Children's Home run by Oakley House Children’s Home Limited in Staffordshire

Inadequate

There are serious failures that mean children and young people are not safeguarded.

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The children's home provision is inadequate because:

 The frequent use of bank and agency staff has an adverse impact on young people, preventing them from receiving consistent, stable and secure relationships from carers who are well trained and experienced to meet their needs.

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The children's home provision is inadequate because:

 The absence of a permanent staff team compromises young people receiving consistent messages about managing their behaviour.

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The children's home provision is inadequate because:

 Some young people struggle emotionally as a direct result of not having a core staff team that helps them feel safe.

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The children's home provision is inadequate because:

 The lack of robust procedures means the administration of medication is open to error.

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The children's home provision is inadequate because:

 The protection and safeguarding policy is not up-to-date and does not keep staff well informed of statutory guidance.

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The children's home provision is inadequate because:

 Risk assessments do not give up-to-date information about young people’s presenting risks and needs.

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The children's home provision is inadequate because:

 Young people’s files are not up to date, nor do they hold all key records.

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The children's home provision is inadequate because:

 The registered person has not set out a plan for the workforce that describes staffing requirements to meet young people’s needs.

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The children's home provision is inadequate because:

 Previous requirements in regard to having sufficient staffing remain unmet and leave young people increasingly vulnerable by continuing to have unfamiliar carers attempting to meet their needs.

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The children's home strengths

 The manager seeks out and develops productive partnerships in the immediate and wider community and has, in a short period, formed good relationships with young people, their families, staff and appropriate agencies. These relationships have helped to increase safeguards around areas of missing from care.

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The children's home strengths

 Young people have varied opportunities to develop their personal and social skills, including accessing a wide range of community based activities to build life skills.

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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 (England) Regulations 2015 and the Guide to the children's homes regulations including the quality standards. The registered person(s) must comply with the given timescales.

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Requirement Due date

In order to meet the positive relationship standard ensure that children are helped to develop, and benefit from, relationships based on –

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Requirement Due date

(2) In particular and with reference to having sufficient staffing the registered person must ensure –

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Requirement Due date

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

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Requirement Due date

(ii) help each child to develop socially aware behaviour;

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Requirement Due date

(iv) help each child to develop and practice skills to resolve conflicts positively and without harm to anyone;

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Requirement Due date

(v) 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;

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Requirement Due date

(ix) understand how children’s previous experiences and present emotions can be communicated through behaviour and have the competence and skills to interpret these and develop positive relations with children;

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Requirement Due date

(x) are provided with supervision and support to enable them to understand and manage their feelings and responses to the behaviour and emotions of children, and to help children to do the same; 14/08/2015 12: The protection of children standard

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Requirement Due date

In order to meet the protection of children standard ensure that children are protected from harm and enabled to keep themselves safe.

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Requirement Due date

(2) In particular and with reference to having up-to-date risk assessments the registered person must ensure –

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Requirement Due date

(i) assess whether each child is at risk of harm, taking into account information in the child’s relevant plans, if necessary, make arrangements to reduce the risk of any harm to the child. 14/08/2015

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Requirement Due date

13: The leadership and management standard

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Requirement Due date

In order to meet the leadership and management standard ensure 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

(a) Helps children aspire to fulfil their potential; and

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Requirement Due date

(2) In particular and with reference to having sufficient staffing the registered person must –

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Requirement Due date

(a) 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

(b) ensure that staff work as a team where appropriate;

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Requirement Due date

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

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Requirement Due date

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

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Requirement Due date

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

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Requirement Due date

(f) understand the impact that the quality of care provided in 14/08/2015 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.

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Requirement Due date

The registered person must make arrangements for the handling, recording, safekeeping, safe administration and disposal of medicines received into the children’s home. (Regulation 23(1)) 14/08/2015

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Requirement Due date

The registered person must prepare and implement a policy

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Requirement Due date

(a) is intended to safeguard children accommodated in the children’s home from abuse or neglect; and

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Requirement Due date

(b) sets out the procedure to be followed in the event of an allegation of abuse or neglect.

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Requirement Due date

(2) The procedure to be followed in the event of an allegation of abuse or neglect must, in particular -

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Requirement Due date

(a) provide for liaison and co-operation with any local authority which are, or may be, making a child protection enquiry in relation to a child accommodated in the home;

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Requirement Due date

(b) provide for the prompt referral of an allegation about current or ongoing abuse or neglect in relation to a child to the placing authority and, if different, the local authority in whose area the home is located;

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Requirement Due date

(c) provide for the prompt referral of an allegation about past abuse or neglect in relation to a child to the placing authority and, if different, the local authority in whose area the alleged abuse or neglect occurred;

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Requirement Due date

(d) provide for records to be kept of an allegation of abuse or neglect, and the action taken in response;

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Requirement Due date

(e) describe the measures which may be necessary to protect children following an allegation of abuse or neglect; and

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Requirement Due date

(f) describe how and to whom staff are to report, without delay, any concern about abuse or neglect of a child. 14/08/2015 (Regulation 34 (1) (a)(b)(2)(a)(b)(c)(d)(e)(f))

