Children's home run by A & S Children’s Services Limited

Inspection report for children’s home: 2611288 1 Registered provider: A & S Children’s Services 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 privately run home provides care for up to three children with social and/or emotional difficulties.

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Information about this children’s home

The home was registered with Ofsted in February 2021.

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Information about this children’s home

The registered manager left in February 2024, and a new manager has been appointed and has applied to be registered with Ofsted.

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Information about this children’s home

At the time of the inspection, there were two individuals living at the home: one child, and one young person, who has recently turned 18 years of age.

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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: 29 January 2024

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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: 2611288 2

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Inspection date Inspection type Inspection judgement

29/01/2024 Full Good 13/07/2022 Full Requires improvement to be good 11/04/2022 Full Inadequate 08/11/2021 Full Requires improvement to be good Inspection report for children’s home: 2611288 3

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Children make progress from their starting points. They are flourishing physically, emotionally and socially. They have many opportunities to develop their independence skills as they prepare for adulthood.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Children attend health appointments that enable them to explore their needs in a safe way. Staff support children to manage their health needs, including helping children to take responsibility for their own medication as part of their preparation for adulthood.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

One child attends college and has obtained qualifications in mathematics and English. The other child is having educational support in the home from a visiting tutor from the virtual school team. There is a plan to begin to introduce the child back into school. However, the details and timescales to achieve this next move are not clear.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Children enjoy pursuing their hobbies and interests. Staff encourage children to try new things, such as mindfulness and role play activities. These diverse activities help children to have more insight into their own and other people’s emotions.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Both children spend time with their family and with people who are important to them. Staff support these relationships and communicate effectively with family members to ensure that children continue to receive consistent care.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Staff support children to develop independence skills, including cooking, budgeting and self-care. Staff have supported children to obtain essential documents such as provisional driving licences and national insurance numbers. This provides children and young people with a good foundation for their future living arrangements.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

One child’s needs are being met in line with their care plan. However, the second child’s needs are only partly met. The care plan indicates the need for a ‘therapeutic setting’. However, the plan does not explain how this therapeutic need will be met.

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

Children have a trusting relationship with the staff. This is helping them to feel safe and secure. One child said, ‘It is good, all the staff are supportive.’ These established relationships have enabled the staff to enter into meaningful and sometimes challenging conversations with the children about relationships, mental health and self-care.

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

Staff know the children’s unique vulnerabilities. This includes working with children to devise a safety plan. Inspection report for children’s home: 2611288 4 Risk assessments are detailed and include what action staff should take to reduce harm to children. However, these assessments are sometimes lengthy, and this could impact on the staff’s ability to act on a specific area of risk swiftly.

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

Children do not frequently go missing from the home. On the rare occasion that a child does go missing from the home, the staff follow robust protocols. For example, staff stay in contact with the child and communicate with people who have a connection with the child. The staff also work closely with the police and local authority to ensure a child’s safe return. When a child returns home, the staff make time for the child to talk about what may have happened while they have been away from the home.

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

Physical restraints have not been used in the home. Staff are trained to use these only when harm is imminent. Staff support children with incentives and recognise positive behaviours to encourage children’s progress.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

The new manager has been in post for six months. They are passionate about providing good-quality care for children. The manager promotes a culture of providing loving care.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

Staff feel well supported. For example, three members of staff commented that they felt valued and supported by the manager and that they had made positive changes in how they record their practice.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

The manager has processes in place to ensure that training is in line with the children’s needs and attended by staff, with learning evaluated in staff feedback forms.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

Staff development is a priority for the manager, who ensures that staff receive annual appraisals that include details of planning for future personal development.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

Staff supervision sessions provide professional challenge and reflective practice. This is supported by reflective team meetings, with children’s needs central to discussions and agreed actions. The manager works closely with external professionals, and feedback is positive. Inspection report for children’s home: 2611288 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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Requirements Due date

The education standard is that children make measurable progress towards achieving their educational potential and are helped to do so.

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Requirements Due date

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

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Requirements Due date

help a child who is excluded from school, or who is of compulsory school age but not attending school, to access educational and training support throughout the period of exclusion or non-attendance and to return to school as soon as possible.

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Requirements Due date

In particular, advocate and challenge barriers the child faces in securing education that is in line with their needs. 16 December 2024

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Requirements Due date

The care planning standard is that children –

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Requirements Due date

receive effectively planned care in or through the children’s home;

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Requirements Due date

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

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Requirements Due date

That children are admitted to the home only if their needs are within the range of needs of children for whom it is intended that the home is to provide care and accommodation, as set out in the home’s statement of purpose.

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Requirements Due date

(Regulation 14 1(a) (2)(a) (b)) 15 November 2024 Inspection report for children’s home: 2611288 6

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Recommendation

 The registered person should ensure staff are familiar with the home’s policies on record-keeping and understand the importance of careful, objective and clear recording. Information about the child in risk assessments must always be recorded in a way that will be helpful to the child and that they are able to interpret this information. (‘Guide to the Children’s Homes Regulations, including the quality standards’, page 62, paragraph 14.4)

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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: 2611288 7

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Children’s home details

Registered provider: A & S Children’s Services Limited

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Inspector

Richard Wyper, Social Care Inspector Inspection report for children’s home: 2611288 8 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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