Children's Home run by Aspiration House Limited in Lincolnshire

Inspection report children's home: 2555505 1 Registered provider: Aspiration House Limited

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Full inspection Inspected under the social care common inspection framework

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Information about this children's home

This home is privately operated and provides care for up to six children with a diagnosis of autism spectrum disorder and/or atypical autism, learning disabilities, global development disorder and associated difficulties.

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Information about this children's home

The manager registered with Ofsted in April 2022.

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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: good

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good

Enforcement action since last inspection: none Inspection report children's home: 2555505 2

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Inspection date Inspection type Inspection judgement

02/05/2023 Full Good 17/05/2022 Full Good 03/02/2022 Interim Sustained effectiveness 15/09/2021 Full Good Inspection report children's home: 2555505 3

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

The staff provide children with a good standard of care. Staff work hard to form relationships with children who value their support. Children feel able to approach staff and ask for their help. Staff are nurturing and patient in their approach and ensure that children understand what is being asked of them.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Staff have extensive knowledge of children’s individual communication needs and always have various tools to support effective communication. Staff have started to learn Makaton with the aim of using this in addition to other forms of communication. Therefore, children have several ways to communicate their needs which will promote their voice being heard.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Children are supported by staff who are aspirational for them. Staff are constantly seeking ways to assist children to develop their independence. Detailed social stories are one method used to explain to a child, what actions are needed to complete a task. This step-by-step approach has over time, enabled children to develop key skills that will continue to support them in the years to come.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Children access a wide variety of activities. Should staff identify barriers that would hamper a child’s ability to experience an activity, they work hard to reduce these so children remain included in society. These varied opportunities help children to improve their confidence and support them to develop their social skills.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Children’s health needs are met. All children are registered with the appropriate health care services. The children eat a balanced diet and can choose which foods they want to eat. Staff continually encourage children to try new foods and for one child this has meant that he has gone from a self-restricted diet to now enjoying a wide range of foods. Staff have been proactive in raising a concern about a child’s health needs. They are working with health professionals to capture information about a child’s current presenting health needs, to determine if a child has specific medical condition.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Staff prioritise children’s education and the children go to school daily. Staff and education colleagues work collaboratively, and they both agree on targets for the children. When targets have been achieved, necessary certificates are applied for. This reinforces to the children that they have worked hard to achieve their successes and their efforts have been recognised.

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

Staff continually build on their knowledge of the children and the most appropriate way to support them and keep them safe. All the children have detailed risk assessments and behaviour support plans. These documents provide staff with the necessary guidance on how to meet the children’s needs on a day-to-day basis and ensure they remain safe. Inspection report children's home: 2555505 4 Children’s needs are such that they require close supervision. Therefore, they do not go missing or become involved in any form of exploitation. Children are safe when they are online as staff regularly monitor the content that the children are viewing. Staff also work in partnership with families to ensure that devices are safe for the children to use.

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

The children have incidents in the home. When these occur, staff are responsive and ensure that children are safe. Staff and children receive a debrief and extra time is taken with the children to provide their debrief and learning as a social story. This allows children to explore their behaviour and help them understand its impact.

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

The children live in a large house that is divided into specific living areas. Usual practice is for window restrictors to be fitted to all windows to reduce the risk to children who may try and use a window to leave the property. A first-floor window was found with broken restrictors and gone unnoticed by staff. This posed a significant hazard to the children. Action was taken straight away to remedy this.

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

There is a clear medication process in place. Staff receive detailed training and are observed administering medication before they can take the lead in this process. There have been a high number of medication errors since the last inspection. When these have been identified, there has been action taken by the leadership team to improve staff competence. However, errors continue to occur, and these have the potential to cause harm to children in the home.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

The manager, supported by the leadership team, is passionate about improving the lives of the children. They lead a motivated and knowledgeable team who have a good understanding of the children's histories and presenting needs.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

The manager is keen to continually promote staff development. Staff begin their training as part of a thorough induction programme. They then continue to enhance their skills and knowledge with additional and child specific training when required. Children therefore receive individualised care and support to meet their complex needs.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

The leadership team provides staff with regular supervision. This process allows for staff’s competence and knowledge of children to be reviewed. In addition, staff are provided with guidance and support that contributes to their professional development. Reflective practice is not yet embedded within supervision; however, staff can reflect on their practice in monthly team meetings.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

Staff work in partnership with external agencies to ensure that the children receive the support they need. Professionals are of the view that the children are making progress and communication from the staff at the home is described as good.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

The manager recognises the importance of children maintaining links with people who matter to them. There is a coordinated approach with family to ensure that family time is Inspection report children's home: 2555505 5 positive for all. There have been occasions when the manager has had to be creative to facilitate family time and great efforts have been made to ensure it goes ahead. Inspection report children's home: 2555505 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, 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

(d) that the premises used for the purpose of the home are designed, furnished and maintained so as to protect each child from avoidable hazards to the child's health.

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Requirement Due date

This specifically relates to the registered person ensuring that the home is maintained to an acceptable level of cleanliness. It also relates to the registered person actioning any outstanding repairs to the home and ensuring that the living accommodation and garden area is safe for the children. (Regulation 12(1)(2)(d)) 05 Aug 24

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Requirement Due date

The registered person must make arrangements for the handling, recording, safekeeping, safe administration and disposal of medicines received into the children's home.

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Requirement Due date

In particular the registered person must ensure that—

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Requirement Due date

medicine which is prescribed for a child is administered as prescribed to the child for whom it is prescribed and to no other child; and

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Requirement Due date

a record is kept of the administration of medicine to each child.

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Requirement Due date

This specifically relates to the registered person ensuring that all staff are competent in administering medication to avoid errors being made and children receive the right medication. (Regulation 23(1)(2)(b)) 05 Aug 24 Inspection report children's home: 2555505 7

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Recommendations

 The registered person should ensure that the Children's Guide should help children to understand what happens in the home, the care they can expect to receive while living there, how to make a complaint and how they can access advocacy or support. The children's guide must be age appropriate, provided in an accessible format and explained to each child to ensure they understand it ('Guide to the Children's Homes Regulations, including the quality standards', page 24, paragraph 4.21)

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Recommendations

 The registered person should ensure that they notify Ofsted and other relevant persons if there is a serious incident relating to protection, safeguarding or welfare of a child living in the home which the registered person considers to be serious (Guide to the Children's Homes Regulations, including the quality standards', page 63, paragraph 14.10)

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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 children's home: 2555505 8

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Children's home details

Registered provider: Aspiration House Limited

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Children's home details

Registered provider address: Aspiration House Limited, 2nd Floor, Portland Street, Manchester, M1 3BE

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Inspector

Lizette Watts, social care inspector Inspection report children's home: 2555505 9 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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