Children's home run by Aone Children’s Services LTD

Inspection report for children’s home: 2836275 1 Registered provider: Aone Children’s Services LTD 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. The home provides care for up to three children who experience social and emotional difficulties and learning difficulties. At the time of this inspection, two children were living at the home. The inspector met with both children.

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Information about this children’s home

The manager registered with Ofsted in June 2025 when the home opened.

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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 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: not previously inspected

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good

Overall judgement at last inspection: not applicable

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good

Enforcement action since last inspection: not applicable Inspection report for children’s home: 2836275 2

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Staff at the home speak with passion about the care of the children. They help children to achieve their aspirations. Staff show an interest in children and offer lots of praise and recognition for their achievements. One child was taken out for a meal and was bought concert tickets for completing their exams.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Decisions about children coming to live at the home are inclusive. Staff balance the needs of the children already living there with the needs of the child moving in. Staff support children to move into the home in a planned and positive way, and children’s views are central to this. Staff help children to develop an understanding of what it will be like in the home before they move in.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Children attend education. Staff work with key professionals when children experience barriers to attendance. As a result, both children are currently on reduced timetables to support them to settle. Whilst there is no EHC plan in place for one child, this was discussed and the manager will be advocating for this. One child has completed their GCSE exams and is currently at college.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Staff have meaningful conversations with children. They support children to reflect on their feelings and behaviours. Staff encourage children to share their views about the home and to make requests for any changes they would like to see. Children said they liked staff, and one child said they are confident to talk to anyone if they are upset.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Children’s healthcare needs are met. Staff ensure that children can access all key health services and receive support with any health concerns. Referrals to relevant medical professionals are completed, and one child has recently received a formal diagnosis. There has been an improved understanding of one child’s needs and how to support them because of this.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Clear systems are in place to identify and track children’s progress. Staff celebrate children’s smaller day-to-day achievements.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Staff help children to build positive relationships with each other. The children are encouraged to participate in a range of activities together. The children recently went to an escape room and for a meal with staff. The children have creative talents that are nurtured and embraced in the home, and examples of their creations are proudly on display.

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

Children say they are happy and feel safe living at the home. One child said they can talk to any of the adults if they are worried or upset about anything. Inspection report for children’s home: 2836275 3 Staff work with multi-agency professionals to understand children’s individual needs and vulnerabilities. One child has received therapeutic input to support them with their emotional well-being. The child is happy to share the outcomes of these sessions with staff to enable them to develop the strategies used to support the child. Collaborative working between the home and external agencies has helped the child to develop a sense of safety.

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

When concerns have been raised about staff, the manager has responded effectively. Information is shared with relevant external agencies, and the manager completes robust investigations. Key learning taken from these incidences inform practice improvements. Staff speak to children, and children are offered opportunities to make complaints.

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

Staff are attuned to the children. They provide children with support and opportunities to explore their thoughts and feelings safely. There have been occasions when a child has self-harmed. Staff have responded appropriately and supported the child to feel safe. As a result, the frequency of incidents involving self- harm is reducing for the child.

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

Staff demonstrate a good understanding of risk management. They speak confidently about how they protect children from harm and respond to emergency health needs. However, the individual plans for children lack clear guidance on this.

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

Children are supported to take risks appropriate to their age or level of understanding. The access to sharps is restricted. Plans lack a clear rationale that demonstrates that this risk is regularly reviewed and how this restriction will be reduced over time.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

Leaders and managers of the home are committed to the care of children. They have been instrumental in defining a culture and ethos characterised by warmth, nurture and care. The manager knows the children well and is responsive to their needs. She has provided consistent and stable managerial support to children and staff alike.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

The manager has clear systems in place for monitoring care in the home. The manager has good oversight of the quality of care and staff practice. Through their review of incident reports, the manager has identified areas to develop and improve staff practice.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

The home is sufficiently staffed to meet the needs of children. The current staff have a range of experience and have been working at the home since it first opened. This provides stability and consistency for children.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

Staff enjoy working at the home and feel well supported by the management team. Supervision sessions are detailed and robust. There is a focus on children’s care and Inspection report for children’s home: 2836275 4 support, team dynamics and safeguarding. Staff are supported in pursuing training and developing in their roles. However, staff have not yet received training to understand the recent diagnosis for one child.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

The environment is warm and homely. It is suitably furnished and nicely decorated, with photos of children and staff on display. Children’s bedrooms are personalised in line with their individual interests. This helps children to feel a sense of belonging.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

Feedback from professionals is extremely positive. One professional said, ‘The staff are proactive and child-centred in their approach. They respond to the needs of the children well and provide excellent wraparound care.’ Another professional said that the home is one of the best they have worked with.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

One parent said, ‘The staff have been so accommodating and welcoming and my child is happy living at the home.’ Inspection report for children’s home: 2836275 5

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Recommendations

 The registered person should ensure that staff have the relevant skills and knowledge to be able to respond to the health needs of children. When a child receives a new diagnosis, the manager should ensure that staff receive training to develop their knowledge and understanding of this. (‘Guide to the Children’s Homes Regulations, including the quality standards’, page 34, paragraph 7.2)  The registered person should ensure that the reasons for any restrictions in the home environment are recorded clearly, that timescales and mechanisms for review are specified and that children’s individual views on these measures are recorded. (‘Guide to the Children’s Homes Regulations, including the quality standards’, page 15, paragraph 3.10)  The registered person should ensure that children’s individual plans clearly outline the responsibilities for staff. Everyone working at the home must understand the actions they need to take in response to any presenting risk for children to ensure

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Recommendations

they are supported and safeguarded effectively. (‘Guide to the Children’s Homes Regulations, including the quality standards’, page 54, paragraph 10.20).

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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: 2836275 6

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Children’s home details

Registered provider: Aone Children’s Services LTD

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Children’s home details

Registered provider address: Nationwide Building Society, 27 Regent Street, Kingswood, Bristol BS15 8JX

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Children’s home details

Responsible individual: Samantha Choules

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Inspector

Carly Parry, Social Care Inspector Inspection report for children’s home: 2836275 7 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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