Children's Home run by Aspiration House Limited in Lincolnshire

Inspection report for children’s home: 2555505 1 Registered provider: Aspiration House Limited

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Full inspection Inspected under the social care common inspection framework

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Information about this children’s home

This home is privately operated and provides care for up to eight children with a diagnosis of autism spectrum disorder and/or atypical autism, learning disabilities, global development disorder and associated difficulties.

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Information about this children’s home

At the time of the inspection, five children were living in the home.

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Information about this children’s home

All children were observed during the inspection, and one child spoke with the inspector.

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Information about this children’s home

The manager registered with Ofsted in February 2025.

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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 requires improvement to be good

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good

The effectiveness of leaders and managers requires improvement to be good

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good

The children’s home is not yet delivering good help and care for children and young people. However, there are no serious or widespread failures that result in their welfare not being safeguarded or promoted.

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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: 2555505 2

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Inspection date Inspection type Inspection judgement

14/05/2024 Full Good 02/05/2023 Full Good 17/05/2022 Full Good 03/02/2022 Interim Sustained effectiveness Inspection report for children’s home: 2555505 3

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improvement to be good

Since the previous inspection, two children have moved out of the home. Relationships between the staff and children continue to develop. However, the high staff vacancy numbers have impacted on the consistency of care children receive.

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improvement to be good

Children are happy and settled at this home. Interactions between the staff and children are positive. The staff are caring and supportive towards the children.

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improvement to be good

Staff are proactive in supporting children’s education and consistently encourage school attendance. When children are reluctant to attend school, staff provide additional support and work closely with the education staff to address this. As a result, a child who moved into the home after the previous inspection is now attending school, having previously been out of education for several months.

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improvement to be good

Staff demonstrate an understanding of each child’s individual needs and have a focus on developing their skills. Realistic and meaningful targets are set that enhance or add to children’s independent living skills.

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improvement to be good

Staff use a range of communication methods to ensure that children’s wishes and feelings are understood and valued. In addition, staff take photos that capture a visual record of them sharing their views.

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improvement to be good

Staff supported one child for a move to a new home effectively. The child remained central to the process, and staff ensured that the child knew what was happening and when. Staff ensured that all the child’s key information was shared with the new provider. Before the child left the home, the staff held a party to celebrate their time living in the home. This ensured a positive ending.

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improvement to be good

The staff provide new children moving into the home with a children’s guide. However, this is not tailored to the needs of these children. It is very generalised and does not help children understand how staff will meet their specific needs.

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improvement to be good

Staff have produced risk assessments for each child. These capture children’s known risks and provide staff with guidance to enable them to manage and support children effectively.

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improvement to be good

Staff seek to divert or distract children and enable them to calm without the need to physically intervene. However, there have been occasions when staff have used a harness on a child in the home’s garden to manage and restrict their movement. The Inspection report for children’s home: 2555505 4 staff have not recorded these as physical interventions. Additionally, this behavioural response is not outlined in the child’s risk assessment.

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improvement to be good

Staff receive ongoing training to support them in their role and keep children safe. Due to the number of agency staff used, the manager has provided all of them with a limited induction to working in the home, which includes some basic physical intervention training. However, a suitably qualified person does not provide this training. The concern is that staff are not being sufficiently trained to safely respond to children’s presenting behaviours.

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improvement to be good

Parts of the home environment are not as safe as they could be for children and staff. There has been significant damage to two bathrooms, and this is yet to be rectified. The children continue to use these bathrooms. This poses a risk of harm to the children using them and to staff supporting children in such environments.

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improvement to be good

There have been medication errors since the previous inspection. On occasion, children have not been administered their medication as required. When errors have been detected, staff have not considered the impact of this on children and have not contacted a health professional to discuss this.

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improvement to be good

Staff recognise the importance of children needing to feel safe in their home. When a child moved into the home, they expressed a dislike about male staff supporting them. Staff undertook work with the child to help them understand that male staff are safe to look after them. The child now accepts support from both male and female staff.

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good

The manager has been registered since February 2025. She is passionate about enabling children to achieve good outcomes.

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good

The manager has lacked the support of the responsible individual since the previous inspection. While they have received supervision, the presence of the responsible individual in the home has been very limited. In addition, the responsible individual has not had any oversight of the day-to-day work completed in the home, nor have they completed any audits to assure themselves of the quality and impact of practice in the home.

