Children's home run by Oracle Care Limited in Central Bedfordshire

Good

The children‟s home provides effective services that meet the requirements for good.

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The children’s home provision is good because:

 Young people enjoy positive relationships with staff. These support their development and provide the stability that they need to make progress in their lives.

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The children’s home provision is good because:

 The registered manager works in partnership with the placing authorities and other professionals. This means that young people receive integrated care and support.

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The children’s home provision is good because:

 Young people are safe in the home and said that they feel safe. This enhances their feelings of self-esteem and confidence.

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The children’s home provision is good because:

 The registered manager regularly assesses and reviews staff performance through practice-related supervision sessions.

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The children’s home provision is good because:

 The registered manager ensures that training courses available to staff reflect young people‟s individual needs.

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The children’s home provision is good because:

 There are some areas for improvement. These include revising internal monitoring systems and reports, reviewing the use of surveillance equipment in the home and detailing staff actions within young people‟s risk assessments.

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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 within the given timescales.

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Requirement Due date

In order to meet the protection of children standard the registered person 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. This is with particular reference to the detail included in written risk assessments and with specific consideration of external activities. 24/02/2017

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Requirement Due date

The registered person may only use devices for the monitoring or surveillance of children if the monitoring or surveillance is for the purpose of safeguarding and promoting the welfare of the child concerned, or other children; and the monitoring or surveillance is no more intrusive than necessary, having regard to the child‟s need for privacy. (Regulation 24(1)(a)(d)) 24/02/2017

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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. After completing a quality of care review, the registered person must produce a written report about the quality of care review and the actions which the registered person intends to take as a result of the quality of care review (“the quality of care review report”). (Regulation 45(2)(a)(3)) 24/02/2017

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Information about this children's home

The home provides care and accommodation for up to three young people with emotional and/or behavioural difficulties. A private provider owns and operates this home.

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Recent inspection history

Inspection date Inspection type Inspection judgement 15/03/2016 Interim Improved effectiveness 07/07/2015 Full Requires improvement 25/03/2015 Interim Sustained effectiveness 14/01/2015 Full Good

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Good

Young people make good progress in all areas of their development. This is because they receive personalised care and support. Staff work with young people, their families, their placing authorities and other agencies. This partnership approach to providing care means that staff have all of the information that they need to devise bespoke support plans for young people.

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Good

Relationships between young people and staff are positive. Young people said that they feel „respected‟ by staff and that they „aren‟t judged‟. Young people participate in regular one-to-one sessions with staff. Staff use these sessions to review young people‟s progress to date, celebrate their achievements and to encourage them to reflect on any incidents of unacceptable behaviours.

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Good

Internal care planning processes include regular consultation with young people. Staff encourage young people to comment on their care plans and risk assessments. Young people are involved in decisions about their care, and their opinions influence the plans in place to support their transition to adulthood. Staff assess young people‟s readiness for independence though one-to-one sessions, targeted independent living plans and liaison with the young person‟s social worker. This integrated approach supports young people‟s journey to adulthood and increases the success of their future placement.

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Good

This organisation operates its own independent school. On admission to the home, education professionals assess and review young people‟s educational needs. Staff work with teaching staff, and alternative education providers when appropriate, to support young people to continue with their education and embrace learning opportunities. For most young people school attendance is high, taking account of their starting point on admission to the home. This demonstrates that young people begin to recognise the importance of education and the positive impact that this has on their development.

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Good

Staff support young people to maintain a healthy lifestyle. Young people assist staff with menu planning and are encouraged to participate in regular physical exercise. Young people placed in this home are able to access the therapeutic services commissioned by this organisation. Health professionals tailor these therapeutic interventions to reflect each individual young person‟s specific needs. Allocated psychologists and therapists work in partnership with staff, the placing authorities and young people‟s families, when appropriate, to provide bespoke support and clinical assessment. The registered manager and other professionals prioritise young people‟s emotional well-being. This means that young people do not experience any delays in accessing the services that they need to promote their development.

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Good

Staff support young people to maintain regular contact with their families, and when appropriate, their friends. Young people have free access to a phone, and staff work with allocated social workers to agree suitable contact arrangements. When young people are far away from their families, staff facilitate regular visits. This means that young people are not isolated from those who are important to them.

