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

Assurance inspection report for children’s home: 2651405 1 Registered provider: Advanced Adolescent Care Solutions Limited

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Inspected under the social care common inspection framework

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Information about this children’s home

The home is owned and managed by a private provider. It provides care for one child who may have social and emotional difficulties.

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Information about this children’s home

The manager registered with Ofsted in December 2021. There was one child living at the home at the time of this inspection.

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Information about this children’s home

Judgement at last inspection: requires improvement to be good

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Information about this children’s home

Enforcement action since last inspection: none

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Information about this inspection

At these inspections, the inspectors evaluated:

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Information about this inspection

 the care of children  the safety of children  the effectiveness of leaders and managers. Inspectors have looked closely at the experiences and progress of children, using the social care common inspection framework. This assurance 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’. Assurance inspection report for children’s home: 2651405 2

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Findings from the inspection

This inspection was brought forward in order to address specific concerns or allegations received by Ofsted.

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Findings from the inspection

Ofsted identified the following serious and widespread concerns in relation to the care or protection of children at this assurance inspection:

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Findings from the inspection

 Failure to respond appropriately to allegations made by a child.  Failure to ensure that staff understand professional boundaries and that they act in a way that safeguards the child.  Failure to ensure that the child is helped and supported to raise any concerns with those caring for them and with external professionals, without fear of repercussions.

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Findings from the inspection

Leaders and managers have failed to respond appropriately to allegations made by a child. The manager and staff have not always recorded allegations made by the child. Furthermore, they have not been investigated in line with safeguarding procedures. The child has not been provided with the opportunity to talk about the concerns they raised about staff working at the home.

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Findings from the inspection

The manager and staff do not fully understand professional boundaries. Staff have not always acted in a way that safeguards the child, and the manager is dismissive of the concerns about staff conduct. This has led to shortfalls in staff practice not being fully investigated and addressed.

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Findings from the inspection

The child is not helped and supported to raise concerns with those caring for them and with external professionals without the fear of repercussions. There are lots of conversations recorded that describe the child as ‘making threats’ to complain to Ofsted about the care that they are receiving. The child has not been supported to contact the regulator. Instead, the director came to the home and spoke to the child about this, which led to the child becoming upset. The manager raised this as a concern with senior leaders, but it is unclear what happened because information is not recorded in the manager’s supervision notes.

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Findings from the inspection

Records show that the child has spoken about feeling blamed for the turnover of staff working at the home. The manager said that the child had overheard conversations between staff. The child has not been reassured that they are not responsible for staffing sufficiency at the home.

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Findings from the inspection

Complaints have not always been responded to in line with the organisation’s complaints procedure. One parent said that they had not received feedback about the outcome of a complaint that they made.

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Findings from the inspection

The manager’s oversight of the child’s progress, staff development and the child’s records are poor. The systems in place to review the quality of care provided to the Assurance inspection report for children’s home: 2651405 3 child are not effective. The manager has not identified shortfalls in how some staff have responded to the child, the use of consequences, and the language used in records about the child. This means that poor practice is not always addressed.

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Findings from the inspection

The child has made progress in their education. The manager and staff understand the barriers to the child’s education, and they advocate for the child to ensure that they have the right support in place. The child completed formal qualifications and they are now attending college. Assurance inspection report for children’s home: 2651405 4

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Inspection date Inspection type Inspection judgement

16/04/2024 Full Requires improvement to be good 24/07/2023 Full Good 10/08/2022 Full Good Assurance inspection report for children’s home: 2651405 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 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

assess whether each child is at risk of harm, taking into account information in the child’s relevant plans, and, if necessary, make arrangements to reduce the risk of any harm to the child;

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Requirement Due date

manage relationships between children to prevent them from harming each other;

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Requirement Due date

understand the roles and responsibilities in relation to protecting children that are assigned to them by the registered person;

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Requirement Due date

take effective action whenever there is a serious concern about a child’s welfare; and

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Requirement Due date

are familiar with, and act in accordance with, the home’s child protection policies. (Regulation 12 (1) (2)(a)(i)(iv)(v)(vi) (vii))

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Requirement Due date

In particular, the registered person must ensure that effective systems are in place to review and investigate any concerns or allegations about staff.

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Requirement Due date

The registered person must ensure that there is an effective system so that children are helped to understand and know how to raise any concerns with those caring for them and with external professionals without fear of repercussions. 12 January 2025 Assurance inspection report for children’s home: 2651405 6 The registered person must ensure that there are systems in place to test that staff understand professional boundaries and that any shortfalls in staff practice or conduct are addressed. 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

understand the impact that the quality of care provided in the home is having on the progress and experiences of each child and use this understanding to inform the development of the quality of care provided in the home.

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Requirement Due date

demonstrate that practice in the home is informed and improved by taking into account and acting on—

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Requirement Due date

feedback on the experiences of children, including complaints received; and

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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)(f)(g)(ii)(h)) 12 January 2025

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Requirement Due date

The positive relationships standard is that children are helped to develop, and to benefit from, relationships based on—

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Requirement Due date

an understanding about acceptable behaviour; and

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Requirement Due date

positive responses to other children and adults.

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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

that staff— 12 January 2025 Assurance inspection report for children’s home: 2651405 7 meet each child’s behavioural and emotional needs, as set out in the child’s relevant plans; and

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Requirement Due date

understand how children’s previous experiences and present emotions can be communicated through behaviour and have the competence and skills to interpret these and develop positive relationships with children.

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Requirement Due date

(Regulation 11(1)(a)(b)(c) (2)(a)(i)(ix)) The children’s views, wishes and feelings standard is that children receive care from staff who—

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Requirement Due date

develop positive relationships with them;

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Requirement Due date

take their views, wishes and feelings into account in relation to matters affecting the children’s care and welfare and their lives.

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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

ascertain and consider each child’s views, wishes and feelings, and balance these against what they judge to be in the child’s best interests when making decisions about the child’s care and welfare;

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Requirement Due date

help each child to express views, wishes and feelings; and

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Requirement Due date

is enabled to provide feedback to, and raise issues with, a relevant person about the support and services that the child receives; and

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Requirement Due date

(Regulation 7 (1)(a)(b)(c) (2)(a)(i)(ii)(iii) (b)(i)(iii)) 12 January 2025

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Requirement Due date

*These requirements are subject to a compliance notice. Assurance inspection report for children’s home: 2651405 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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Inspectors

Rachel Webster, Social Care Inspector Angela Ross, Social Care Inspector Assurance inspection report for children’s home: 2651405 9 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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Inspectors

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Inspectors

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Inspectors

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Inspectors

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