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

Inspection report for children’s home: 2634720 1 Registered provider: Aspris Care Central 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 and managed by a private provider. It provides care for up to two children who may experience social and emotional difficulties.

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Information about this children’s home

At the time of this inspection, two children were living at the home and spoke to the inspector about their experience of living there.

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Information about this children’s home

The manager is not currently registered with Ofsted.

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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 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 provides effective services that meet the requirements for good.

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good

Date of last inspection: 21 January 2025

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good

Overall judgement at last inspection: outstanding

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good

Enforcement action since last inspection: none Inspection report for children’s home: 2634720 2

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Inspection date Inspection type Inspection judgement

21/01/2025 Full Outstanding 12/03/2024 Full Outstanding 14/02/2023 Full Good 11/01/2022 Full Good Inspection report for children’s home: 2634720 3

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Since the last inspection, the same two children have remained living at the home. Both children have continued to maintain and make positive progress, supported by staff who provide warm and nurturing care. One child said, ‘Staff have helped me and make me feel safe.’

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Staff work closely with education professionals to ensure that children access the right support and have the resources they need to meet their goals. Both children attend full- time education and are making consistent progress within their respective educational settings. One child is working towards completing their exams and has a clear plan of how to reach their goal of becoming a pilot. Staff take an active role in helping the child to fulfil their aspirations and goals. For example, they take the child to visit airports.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Children’s health needs are known and understood by staff, who ensure that children attend their routine health appointments, have good oral hygiene and make healthy choices. In addition, children also have direct therapeutic support offered by the psychotherapist, who attends the home weekly. Therapeutic support is also provided to staff so that they have clear guidance are better equipped on how to meet children’s emotional well-being needs.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Staff provide children with consistent boundaries, structure and routine to promote safety and stability at the home. Children have responded well to this and, where appropriate, take responsibility for their own daily routines and activities. One child has an early morning paper round, attends school and regularly attends the gym in the evenings.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Children are not always fully supported in their independence or preparation to move on from the home in line with their care plans and individual capabilities. Children are not always encouraged or supported to take age-appropriate risks or given opportunities to explore age-appropriate freedoms in line with their peers. This is a missed opportunity to better support and prepare children for independence.

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

Staff know how to keep children safe and practice is underpinned by thorough and up- to-date risk assessments that are regularly reviewed by the manager. Children are able to share their views about how they want staff to support them.

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

Significant incidents are well managed, and any areas for practice development are quickly identified. Children’s views are always considered and actioned where appropriate. Staff use effective de-escalation strategies in line with children’s individual plans. The use of physical intervention is extremely rare, with three instances since the last inspection. Physical intervention is always used as a last resort, and records are Inspection report for children’s home: 2634720 4 sufficiently detailed to allow for effective review. Children are always spoken to following an intervention, and any areas for development are swiftly addressed.

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

Consequences are rarely used and are proportionate when given. Staff use consequences to help children understand the impact of a behaviour. Staff work closely with therapeutic professionals to implement more incentive-based rewards for children to encourage more positive behaviours. Children have responded well to this change.

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

There has been one complaint from an external source since the last inspection, concerning a conflict in the community for one child. This was sensitively and effectively managed. The child was helped to rebuild and restore a relationship positively, without further escalation, and was helped to learn how to resolve conflict appropriately. However, on this occasion, a notification was not submitted to Ofsted.

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

There have been significant changes in the staffing and management of the home since the last inspection, with most staff and the manager leaving their employment in July 2025. Limited consideration of the impact for children was given in relation to the changes in staff and management of the home. Endings were not well managed or supported, despite leaders having sufficient notice of staff leaving the home. Ineffective supervision and oversight meant that declining standards and gaps in the previous manager’s oversight were not identified or addressed.

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

The home has not been well maintained, furnished or decorated to a high standard. Many areas of the home, including children’s bedrooms, do not feel welcoming. Although refurbishment work is now underway, improvements should have been implemented sooner.

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

The new manager has been in post since the beginning of September 2025 and has already begun to make positive changes at the home. She is suitably experienced and makes effective, child-focused decisions. She has safely recruited a kind and nurturing staff team, who have prioritised building positive relationships with children. Staff have accessed a wide range of relevant training and say that they have found this helpful in supporting children.

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

The manager works with external agencies effectively and has quickly established positive working relationships with professionals involved in children’s lives. She strongly advocates on behalf of children to professionals involved in care planning and ensures that children’s voices are heard. However, delayed decisions impacting children’s plans should be escalated more quickly.

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

The manager has improved and increased the quality and frequency of supervisions. She provides staff with child-focused and practice-related supervision in line with the home’s statement of purpose. Areas of development are identified, appropriately actioned and reviewed by the manager. Staff say that they feel supported by the manager and that she is always available and approachable for help. Inspection report for children’s home: 2634720 5 Management oversight of the home has improved. The manager has introduced new systems to ensure that she has effective and evaluative oversight of staff practice. The manager prioritises children’s progress and well-being and she quickly identifies and addresses areas for improvement. However, at the time of this inspection, the changes had not been embedded across the staff team. Inspection report for children’s home: 2634720 6

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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 quality and purpose of care standard is that children receive care from staff who—

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Requirement Due date

understand the children’s home’s overall aims and the outcomes it seeks to achieve for children;

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Requirement Due date

use this understanding to deliver care that meets children’s needs and supports them to fulfil their potential.

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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

help each child to develop resilience and skills that prepare the child to return home, to live in a new placement or to live independently as an adult;

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Requirement Due date

provide to children living in the home the physical necessities they need in order to live there comfortably;

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Requirement Due date

make decisions about the day-to-day arrangements for each child, in accordance with the child’s relevant plans, which give the child an appropriate degree of freedom and choice;

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Requirement Due date

ensure that the premises used for the purposes of the home are designed and furnished so as to—

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Requirement Due date

meet the needs of each child. (Regulation 6 (1)(a)(b) (2)(b)(vi)(vii)(ix)(c))

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Requirement Due date

Specifically, the registered person must ensure that staff have the confidence and skills to support children to take age- appropriate risks and provide the same opportunities for freedom and learning as children’s peers in line with their individual risks and capabilities. 2 January 2026 Inspection report for children’s home: 2634720 7 The registered person must ensure that children live in a home that is decorated and furnished to a high standard and reflects that of a family home environment.

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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.

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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

use monitoring and review systems to make continuous improvements in the quality of care provided in the home. (Regulation 13 (1)(a) (2)(h))

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Requirement Due date

Specifically, the registered person must ensure that all staff support children to fulfil their potential in line with their age, development and risk management plans.

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Requirement Due date

The registered person must ensure that they have effective and evaluative oversight of the home and use this to develop practice and make improvements in the home. 2 January 2026

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Recommendations

 The registered person should ensure that they challenge the placing authority and escalate any concerns in a timely manner where delays in care planning for the child occur. (‘Guide to the Children’s Homes Regulations, including the quality standards,’ page 12, paragraph 2.8)

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Recommendations

 The registered person should ensure that they notify Ofsted of all serious events. (‘Guide to the Children’s Homes Regulations, including the quality standards,’ page 63, paragraph 14.10) Inspection report for children’s home: 2634720 8

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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: 2634720 9

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Children’s home details

Registered provider: Aspris Care Central 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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Inspector

Justina Henry, Social Care Inspector Inspection report for children’s home: 2634720 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.

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Inspector

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Inspector

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Inspector

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