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good

There are significant staff shortages, and staff recruitment is ongoing. The staff undertake extra shifts, and agency staff are used every day. Where possible, the same agency staff are used to promote greater consistency for the children. There have been occasions when there has not been sufficient staff on shift to meet the needs of all of the children. Inspection report for children’s home: 2555505 5 When staff start to work in the home, they receive a thorough induction. Managers also spend time with agency staff and provide them with an overview of the children and basic working practices in the home.

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good

The staff have regular, good-quality supervision. Supervision records demonstrate that the staff understand children’s needs. Specific reflective supervision has recently been introduced for staff, and this encourages continuous learning and improvement.

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good

The manager is supportive of the children being able to spend quality time with their families. Individualised plans are in place for every child, tailored to suit their circumstances and needs. For example, one child goes to their family home for overnight stays, with staff remaining in the local area in case their support is required. This flexible and child-centred approach helps children maintain important family connections. Inspection report for children’s home: 2555505 6

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Statutory requirements

This section sets out the actions that the registered person 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 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

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

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Requirement Due date

that the premises used for the purpose of the home are designed, furnished and maintained so as to protect each child from avoidable hazards to the child’s health. (Regulation 12 (1)(2)(a)(5)(d))

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Requirement Due date

This specifically relates to the registered person ensuring that the home is maintained, actioning any outstanding repairs to the home and ensuring that the living accommodation is safe for the children. In addition, staff must record any instances of physical intervention. 3 November

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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—

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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

ensure that staff have the experience, qualifications and skills to meet the needs of each child; 3 November Inspection report for children’s home: 2555505 7 ensure that the home has sufficient staff to provide care for each child. (Regulation 13(1)(a)(b) (2)(c)(d))

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Requirement Due date

This specifically refers to sufficient staff being on duty to manage the children’s assessed needs and risks. In addition, the registered person needs to ensure that all staff are suitably trained and qualified to undertake physical interventions.

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Requirement Due date

The registered person must make arrangements for the handling, recording, safekeeping, safe administration and disposal of medicines received into the children’s home.

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Requirement Due date

In particular the registered person must ensure that—

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Requirement Due date

medicine which is prescribed for a child is administered as prescribed to the child for whom it is prescribed and to no other child; and

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Requirement Due date

a record is kept of the administration of medicine to each child. (Regulation 23 (1)(2)(b)(c))

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Requirement Due date

This specifically relates to the registered person ensuring that all staff are competent in administering medication to ensure consistent practice and avoid errors being made and for children to receive the right medication at the right time. In addition, the medication policy needs to reflect the range of potential medication errors. 3 November

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Requirement Due date

An individual may only carry on a children’s home if the individual satisfies the requirements in paragraph (5).

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Requirement Due date

the individual is of integrity and good character;

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Requirement Due date

full and satisfactory information is available in relation to the individual in respect of each of the matters in Schedule 2;

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Requirement Due date

the individual is mentally and physically fit to carry on the home; and

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Requirement Due date

the individual is financially fit to carry on the home.

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Requirement Due date

satisfy the requirements in paragraph (5)(a) to (c); and 3 November Inspection report for children’s home: 2555505 8 have the capacity, experience and skills to supervise the management of the home, or the homes, in respect of which the responsible individual is nominated. (Regulation 26 (1) (5)(a)(b)(c)(d) (7)(a)(b))

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Requirement Due date

This specifically relates to the responsible individual undertaking their role in accordance with regulations.

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Requirement Due date

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

keep the children’s guide and the home’s complaints procedure under review and seek children’s comments before revising either document. (Regulation 7 (1)(a)(b)(c) (2)(c))

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Requirement Due date

This specifically refers to the registered person ensuring that the children’s guide is adapted to meet the individual needs of children. 3 November

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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: 2555505 9

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Children’s home details

Registered provider: Aspiration House Limited

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Children’s home details

Registered provider address: 2nd Floor, 9 Portland Street, Manchester M1 3BE

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Inspector

Lizette Watts, Social Care Inspector Inspection report for children’s home: 2555505 10 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.

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Inspector

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Inspector

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Inspector

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