Children's Home run by Aspris Children’s Services Limited in Rotherham

Inspection report for children’s home: SC473631 1 SC473631 Registered provider: Aspris Children’s Services 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

This home is owned by a private company. It provides care for up to 6 children who may experience social and emotional difficulties.

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Information about this children’s home

The manager registered with Ofsted in February 2024.

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Information about this children’s home

At the time of the inspection, 2 children were living at the home. The inspector spoke with both children.

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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 requires improvement to be 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

Date of last inspection: 21 October 2025

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good

Overall judgement at last inspection: good

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good

Enforcement action since last inspection: not applicable Inspection report for children’s home: SC473631 2

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Inspection date Inspection type Inspection judgement

21/10/2025 Full Good 24/07/2024 Full Good 21/12/2021 Interim Sustained effectiveness 17/08/2021 Full Requires improvement to be good Inspection report for children’s home: SC473631 3

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Summary of findings

Children receive warm, nurturing care from staff who know them well and are committed to helping them achieve positive outcomes. Children make progress from their starting points and benefit from strong support to engage in education, develop their emotional wellbeing and maintain important relationships with family and friends. Staff build trusting relationships with children and provide consistent care that helps them feel valued, listened to and cared for. Safeguarding arrangements are not always implemented consistently, particularly in relation to staff oversight when children spend time away from the home and the implementation of some agreed safeguarding measures. Leaders provide clear direction and support to staff, creating a positive and child-focused culture. They are reflective, ambitious for children and have identified areas for further development. However, gaps in substance misuse training mean that

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Summary of findings

staff are not always equipped with the knowledge required to provide the most informed support to children with known histories of drug use.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Children are making good progress from their starting points. Staff build positive, trusting relationships and spend meaningful time with children. They know children well and understand their individual needs. Staff have difficult conversations with children to improve their understanding and emotional well-being. Children receive consistent support from caring and approachable adults. Each child has a trusted adult that they can turn to for advice, reassurance and support. This helps children feel listened to, valued and cared for.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Staff place a strong emphasis on education and encourage children to attend and achieve at school. When children experience difficulties, staff provide practical and emotional support and work closely with education professionals. Information is shared effectively to ensure that there is a joined-up approach. Staff have gone above and beyond to support one child to complete their GCSE examinations. One professional commented that, without the commitment of the staff team, the child would not have attended any of their examinations.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Staff recognise the importance of helping children maintain positive relationships with the people who matter to them. They keep families informed about children’s progress and encourage meaningful involvement in children’s lives. Staff nurture children’s important connections and support them to spend time with friends, both in and out of the home, when these relationships are positive and beneficial. This helps children feel cared for, develop a sense of belonging and enjoy positive experiences.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Children’s moves from the home are not always managed consistently well. Some children are given opportunities to contribute to planning and are supported to express Inspection report for children’s home: SC473631 4 their wishes and feelings about their next steps, helping them experience a positive transition. However, one child did not receive sufficient notice of their move, limiting the opportunity to understand, prepare for and process the change. As a result, the child could not experience a positive and well-planned ending to their time at the home.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

The home is well presented and maintained to a high standard. Staff take pride in creating a warm and welcoming environment, where children feel comfortable and cared for. However, unnecessary locks remain on some communal doors, despite the concerns that they were intended to address no longer being relevant. In addition, there is at times a noticeable smell in shared living areas. These issues detract from the otherwise homely atmosphere.

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improvement to be good

When children spend time away from the home, staff do not consistently complete welfare checks to confirm their whereabouts. Staff often rely on information provided by children, their friends, or family members rather than maintaining direct oversight and contact. As a result, children with known vulnerabilities can spend extended periods of time out of sight of staff, increasing the potential for harm and limiting staff’s ability to respond promptly to concerns.

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improvement to be good

A deprivation of liberty order was obtained for one child prior to their move from the home. However, the associated documentation was not fully completed and incorporated into the child’s records, meaning staff had only limited information to guide their planning and practice. In addition, staffing supervision levels required to meet all children’s assessed needs were not consistently followed across all parts of the day, and were particularly lacking at night. While no incidents arose during night-time periods, these shortfalls increased risks for children and reduced staff’s capacity to respond effectively should concerns have arisen.

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improvement to be good

When children go missing from the home, the incidents are managed effectively by staff. Staff take proactive steps to reduce the likelihood of incidents occurring and act promptly when a child goes missing. Staff search for children, encourage them to return home, and maintain regular communication with family and relevant agencies. Police and other professionals are informed and updated appropriately, and there is positive partnership working to support children’s safe return. Return home interviews take place regularly, and staff continue discussions with children to understand the reasons for incidents and to help reduce the likelihood of them recurring.

