Children's Home run by Aspris Care North West Limited in Lancashire

Inspection report for children’s home: 2582246 1 Registered provider: Aspris Care North West 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

The home is owned by a private provider and is registered to care for up to two children who experience social and emotional difficulties.

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Information about this children’s home

The home and manager have been registered with Ofsted since March 2020.

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Information about this children’s home

There were no children living in the home at the time of the inspection.

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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: 2582246 2

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Inspection date Inspection type Inspection judgement

02/01/2025 Full Good 24/07/2023 Full Good 25/10/2022 Full Requires improvement to be good 30/03/2022 Interim Improved effectiveness Inspection report for children’s home: 2582246 3

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improvement to be good

Children have mixed experiences when moving in and out of the home. Leaders and managers did not ensure that one child’s move into the home was appropriately planned. Ineffective care planning and poor leadership and management of the home had a negative impact on the child’s experiences and progress.

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improvement to be good

Since the last inspection, two children have had positive moves on from the home. The staff supported the children to develop their independent living skills and encouraged children to move into independent living accommodation. One child said, ‘All the staff there in that home have just been amazing. I don’t think I would be where I am today without them .’

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improvement to be good

The home is nicely decorated, with a new carpet recently being fitted in the lounge. Staff support children to personalise their bedrooms when they move into the home.

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improvement to be good

Children are supported to attend education. Children’s education providers are varied and depend on the children’s individual needs. Providers include mainstream school, tutoring and online training. This supports children’s continuing learning and development.

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improvement to be good

Children are supported to spend time with their family and friends. Staff support children to visit family members, including those who live a significant distance from the home. This supports children to maintain relationships with people who are important to them.

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improvement to be good

Children benefit from opportunities to enjoy different activities of their choice. Activities include playing board games, watching films, baking, attending concerts and going to theme parks. This helps children to increase their social interactions and to develop interpersonal skills.

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improvement to be good

Leaders and managers do not demonstrate a strong or proactive approach to risk management and harm reduction. For one child, their risk assessment does not include all identified areas of concern and identified strategies to reduce risk.

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improvement to be good

One child’s risk assessment includes contradictory information. For example, safety plans completed by other relevant professionals are not included. This does not ensure that staff have clear strategies to support the child and reduce risk. Inspection report for children’s home: 2582246 4 Strategies identified to reduce the risk for one child around mobile phone use and online safety have not been implemented. As a result, the child can use their device without any safety plans in place. This poses a risk to them.

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improvement to be good

The in-house therapist works closely with staff to provide support and guidance around the individual needs of the children. However, for one child, the in-house therapist has not been fully involved in decisions to support known behaviours.

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improvement to be good

When children go missing, staff are quick to respond. Partnership work with the police is effective, and staff actively ensure that the children return home as soon as possible. Staff have a good understanding of the missing-from-home procedures.

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improvement to be good

Safer recruitment processes are followed, which means that staff are recruited safely. Recruitment checks ensure that only suitable staff are employed to work with children in the home.

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good

The home is managed by a dedicated and caring manager. The manager ensures that she is present in the home and available for staff and children. However, there is ineffective leadership and management of the home in the manager’s absence.

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good

There are gaps in the monitoring and review systems used by leaders and managers. The manager does not ensure that children’s records are kept up to date. For example, there are no records of items being removed from a child’s bedroom and the reasons for this. This does not help the manager to support staff to make continuous improvements in the quality of care they provide for children.

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good

Serious incidents are not always reported to Ofsted. This means that the regulator does not have sufficient oversight and scrutiny of the management of significant incidents.

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good

Staff are supported through regular reflective supervision and annual appraisals. Team meetings are held regularly and are an opportunity for staff to discuss children’s individual needs and share evidence-based research.

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good

Staff speak highly of the registered manager and the support she provides to the team. One staff member said, ‘Our manager leads and sets a strong example and ensures that staff feel valued, confident and well guided in their roles.’ Inspection report for children’s home: 2582246 5

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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.

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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;

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Requirement Due date

take effective action whenever there is a serious concern about a child’s welfare. (Regulation 12 (1) (2)(a)(v)(vi))

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Requirement Due date

The registered person must ensure that children’s risk management plans include all relevant risks and identified strategies to reduce risk to children.

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Requirement Due date

The registered person must ensure that staff understand and implement identified strategies to support children and reduce the risk of harm when using mobile phones and online devices. 26 December

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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

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; 26 December Inspection report for children’s home: 2582246 6 understand the impact that the quality of care provided in the home is having on the progress and experiences of each child and use this understanding to inform the development of the quality of care provided in the home. (Regulation 13 (1)(a)(b) (2)(a)(f))

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Requirement Due date

The registered person must ensure that there is effective arrangements for management oversight when the registered manager is absent from the home.

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Requirement Due date

The registered person must ensure that there are effective systems in place for leaders to access relevant records in the absence of the registered manager.

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Requirement Due date

The registered person must ensure that leaders and managers have effective oversight of significant incidents and day-to-day experiences of children living at the home.

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Requirement Due date

The care planning standard is that children—

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Requirement Due date

receive effectively planned care in or through the children’s home; and

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Requirement Due date

have a positive experience of arriving at or moving on from the home.

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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

that children are admitted to the home only if their needs are within the range of needs of children for whom it is intended that the home is to provide care and accommodation, as set out in the home’s statement of purpose. (Regulation 14 (1)(a)(b) (2)(a))

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Requirement Due date

The registered person must ensure that full consideration is given to the needs and risks of children before they move into the home. 26 December

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Requirement Due date

The registered person must notify HMCI and each other relevant person without delay if—

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Requirement Due date

a child is involved in or subject to, or is suspected of being involved in or subject to, sexual exploitation; 26 December Inspection report for children’s home: 2582246 7 an incident requiring police involvement occurs in relation to a child which the registered person considers to be serious;

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Requirement Due date

there is an allegation of abuse against the home or a person working there;

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Requirement Due date

a child protection enquiry involving a child —

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Requirement Due date

concludes (in which case, the notification must include the outcome of the child protection enquiry); or

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Requirement Due date

there is any other incident relating to a child which the registered person considers to be serious. (Regulation 40 (4)(a)(b)(c)(d)(i)(ii)(e))

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Requirement Due date

The registered person must ensure that when a serious incident occurs, a notification is made to Ofsted.

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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: 2582246 8

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Children’s home details

Registered provider: Aspris Care North West Limited

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Children’s home details

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

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Children’s home details

Responsible individual: Penelope Rafferty

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Inspectors

Stacey Ilaboya, Social Care Inspector Karen Andrews, Social Care Inspector Inspection report for children’s home: 2582246 9 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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Inspectors

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Inspectors

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Inspectors

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