Children's home run by Ash House Care LTD

Inspection report for children’s home: 2656689 1 Registered provider: Ash House Care Ltd Full inspection Inspected under the social care common inspection framework

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Information about this children’s home

The home is registered to provide care for up to two children with learning disabilities and complex needs. The home is privately owned.

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Information about this children’s home

There is a manager in post, who has been registered with Ofsted since September 2024.

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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: 31 October 2023

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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: 2656689 2

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Inspection date Inspection type Inspection judgement

31/10/2023 Full Good 20/09/2022 Full Good Inspection report for children’s home: 2656689 3

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Two children were living at the home at the time of inspection, and were spoken with by the inspector. Since the last inspection, one child has moved out of the home. Children are well prepared when moving on from the home and, as a result, they experience positive endings. When children are moving into the home, the registered manager carefully considers their needs. In addition, they ensure that the wishes and feelings of children who already live at the home are considered. This ensures that all children are prepared and helps to welcome the new child into the home.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Children are happy and settled living at the home, and are treated with dignity and respect. They enjoy activities such as exploring the garden and cooking. Staff have taken children to the local forest and have taken them on holiday. Children receive individualised care and specialist help is made available to them. Staff understand children’s communication styles so that they can respond to their wishes and feelings.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Staff support children to improve their health and to manage their health conditions. Staff have helped one child to develop a healthier diet and engage in physical activity. This has supported them to achieve a healthy weight. Children have access to health services and staff help them to attend important appointments. There are effective arrangements in place to manage the medication prescribed for children. Children are encouraged by staff to complete tasks to meet their basic care needs. Consequently, they gain independence skills and are better prepared for the future.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Both children attend education regularly, at provisions that meet their complex needs. If children are finding it difficult to attend school, staff use creative strategies in line with children’s understanding to support them to attend. Staff have supported one child to attend school using incentives and calendars. This has encouraged them to attend; they have good attendance and school is a positive experience for them.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Children are encouraged to maintain important relationships and are supported to spend regular time with their families. As a result, children feel connected to their families, and this helps promote their identity. People who are important to the children have given positive feedback about children’s experiences living at the home and how they have good relationships with the staff working at the home.

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

Children’s individual risks and behaviours are understood by staff, who are responsive to children’s needs. For one child, whose incidents have increased, the staff team members have been reflecting on the child’s needs and thinking critically about the care they offer to them. Staff often meet as a team to share practice ideas and meet with external agencies to review strategies. This has enabled the staff team to further tailor the care it provides and, as a result, the support provided to children is individualised. Inspection report for children’s home: 2656689 4 The manager has considered the location around the home and this is reviewed annually, taking into account any known or new risks for children.

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

If there are incidents between children who live at the home, staff respond effectively. Staff provide education to children on issues such as bullying, which helps them to understand appropriate behaviour and how to treat others.

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

If children make allegations, they can identify a trusted adult they can talk to about their worries. Children are listened to, and there is a prompt response from managers to investigate their concerns. This means that children are kept safe and are reassured that their concerns are taken seriously.

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

There has been an increase in the use of physical restraint due to the needs of one child. The manager and staff are working hard to understand the triggers to the child’s behaviour and to identify effective strategies to manage them. Staff always use de- escalation techniques first. When physical restraint has been used, it is always as a last resort.

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

When serious incidents occur, the manager has the child’s welfare at the forefront and acts quickly to keep them safe. The manager always reports incidents to the regulator, which provides an opportunity for external oversight.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

There is a suitably qualified manager in post, who is committed to offering children consistent and high standards of care. The manager is well supported by a deputy manager and a responsible individual, who share the same vision. The management team is cohesive. It works positively together to ensure that the home runs in line with its aims and objectives while also offering a supportive environment for staff. Staff attend a range of quality training to support them in their roles and the manager has also arranged training based on children’s individual needs. This has supported staff to better understand the needs of children living at the home.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

The registered manager has developed strong working relationships with partner agencies. These relationships help coordinate support for children to ensure that their individual needs are met. The manager advocates on behalf of children and seeks additional support, when necessary, from the child’s placing authority to ensure that staff can continue caring for the child.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

Staff receive regular supervision sessions. The emotional impact of the work they do is recognised by the manager, who supports the staff well. Staff appraisals and team meetings are used to continually develop staff’s skills and practice. As a result, staff enjoy coming to work. Morale is good at the home, and staff are motivated to provide positive experiences for children. Inspection report for children’s home: 2656689 5 There are effective monitoring tools in place to review the quality of care children receive. Leaders and managers use these tools effectively to identify areas of development and strengths of the service. This means that the home is continually improving and offering positive experiences to children. Inspection report for children’s home: 2656689 6

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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: 2656689 7

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Children’s home details

Registered provider address: Ash House, Park Street, Cheslyn Hay, Walsall WS6 7EF

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Inspector

Charlotte Love, Social Care Inspector Inspection report for children’s home: 2656689 8 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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