Children's Home run by Acheron Care Limited in Staffordshire

Inspection report for children’s home: 2736705 1 Registered provider: Acheron Care Limited

p.1

Full inspection Inspected under the social care common inspection framework

p.1

Information about this children’s home

The home was registered with Ofsted in May 2023 and is owned by a private company. It provides care for up to three children who may experience social and emotional difficulties. At the time of the inspection, two children were living in the home and spoke with the inspector.

p.1

Information about this children’s home

The home has two registered managers, both of whom are suitably qualified and experienced.

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: 2736705 2

p.1

Inspection date Inspection type Inspection judgement

05/06/2024 Full Good 26/09/2023 Full Good Inspection report for children’s home: 2736705 3

p.2

Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Children make sustained progress in all aspects of their lives from their starting points. Staff consistently celebrate their achievements regardless of the significance, recognising the individual meaning for each child. The manager regularly reviews each child’s progress, and this effective monitoring positively impacts on the overall quality of care provided.

p.3

Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Consistent routines help children to understand what is expected of them, which in turn minimises unwanted behaviours and reduces the risk of harm. This structure positively contributes to their overall well-being.

p.3

Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Children and staff develop positive relationships characterised by warm interactions and mutual affection. Feedback from professionals is also positive; they report effective partnership working and note that staff show genuine interest in children. As a result, children feel valued, which creates a nurturing environment and helps them to feel settled.

p.3

Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Children speak positively about their experiences and the staff who care for them. Their views, wishes and feelings are captured in a range of ways. Requests are acted on, and continuous feedback is provided to ensure that children feel heard and valued.

p.3

Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

The manager and staff actively support children in their education. Children make steady progress. For example, one child has increased the number of hours they attend education, and another child has undertaken their GCSE exams.

p.3

Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

The house is well decorated and has a homely feel. The internal and external conditions of the home are designed to support children’s well-being and development, creating a nurturing and stimulating environment. The premises support the home’s overall purpose of providing a safe, comfortable and enriching space where children can thrive.

p.3

Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

However, during the inspection, a child’s bedroom was found to have a strong smell of cannabis, which had gone unnoticed by staff and managers. Additionally, a search of the bedroom had not been completed as expected. This oversight compromises children’s safety within their home environment.

p.3

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

Although care plans and risk assessments are in place to guide staff, there are shortfalls where these documents have not been updated and known risks have not been fully considered. For example, there is no risk assessment addressing the use of Inspection report for children’s home: 2736705 4 cannabis within the home or the potential impact this may have on both children and staff.

p.3

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

Staff are effective in using their skills to de-escalate challenging situations, and there has been a noticeable decrease in the use of physical intervention. When physical intervention has been necessary to reduce risk to both staff and children, it has been proportionate.

p.4

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

Incidents are reviewed by managers; however, there are occasions when staff are not spoken with following an intervention. This limits the manager’s ability to ensure that all incidents are managed safely and effectively and reduces opportunities to amend practice to better meet children’s needs.

p.4

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

Allegations made by children are taken seriously and are thoroughly explored. When children raise concerns about staff, prompt action is taken to investigate. The manager shares relevant information with the regulator, local authority designated officer and other appropriate professionals. This approach ensures that children have the opportunity to share their experiences and feel reassured that their concerns are being addressed.

p.4

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

On one occasion, there was a particularly complex situation involving allegations of harm to a child, concerns about staff practice and claims of a bullying culture among staff. The manager responded appropriately, giving equal importance to all aspects of the situation.

p.4

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

When children go missing from home, staff respond by following established plans in place to support children’s safety. On their return, staff engage with children to help them understand the risks associated with going missing. This work promotes children’s self-awareness and personal safety, with the aim of helping children to make safer choices in the future.

p.4

The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

The home has two managers, one who is experienced and one who has recently registered with Ofsted. Both managers demonstrate a clear understanding of the importance of supporting and listening to children and ensuring they are safe. Both managers have a good understanding of the strengths and areas for development. There are plans in place to improve the quality of care provided to children.

p.4

The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

A variety of reviewing and monitoring systems are used by the managers. The managers make effective use of all available tools, including feedback from children and their families, insight from external professionals and theory-based research. This approach enhances opportunities for leaders to learn from the experiences of children, professionals and parents, ultimately improving the quality of care for children. Inspection report for children’s home: 2736705 5 The home is currently sufficiently staffed with a stable and consistent team. Agency staff are not used, which ensures that there is reliable support for children and contributes to a sense of stability in their daily lives.

p.4

The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

Feedback from staff is mixed. Some staff report that they feel well supported by managers, where other staff report that managers are not approachable and express feeling unheard. There have been allegations of a bullying culture, which created a disruptive period for the staff team. These allegations have been fully explored by the managers, and additional support and restorative work have been offered to the team. The workforce development plan is extensive and reflects high ambition for the development of the home and its staff. The managers are committed to fostering a positive working environment and a happy, motivated workforce.

p.5

The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

Regular team meetings are well attended and feature a varied agenda that focuses on celebrating children’s progress, as well as promoting their safety and welfare. Managers also use meetings as an opportunity to address any concerns that may arise. This approach encourages cohesive practice among staff, supports meeting children’s needs and contributes to their ongoing progress and well-being. Inspection report for children’s home: 2736705 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—

p.6

Requirement Due date

that the home’s day-to-day care is arranged and delivered so as to keep each child safe and to protect each child effectively from harm. (Regulation 12 (1) (2)(b))

p.6

Requirement Due date

In particular, the registered person must ensure that risk assessments are thorough and address all known risks. Additionally, staff should consistently adhere to the guidance outlined in these assessments to maintain a safe and supportive environment for children. 3 July 2025

p.6

Recommendation

 The registered person should ensure that records of restraint are kept and should enable the registered person and staff to review the use of control, discipline and restraint to identify effective practice and respond promptly where any issues or trends of concern emerge. This includes speaking to the person about the measure and signing records to confirm they are accurate within 48 hours. (‘Guide to the Children’s Homes Regulations, including the quality standards’, page 49, paragraph 9.59)

p.6

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: 2736705 7

p.6

Children’s home details

Registered provider: Acheron Care Limited

p.7

Children’s home details

Registered provider address: Manor House Farm, Hall Lane, Hilderstone, Stone, Staffordshire ST15 8SQ

p.7

Children’s home details

Registered managers: Lucy Hammersley and Emma Robey

p.7

Inspector

Tonia Dubidat, Social Care Inspector Inspection report for children’s home: 2736705 8 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.

p.7

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.8

Inspector

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

p.8

Inspector

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

p.8