Children's Home run by Aspire Supported Living Services in Croydon

Inspection report for children’s home: 2748913 1 Registered provider: Aspire Supported Living Services Full inspection Inspected under the social care common inspection framework

p.1

Information about this children’s home

This privately owned home cares for one child with social and emotional difficulties.

p.1

Information about this children’s home

The home and the manager registered with Ofsted on 26 January 2024. The manager is suitably qualified.

p.1

Information about this children’s home

There was one child living at the home at the time of this inspection.

p.1

Overall experiences and progress of

children and young people, taking into account

p.1

good

How well children and young people are helped and protected good

p.1

good

The effectiveness of leaders and managers good

p.1

good

The children’s home provides effective services that meet the requirements for good.

p.1

Date of last inspection: 29 and 30 July 2025

Overall judgement at last inspection: good

p.1

Date of last inspection: 29 and 30 July 2025

Enforcement action since last inspection: none Inspection report for children’s home: 2748913 2

p.1

Inspection date Inspection type Inspection judgement

30/07/2025 12/06/2024 Full Full Good Good Inspection report for children’s home: 2748913 3

p.2

Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

The child who is living in the home is settled and making progress. They have developed trusting and enduring relationships with the staff. A stable and experienced staff team knows the child well and provides consistent care and routine. This stability is particularly important for the child.

p.3

Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Staff understand the child’s needs, vulnerabilities and risks and provide care that is individualised to meet the child’s needs. Regular and well-organised key-work sessions are helping the child develop a better understanding of risk and they are increasingly able to make safer and healthier choices.

p.3

Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

The child has made good educational progress and recently completed GCSEs, which is a significant achievement and a motivation to attend college in September. The child’s health needs are also promoted well.

p.3

Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Staff support the child to build and maintain relationships, and they facilitate family time with people important to the child. This has successfully progressed to overnight stays, another important motivator for the child.

p.3

Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

The child is supported to develop independence skills, including keeping their bedroom tidy, cooking, shopping and budgeting. The staff promote a variety of activities for the child, including taking part in cheerleading, cinema visits and an opportunity to express their unique style and interests in fashion.

p.3

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

The child is safeguarded effectively. The staff have a realistic understanding of the child’s needs, vulnerabilities and risks, particularly in relation to episodes of going missing, and they have clear strategies to respond. They recognise the child’s increased desire for more autonomy and free time and they work with professionals to support this safely, as the child’s progress and risk levels allow.

p.3

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

The staff understand and follow the home’s missing-from-care procedures when the child goes missing. Missing records are detailed, providing a clear account of activities that the staff have taken. Return home interviews are routinely conducted by the local authority and welfare checks are completed by the staff team.

p.3

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

Room searches are proportionate and appropriately used to safeguard the child. It is a particular strength that staff involve the child and explain the reasons for searches, helping the child understand safeguarding measures while respecting their privacy.

p.3

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

Care plans and risk assessments are reviewed and updated following significant events. They provide staff with clear guidance about managing identified risks. There is effective Inspection report for children’s home: 2748913 4 multi-agency working and the registered manager appropriately escalates safeguarding concerns.

p.3

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

Physical restraint is rarely used. However, a restraint incident in July resulted in a breakdown of trust between the child and two members of staff and there remains an ongoing police investigation. Leaders responded proactively through debriefings, reflections and learning with staff. The manager works well with the local authority designated officer (LADO) and sought advice following the incident. LADO feedback identified that although staff members were acting with good intention to keep the child and themselves safe, they could have applied different strategies to de-escalate the situation. Leaders should continue to ensure that learning from this incident is embedded in practice.

p.4

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

The child said they have a trusting relationship with the manager and the deputy team manager and can raise any problems or concerns with them. They talked about feeling awkward about the restraint in July and that more could have been done at the time for them to feel listened to. However, the child told the inspector that they feel safe and happy living in the home and the inspector observed warm and comfortable interactions between the child and all staff members.

p.4

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

Professionals and family members gave positive feedback about the quality of care provided by the home. The social worker reported that the home is doing a great job in keeping the child safe, and that staff know and work effectively with the child as well as working collaboratively with professionals. The child’s family reported that the home is doing ‘amazing work’ with the child’, and that staff genuinely care for the child and they have promoted the child’s education and health needs and helped them make progress.

p.4

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

The home responds positively to the child’s cultural and identity needs. Staff make efforts to understand the child’s culture and provide culturally appropriate support.

p.4

The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

Leaders and managers provide effective oversight of the home and have a realistic understanding of its strengths and areas requiring improvement. They take proactive and timely action when weaknesses in practice are identified, such as physical restraint practices.

p.4

The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

A stable and permanent staff team knows the child well and contributes significantly to the consistency and the quality of care the child receives.

p.4

The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

Leaders have high expectations for the child and promote the child’s aspirations and interests. They have supported staff to develop positive and trusting relationships, helping the child to feel safe and to view the home as their home, with lots of pictures of family members on the walls. The manager and responsible individual provide visible leadership, role model good practice and are actively involved in the day-to-day running Inspection report for children’s home: 2748913 5 of the home. Staff said that leaders and managers are supportive and want to ensure that they are learning and developing.

p.4

The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

Staff recruitment, training and development are strong, with an increasing number of staff holding or working towards level 3 qualifications. Training is relevant to the specific risks for the child, and the staff demonstrate confidence in their safeguarding responsibilities and reporting procedures. Leaders have strengthened the staff probation process since the last inspection.

p.5

The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

Leaders respond effectively to significant incidents by providing opportunities for staff to reflect on practice, identify learning and consider what could be improved. This contributes to evolving risk management plans and helps to ensure that practice responds to children’s changing needs. Inspection report for children’s home: 2748913 6

p.5

Recommendations

 The registered person should ensure that staff encourage children to share any concerns about their care, and ensure that children receive feedback on any actions taken as a result of their feedback. (‘Guide to Children’s Homes Regulations, including the quality standards’, page 22, paragraph 4.13)  The registered person should ensure that all incidents of restraint are subject to regular scrutiny so that their use is fair, and that staff effectively manage behaviour to prevent the use of restraint where possible. (‘Guide to Children’s Homes Regulations, including the quality standards’, page 46, paragraph 9.36)

p.6

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: 2748913 7

p.6

Children’s home details

Registered provider: Aspire Supported Living Services

p.7

Children’s home details

Registered provider address: 41 Lakehall Road, Thornton Heath CR7 7EG

p.7

Inspector

Zafer Yilkan, Social Care Inspector Inspection report for children’s home: 2748913 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.

p.7

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.8

Inspector

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

p.8

Inspector

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

p.8