Children's Home run by Aspire Care Cumbria Limited in Cumberland

Inspection report for children’s home: 2739596 1 Registered provider: Aspire Care Cumbria 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

A private provider operates this home. It is registered to provide care for up to three children with emotional and social difficulties.

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Information about this children’s home

The home and manager registered with Ofsted on 5 December 2023.

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Information about this children’s home

At the time of this inspection, one child was living in the home. The child was spoken to by the inspectors.

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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: not previously inspected

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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: 2739596 2

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

The child received a well-managed and thought-out planned move into the home. This consisted of staff meeting with the child, who had a number of visits to the home before they moved in. Staff provided support to the child to help them reduce their anxieties. This led to the child settling into the home very well and created a sense of belonging for the child.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

The management team and staff know the child well and invest time in them. The child has built trusted and secure relationships with the staff that care for them. Care is provided that supports and meets the child’s individual needs. This ensures that the child develops a sense of stability, safety and security.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Staff offer emotional support to the child and help them to attend any health appointments. The manager is working with the child’s social worker to ensure that the child has access to life-story work. This aids the child’s understanding of their background and family history and supports their emotional health and well-being.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

The child is not currently in full-time education. However, the management team has advocated on behalf of the child to secure an education provision that the child has recently started to attend. Staff provide educational activities and informal learning opportunities to the child. This is good progress from the child’s starting point, as they have been out of education for a prolonged period of time.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Positive and caring relationships between the managers, staff and the child were observed. The child participates in the planning of meals and day-to-day activities, and staff regularly celebrate the child’s achievements. The child is supported to see their family and friends. This helps the child to maintain relationships with the people who are important to them and maintain a sense of identity.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

The home is decorated and furnished to a good standard. The child likes their home and takes pride in it. Consequently, the child lives in a happy, safe and relaxed home where staff treat them with dignity and respect.

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

Risk management plans are current, up to date, understood and followed by staff. The manager and staff speak to the child and educate them about risk-taking behaviours. This has meant that risks have reduced, and the child is making progress from their starting point.

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

Staff are trained in issues such as child exploitation, online safety, self-harm and safeguarding practices. However, not all staff are trained in physical intervention and de-escalation techniques or substance misuse. Training in these areas would enhance Inspection report for children’s home: 2739596 3 staff practice to ensure that the staff team is able to support the child more effectively.

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

The manager and staff manage safeguarding incidents and disclosures well; however, not all serious incidents have been notified to Ofsted in a timely manner. This does not support the regulator to have sufficient oversight and scrutiny of the incident.

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

The child does not go missing from home, nor have they had to be held to ensure that they remain safe. Staff are able to de-escalate incidents well. This supports the staff team to maintain its positive relationship with the child.

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

The child has been given a consequence to help support them to change their behaviour. However, the management team did not ensure that the recording of the consequence was in line with regulation. Furthermore, managers did not speak with the staff to reflect on the consequence and its effectiveness.

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

The management team carries out the necessary safer recruitment checks to ensure that staff are suitable and remain safe to work with children.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

The manager is suitably experienced and has a relevant childcare qualification. The manager is currently undertaking a management qualification. The manager is described as approachable by the staff, and she has high aspirations for the child in her care.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

A member of staff said, ‘This home and team is by far the most professional and dedicated I have ever had the pleasure of being involved with. The management team have worked incredibly hard in setting up the home to the high standards that we are all impressed with and proud of.’

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

There is a stable staff team in place. This means that the child receives consistent care from staff that they know and trust. Team meetings and reflective supervision take place regularly. The manager, responsible individual and staff discuss the child’s needs and progress, and they reflect on practice. This means the manager can assure themselves that staff remain competent to meet the needs of the child.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

The management team supports staff to incorporate findings from research into their practice and direct-work sessions with the child. This supports the development of the staff team to ensure that it provides good-quality care that meets the child’s needs.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

Leaders and managers have effective monitoring and review systems in place. This helps the manager to evaluate the strengths and weaknesses of the service and the care that staff provide to the child to ensure that swift action is taken to address any shortfalls as they arise. However, the manager does not gather feedback from Inspection report for children’s home: 2739596 4 parents, family members or staff to develop the service and to support the evaluation and development of the care provided to the child. Inspection report for children’s home: 2739596 5

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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 prepare and implement a policy (“the behaviour management policy”) which sets out—

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Requirement Due date

how appropriate behaviour is to be promoted in the children's home; and

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Requirement Due date

the measures of control, discipline and restraint which may be used in relation to children in the home.

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Requirement Due date

within 24 hours of the use of a measure of control, discipline or restraint in relation to a child in the home, a record is made which includes—

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Requirement Due date

the name of the person who used the measure (“the user”), and of any other person present when the measure was used;

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Requirement Due date

within 48 hours of the use of the measure, the registered person, or a person who is authorised by the registered person to do so (“the authorised person”)—

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Requirement Due date

has spoken to the user about the measure; and

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Requirement Due date

has signed the record to confirm it is accurate; and

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Requirement Due date

within 5 days of the use of the measure, the registered person or the authorised person adds to the record confirmation that they have spoken to the child about the measure. (Regulation 35 (1)(a)(b) (3)(a)(vi)(b)(i)(ii)(c))

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Requirement Due date

This specifically relates to the recording of consequences. 14 June 2024

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Requirement Due date

The registered person must notify HMCI and each other relevant person without delay if— 14 June 2024 Inspection report for children’s home: 2739596 6 a child is involved in or subject to, or is suspected of being involved in or subject to, sexual exploitation;

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Requirement Due date

an incident requiring police involvement occurs in relation to a child which the registered person considers to be serious;

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Requirement Due date

there is an allegation of abuse against the home or a person working there;

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Requirement Due date

a child protection enquiry involving a child —

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Requirement Due date

concludes (in which case, the notification must include the outcome of the child protection enquiry); or

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Requirement Due date

there is any other incident relating to a child which the registered person considers to be serious. (Regulation 40 (4)(a)(b)(c)(d)(i)(ii)(e))

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Recommendations

 The registered person should ensure that they seek to develop the home’s effective working relationships with each child’s parents. Also, they should gather feedback from parents, professionals and staff working with the children to ensure that the children’s needs are met and to support in the successful delivery of the care planning and development of the service. (‘Guide to the Children’s Homes Regulations, including the quality standards’, page 52, paragraph 10.3)  The registered person should ensure that they support staff to gain skills and experience that enable them to actively support each child. Specifically, they should ensure that all staff understand and can meet each child’s needs by receiving training in physical intervention and de-escalation techniques and substance misuse. (‘Guide to the Children’s Homes Regulations, including the quality standards’, page 52, paragraph 10.5)

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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: 2739596 7

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Children’s home details

Registered provider: Aspire Care Cumbria Limited

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Children’s home details

Registered provider address: 34 Knowe Road, Carlisle CA3 9EQ

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Inspectors

Julie Elder, Social Care Inspector Debbie Dawson, Social Care Inspector Inspection report for children’s home: 2739596 8 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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Inspectors

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Inspectors

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Inspectors

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