Children's Home run by Oracle Care Limited in Staffordshire

This monitoring visit

The home was last inspected on 09 September 2015. It was judged as inadequate, 24 regulatory requirements and four recommendations were made. A compliance notice was issued as the registered person had failed to ensure that the workforce provided consistent care to young people. In addition, there were significant concerns spanning a number of areas. These include shortfalls relating to: the safety and protection of young people, the support young people receive, health, well-being, medication, the quality of the living environment and transitions arrangements. There were also serious shortfalls in management oversight, record keeping, and the home’s statement of purpose.

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This monitoring visit

In order to evaluate the progress the home has made a monitoring visit was undertaken on 09 November 2015.

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This monitoring visit

This visit has raised serious concerns about the quality of care provided to young people. The manager has made inadequate progress since the last inspection. The majority of shortfalls identified in the previous inspection have not been addressed. In addition, two further shortfalls have been identified.

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This monitoring visit

Young people’s attendance in education has significantly declined. Attempts to address this are inadequate and ineffective. This significantly hinders young people’s progress and impacts on their self-esteem.

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This monitoring visit

The manager has failed to address concerns regarding fire safety. Specifically, a fire door was removed without consideration of the risks this could pose. In addition, there are exposed wires in a young person’s bedroom and staff are unclear whether these are ‘live’. This places staff, young people, and visitors at risk of harm including fire.

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This monitoring visit

Young people continue to experience poor quality care and a lack of support. Their welfare is not promoted. For example, staff do not help them to undertake basic tasks such as showering, brushing their teeth, or wearing clean clothes. This affects their physical well-being and sense of self-worth. They do not learn the skills they need to live more independently.

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This monitoring visit

Risk assessments continue to be ineffective. They are outdated; they fail to contain adequate information, and do not provide sufficient guidance to staff. Consequently, staff do not effectively protect young people.

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This monitoring visit

‘Matching assessments’ (completed when new young people move to the home) are ineffective. For example, on one occasion the manager identified that staff required additional training to meet a young person’s needs. This training was not provided. This prevents staff from offering young people adequate support, or keeping them safe. Management oversight, monitoring and review continues to be poor. This has resulted in a failure to address a significant number of shortfalls or identify emerging weaknesses. This directly affects the quality of the service provided to young people and their experiences on a day-to-day basis.

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This monitoring visit

The manager has taken action to address a small number of the requirements made at the full inspection. Notably, young people are cared for by a more consistent staff tem. As a result, they benefit from greater predictability in their lives.

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Information about this children's home

The home provides care and accommodation for up to 3 children with emotional and/or behavioural difficulties. The home is owned and operated by a private provider.

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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

6. The quality and purpose of care standard

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Requirement Due date

In order to met the quality and purpose of care standard, with particular reference to welfare and personalised care, the registered person must ensure that staff: -

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Requirement Due date

(2) (b) (ii) protect and promote each child's welfare

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Requirement Due date

(iv) provide personalised care that meets each child's needs, as recorded in the child's relevant plans, taking account of the child's background. 11/12/2015

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Requirement Due date

In order to meet the education standard the registered provider must ensure that staff: -

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Requirement Due date

(2) (a) (i) help each child to achieve the child's education and training targets, as recorded in the child's relevant plans. 11/12/2015

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Requirement Due date

In order to meet the health and well-being standard, with particular reference to health and access to services, the registered person must ensure: -

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Requirement Due date

(1) (a) the health and well-being needs of children are met

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Requirement Due date

(2) (c) that each child has access to such dental, medical, nursing, psychiatric and psychological advice, treatment and other 04/12/2015 services as the child may require

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Requirement Due date

In order to meet the protection of children standard the registered provider must ensure that staff: -

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Requirement Due date

(2) (a) (i) 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

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Requirement Due date

(vi) take effective action whenever there is a serious concern about a child's welfare.

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Requirement Due date

(d) that the premises used for the purposes of the home are designed, furnished and maintained so as to protect each child from avoidable hazards to the child's health. 11/12/2015

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Requirement Due date

13. The leadership and management standard

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Requirement Due date

In order to met the leadership and management standard the registered person must: -

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Requirement Due date

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

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Requirement Due date

(f) 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

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Requirement Due date

(h) use monitoring and review systems to make continuous improvements in the quality of care provided in the home. 11/12/2015

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Requirement Due date

In order to meet the care planning standard, with particular reference to transition, the registered person must ensure that arrangements are in place to: -

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Requirement Due date

(1) (b) ensure children have a positive experience of arriving at or moving on from the home.

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Requirement Due date

(2) (b) (iii) plan for, and help, each child to prepare to leave the home or to move into adult care in a way that is consistent with arrangements agreed with the child's placing authority. 11/12/2015 The registered person must compile in relation to the children's home a statement ("the statement of purpose") which covers the matters listed in Schedule 1. (Regulation 16 (1)) 11/12/2015

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Requirement Due date

The registered person must ensure that the requirements of the Regulatory Reform (Fire Safety) Order 2005 and any regulations made under it, except for article 23 (duties of employees), are complied with in respect of the home. (Regulation 25 (2) (b)) 11/12/2015

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Requirement Due date

The registered person must ensure before any member of staff is employed to work at the home that full and satisfactory information is available in relation to the individual in respect of each of the matters in Schedule 2. This is with particular reference to staff employed through a recruitment agency. (Regulation 32 (3) (d)) 11/12/2015

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Requirement Due date

The registered person must maintain records ("case records") for each child which are kept up to date. (Regulation 36 (1) (b)) 11/12/2015

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Requirement Due date

In order to complete a quality of care review the registered person must establish and maintain a system for monitoring, reviewing and evaluating the quality of care provided for children. (Regulation 45 (2) (a)) 11/12/2015

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Requirement Due date

In order to complete a quality of care review the registered person must establish and maintain a system for monitoring, reviewing and evaluating the feedback and opinions of children about the children's home, its facilities and the quality of care they receive in it. (Regulation 45 (2) (b)) 11/12/2015

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Requirement Due date

The registered person must ensure that the system used to compile the quality of care review must provide for ascertaining and considering the opinions of children, their parents, placing authorities and staff. (Regulation 45 (5)) 11/12/2015

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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 that any sanctions used to address poor behaviour should be restorative in nature, to help children recognise the impact of their behaviour on themselves, other children, the staff caring for them and the wider community.  The registered person should agree with their local police force, procedures and guidance on police involvement with the home to reduce unnecessary police involvement in managing behaviour and criminalisation of behaviours.  Ensure that any child who has been restrained should be given the opportunity express their feelings about their experience of the restraint as soon as is practicable, ideally within 24 hours of the restraint incident, taking the age of the child and the circumstances of the restraint into account.  Ensure that independent return interviews are carried out within 72 hours of the

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Recommendations

child returning to their home or care setting. This should be an in-depth interview and is normally best carried out by an independent person (ie, someone not involved in caring for the child) who is trained to carry out these interviews and is able to follow-up any actions that emerge. Children sometimes need to build up trust with a person before they will discuss in depth the reasons why they ran away.

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Information about this inspection

The purpose of this visit was to monitor the action taken and the progress made by the home since their last Ofsted inspection. This inspection was carried out under the Care Standards Act 2000. 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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