Children's Home run by AA&J Supporting Services Limited in Derbyshire

Inspection report for children’s home: 2828709 1 Registered provider: AA&J Supporting Services Ltd Full inspection Inspected under the social care common inspection framework

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Information about this children’s home

This home is privately owned and provides care for up to 3 children with learning disabilities.

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Information about this children’s home

At the time of the inspection, one child was living at the home.

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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: 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: 2828709 2

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

At the time of the inspection, one child was living at the home. The inspector spent time with the child through their daily routines.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

The staff have started to build positive relationships with the child in a short period of time. They create a positive atmosphere in the home. The child seeks time with the staff, and staff respond with care. The staff offer different perspectives and experiences that the child responds to. The staff have been proactive in exploring the child’s interests. They support the child’s love of music and art and help them to access places where they can express themselves freely.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Staff encourage the child to develop a wide range of independence skills, including cooking a meal and independent travel. They support the child to carry out coursework on living independently. Staff are nurturing and patient in their approach and ensure that the child understands what is being asked of them. However, occasionally, there are missed opportunities to have a more dynamic learning environment where the child can develop more life skills daily.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

The child has access to a wide variety of activities. Many of these are related to online gaming. Staff are working to reduce those barriers that could hinder the child’s ability to experience an activity so they remain included in the wider society. These varied opportunities help the child to improve their confidence and support them to develop their social skills.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

The child’s health needs are being met. When they need ongoing specialist healthcare support, this is provided and staff encourage attendance. The child is progressively becoming more independent with their own care and less reliant on adults. The child enjoys a varied diet and can choose which foods they want to eat.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

The home environment is well maintained and suitably furnished. The child’s bedroom is personalised in accordance with their preferences.

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

The child is responding positively to a consistent, caring and nurturing approach used by staff. Staff understand and implement actions from the child’s behaviour support plan. However, behaviour support plans and risk assessments have not had a regular review and update by a manager. This has reduced leaders’ and managers’ oversight and delayed their ability to review and adapt risk assessments to mitigate future risks for the child.

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

When managers become aware of complaints or allegations, these are escalated and investigated appropriately. Managers ensure that they inform the local authority Inspection report for children’s home: 2828709 3 designated officer following any allegation. If a complaint is from a child, these are responded to thoroughly with a clear response to any action taken. This means that the child is more likely to share their worries and concerns with staff in the future.

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

There is a clear medication process in place. Staff receive training before they can take the lead in this process. When children are older and developing their independence skills, they manage their own medication with robust oversight and support from staff.

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

When the child has been missing from home, staff have worked effectively in partnership with the police and other stakeholders to locate them, ensuring they return to the home safely. Staff actively look for the child. When the child has returned to the home, the responsible authority is asked to carry out a return home interview.

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

Health and safety is made a priority. This means that there are regular and robust checks on areas such as fire safety. This means that the child, staff and visitors are more likely to be safe while at this home.

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

A manager has overseen the safer recruitment processes. This helps to ensure that only those adults who have been assessed as safe to work with children are employed at the home.

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

There has been no registered manager in post since December 2025. There is no responsible individual. A new manager has started their role, although as a temporary measure. The provider is currently in the process of recruiting a more permanent manager.

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

As this is a newly registered children’s home, the staff team is new and is developing its experience. The provider has identified a shortfall in staffing and is being proactive in remedying this through recruitment.

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

The monitoring of the home requires strengthening. Internal quality of care reviews have not taken place and been submitted to the regulator within timescales. The home’s statement of purpose does not fully reflect the care provided by the home. External monitoring by an independent person does not consistently provide the appropriate level of scrutiny to influence continuous improvement in care.

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

Staff begin their training as part of an induction programme. They continue to enhance their skills and knowledge with both general and child-specific training when required. However, some staff have not yet received training in all aspects of care. When children have a specific care need relating to a sensory impairment, staff have not received any training about this.

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

The staff are not all receiving regular supervision. This means that they lack regular Inspection report for children’s home: 2828709 4 opportunities to reflect on their development, and for a manager to routinely assess their competence. However, the manager does hold regular team meetings and there are effective systems in place for communicating information.

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

This is the home’s first inspection since registration in June 2025. Three statutory requirements and one recommendation have been made. Inspection report for children’s home: 2828709 5

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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 protection of children standard is that children are protected from harm and enabled to keep themselves safe.

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Requirement Due date

In particular, the standard in paragraph (1) requires the registered person to ensure—

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Requirement Due date

that the home’s day-to-day care is arranged and delivered so as to keep each child safe and to protect each child effectively from harm. (Regulation 12 (1) (2)(b))

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Requirement Due date

This relates to children’s behaviour support plans and risk assessment not being reviewed by a manager. 27 February 2026

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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; and

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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

lead and manage the home in a way that is consistent with the approach and ethos, and delivers the outcomes, set out in the home’s statement of purpose;

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Requirement Due date

ensure that staff have the experience, qualifications and skills to meet the needs of each child;

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Requirement Due date

ensure that the home has sufficient staff to provide care for each child;

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Requirement Due date

ensure that the home’s workforce provides continuity of care to each child. (Regulation 13 (1)(a)(b) (2)(a)(c)(d)(e)) 27 February 2026 Inspection report for children’s home: 2828709 6 This relates to there being no consistent management and staff team.

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Requirement Due date

This relates to staff not receiving training to meet all the needs of a child.

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Requirement Due date

This relates to the care provided not being consistent with the home’s statement of purpose.

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Requirement Due date

The registered person must complete a review of the quality of care provided for children ("a quality of care review") at least once every 6 months.

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Requirement Due date

In order to complete a quality of care review the registered person must establish and maintain a system for monitoring, reviewing and evaluating—

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Requirement Due date

the quality of care provided for children;

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Requirement Due date

the feedback and opinions of children about the children’s home, its facilities and the quality of care they receive in it; and

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Requirement Due date

any actions that the registered person considers necessary in order to improve or maintain the quality of care provided for children.

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Requirement Due date

After completing a quality of care review, the registered person must produce a written report about the quality of care review and the actions which the registered person intends to take as a result of the quality of care review ("the quality of care review report").

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Requirement Due date

supply to HMCI a copy of the quality of care review report within 28 days of the date on which the quality of care review is completed; and

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Requirement Due date

make a copy of the quality of care review report available on request to a placing authority, if the placing authority is not the parent of a child accommodated in the home.

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Requirement Due date

The system referred to in paragraph (2) must provide for ascertaining and considering the opinions of children, their parents, placing authorities and staff. (Regulation 45 (1) (2)(a)(b)(c) (3) (4)(a)(b) (5)) 27 February 2026 Inspection report for children’s home: 2828709 7 This relates to no regulation 45 report being sent to the regulator.

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Recommendation

 Children’s home staff should seek to identify and provide appropriate opportunities for children to develop themselves as part of the home’s plan for their care. (‘Guide to Children’s Homes Regulations, including the Quality Standards’, page 31, paragraph 6.4)

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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: 2828709 8

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Children’s home details

Registered provider: AA&J Supporting Services Ltd

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Inspector

Simon Hunter, Social Care Inspector Inspection report for children’s home: 2828709 9 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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Inspector

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