Children's Home run by Aspire 2 Be Ltd in Barnet

Inspection report for children’s home: 2571630 1 Registered provider: Aspire 2 Be Ltd Full inspection Inspected under the social care common inspection framework

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Information about this children’s home

This privately run children’s home provides care for up to 3 children with social and emotional difficulties.

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Information about this children’s home

The home registered with Ofsted in January 2021. The manager registered in December 2024.

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Information about this children’s home

There were 2 children living at the home at the time of this inspection. The inspectors spoke with both of them.

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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

Overall judgement at last inspection: good

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good

Enforcement action since last inspection: none Inspection report for children’s home: 2571630 2

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Inspection date Inspection type Inspection judgement

07/05/2025 Full Good 09/04/2024 Full Good 24/05/2023 Full Good 11/01/2023 Full Requires improvement to be good Inspection report for children’s home: 2571630 3

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Summary of findings

This children’s home provides a warm and stable environment where children feel safe, valued and supported. Children are welcomed sensitively when they first move to the home, helping them to settle quickly. Staff plan carefully when children move on to promote their safety and well-being. Risks are well understood and staff respond effectively to children’s needs with clear recording and strong partnership working to safeguard children. Leaders and managers provide good oversight and promote a positive staff culture. They use feedback to drive continuous improvements and strengthen the support provided to children.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Children receive consistently nurturing and supportive care. Staff build warm and trusting relationships with children, helping them to feel safe and valued. Children spoken to during the inspection said they feel listened to and that staff care about them. This contributes to a positive and stable environment where children make progress from their starting points.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Staff understand children’s individual needs well and provide consistent care that promotes children’s emotional and social development. Children benefit from clear and well-structured care plans that support their progress.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Children who are new to the home are welcomed sensitively, with careful planning. Managers and staff take time to understand each child’s needs, routines and preferences before they move in. For example, one child was supported to bring their cat into the home as this was important to them. As a result, children settle quickly and begin to build relationships with staff and other children. This thoughtful approach reduces children’s worries and helps them feel a sense of belonging early on.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Staff support children to engage in education, develop independent skills and take part in activities that interest them. One child with an interest in becoming a chef has been supported to complete relevant online courses. The child has also completed other courses to help them understand the risks associated with smoking and vaping. This support helps to build children’s confidence and resilience over time.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

When children move on, the registered manager plans carefully to maintain continuity of care. Planning is child-centred and involves children, their families, and relevant professionals where possible. This helps to ensure that children’s moves are purposeful and are in children’s best interests. Staff speak fondly about children who have left the home, and value maintaining appropriate relationships when children wish to stay in contact with them. Inspection report for children’s home: 2571630 4

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

Children are safe. They are encouraged to share their worries openly. Staff create an environment where children feel confident to express their feelings and respond sensitively to them sensitively. This helps children to develop trust in adults and strengthens their sense of security.

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

Children live in a safe environment where staff understand and manage risks well. Staff demonstrate a good knowledge of safeguarding procedures and take appropriate action to protect children from harm. Risk assessments are detailed, regularly reviewed and reflect children’s current needs.

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

Staff respond calmly and effectively when children are distressed or need additional support. There is strong emphasis on helping children to feel safe, and staff rarely use physical interventions. Records are clear and provide a transparent account of events, including the actions taken by staff, and the views of children.

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

Managers and staff work effectively with partner agencies to promote children’s safety. They share information appropriately and in a timely way, ensuring that professionals understand concerns and the actions taken to reduce risks. This coordinated approach strengthens safeguarding and helps to ensure that children receive the right support when they need it.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

An experienced and committed registered manager leads the home and provides clear direction to the staff team. Leaders and managers understand of the needs of children well and focus on achieving positive outcomes for them.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

Monitoring and review systems identify strengths and areas of development effectively. Leaders and managers use feedback from children, staff, parents, and external professionals to continually improve the quality of care. This reflective approach enables them to adapt practice to meet children’s needs.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

Leaders and managers work well with external agencies. They communicate openly and maintain strong professional relationships. This supports coordinated care planning and helps to ensure that children receive consistent and joined-up support.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

Leaders and managers promote a positive and supportive culture within the staff team. Staff report that they feel valued and supported through regular supervision, team meetings and training opportunities. However, staff do not always have sufficient protected time to complete online training. The registered manager has responded by introducing administration days, but staff are not always able to use this time as intended. This has the potential to limit opportunities for staff’s ongoing learning and development. Inspection report for children’s home: 2571630 5

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Recommendation

 The registered person should ensure that staff can access appropriate facilities and resources to support their training needs, and should understand the key role they play in the training and development of staff in the home. This relates to staff having time allocated to complete their online training in a timely way. (‘Guide to the Children’s Homes Regulations, including the quality standards’, page 53, paragraph 10.11)

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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: 2571630 6

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Inspectors

Thobekile Bandama, Social Care Inspector Nirmal Gracian, Social Care Inspector Inspection report for children’s home: 2571630 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’’ 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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