment practice. This does not provide assurances that staff are safe to work with children. Inspection report for children’s home: 2735148 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 registered person must recruit staff using recruitment procedures that are designed to ensure children’s safety.

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Requirement Due date

employ an individual to work at the children’s home; or

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Requirement Due date

if an individual is employed by a person other than the registered person to work at the home in a position in which the individual may have regular contact with children, allow that individual to work at the home,

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Requirement Due date

if the individual satisfies the requirements in paragraph (3).

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Requirement Due date

full and satisfactory information is available in relation to the individual in respect of each of the matters in Schedule 2. (Regulation 32 (1) (2)(a)(b) (3)(d))

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Requirement Due date

In particular, satisfactory checks should be made in relation to employees who have worked overseas. 1 May 2024

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Recommendations

 The registered person should ensure that any modification to the environment of the home must only be made where this is intended to safeguard the child’s welfare. The measure must be kept under review and be proportionate to the risk it seeks to reduce. (‘Guide to the Children’s Homes Regulations, including the quality standards’, page 15, paragraph 3.10)  The registered person should ensure that children have a balanced diet. Children’s homes’ staff should encourage children to take a proactive role in looking after their day-to-day health and well-being. Children should be supported to manage this subject to their age and understanding. (‘Guide to the Children’s Homes Regulations, including the quality standards’, page 34, paragraph 7.10) Inspection report for children’s home: 2735148 7

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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: 2735148 8

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Children’s home details

Registered provider: Advanced Adolescent Care Solutions Limited

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Children’s home details

Registered provider address: 38 Sherwood Road, Worksop S80 1QW

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Inspector

Lee Riley, Social Care Inspector Inspection report for children’s home: 2735148 9 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 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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