Children's home run by A & S Children’s Services Limited

Inspection report for children’s home: 2611288 1 Registered provider: A & S Children’s Services Limited Full inspection Inspected under the social care common inspection framework

p.1

Information about this children’s home

This privately run home provides care for up to three children who experience social and emotional difficulties.

p.1

Information about this children’s home

This home registered with Ofsted in February 2021. The manager registered with Ofsted in November 2024 and is suitably qualified.

p.1

Information about this children’s home

Since the last full inspection, three children have lived at the home. At the time of this inspection, one child was living at the home.

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 good

p.1

good

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

p.1

good

Overall judgement at last inspection: good

p.1

good

Enforcement action since last inspection: none Inspection report for children’s home: 2611288 2

p.1

Inspection date Inspection type Inspection judgement

08/10/2024 Full Good 29/01/2024 Full Good 13/07/2022 Full Requires improvement to be good 11/04/2022 Full Inadequate Inspection report for children’s home: 2611288 3

p.2

Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Since the last inspection, all children who have lived at the home have made positive progress from their individual starting points. The plans for when children move into the home are well thought out. The child who now lives at the home visited before they moved in. This helped the child feel involved, reassured and settle into the home quickly.

p.3

Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

The child has built warm and supportive relationships with staff, enabling them to feel secure. They are comfortable in their home and show improvements in important areas of their life. The child is making notable steps in their academic attainment. They now learn from a tutor, having not previously engaged in education.

p.3

Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Meaningful conversations with staff help the child to understand and reflect on their life experiences. Together, they explore what support and help the child needs.

p.3

Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

The child is actively involved in their care planning and has influence in their records and daily experiences. Staff understand and consider the child’s views and ensure that their needs are met.

p.3

Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

The child spends time with the people who are important to them and participates in regular activities. Staff celebrate religious festivals with each child.

p.3

Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Children who move on from the home are well prepared for their futures and to live independently. Staff support them to gain important self-care and independence skills in line with their individual needs.

p.3

Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

The child lives in a clean, comfortable and welcoming home. They have personalised their bedroom, which helps them feel valued. The quality of the environment promotes comfort and pride.

p.3

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

The child says they feel safe, and this view is shared by the child’s parents and their social worker. Staff apply support strategies effectively, and risks for the child decrease. The frequency of incidents of the child going missing from home has reduced while living at this home.

p.3

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

Staff follow safeguarding protocols and act immediately if the child goes missing from home. They record all incidents, contact the child’s support network and review the child’s welfare on their return. Staff welcome the child home with warmth and spend time reviewing the child’s safety and well-being. Inspection report for children’s home: 2611288 4 Staff update risk assessments to reflect the child’s changing needs and risks. They apply skills learned through training effectively. Physical interventions are not used. Instead, staff use alternative strategies to prevent situations from escalating.

p.3

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

Staff understand the home’s whistle-blowing policy. The child knows how to make a complaint, and they have no concerns about the home. This reflects the stable, good care the child receives.

p.4

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

The organisation implements strong safer recruitment procedures. Staff are suitable and skilled to work with children.

p.4

The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

A highly motivated leadership team, led by an experienced registered manager, oversees the home effectively. Together, the responsible individual, registered manager and deputy manager use their in-depth knowledge to support the child and staff. This fosters a culture of care, consistency and continuous improvement.

p.4

The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

The child is cared for by a committed and stable staff team. Leaders and managers prioritise staff development, so staff are knowledgeable in their roles. Staff benefit from strong support and a good training programme. Managers conduct annual appraisals to plan for staff’s personal and professional growth. Through regular supervision sessions, staff reflect on their practice and discuss their welfare.

p.4

The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

The registered manager considers each child’s therapeutic support needs before they move in. Staff are trained to deliver therapeutically informed care. The registered manager and staff do not demonstrate a collective understanding of the model of care that is adopted in the home.

p.4

The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

Staff work closely together to meet children’s needs and keep relevant professionals informed about children’s progress. One professional described communication from staff as ‘excellent,’ highlighting the effectiveness of these partnerships. Inspection report for children’s home: 2611288 5

p.4

Recommendation

 The registered person should ensure that the home’s statement of purpose sets out the model of care used by the home and that there is a collective understanding of how this is practised within the staff team. (‘Guide to the Children’s Homes Regulations, including the quality standards’, page 14, paragraph 3.5)

p.5

Information about this inspection

The inspector has 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: 2611288 6

p.5

Children’s home details

Registered provider: A & S Children’s Services Limited

p.6

Children’s home details

Registered manager: Caprice Takyi-Boateng Da Silva

p.6

Inspector

Richard Wyper, Social Care Inspector Inspection report for children’s home: 2611288 7 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.6

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.7

Inspector

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

p.7

Inspector

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

p.7