Children's Home run by Resicare Alliance Limited in Birmingham

Inspection report for children’s home: 2503598 1 Registered provider: Aston Children’s Care Ltd

p.1

Inspected under the social care common inspection framework

p.1

Information about this children’s home

This home is privately owned. It provides care for up to five children who may have had adverse childhood experiences and have social and emotional difficulties.

p.1

Information about this children’s home

Three children were living in the home at the time of the inspection. No children have moved in or out since the last inspection.

p.1

Information about this children’s home

The registered manager left in February 2025. The home is being managed by an interim manager.

p.1

Overall experiences and progress of

children and young people, taking into account

p.1

good

How well children and young people are helped and protected good

p.1

good

The effectiveness of leaders and managers good

p.1

good

The children’s home provides effective services that meet the requirements for good.

p.1

good

Overall judgement at last inspection: good

p.1

good

Enforcement action since last inspection: none Inspection report for children’s home: 2503598 2

p.1

Inspection date Inspection type Inspection judgement

14/08/2024 Full Good 14/06/2023 Full Good 24/08/2022 Full Good 05/07/2022 Full Inadequate Inspection report for children’s home: 2503598 3

p.2

Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

All three children have lived in the home for several years. They spoke about their experiences of living in the home. Staff are supporting one child to prepare to live independently. Leaders and managers effectively escalated concerns to the child’s local authority about delays in care planning. As a result, there is now a multi-agency approach to help the child move on, with support from adult services.

p.3

Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Staff provide clear structure and boundaries throughout the day, helping children to feel secure and understand what is expected of them. The amount of time children spend on electronic devices has reduced. This means children now enjoy activities that help them to settle at bedtime and improve their sleep pattern. Children have secure relationships with staff and contribute to planning daily activities to explore their interests and promote their independence and well-being.

p.3

Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Since the last inspection, children’s education has been a priority. All children now regularly attend school or college. For one child, this is considerable progress. Staff encourage continual learning by supporting children to participate in extra-curricular activities. This has developed children’s self-confidence and social skills. One child’s social worker said, ‘[Name of child] is doing amazing while living in the home.’

p.3

Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Children’s health needs are understood by staff, who support children to attend health appointments. Staff establish positive relationships with health professionals who support children’s mental well-being. They advocate for children to have their needs assessed. This practice helps to inform staff how to help children and considers any diagnosis. In addition, children are helped to understand and manage their emotions. Children spend more time with people who matter to them. For example, one child is now enjoying overnight stays with family.

p.3

Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

At the time of the inspection, the house was being redecorated. The manager has considered children’s views and wishes for the garden and their bedrooms. This helps children to feel listened to. Their bedrooms are personalised and clean. New storage furniture was being installed to organise children’s personal items.

p.3

Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

The independent person visits the home each month. However, they do not always speak to children. This is a missed opportunity for children to speak to someone who is independent.

p.3

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

Staff understand the individual needs and risks for each child. Risk assessments provide clear guidance for staff to help manage behaviours. These are reviewed and updated regularly. There are occasions when staff have not followed the guidance to reduce conflict between children. This has resulted in children being involved in altercations. The Inspection report for children’s home: 2503598 4 manager has taken appropriate action to address this. Staff have completed additional training, and new strategies are in place to help them to manage relationships between children. As a result, incidents have reduced significantly.

p.3

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

Through discussions, staff help children to understand how to keep themselves safe. Staff explore a range of topics to help children to identify risk and understand what action to take to keep themselves safe. Staff understand online risks. They carry out monitoring checks on electronic devices and help children to understand internet safety. Age-appropriate restrictions are applied to the home’s Wi-Fi. Children say they feel safe living in the home, and staff help them to be safe.

p.4

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

Children know how to make a complaint. When complaints and allegations have been made, these are taken seriously and investigated promptly. However, there have been delays in reporting children’s concerns and following the correct safeguarding procedures. As a result, there are delays in sharing information with relevant professionals and notifying the regulator. Outcomes of complaints are shared with children. However, children are not always supported to understand the outcomes of allegations made against staff. This does not allow children to understand what actions have been taken after raising a concern.

p.4

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

Physical intervention is used as a last resort to help keep children safe. The manager speaks with children and staff about incidents and evaluates the effectiveness of intervention. However, records kept by staff do not provide details of de-escalation techniques or strategies used to manage behaviours. The manager has not identified this in her review. As a result, practice has not improved. On some occasions, staff debriefs are carried out in a group. This approach does not provide staff with an individual forum to reflect on the incidents.

p.4

The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

The home has been managed by an interim manager since March 2025. She had worked in the home previously as a deputy manager. She is taking a relevant social care qualification and has plans to take a leadership qualification. She is enthusiastic and understands the children’s needs well. There was a good transition between the previous manager and the interim manager. This ensures children benefit from continuity of care from leaders while a newly appointed manager is waiting to start.

