A RESIDENTIAL children’s home is celebrating a hat-trick of “outstanding” judgements from its regulator Ofsted.
Ashbank, part of Keys Group, has been rated as outstanding for the third time in a row with inspectors praising the “individualised and high quality care” for young people who make “exceptional progress”.
Children have “improved and positive experiences” while living at the home and, inspectors found, also had “exceptional” school attendance levels while all were achieving academically.
Through the positive support offered by the home, the report said, one child had received an award for academic excellence, while all children made “substantial progress”, leading to “increased opportunities in the future”.
Inspectors found that relationships between staff and children are “warm, affectionate and reciprocal” and that those working at the home are “innovative in meeting children’s needs, promoting imagination and adapting to the needs of each child.” As a result of these positive relationships, inspectors found children display improved self-esteem, confidence and self-care”.
Key to the home’s success is listening to the voice of the child, inspectors found. Their report noted: “Consultation with children is a priority. The manager ensures that children’s views and wishes are listened to. She seeks their opinions of the home, the care provided and finds out what is important to them at that time.
“These discussions help the manager to build strong, trusting relationships with children, gain children’s views, identify concerns and directly address children’s needs.”
Keys Group Chief Executive David Manson said: “We are extremely proud of the team at Ashbank and the wonderful work they do in supporting children to achieve such wonderfully positive outcomes. To achieve one outstanding grade is incredibly difficult; it is a true marker of how exceptional this home and team are that they have achieved the grade three times in a row.”