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Good

Young people are safe in the home. Managers and staff devise risk assessments that identify young people‟s complex behaviours and highlight how these influence their safety and welfare. Staff use this information to develop behaviour management plans that balance incentives and rewards with clear expectations of acceptable behaviours. These plans incorporate reward charts that enable young people to visualise their progress. This helps them to understand the principles of taking responsibility for their actions and accepting the consequences of their negative conduct.

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Good

Risk assessments pertaining to specific activities, such as day trips, lack detail and clear guidance for staff. For example, these assessments do not prescribe suitable supervision levels for young people, or detail what actions staff must take in the event of an emergency. This shortfall means that in these circumstances staff may not consistently promote young people‟s safety.

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Good

Bedroom door alarms are in place to monitor young people‟s movements around the home. The registered manager states that this measure „safeguards‟ young people and allows them to freely move around the environment without being accompanied by staff. However, the registered manager‟s expressed need to use this method of surveillance is not risk assessed to highlight what, if any, risks young people face should these alarms be removed. This shortfall means that this restrictive procedure is now custom and practice in the home. Staff do not review the need to use bedroom door alarms based on young people‟s individual risks or the need to protect young people from harm.

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Good

Incidents of young people going missing from the home are rare. These have continued to reduce since the last inspection. Staff work with allocated local police officers to devise missing from home risk assessments, detailing actions required if young people are missing. These risk assessments take account of young people‟s specific vulnerabilities and highlight any increased potential for young people to be at risk of sexual exploitation. For some young people, these risk assessments include „free time‟ in the local community as part of agreed transition plans. This proportionate approach to managing risks enables young people to learn to take responsibility for their own safety.

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Good

Staff undertake regular training in the use of physical restraint and de-escalation techniques. Since the last inspection, there has been an increase in the use of physical restraint. The registered manager has evaluated the specific reasons for this increase, and bespoke support plans are in place to reduce this frequency. At this time, these support plans are effective. Staff record incidents of physical restraint in detail and include sufficient information. As a result, the registered manager is able to review these documents to evaluate the effectiveness of the use of this measure of control and if this use was lawful. This promotes young people‟s safety in the home.

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Good

Staff complete regular fire checks and health and safety checks. Any repairs required are quickly completed. The home is well maintained, homely and welcoming. This means that young people live in a suitable and safe environment.

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Good

The manager successfully registered with Ofsted in April 2016. He has a number of years of relevant experience of working with young people in residential care settings and holds suitable qualifications for this role. These qualifications include the level 5 diploma in leadership and management for residential childcare.

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Good

The registered manager has taken sufficient action to address three of the four requirements made at the last inspection. For example, the registered manager now completes complaints records as required. This means that these records include all necessary information to enable a swift resolution to any issue raised. The registered manager has liaised with external education provisions to secure suitable placements for young people that reflect their training and education targets, and has reiterated the need for staff to adhere to young people‟s risk assessments. However, the registered manager has not fully met the requirement relating to the internal monitoring of the home. The quality of care review report does not sufficiently detail the actions required to promote positive outcomes for young people or continually improve the care provided by the service.

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Good

Young people make good progress in this placement because the registered manager prioritises their needs. Listening to young people, identifying their needs and responding to these are central to the routines in the home. The registered manager retains a good overview of young people‟s vulnerabilities and risks and evaluates these against their individual progress and achievements. This means that the service is able to meets the aims and objectives of the placement as specified by the placing authorities and included within young people‟s statutory care plans.

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Good

There is a clear statement of purpose in place. Placing authorities confirm that they know and understand the aims and objectives of the home and the services available to support young people‟s progress. Partnership working between the registered manager and other agencies is effective. These relationships are positive and focus on young people‟s individual needs. This supports young people‟s development.

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Good

Staff receive regular and good-quality supervision. These sessions review their performance and assist staff to reflect on their practice. The registered manager utilises team meetings to debate practice issues and disseminate information. Formal training programmes ensure that staff have the skills and knowledge that they need to support young people. All eligible staff hold recognised formal qualifications as required for employment in children‟s residential services. This means that young people receive support from capable and experienced staff.

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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 children looked after 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 that 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 that 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

Interested in our work? You can subscribe to our monthly newsletter for more information and updates: http://eepurl.com/iTrDn .

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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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