Children's home run by Aspris Children’s Service

Inspection report for children’s home: 1241836 1 Registered provider: Aspris Children’s Service Full inspection Inspected under the social care common inspection framework

p.1

Information about this children’s home

This home is privately owned and provides care for up to seven children with learning disabilities.

p.1

Information about this children’s home

At the time of the inspection, one child was living at the home.

p.1

Information about this children’s home

The home is located on the provider’s school campus. The inspector only inspected the social care provision on this site.

p.1

Information about this children’s home

The manager registered with Ofsted in August 2025.

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 requires improvement to be good

p.1

good

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

p.1

good

Date of last inspection: 26 November 2024

p.1

good

Overall judgement at last inspection: good

p.1

good

Enforcement action since last inspection: none Inspection report for children’s home: 1241836 2

p.1

Inspection date Inspection type Inspection judgement

26/11/2024 Full Good 29/11/2023 Full Good 20/07/2022 Full Good 14/09/2021 Full Good Inspection report for children’s home: 1241836 3

p.2

Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

The child lives in a spacious home that is safe, well maintained and comfortably furnished to meet their needs. There are photos displayed in the home showing the child participating in various activities, alongside child-friendly artwork. This promotes the child’s sense of security and belonging, helping to reinforce positive memories and supporting emotional development.

p.3

Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

The child is making good progress. They are more independent and can now carry out personal care routines with some help from staff. This boosts their daily living skills. Additionally, the child’s speech has improved, with their words becoming much clearer. This has strengthened their ability to express their needs.

p.3

Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

The child’s views are heard regarding day-to-day routines and activity planning. Their views are gathered through mood boards, questionnaires and key-work sessions. Creative tools, such as the Picture Exchange Communication System (PECS) and social stories, are used to help the child express their feelings and preferences. However, their views are not included in care planning, and there is no support to help them contribute before care plan reviews. This reduces the child’s ability to fully participate in decisions about their care.

p.3

Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

The child engages in various enjoyable activities. There is a summer planner tailored to his love of rides, including visits to theme parks and fairs. Staff adapt plans based on the child’s preferences, supporting his emotional well-being. Joint outings with children from other homes in the organisation also help the child make friends and build social skills.

p.3

Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Staff have built positive relationships with the child. They understand his communication needs and emotional cues. They actively encourage his speech, interpreting his responses with care, in a calm and respectful manner. This consistent support has helped the child feel safe, understood, and more confident in expressing himself.

p.3

Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Staff help the child to develop independence and essential life skills. During a recent visit, the social worker noted being impressed with how staff were encouraging the child’s independence, particularly during his morning routine. The child is also involved in the upkeep of the house, such as tidying up after meals, vacuuming and doing his laundry. This support helps build the child’s confidence and prepares him for greater self-reliance in daily tasks.

p.3

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

Staff are aware of their safeguarding responsibilities. When safeguarding incidents occur, they are clearly recorded and reported appropriately to relevant agencies. Inspection report for children’s home: 1241836 4 The child’s positive behaviours are consistently acknowledged and reinforced. For example, as his behaviour has improved, staff have gradually reintroduced items into his room that were previously considered unsafe. This adapts the environment to reflect the child’s progress and promotes continued development.

p.3

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

Staff retention is high. Most staff have worked at the home and for the organisation for several years. This has resulted in consistent care from staff who know the child well, providing a secure and predictable environment for him.

p.4

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

There are inconsistencies in staff training. Since the last inspection, Picture Exchange Communication System training was delivered to all day staff but not extended to night staff. Additionally, some staff at the child’s school use Makaton to support communication. This is not used in the home, which leads to a lack of continuity in communication support. The manager said that plans are in place to ensure that staff receive the training.

p.4

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

The home follows safer recruitment procedures to ensure that staff are appropriately vetted and suitable to work with children.

p.4

The effectiveness of leaders and managers: requires improvement to be good

The registered manager is relatively new in post but brings significant experience in working in and managing children’s homes. They know the staff and child well and demonstrate high aspirations for the child’s progress. While the manager is supportive and committed, there are some gaps in their understanding of the child’s ethnicity, which may affect staff’s ability to provide culturally informed care.

p.4

The effectiveness of leaders and managers: requires improvement to be good

Staff feel well supported by the manager, describing her as ‘approachable’ and ‘responsive’. Staff receive regular supervision and feel comfortable raising any concerns outside of these sessions when needed.

p.4

The effectiveness of leaders and managers: requires improvement to be good

One staff member has not completed their Level 3 Diploma in Residential Childcare within the time frame required by regulations. The manager explained that this delay is due to an organisational issue, where staff have not been receiving consistent support from the commissioned assessors.

p.4

The effectiveness of leaders and managers: requires improvement to be good

The manager does not have effective monitoring systems in place to ensure a comprehensive oversight of staff practice. For instance, some of the child’s behavioural incidents have not been recorded or brought to the manager’s attention. The manager also fails to consistently review some of the child’s records. This limits the manager’s ability to track concerns, identify patterns, and ensure consistent, informed support.

p.4

The effectiveness of leaders and managers: requires improvement to be good

Feedback from parents and professionals is mixed. While staff and the manager are praised for the support provided to the child and the progress he has made, one professional raised concern about not receiving regular updates regarding his well- Inspection report for children’s home: 1241836 5 being. The manager was unaware of this gap and has committed to reviewing current communication systems to ensure that regular updates are shared moving forward. Inspection report for children’s home: 1241836 6

p.4

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 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

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

p.6

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;

p.6

Requirement Due date

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

p.6

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)(c)(h))

p.6

Requirement Due date

In particular, the registered manager must ensure that all staff receive training in line with children’s needs and have the appropriate qualifications. Additionally, they must have effective monitoring systems in place to monitor staff practice and ensure that recordings reflect events and incidents that take place.

p.6

Requirement Due date

This requirement has been restated from the previous inspection. 13 March 2026

p.6

Requirement Due date

The children’s views, wishes and feelings standard

p.6

Requirement Due date

In particular, the standard in paragraph (1) requires the registered person to— 13 March 2026 Inspection report for children’s home: 1241836 7 ensure that staff—

p.6

Requirement Due date

help each child to prepare for any review of the child’s relevant plans and to make the child’s views, wishes and feelings known for the purposes of that review. (Regulation 7 (2)(a)(vi))

p.7

Recommendation

 The registered person should ensure that they and their staff are aware of children’s ethnicity to help them provide culturally sensitive care that respects and nurtures their identity. This is recognised in good social work practice. (‘Guide to the Children’s Homes Regulations, including the quality standards’, page 16, paragraph 3.14)

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: 1241836 8

p.7

Children’s home details

Registered provider: Aspris Children’s Service

p.8

Children’s home details

Registered provider address: 2 Barton Close, Grove Park, Enderby, Leicester LE19 1SJ

p.8

Children’s home details

Responsible individual: Sarah Emma Jones

p.8

Inspector

Chido Mangava, Social Care Inspector Inspection report for children’s home: 1241836 9 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.8

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.9

Inspector

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

p.9

Inspector

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

p.9