Children's Home run by Barnardo’s in Oxfordshire

children and young people since the most recent full inspection

This home was judged good at the full inspection. At this interim inspection Ofsted judged that it has sustained effectiveness . This inspection was carried out during a staff team training day and therefore there were no children attending for a short break. The introduction processes for helping new young people, their families and, in some cases, their extended families become familiar with the home are very well planned and sensitively undertaken. As a result, children and people significant to them gain confidence in the staff quickly. A parent said how initially her son did not want to attend, but that now he packs his case and takes it out to the car when he knows he is going for a stay. The information about a new young person is carefully evaluated and used to ensure that the groups of children staying in the home have similar or compatible needs. For one young person commencing stays, there were no formal written risk

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children and young people since the most recent full inspection

assessments to underpin the staff team’s work with him. However, there was a care plan to guide how staff worked with him and staff were knowledgeable about his needs. Care plans are individualised and form the basis of the work with the young person during their stay. Staff are knowledgeable about each young person’s needs and have a good understanding of how these needs impact on all areas of their lives. Staff are passionate about their roles in supporting young people to develop their skills and enjoy their stays in the home. The staff have requested access to the education and healthcare plans for each young person so that they can link the internal care planning to the aims and objectives of these plans. This is with the aim of providing young people with a higher level of consistency across their day. Young people choose the activities that they would like to do. One parent spoke about how her son gets so much to do while he is there, including baking, which is

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children and young people since the most recent full inspection

one of his favourite pastimes. Another young person, who is especially fond of Fireman Sam, was taken on a visit to the fire station. She spent time with a fireman and put his helmet on. She sat in the cab of the engine and operated the flashing lights. When looking at the photos taken of the visit, she was reported as pointing at one and saying that in it she had a tear of happiness. For young people who are moving on from the service into adult provisions, these moves are not always as smooth as they should be. This is due to the failure of social workers to make referrals to adult services in a timely way. While the staff at the home challenge social work teams to make timely moving-on plans, these challenges are not successful and young people are left with no provision to move on to. However, staff are passionate about supporting young people to understand that they will be moving to a new service and have taken young people to visit the

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children and young people since the most recent full inspection

provision they are most likely to attend in the future. A parent said that the work staff did with her daughter in this regard was ‘fantastic’. There have been no safeguarding issues since the last inspection, but staff continue to work effectively with some young people who are subject to a child protection or a child in need plan. Staff are especially skilled at working with families who find it difficult to engage with professionals, and this work helps to keep children safe. Young people do not go missing from the home, in part due to the high supervision levels. However, recommendations made by the police about the missing procedure have been incorporated into the document. This ensures that staff have clear instructions about the need to inform the police immediately should a young person be missing. Levels of physical intervention are low. There have been only three since the last inspection and all were used for appropriate reasons. A requirement made at the

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children and young people since the most recent full inspection

last inspection about the recording of physical interventions has been met. This means that the records now clearly set out the details of the debrief sessions that the manager has had with staff and the child following an intervention. The manager has not been able to evidence that the requirement made at the last inspection about staff recruitment has been fully met, as there have been no staff recruited since the last inspection. However, there are clear arrangements set out in the staff procedure document for carrying out checks where an applicant has lived or worked overseas. The remaining issue of ensuring that a full employment history is obtained for each applicant will be followed up at the next inspection. The statement of purpose has been provided to Ofsted and the document gives the reader a good view about the aims and objectives and what can be expected from the home. There are effective arrangements for monitoring the quality of care and practice

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children and young people since the most recent full inspection

and these ensure that areas for improvement are identified. Areas for development are subsequently addressed. Staff continue to work effectively with parents and other professionals and agencies to ensure that children are safe, well cared for and have ample opportunities to learn new skills. The manager of the local children who have disability social work team said, ‘This is [a] good service that we are confident in… They are responsive to families’ needs, and families are confident to contact them when they need support.’ She also said that communication from staff is good and that any problems are quickly addressed.

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Information about this children’s home

This residential short-break service caters for up to six children or young people at any time. The service is provided by a national charity in partnership with a local authority and a primary care trust. Children and young people can therefore be provided with care and health packages. Most of the children and young people using the service have complex health needs, or are on the autistic spectrum and have associated challenging behaviour. The home is also registered with the Care Quality Commission as a domiciliary care agency that provides occasional support to families in the family home.

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Recent inspection history

Inspection date Inspection type Inspection judgement

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Recent inspection history

21/12/2015 Interim Sustained effectiveness

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Recent inspection history

03/03/2015 Interim Improved effectiveness

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Statutory requirements

This section sets out the actions which must be taken so that the registered person(s) meet(s) the Care Standards Act 2000, the 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

The registered person must recruit staff using recruitment procedures that are designed to ensure children’s safety. The registered person may only: employ an individual to work at the children’s home, or allow that individual to work at the home, if the individual satisfies the requirements in paragraph (3). (Regulation 32(1)(2)(a)(b)(3)) 03/03/2016

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Recommendations

To improve the quality and standards of care further, the service should take account of the following recommendations:

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Recommendations

 Where the placing authority or another relevant person does not provide the input and services needed to meet a child’s needs during their time in the home or in preparation for leaving the home, the home must challenge them to meet the child’s needs (see regulations 5(c)). Staff should act as champions for their children, expecting nothing less than a good parent would. The registered person should consider the use of an independent advocate (see paragraph 4.16) if the child’s needs are not being met. (‘Guide to the children’s homes regulations including the quality standards’, page 12 , paragraph 2.8)  Children must feel safe and be safe. Staff should support children to be aware of and manage their own safety, both inside and outside the home, to the extent that any good parent would. Staff should help children to understand how to protect themselves, to feel protected and to be protected from significant harm. This is with specific reference to ensuring that risk

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Recommendations

assessments are documented and, when appropriate, that the child is apprised of the contents of their assessment prior to short breaks commencing. (‘Guide to the children’s homes regulations including the quality standards’, page 43, paragraph 9.9)

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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 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 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 whom 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, work- based learning and skills training, adult and community learning, and education and training in prisons and other secure establishments. It inspects services for children looked after 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

T: 0300 123 1231 Textphone: 0161 618 8524 E: enquiries@ofsted.gov.uk W: www.gov.uk/government/organisations/ofsted

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