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

Inspection report for children’s home: 2871421 1 Registered provider: Aspris Children’s Services

p.1

Full inspection Inspected under the social care common inspection framework

p.1

Information about this children’s home

This children’s home is registered to care for up to 6 children with emotional and/or behavioural difficulties and/or learning disabilities. The home is operated by a private provider. At the time of this inspection, there were 4 children living in the home and the inspector spent time talking with them.

p.1

Information about this children’s home

The home and the manager registered with Ofsted in May 2026. This is the home’s first inspection. At the time of the inspection, the registered manager was absent, so the deputy manager supported the inspection.

p.1

Overall experiences and progress of

children and young people, taking into account

p.1

inadequate

How well children and young people are helped and protected inadequate

p.1

inadequate

The effectiveness of leaders and managers inadequate

p.1

inadequate

There are serious and widespread failures that mean children are not protected or their welfare is not promoted or safeguarded and the care and experiences of children are poor.

p.1

inadequate

Date of last inspection: not previously inspected

p.1

inadequate

Overall judgement at last inspection: not applicable

p.1

inadequate

Enforcement action since last inspection: none Inspection report for children’s home: 2871421 2

p.1

Summary of findings

There are serious failings in how children are helped and protected alongside shortfalls in leadership and management. This has had a significant impact on children’s safety and the quality of care they receive. There are weaknesses in staff practice, including poor supervision of children, who are highly vulnerable due to their health needs. This has resulted in serious incidents that put children at risk of harm.

p.2

Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: inadequate

Staff struggle to safely care for children, particularly during the school holidays, because there is a lack of structure, routine and consistent boundaries. There are ongoing issues with staffing sufficiency and children receive inconsistent care from permanent staff and agency workers. This negatively impacts their day-to-day experiences.

p.2

Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: inadequate

Staff have failed to support some children to develop their communication skills. Leaders and managers are aware that school staff use picture exchange communication with some children however, they have not replicated this approach in the home. Consequently, some children are reliant on using their behaviour to communicate their wishes and feelings.

p.2

Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: inadequate

Due to the stressful home environment, one child’s progress has regressed. They are struggling to complete independence tasks that they used to routinely complete. Staff have responded to this by keeping the child separated from their peers, preventing them from developing positive relationships, and increasing the risk of isolation.

p.2

Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: inadequate

Staff support children with their basic care needs for example, they ensure that children attend school and spend time with their families. However, they are not consistently helping children to meet developmental milestones.

p.2

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

Staff do not provide children with the care they need to keep safe. Lack of staff supervision led to one child going missing, and this put them at serious risk of harm. Despite the seriousness of this incident, the records are vague and they do not provide a clear narrative of the action taken by staff in response to the child going missing.

p.2

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

Leaders and managers fail to scrutinise the care provided by the staff team. Children have harmed one another, witnessed physical altercations and staff have sustained injuries. Leaders and managers fail to routinely evaluate the appropriateness of staff actions or the impact of these events on children.

p.2

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

Staff physically restrain children during incidents, but there is a lack of management oversight. Leaders and managers do not consistently evaluate staff interventions to Inspection report for children’s home: 2871421 3 determine whether they are necessary and proportionate. Additionally, staff do not communicate with children about their experiences. Children are therefore unable to express their views and feelings.

p.2

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

Records written by staff are of variable quality, and sometimes they are extremely brief. This adversely impacts management oversight and results in missed opportunities for learning, staff development and improving the delivery of care.

p.3

The effectiveness of leaders and managers: inadequate

Since the last inspection, there have been issues with staffing sufficiency. Leaders and managers are reliant on agency staff, and this has resulted in children receiving inconsistent care. Staffing levels do not always align with children’s plans, resulting in reduced supervision and increased behaviour incidents.

p.3

The effectiveness of leaders and managers: inadequate

The leadership and management of the home is generally ineffective. Staff do not receive regular or consistent supervision, which means that their development needs are not understood or addressed. There are gaps in staff training and leaders and managers have not taken timely steps to rectify this. Leaders and managers do not effectively monitor or review the quality of care delivered by staff.