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improvement to be good

The use of consequences has reduced considerably and is generally proportionate to children’s behaviour. Staff involve children in discussions about behaviour and responses, ensuring that children’s views are considered. Rewards are used regularly, with staff celebrating positive choices made by children. Although there has been a recent increase in incidents involving 2 children, staff have remained focused on building relationships, Inspection report for children’s home: SC473631 5 encouraging engagement and recognising progress. This approach helps children to feel valued and promotes positive behavioural change.

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improvement to be good

Complaints and allegations are taken seriously by staff and managers. Safeguarding professionals are consulted when required, and appropriate action is taken in response to concerns raised. Children are kept informed throughout the process and are given opportunities to discuss their feelings and experiences with staff. This helps children to understand that their views are important, encourages them to share concerns, and provides reassurance that action will be taken when needed.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

Children and staff benefit from good leadership and management in the home. The manager and deputy manager lead by example and demonstrate high expectations for both children and staff. Their commitment to maintaining a safe and nurturing environment is evident in the thoughtful decisions that they make.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

Staff describe feeling well supported and valued by the management team. Despite a challenging period for the home, morale remains positive and staff continue to demonstrate enthusiasm and commitment in their work with children. Leaders maintain a culture that encourages open communication, reflection and mutual support, helping staff to remain focused on achieving positive outcomes for children.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

Supervision sessions and appraisals take place regularly. They give staff opportunities to reflect on their practice and discuss their work with children. Managers also recognise positive practice and celebrate staff achievements. Appraisals support continuous improvement and help staff identify their strengths and areas for development. However, these would be strengthened further by including feedback from children, colleagues and partner professionals. This would provide a more rounded evaluation of staff performance and the impact of their work.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

Team meetings are well attended and have a clear focus on the experiences and needs of children. These meetings are used effectively to reinforce expectations, discuss procedures and develop staff understanding of how to respond to complex situations. Managers also draw on the expertise of external professionals to enhance staff knowledge and improve practice. In addition, there is a strong emphasis on staff wellbeing, ensuring that staff feel supported, valued and able to access guidance during challenging periods.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

The provider’s mandatory training and regulatory training is all up to date. However, most staff have not completed substance misuse training, despite children having known histories of drug use. This limits staff’s knowledge and reduces their ability to provide informed support and guidance to children. Inspection report for children’s home: SC473631 6

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Statutory requirements

This section sets out the actions that the registered person 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 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

assess whether each child is at risk of harm, taking into account information in the child’s relevant plans, and, if necessary, make arrangements to reduce the risk of any harm to the child;

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Requirement Due date

have the skills to identify and act upon signs that a child is at risk of harm;

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Requirement Due date

understand the roles and responsibilities in relation to protecting children that are assigned to them by the registered person;

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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)(a)(i)(iii)(v)(b))

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Requirement Due date

In particular, the registered manager must ensure that there is a day-to-day plan in place for staff to ascertain the whereabouts of each child to ensure that they are safe. 9 October 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— 9 October 2026 Inspection report for children’s home: SC473631 7 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. (Regulation 13(1)(a)(b) (2)(a)(c)(d))

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Requirement Due date

The care planning standard is that children—

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Requirement Due date

have a positive experience of arriving at or moving on from the home. (Regulation 6 (1)(b)) 9 October 2026

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Requirement Due date

The quality and purpose of care standard is that children receive care from staff who—

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Requirement Due date

understand the children’s home’s overall aims and the outcomes it seeks to achieve for children;

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Requirement Due date

use this understanding to deliver care that meets children’s needs and supports them to fulfil their potential.

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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

understand and apply the home’s statement of purpose;

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Requirement Due date

understand and apply the home’s statement of purpose;

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Requirement Due date

protect and promote each child’s welfare;

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Requirement Due date

treat each child with dignity and respect;

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Requirement Due date

provide to children living in the home the physical necessities they need in order to live there comfortably;

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Requirement Due date

make decisions about the day-to-day arrangements for each child, in accordance with the child’s relevant plans, which give the child an appropriate degree of freedom and choice; 9 October 2026 Inspection report for children’s home: SC473631 8 ensure that the premises used for the purposes of the home are designed and furnished so as to—

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Requirement Due date

enable each child to participate in the daily life of the home. (Regulation 6 (1)(a)(b) (2)(a)(b)(i)(ii)(iii)(vii)(ix)(c)(i)(ii))

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Recommendation

 The registered person should include the views of the children and other professionals when completing appraisals with staff. (‘Guide to the Children’s Homes Regulations, including the quality standards’, page 61, paragraph 13.5)

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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: SC473631 9

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Children’s home details

Registered provider: Aspris Children’s Services 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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Inspector

Deirdre Silkstone, Social Care Inspector Inspection report for children’s home: SC473631 10 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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