Children's Home run by Oracle Care Limited in Bedford

Unique reference number SC389698 Inspector Angie Bishop Type of inspection Interim Provision subtype Children's home

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Registered person Oracle Care Limited Registered person address Unit 1 Dane Valley Mill Havannah Street CONGLETON Cheshire CW12 2AH Responsible individual Steven Bromley Registered manager POST VACANT Date of last inspection 14/11/2014 2 of 6 Inspection date 06/03/2015

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Previous inspection good Enforcement action since last inspection none

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This inspection

This home was judged good at the last full inspection. At this interim inspection Ofsted judge that it has declined in effectiveness .

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This inspection

There has been a change in manager; a new manager is in post. At the time of this inspection, she had not registered with Ofsted. The head of care has devised a comprehensive induction and support plan for the new manager.

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This inspection

The previous manager has addressed the one requirement and the two recommendations from the full inspection. During this inspection, three requirements and four recommendations have been raised

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This inspection

The manger has not completed required monitoring of the provision. This means she is not able to effect change in line with the experiences of the young people, their families, and placing local authorities.

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This inspection

Staff and young people identify repeat incidents of bullying. The manager has not devised and implemented adequate safeguarding provision. As a result, some young people are destabilised in this home.

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This inspection

Young people’s files do not contain up to date contact information. This presents difficulties for young people and staff should they need to contact one of the external professionals involved in the young person’s care planning.

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This inspection

Documents related to staff supervision and appraisals were not available for inspection. As a result, it was not possible to confirm the content of those documents.

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This inspection

Young people are not offered independent advocacy. As a result, the manager and staff do not ensure that young people’s views are acknowledged and acted upon.

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This inspection

The head of care leads the matching process for new admissions. The manager is 3 of 6 also involved in this comprehensive process. They use a variety of methods, including meeting with professionals and the young person, to identify suitability. This means every endeavour is made to ensure young people are not impacted by new admissions.

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This inspection

One young person has a detailed safety plan and risk assessment; this ensures staff provide a consistent approach to his behaviour management. An independent reviewing officer said: ‘My young person will continue to escalate, he cannot stand having rules around him, he is extremely challenging; he has had a period of stability here.’ Young people do not have interconnected risk assessments. Consequently, staff do not adequately safeguard all young people.

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This inspection

Staff continue to support and facilitate contact between young people and their families within the home and in the community. As a result, contact is of better quality and the young person’s experience of contact is more positive. One parent said: ‘I have found engagement with this placement really good, I hope they can keep him.’

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This inspection

Young people do not consistently attend the linked education provision. When not in school young people are not engaged in purposeful learning activities. As a result, the potential for young people to achieve educationally is limited. 4 of 6

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Information about this children’s home

This home is operated by a private organisation and is registered to provide care and accommodation for two young people with emotional and/or behavioural difficulties; it is operated in line with a clear therapeutic model. The organisation also provides a registered school around which its homes in this area are based.

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Inspection date Inspection type Inspection judgement

14/11/2014 Full good 12/09/2013 Full adequate 24/07/2013 Full inadequate 19/03/2013 Interim satisfactory progress

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Statutory Requirements

This section sets out the actions which must be taken so that the registered person/s meets the Care Standards Act 2000, Children's Homes Regulations 2001 and the National Minimum Standards. The registered person(s) must comply with the given timescales.

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Reg. Requirement Due date

(2001) establish and maintain a system for monitoring the matters set out in Schedule 6 at least once in every 3 months and improving the quality of care provided in the children’s home (Regulation 34 (1) (a) (b)) 10/04/2015

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Reg. Requirement Due date

(2001) ensure that the children’s home is conducted so as to promote and make proper provision for the safeguarding and welfare of children accommodated there and to make proper provision for the care, education, supervision, support and, where appropriate, treatment, of children accommodated there (Regulation 11 (1) (a) (b)) 10/04/2015

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Reg. Requirement Due date

(2001) maintain a record in permanent form which includes the information, documents and records specified in 10/04/2015 5 of 6 Schedule 3; ensure this is kept up to date and is signed and dated by the author of each written entry. (Regulation 28 (1) (a)(b)(c))

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Recommendations

To improve the quality and standards of care further the service should take account of the following recommendation(s):

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Recommendations

 ensure children have access to independent advice and support from adults who they can contact directly and in private about problems or concerns (NMS 1.5)  ensure staff and children understand bullying is unacceptable. Staff working in the home understand their role in helping to prevent and counter bullying by any adult or child living or working in the home (NMS 3.11)  ensure a written or electronic record is kept by the home detailing the time and date and length of each supervision held for each member of staff, including the registered person. The record is signed by the supervisor and the member of staff at the end of the supervision (NMS 19.5)  ensure staff have their performance individually and formally appraised at least annually and this appraisal takes into account any views of children the service is providing for. (NMS 19.6) Website: www.ofsted.gov.uk

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Recommendations

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What inspection judgements mean

At the interim inspections we make a judgement on whether the home has improved in effectiveness, sustained effectiveness, or declined in effectiveness since the previous full inspection. This is in line with the Inspection of children’s homes: framework for inspection.

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Information about this inspection

The purpose of this inspection is to assure children and young people, parents, the public, local authorities and government of the quality and standard of the service provided. The inspection was carried out under the Care Standards Act 2000 to assess the effectiveness of the service and to consider how well it complies with the relevant regulations and meets the national minimum standards.

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Information about this inspection

The report details the main strengths, any areas for improvement, including any breaches of regulation, and any failure to meet national minimum standards. The judgements included in the report are made against the framework of inspection for children's homes.

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