p.3

The effectiveness of leaders and managers: inadequate

Leaders and managers say that staff use a therapeutic approach. However, this is not sufficiently evident in practice. Staff could not identify which model of care underpinned their practice. There is a lack of cohesion between leaders, managers and staff about how care should be delivered to children.

p.3

The effectiveness of leaders and managers: inadequate

Professional feedback is varied. There are positive comments regarding communication and children’s transitions into the home. However, professionals share concerns about the lack of boundaries, inconsistent approaches and staff’s inability to provide a structured and predictable environment for the children. Inspection report for children’s home: 2871421 4

p.3

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.

p.4

Requirement Due date

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

p.4

Requirement Due date

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

p.4

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;

p.4

Requirement Due date

help each child to understand how to keep safe;

p.4

Requirement Due date

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

p.4

Requirement Due date

manage relationships between children to prevent them from harming each other;

p.4

Requirement Due date

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

p.4

Requirement Due date

take effective action whenever there is a serious concern about a child’s welfare. (Regulation 12 (1) (2)(a)(i)(ii)(iii)(v)(vi)(vii))

p.4

Requirement Due date

In particular, the registered person must ensure that staff appropriately and safely supervise children in line with their care plans so that they are not at risk of harm. This is particularly important regarding doors and exits from the property.

p.4

Requirement Due date

In particular, the registered person must ensure that staff, including managers, have the skills, knowledge and understanding to recognise when a child is at risk of harm and take prompt and appropriate action to protect children. It is vital 1 September Inspection report for children’s home: 2871421 5 that all staff complete safeguarding training so they understand risk and can take effective action to keep children safe.

p.4

Requirement Due date

In particular, the registered person must ensure that staff record all incidents involving children and staff so that there is oversight of these and so that effective action and learning can be taken. This includes where children harm each other or staff.

p.5

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—

p.5

Requirement Due date

helps children aspire to fulfil their potential; and promotes their welfare.

p.5

Requirement Due date

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

p.5

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;

p.5

Requirement Due date

ensure that staff work as a team where appropriate;

p.5

Requirement Due date

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

p.5

Requirement Due date

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

p.5

Requirement Due date

ensure that the home’s workforce provides continuity of care to each child;

p.5

Requirement Due date

understand the impact that the quality of care provided in the home is having on the progress and experiences of each child and use this understanding to inform the development of the quality of care provided in the home;

p.5

Requirement Due date

use monitoring and review systems to make continuous improvements in the quality of care provided in the home. (Regulation 13 (1)(a)(b) (2)(a)(b)(c)(d)(e)(f)(h))

p.5

Requirement Due date

In particular, leaders and managers must ensure that children are cared for by an experienced and consistent team. Furthermore, leaders and managers must ensure that staff and managers have the appropriate training, guidance, supervision and support to provide safe and effective care for children. 1 September Inspection report for children’s home: 2871421 6 In particular, leaders and managers must ensure there are systems in place to complete effective monitoring and review of the home so they can have oversight and can evaluate the quality of care provided to children in the home. These systems must identify shortfalls in practice, promote learning, drive improvement and ensure positive outcomes for children.

p.5

Requirement Due date

The children’s views, wishes and feelings standard is that children receive care from staff who—

p.6

Requirement Due date

develop positive relationships with them; engage with them; and

p.6

Requirement Due date

take their views, wishes and feelings into account in relation to matters affecting the children’s care and welfare and their lives.

