Children's Home, Residential special school run by Aurora Care and Education Opco Limited in Cambridgeshire

Inspection report children's home: 1229766 1 Registered provider: Aurora Care and Education Opco 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 organisation. The home provides care for up to 15 children and young people who have complex health needs, including autism, attention deficit hyperactivity disorder, physical disabilities and/or sensory and learning disabilities.

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Information about this children's home

There is a school and accommodation for adults who have learning disabilities and complex needs on the same grounds as the home.

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Information about this children's home

At the time of this inspection, there were 11 children living at the home.

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Information about this children's home

The inspectors only inspected the social care provision.

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Information about this children's home

The manager registered with Ofsted in June 2023.

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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 outstanding

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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: 14 October 2024

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good

Overall judgement at last inspection: good

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good

Enforcement action since last inspection: none Inspection report children's home: 1229766 2

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Inspection date Inspection type Inspection judgement

14/10/2024 Full Good 30/05/2023 Full Good 21/06/2022 Full Good 17/11/2021 Interim Sustained effectiveness Inspection report children's home: 1229766 3

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Children and young people are making good progress. One child has developed their confidence significantly enough to try new experiences, including a visit to Paris. Staff help children to become increasingly independent, whilst ensuring that their health needs are met.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Staff make thoughtful preparations so that children can move on from the home with confidence. One child visited their new home ahead of time, allowing them to become familiar with the environment and build relationships with staff. Another child was supported through the use of a personalised storyboard, helping them to make sense of the planned ending.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Staff use visual aids, sign language, and other communication methods to ensure that children’s views are understood. This helps children to develop positive relationships with staff and allows them to make meaningful choices about their care and experiences.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Staff nurture each child’s uniqueness and identity. Staff consulted with a child’s parents when planning cultural celebrations to ensure that the child could participate with respect to their own faith and heritage.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Managers and staff support children and young people to have fun and try new things. They enjoy trips abroad, visits to London and meals out. One child was supported to attend a large music concert. These opportunities are made possible because managers effectively assess and mitigate risks through meticulous health care planning.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Children make good progress in their education. Staff support them to achieve high levels of attendance. Leaders share information effectively with school staff, which ensures that teachers are well prepared to meet the children's needs.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Staff know the children and young people well and manage their complex medical needs effectively. Staff remain close to children and young people who have seizures to reduce the risk of harm and ensure their safety. Despite a need for close monitoring, staff always respect children’s privacy and dignity.

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

Children and young people’s safety and welfare is a priority. There have been no incidents requiring physical restraint. Staff use their strong relationships with children and a calm approach to de-escalate challenging situations. When children are frustrated or upset, staff ensure that others are moved to safety. This helps children to calm. Inspection report children's home: 1229766 4 Staff acted quickly to protect a child following an incident of alleged professional misconduct. Staff intervened and reported the matter immediately. Managers took swift and decisive action to safeguard the child and prevent further risk of harm.

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

Risk assessments are clear. They provide staff with specific instructions on how to manage challenging situations and health emergencies. These additional measures ensure that staff know exactly what to do to keep children safe.

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

Staff are vigilant and curious. For example, when a staff member noticed a child was in discomfort, they took immediate action by contacting the child's parent. As a result of this effective communication, the child saw a doctor and received treatment for an ear infection.

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

Staff follow safe practices to maintain children and young people’s health. Medication is closely monitored and regularly audited to identify and address any concerns. Equipment is well-maintained and fit for purpose. When faults occur, managers’ report them promptly so that health professionals can provide replacements.

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

Staff support children well when accidents occur. Leaders ensure that families and Ofsted are notified promptly. Staff seek medical attention immediately and support children throughout their recovery. For one child who has experienced two recent accidents, managers have proactively sought a bone density assessment to identify and address any underlying health needs.

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

Parents and social workers say they have no safeguarding concerns.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: outstanding

Leaders and managers know the children and young people well. They provide staff with exceptional guidance and role modelling. This supports staff to deliver safe, effective care and helps them to make good progress. One social worker said, ‘Leaders are fantastic and work effectively. The staff know exactly what they are doing they are well monitored, knowledgeable and answer questions about their child because they know them so well.’

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: outstanding

Leaders and managers are highly effective. Despite periods of significant staff turnover, leaders and managers have ensured that children and young people receive stable and consistent care. Staff morale is good and staff speak positively about the support they receive.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: outstanding

Managers take swift and decisive action when incidents occur. They notify the correct authorities immediately. They review each event carefully to reduce further risks and keep children and young people safe.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: outstanding

Leaders and managers maintain high levels of oversight. They monitor staff performance closely and hold them to account if their practice does not meet the children's and young people’s needs. Inspection report children's home: 1229766 5 Managers effectively use the electronic monitoring system to maintain a clear overview of the home's daily operations. They immediately share any concerns across the organisation to ensure a prompt response.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: outstanding

Supervision discussions are explorative and provide staff with the opportunity to reflect on their practice. Leaders and managers offer empathetic emotional support and ensure that staff training is current. This helps staff to work effectively and promote the children's best interests.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: outstanding

Managers invest in staff development through regular training, mentoring, and guidance. Staff have successfully gained further qualifications and progressed into more senior roles.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: outstanding

No requirements or recommendations were made during this inspection. Inspection report children's home: 1229766 6

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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 children's home: 1229766 7

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Children's home details

Provision sub-type: Independent Children’s Home

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Children's home details

Registered provider: Aurora Care and Education Opco Limited

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Children's home details

Registered provider address: Unit 13, Twigworth Court Business Centre, Tewkesbury Road, Gloucester, Gloucestershire GL2 9PG

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Inspectors

Dan Williams, Social Care Inspector Sallie Bloomfield, Social Care Inspector Inspection report children's home: 1229766 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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Inspectors

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Inspectors

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Inspectors

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