p.4

The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

There have been additional changes to the senior leadership team and staffing team since the last inspection. New senior managers understand the home’s strengths and areas for development. Leaders and managers have not obtained all care planning records for children following reviews. They have detailed monitoring systems in place however, these are yet to be embedded.

p.4

The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

New staff are welcomed into the home, Staff are nurturing and dedicated to helping children to progress. This helps children to form positive and trusting relationships with staff. One child rated living in the home 10 out of 10. And one member of staff said, ‘I Inspection report for children’s home: 2503598 5 would describe [name of home] like a family for both the children and the staff members.’

p.4

The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

Safe recruitment processes and practices are adhered to when recruiting new staff. All necessary checks are undertaken. This helps to ensure that only safe adults are employed to care for children.

p.5

The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

Staff receive regular supervision and take part in workshops to upskill them to help them further to understand and support children. Not all staff have completed training centred around children’s diagnoses. The manager’s monitoring systems do not provide effective monitoring of staff training and qualifications. The manager has a plan to strengthen this area of monitoring, along with arranging training for those staff members. Inspection report for children’s home: 2503598 6

p.5

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.

p.6

Requirement Due date

The protection of children standard is that children are protected from harm and enabled to keep themselves safe.

p.6

Requirement Due date

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

p.6

Requirement Due date

have the skills to identify and act upon signs that a child is at risk of harm;

p.6

Requirement Due date

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

p.6

Requirement Due date

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

p.6

Requirement Due date

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

p.6

Requirement Due date

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

p.6

Requirement Due date

This specifically relates to the registered person ensuring staff follow children’s risk assessments to help them reduce risk and manage behaviours of conflict. In addition, the registered manager must review and strengthen staff’s understanding of recording and reporting procedures, ensuring staff report without delay when there is a concern around a child’s welfare, in accordance with safeguarding procedures. 3 August 2025

p.6

Requirement Due date

The leadership and management standard is that the registered person enables, inspires and leads a culture in relation to the children’s home that—

p.6

Requirement Due date

helps children aspire to fulfil their potential; and

p.6

Requirement Due date

promotes their welfare. 3 August 2025 Inspection report for children’s home: 2503598 7 In particular, the standard in paragraph (1) requires the registered person to—

p.6

Requirement Due date

ensure that staff have the experience, qualifications and skills to meet the needs of each child;

p.7

Requirement Due date

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

p.7

Requirement Due date

research and developments in relation to the ways in which the needs of children are best met; and

p.7

Requirement Due date

feedback on the experiences of children, including complaints received. (Regulation 13 (1) (a)(b)(2)(c)(g)(i)(ii))

p.7

Requirement Due date

This specifically relates to the registered person reviewing incidents and acting on information to improve practices, and ensuring that when children make complaints or allegations, outcomes are fed back to them. In addition, the registered person must ensure staff have training to aid them to understand children’s needs.

p.7

Requirement Due date

Furthermore, the registered person must ensure all children’s care plan documents are obtained following care planning reviews.

p.7

Recommendations

 The registered person should ensure there is a system in place so that all serious events are notified, within 24 hours, to the appropriate people or agencies, including Ofsted. (‘Guide to the Children’s Homes Regulations, including the quality standards’, page 63, paragraph 14.13)  The registered person should ensure the independent person who visits the home has the skills and understanding to communicate with children to capture their views, to assess relevant information and to form an impartial judgement about the quality of care children receive. They should also speak to staff who work in the home. (‘Guide to the Children’s Homes Regulations, including the quality standards’, page 65, paragraph 15.8)  The registered person should ensure records of restraint are reviewed to evaluate the use of control, discipline and restraint to identify effective practice, and respond promptly where any issues or trends of concern emerge. The review should provide

p.7

Recommendations

the opportunity for amending practice to ensure it meets the needs of each child. This includes speaking to children to identify how staff can best help them. (‘Guide to the Inspection report for children’s home: 2503598 8 Children’s Homes Regulations, including the quality standards’, page 49, paragraph 9.59)

p.7

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: 2503598 9

p.8

Children’s home details

Registered provider: Aston Children’s Care Ltd

p.9

Children’s home details

Registered provider address: 147 Stamford Hill, London N16 5LG

p.9

Inspector

Joanne Humphreys, Social Care Inspector Inspection report for children’s home: 2503598 10 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.

p.9

Inspector

If you would like a copy of this document in a different format, such as large print or Braille, please telephone 0300 123 1231, or email enquiries@ofsted.gov.uk . You may reuse this information (not including logos) free of charge in any format or medium, under the terms of the Open Government Licence. To view this licence, visit www.nationalarchives.gov.uk/doc/open-government-licence , write to the Information Policy Team, The National Archives, Kew, London TW9 4DU, or email: psi@nationalarchives.gsi.gov.uk .

p.10

Inspector

Interested in our work? You can subscribe to our monthly newsletter for more information and updates: http://eepurl.com/iTrDn .

p.10

Inspector

T: 0300 123 1231 Textphone: 0161 618 8524 E: enquiries@ofsted.gov.uk W: www.gov.uk/ofsted

p.10