p.6

Requirement Due date

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

p.6

Requirement Due date

ascertain and consider each child’s views, wishes and feelings, and balance these against what they judge to be in the child’s best interests when making decisions about the child’s care and welfare;

p.6

Requirement Due date

help each child to express views, wishes and feelings;

p.6

Requirement Due date

help each child to understand how the child’s views, wishes and feelings have been taken into account and give the child reasons for decisions in relation to the child;

p.6

Requirement Due date

regularly consult children, and seek their feedback, about the quality of the home’s care;

p.6

Requirement Due date

help each child to understand how the child’s privacy will be respected and the circumstances when it may have to be limited;

p.6

Requirement Due date

help each child to prepare for any review of the child’s relevant plans and to make the child’s views, wishes and feelings known for the purposes of that review; and

p.6

Requirement Due date

ensure that each child— 1 September Inspection report for children’s home: 2871421 7 is enabled to provide feedback to, and raise issues with, a relevant person about the support and services that the child receives. (Regulation 7 (1)(a)(b)(c) (2)(a)(i)(ii)(iii)(iv)(v)(vi)(b)(i))

p.6

Requirement Due date

In particular, the registered person must ensure that staff support children who cannot verbally communicate by using alterative communication methods so that they can express their views, wishes and feelings.

p.7

Requirement Due date

The positive relationships standard is that children are helped to develop, and to benefit from, relationships based on—

p.7

Requirement Due date

an understanding about acceptable behaviour; and

p.7

Requirement Due date

positive responses to other children and adults.

p.7

Requirement Due date

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

p.7

Requirement Due date

meet each child’s behavioural and emotional needs, as set out in the child’s relevant plans;

p.7

Requirement Due date

help each child to develop socially aware behaviour;

p.7

Requirement Due date

help each child to develop and practise skills to resolve conflicts positively and without harm to anyone;

p.7

Requirement Due date

communicate to each child expectations about the child’s behaviour and ensure that the child understands those expectations in accordance with the child’s age and understanding;

p.7

Requirement Due date

help each child to understand, in a way that is appropriate according to the child’s age and understanding, personal, sexual and social relationships, and how those relationships can be supportive or harmful; and

p.7

Requirement Due date

that each child is encouraged to build and maintain positive relationships with others. (Regulation 11 (1)(a)(b)(c) (2)(a)(i)(ii)(iv)(v)(vi)(b)) 1 September Inspection report for children’s home: 2871421 8 In particular, the registered person must ensure that staff create opportunities for the children to spend time together and build positive relationships that support their social and emotional development.

p.7

Requirement Due date

Restraint in relation to a child is only permitted for the purpose of preventing—

p.8

Requirement Due date

injury to any person (including the child);

p.8

Requirement Due date

serious damage to the property of any person (including the child); or

p.8

Requirement Due date

a child who is accommodated in a secure children’s home from absconding from the home.

p.8

Requirement Due date

Restraint in relation to a child must be necessary and proportionate. (Regulation 20 (1)(a)(b)(c) (2))

p.8

Requirement Due date

In particular, the registered person must ensure that all incidents of restraint are necessary and proportionate. Restraint records must provide a clear narrative of events so that the registered person can monitor and review the appropriateness and effectiveness of staff interventions. 1 September

p.8

Requirement Due date

* These requirements are subject to a compliance notice.

p.8

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: 2871421 9

p.8

Children’s home details

Registered provider: Aspris Children’s Services

p.9

Children’s home details

Registered provider address: Aspris, 2 Barton Close, Grove Park, Enderby, Leicester LE19 1SJ

p.9

Children’s home details

Responsible individual: Michelle Garstang

p.9

Inspector:

Emma Fryer, Social Care Regulatory Inspector Inspection report for children’s home: 2871421 10 regulates and inspects to 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.

p.9

Inspector:

If you would like a copy of this document in a different format, such as large print or Braille, please telephone 0300 123 1231, or email enquiries@ofsted.gov.uk . You may reuse this information (not including logos) free of charge in any format or medium, under the terms of the Open Government Licence. To view this licence, visit www.nationalarchives.gov.uk/doc/open-government-licence , write to the Information Policy Team, The National Archives, Kew, London TW9 4DU, or email: psi@nationalarchives.gsi.gov.uk .

p.10

Inspector:

Interested in our work? You can subscribe to our monthly newsletter for more information and updates: http://eepurl.com/iTrDn .

p.10

Inspector:

T: 0300 123 1231 Textphone: 0161 618 8524 E: enquiries@ofsted.gov.uk W: www.gov.uk/ofsted

p.10