Children's home run by Aspris Homes Limited in North Northamptonshire

Inspection report for children's home: SC413085 1 SC413085 Registered provider: Aspris Homes Limited

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Inspected under the social care common inspection framework

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Information about this children’s home

This home is operated by a private provider and provides care for up to 3 children. The home caters for children who may experience social and emotional difficulties. At the time of the inspection, 2 children were living at the home.

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Information about this children’s home

The manager registered with Ofsted in April 2021.

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Overall experiences and progress of

children and young people, taking into account

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outstanding

How well children and young people are helped and protected outstanding

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outstanding

The effectiveness of leaders and managers outstanding

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outstanding

The children’s home provides highly effective services that consistently exceed the standards of good. The actions of the children’s home contribute to significantly improved outcomes and positive experiences for children and young people who need help, protection and care.

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outstanding

Overall judgement at last inspection: outstanding

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outstanding

Enforcement action since last inspection: none Inspection report for children's home: SC413085 2

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Inspection date Inspection type Inspection judgement

23/07/2024 Full Outstanding 30/08/2023 Full Outstanding 07/03/2023 Full Outstanding 15/12/2021 Full Outstanding Inspection report for children's home: SC413085 3

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: outstanding

The children are very settled at the home and feel loved and supported. They value their relationships with the staff who nurture and care for them, referring to them as their ‘family’. Both children were celebrating turning 18 this month; while excited to be moving on, they spoke about how they will miss their ‘family’ when they do.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: outstanding

Children are respected as individuals, and a real strength of the home is how the staff know and meet their individual needs. This includes their ethnicity, culture and identity, which staff support and promote in a very natural way. Staff celebrate the children’s skills and talents, and they demonstrate enormous pride in the children and their achievements.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: outstanding

Children are encouraged to follow their passions, have fun and make memories. An example of this is when staff arranged for one child to meet their hero, a world-famous jockey, at the Grand National. The child described it as ‘the best day of my life’. Staff routinely go above and beyond to support children to attend activities, many of which are a considerable distance from the home. This helps the children to maintain important friendships away from the home and to develop their own sense of self.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: outstanding

Both children are engaging in further education. Staff communicate well with education staff to promote progress and to ensure that the children have the right support. Staff have high aspirations for the children and help them to make plans for their future. The staff explore career options with the children and help to identify training and work experience, to prepare them for future employment.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: outstanding

Children receive timely support to prepare for their future moves. Staff use creative and engaging ways to enable them to learn new skills according to their individual needs. They are being supported to learn to cook, budget and travel independently.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: outstanding

Staff respond constructively to challenging behaviour. Strategies are in place to promote positive behaviour and to provide space for children to explore their feelings. Staff discuss a range of sensitive and difficult topics with the children in a safe way, without children experiencing feelings of judgement or shame.

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

The home feels homely and calm, with pictures of children throughout. The children have contributed towards decisions about the home environment, such as developing and naming the snug area and how their rooms are decorated.

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

Staff are skilled at supporting the children’s health needs, which requires a high level of diligence. One child with complex medical needs requires an extensive amount of ever- changing medication. While this can be challenging and anxiety provoking for staff, they Inspection report for children's home: SC413085 4 manage this well. Systems have been developed to ensure that medication regimes are managed safely, recognising that the child’s health and wellbeing are paramount. Medical staff have praised the staff at the home for their ‘exceptional level of care and emotional support provided to children’. Children are also being supported to learn to manage their own health and medication needs in readiness for when they move on from the home.

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

Children and parents know how to make a complaint or to raise concerns. When they do, managers acknowledge these quickly and follow the home’s complaints procedure when required. Their responses are open and reflective in nature. This enables the children and their parents to feel that they have been listened to and that any concerns have been resolved in a positive way.

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

Consequences are not routinely used; when they are, they are proportionate and are linked to the behaviours displayed. Any consequences are reviewed by managers and discussed with the children. This helps the children to understand the consequences of their behaviours in a constructive way and to make progress.

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

Staff have not used physical interventions for a number of years. A thorough understanding of the children’s needs allows staff to respond calmly and effectively, reducing any potential escalation. As the home will welcome new children in the coming months, refresher training is being provided to staff in readiness for caring for children who will have their own particular needs. This demonstrates the proactive nature of managers, who ensure that safeguarding knowledge and training are priorities for staff, even if there is not an immediate risk.

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

Arrangements for children to move on from the home are managed well, demonstrating strong planning and advocacy. Staff work closely with other agencies to help to ensure that decisions are made in the best interests of children. Moves are supported through early planning meetings, visits to new placements and gradual moving-in activities, including helping children to set up their rooms and providing practical support. Continued contact after children move on reflects a commitment to ongoing support for children who have lived in the home.

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

Staff challenge the responsible placing authority when they have concerns about the plans for children’s futures, including the timing and provision of the care being offered. Despite the strong practice, records do not fully and consistently capture the work that takes place regarding staff input in the decision-making process and the actions of staff in advocating for children.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: outstanding

Leaders and managers have effective working relationships with partner agencies, ensuring the best possible care, experiences and plans for children. Managers know their children extremely well and have high aspirations for them. A priority for the manager is ensuring that the children feel nurtured and cared for. They have created a team that is committed to giving children stability, high levels of care and opportunities to flourish. Inspection report for children's home: SC413085 5 The home is staffed by a stable team who are suitably qualified and trained. The home does not use agency staff, but there is a valued member of bank staff who is familiar to the children. Staff have completed mandatory training as well as training specific to the needs of the children living in the home. This helps to ensure that the children receive care from familiar staff who are well equipped to respond to their needs.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: outstanding

Professional feedback from all agencies is exceptionally positive, with the staff team described as ‘fantastic’ more than once. Professionals praised the high level of care, support and nurture that the children receive. Staff clearly advocate for children’s health, education and care needs. Professionals credit the level of care that staff provide to the children for the exceptional progress that they make from their starting points. One professional said, ‘The level of care they provide is immeasurable.’

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: outstanding

Robust recruitment checks are in place and managers ensure that all relevant documents are verified. Any gaps are identified and further information is sought where needed, helping to ensure that the children are cared for by suitable staff. Inspection report for children's home: SC413085 6

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Recommendation

 The registered person should ensure that staff are familiar with the home’s policies on record-keeping and understand the importance of careful, objective and clear recording. In particular, staff should ensure records are consistently completed to reflect communication with other professionals and with parents. (‘Guide to the Children’s Homes Regulations, including the quality standards’, page 62, paragraph 14.4)

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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: SC413085 7

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Children’s home details

Registered provider: Aspris Homes 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: Michelle Batchelor

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Inspector

Gemma Bullen, Social Care Inspector Inspection report for children's home: SC413085 8 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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