Children's Home run by Oracle Care Limited in Bedford

children and young people since the most recent full inspection

This home was judged Requires improvement at the full inspection. At this interim inspection Ofsted judge that it has Sustained effectiveness .

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children and young people since the most recent full inspection

At the last inspection six requirements and two recommendations were set. Since the last inspection, the young person living at the home, transitioned to another home within the organisation, and the home was not operating for a period of time.

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children and young people since the most recent full inspection

The provider has appointed a new manager, who is in the process of registering with Ofsted, and a new staff team is caring for the young person newly admitted to the home. The provider has implemented a system to provide stability and consistency within the service, ensuring that when the manager is absent from the home, a locality manager will oversee the management of the home.

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children and young people since the most recent full inspection

The staff provide the young person with structure, routine and boundaries to their day. They help the young person, who previously struggled to attend and engage in education, with the appropriate support to help them to overcome the barriers they have to education. This individualised approach enables the young person to engage in the organisation’s educational provision. This is significant progress from their starting point and the young person is achieving well.

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children and young people since the most recent full inspection

The staff enable the young person to have their views and wishes heard. They spend quality time with the young person, and there are a number of systems within the home to gain young people’s views. For example, key work sessions, young people’s meetings, and informal conversations. Through these systems, the young person has been involved in the development of the home, in aspects such as décor, menu choices and activities. This has helped the young person to feel listened to and to start to see it as home.

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children and young people since the most recent full inspection

The staff support the young person with their behaviour, through implementing a detailed behaviour management support plan. This helps to develop new strategies to manage the young person’s times of frustration and anger. On occasion, the staff have needed to physically intervene; this has been appropriate. The staff provide the young person with an opportunity to reflect on the incidents and to have their views recorded. This helps to identify potential trends and patterns in behaviour, to reduce incidents.

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children and young people since the most recent full inspection

Although the young person has only been at the home for a short period, the staff have already ensured that they have memorabilia, through photographs, of his time at the home. This enables him to have memories of his time in the home and to look back on his life journey.

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children and young people since the most recent full inspection

The staff spend time with the young person, doing activities inside and out of the home. During the inspection, the young person was cooking a meal with staff, and planned to go to play golf after. Through these engagements, he develops positive relationships with staff.

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children and young people since the most recent full inspection

The organisation has not met one of the requirements. Some staff have come from other homes within the organisation. However, for some new staff, the management has not fully inducted them into the home and, on occasions, these staff have worked together while in their probationary period, with no experienced member of staff. In addition, supervision, while provided, lacks in-depth reflection of practice and development of staff. Therefore, some staff fail to fully understand the practice and ethos of the home. Some lack comprehensive awareness of the young person’s previous experience and how to manage their behaviour in line with the home’s behaviour management policy. Overall, some staff lack the skills and experience to fully meet the young person’s needs, and at times, become frustrated at the strategies implemented by management to help manage the young person’s behaviour.

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children and young people since the most recent full inspection

The young person is registered at the doctors, dentist and opticians. The staff promote healthy eating and healthy lifestyle and encourage him to partake in active activities and broaden their horizons. However, the management have failed to make arrangements for him to attend additional health appointments requested by health professionals. As a result, the young person’s health needs are not consistently met.

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children and young people since the most recent full inspection

The staff involve the young person in choosing the décor and some of the furnishings in the home. This has provided a homely and welcoming environment. However, the garden requires some improvement. There is a small tree that has fallen over and debris in the garden. As a result, the young person is finding it difficult to play football in the garden.

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children and young people since the most recent full inspection

The management assessed the needs of the young person prior to admission. While the home is, in general, meeting his needs, the manager has failed to ensure that all staff are fully trained in all areas. For example, the young person has a history of self harming behaviour. While there have been no incidents currently at the home, the manager has not ensured that all staff have undertaken the training in case of an incident. While this currently has minimal impact on the young person, this does not ensure that all staff have the skills to meet all of his needs. Some individual paperwork lacks all the required information. For example, the placement plan fails to identify all of the young person’s needs and how to meet them. This does not support fully effective care.

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children and young people since the most recent full inspection

The provider is aware of the majority of the shortfalls identified within this report and has taken action to address them. This is through providing the manager and staff with the additional management support of a locality manager. This has already benefited the team, implementing clearer strategies, setting expectations of the staff and providing effective monitoring of the care.

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children and young people since the most recent full inspection

There have been no complaints. The young person is aware of how to make a complaint, he has a children’s guide informing him of the information and the staff ensure he is aware of this. The young person said: ‘I am happy here. The staff are nice.’

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children and young people since the most recent full inspection

The young person has made sufficient progress while living at the home. There have been no missing incidents since his admission. While there are concerns of child sexual exploitation, the young person is highly supervised and not permitted out of the home without staff, due to his vulnerability. This keeps him safe. He has made improvements in educational attendance and achievement, healthy eating, and engaging in activities.

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children and young people since the most recent full inspection

The rapport between staff and the young person was noted during the inspection to be warm, respectful and caring. He has a sufficient understanding of his future plans and feels consulted about his care.

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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. The organisation provides a registered school.

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Recent inspection history

Inspection date Inspection type Inspection judgement

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Recent inspection history

06/03/2015 Interim Declined effectiveness

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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 health and well-being standard the provider must ensure that:

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Requirement Due date

(1) (b) children receive advice, services and support in relation to their health and well-being. 22/04/2016

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Requirement Due date

In order to meet the positive relationship standard, the registered person is required to ensure that staff:

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Requirement Due date

(2) (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 relationships with children; (x) are provided with supervision and support to enable them to understand and manage their own feelings and responses to the behaviour and emotions of children, and to help children to do the same. 22/04/2016

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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, the registered person is required to ensure that staff:

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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. 22/04/2016

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Requirement Due date

The registered person must ensure that each employee completes an appropriate induction. (Regulation 33 (1) (a)) 22/04/2016

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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 the home is a welcoming environment in all areas. This is with particular regard to the garden. (The Guide to the Quality Standards page 15 paragraph 3.9)  Ensure that all staff, including the manager, receive supervision of their practice from an appropriately qualified and experienced professional, which allows them to reflect on their practice and the needs of the children assigned to their care. (The Guide to the Quality Standards page 61 paragraph 13.2)  Ensure all children's case records are kept up to date. This is with particular regard to children's placement plans. (The Guide to the Quality Standards page 62 paragraph 14.3)

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What the inspection judgements mean

At the interim inspection 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

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 focused on the effectiveness of the home and the progress and experiences of children and young people since the most recent full inspection.

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Information about this inspection

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 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

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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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