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Requirement Due date

The registered person must maintain records (“case records”) for each child which –

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Requirement Due date

(a) include the information and documents listed in Schedule 3 in relation to each child;

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Requirement Due date

(c) are signed and dated by the author of each entry. 14/08/2015

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Recommendations

To improve the quality and standards of care further the service should take account of the following recommendation(s):  Ensure the registered person has a workforce plan which can fulfil the workforce related requirements of regulation 16, schedule 1 (paragraphs 19 and 20) The plan should: - Detail the necessary management and staffing structure, (including any staff commissioned to provide health and education), the experience and qualifications of staff currently working within the staffing structure and any further training required for those staff , to enable the delivery of the homes Statement of Purpose; Detail the processes and agreed timescales for staff to achieve induction, probation and any core training (such as safeguarding and health and safety and mandatory qualifications); Detail the process for managing and improving poor performance; Detail the process and timescales for supervision of practice (see Regulation

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Recommendations

33 (4) (b)) and keep appropriate records for staff in the home. (The Guide to the Quality Standards, page 53, paragraph 10.8)  Ensure that no more than half the staff on duty at any one time, by day or night at the home should be from an external agency. (The Guide to the Quality Standards, page 54, paragraph 10.17)  Ensure there is a contingency plan prepared in the event of a shortfall in staffing levels. If it is likely that there might only be one member of staff on duty at any time the manager should make a formal assessment of the implications for children’s care, including any likely risks. This assessment should be recorded and available for inspection by Ofsted and placing authorities (10.18). (The Guide to the Quality Standards, page 54, paragraph 10.18)  Ensure the registered person monitors and reviews the patterns and trends of turnover of staff, whether agency or directly employed, and is able to

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Recommendations

understand and where possible, address any negative trends. (The Guide to the Quality Standards, page 54, paragraph 10.19)  Ensure any Registered Manager placed in charge of a children’s home, or staff member in a deputy or supervisory role such as ‘shift leader’, should have substantial relevant experience of working in a children’s home and have successfully completed their induction for the home in which they are employed. (The Guide to the Quality Standards, page 54, paragraph 10.21)

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Information about this children's home

This is a children's home for up to 3 young people, aged between 10 and 17 years, with emotional and/or behavioural difficulties and learning disabilities. The home is operated by a private company.

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Recent inspection history

Inspection date Inspection type Inspection judgement

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Recent inspection history

24/03/2015 CH - Interim Declined in effectiveness

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inadequate

Young people do not have consistent, stable, or secure relationships with carers. Staff do not have sufficient training or experience to meet their needs. This has a significant and negative impact on the quality of individual care provided. Further, this negative impact is demonstrated in how young people do not make sufficient progress and do not fully benefit from being placed at the home. The lack of permanent staff, means that young people’s levels of anxiety increase, they see different people each day and so they lose a sense of trust. This leaves them vulnerable, especially when unfamiliar staff lack the skills to support young people.

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inadequate

There has been increased challenge to placing authorities to ensure all young people are able to access appropriate education, which is reflective of age and needs. Attendance levels have been good at 96% but for one young person there has been a recent decline. Not having sufficient staffing has hindered care staff to fully understand the current difficulties the young person is having and to help them re-engage in their learning.

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inadequate

Where relationships are good, a climate of trust is achieved. This helps young people to feel safe. However, only a very small number of staff can deliver this. This leaves young people more often with staff who only have limited knowledge of their specific needs. This fails to meet young people’s communication and emotional needs.

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inadequate

Young people have a broad range of positive experiences that contribute to their physical and emotional well-being. For example, there are regular individual and group trips. Young people’s specific interests are actively encouraged and staff show interest in these hobbies, which young people thrive on. For example, one young person has a love for resorting bicycles and takes every opportunity to go out on various rides.

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inadequate

Parents hold positive views about the provision and a police officer commented to the inspector that multi-agency communication: ‘was at the moment the best it had ever been’. Judgement grade

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inadequate

High reliance on agency staff, to cover shortfalls in permanent staffing, leaves behaviour management compromised. This results in young people struggling to self-regulate their feelings. Young people capitalise on inexperienced staff’s lack of knowledge, to disrupt established boundaries. Some poor decisions made by less familiar staff, have resulted in them having to restrain young people unnecessarily in front of their parents.

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inadequate

There are situations where young people’s behavioural challenges quickly escalate and the manager is the only person with the necessary skills to defuse the situation and help the young person self-control their emotions so that they and others stay safe.

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inadequate

The protection of children and safeguarding procedures fail to reflect changes in statutory guidance and to ensure key information remains accurate. For example, the reference to the home’s designated officers for safeguarding is incorrect. It refers to people no longer working at the home. This is misleading for staff and makes accurate reporting of concerns difficult.

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inadequate

The absence of a stable staff team means temporary staff are not sufficiently alert to young people’s vulnerabilities and risks of harm. Risk assessments are not up to date and leave staff poorly informed about risks. For example, staff said that one young person was developing their independence and now having free time. However, their risk assessment indicated they needed one-to-one support in the community due to their vulnerability and learning disability. This lack of clarity is not safe.

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inadequate

The practice for administrating medication is not robust and is open to error. For example, a young person was given two different types of paracetamol-based medication within a two-hour period. Staff did not identify this significant error and therefore the young person’s health was compromised and not safeguarded.

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inadequate

Young people are aware of how they can complain. The manager ensures their concerns are addressed through clear procedures which give young people the assurance that their views matter. Close working with police enables the staff to help young people to understand how to keep themselves safe. This includes specific work around young people at risk of going missing from care and at risk of child sexual exploitation. This multi-agency approach has meant sharing key intelligence and proactively putting in place steps that safeguard a young person. The home operates a safe recruitment practice to help create a high threshold of entry to deter any potential abusers gaining access to young people.

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inadequate

Management is weak. The new manager has been in post since April 2015 and is in the process of applying to register with Ofsted. The manager has significant experience in working with children and is currently part way through the level five diploma in leadership. She has not had time to fulfil her management role, as inadequate staffing levels have required her to be ‘hands on’ to provide vital cover in the day to day running of the home. This means she has been unable to make the necessary changes to care planning, risk assessments and to monitor the overall quality of care.

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inadequate

Previous requirements relating to staffing remain unmet. There is no workforce development plan, or contingency planning for staff shortages. This significantly hinders the manager in building up a clear picture about staff requirements to meet the presenting needs of young people.

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inadequate

Staff stability and consistency is poor. Only one established member of staff works full-time. Arrangements for staff cover are heavily reliant on the use of bank staff or agency workers. Some of these staff do not have qualifications or training in working with children. There are occasions when staffing levels have dropped below what is set out in the home’s Statement of Purpose and have failed to have due regard for the home’s lone working policy.

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inadequate

There are also occasions when solely agency workers care for young people. In one case, an agency worker had only been at the home for just over a week and was working with another agency worker who had not worked at the home before. This left young people alone with unfamiliar, temporary staff who were not fully skilled, or trained about the provision of care.

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inadequate

Where staff do have a good level of familiarity of a young person’s needs, they are able to explain the importance of good communication. For example, how one young person requires things explaining to them due to his learning disability. However, this important message of care is not shared or captured in any care planning and this means temporary staff are ill equipped to provide the same level of support. These situations destabilise young people and cause them to struggle to self-regulate their emotions and to make unsafe decisions.

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inadequate

The new manager is very alert to the risks young people can face in the community from people prepared to exploit their additional vulnerabilities. She ensures close partnership working is ongoing with social workers, police, and other professionals so that young people are protected. One improvement in place is that the home has a detailed safe area assessment. This is a live document and used with the local police to ensure intelligence is shared.

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What the inspection judgements mean

The experiences and progress of children and young people are at the centre of the inspection. Inspectors will use their professional judgement to determine the weight and significance of their findings in this respect. The judgements included in the report are made against Inspection of children's homes: framework for inspection.

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What the inspection judgements mean

An outstanding children's home provides highly effective services that contribute to significantly improved outcomes for children and young people who need help and protection and care. Their progress exceeds expectations and is sustained over time. A good children's home provides effective services that help, protect and care for children and young people and have their welfare safeguarded and promoted. In a children's home that requires improvement , there are no widespread or serious failures that create or leave children being harmed or at risk of harm. The welfare of looked after children is safeguarded and promoted. Minimum requirements are in place, however, the children's home is not yet delivering good protection, help and care for children and young people. A children's home that is inadequate is providing services where there are widespread or serious failures that create or leave children and young people being

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What the inspection judgements mean

harmed or at risk of harm or result in children looked after not having their welfare safeguarded and promoted.

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Information about this inspection

Inspectors have looked closely at the experiences and progress of children and young people living in the children's home. Inspectors considered the quality of work and the difference adults make to the lives of children and young people. They read case files, watched how professional staff work with children, young people and each other and discussed the effectiveness of help and care given to children and young people. Wherever possible, they talked to children, young people and their families. In addition the inspectors have tried to understand what the children's home knows about how well it is performing, how well it is doing and what difference it is making for the children and young people who it is trying to help, protect and look after. This 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 Children's

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Information about this inspection

Homes (England) Regulations 2015 and the Guide to the children's homes regulations including the quality standards. the guidance raising concerns and making complaints about Ofsted, which is available from Ofsted's website: www.gov.uk/government/organisations/ofsted . If you would like Ofsted to send you a copy of the guidance, please telephone 0300123 4234, or email enquiries@ofsted.gov.uk .

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Information about this inspection

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, workbased learning and skills training, adult and community learning, and education and training in prisons and other secure establishments. It inspects services for looked after children and child protection. If you would like a copy of this document in a different format, such as large print or Braille, please telephone 0300 123 4234, 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,

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Information about this inspection

The National Archives, Kew, London TW9 4DU, or email: psi@nationalarchives.gsi.gov.uk .

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Information about this inspection

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Information about this inspection

Store Street Manchester M1 2WD T: 0300 123 1231 Textphone: 0161 618 8524 E: enquiries@ofsted.gov.uk W: www.gov.uk/government/organisations/ofsted

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