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

Inspection report children‟s home: SC408513 1 SC408513 Registered provider: Oracle Care Limited

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Full inspection Inspected under the social care common inspection framework

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Information about this children’s home

The home is registered to provide care and accommodation for three children who may have emotional and/or behavioural difficulties. It is a privately run home.

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Overall experiences and progress of

children and young people, taking into account

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outstanding

How well children and young people are helped and protected outstanding

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outstanding

The effectiveness of leaders and managers outstanding

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outstanding

The children‟s home provides highly effective services that consistently exceed the standards of good. The actions of the children‟s home contribute to significantly improved outcomes and positive experiences for children and young people who need help, protection and care.

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outstanding

Date of last inspection: 28 February 2017

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outstanding

Overall judgement at last inspection: Improved effectiveness

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Enforcement action since last inspection

None Inspection report children‟s home: SC408513 2

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Key findings from this inspection

This children‟s home is outstanding because:

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Key findings from this inspection

 Children clearly feel loved and well cared for in the home. They have formed strong and trusting relationships with adults who support the children‟s continued development and progress. Children say that they feel safe, and that this is because of the help and support staff provide.  Staff effectively use research-informed practice to help children make sustained progress across all aspects of their lives from their starting points. Staff have a deep understanding of each child‟s life experiences and needs, so that they are able to respond and promote positive outcomes.  Staff work well with clinical staff to help children understand their emotions and develop more adaptive strategies to manage difficult feelings. Staff create a therapeutic environment that is nurturing, supportive and creates a sense of security.  Children are fully involved in their care planning. The home is creative in encouraging children to attend their own reviews and ensure that their voices

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Key findings from this inspection

are heard.  Highly effective multi-professional working ensures that children‟s holistic needs are met.  Children‟s education is highly valued, and they are encouraged in their achievements and successes. They all have 100% school attendance. Careful planning supports children to prepare to transition to mainstream school.  Children‟s health is prioritised and they are helped to understand the importance of looking after their health and attending appointments. Healthy lifestyles are promoted through nutritious diets and physical activities.  The home is extremely well managed by an ambitious and experienced manager. She leads a highly stable staff team that is committed to providing children with continuity of the highest quality of care. Staff feel well supported, are enthusiastic and continually strive to improve their skills and understanding.  The manager has excellent oversight of the home and the progress that

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Key findings from this inspection

children are making. She inspires her team, and has the highest aspirations for the children who live there. She continues to develop the home to promote the very best outcomes and experiences for resident children.

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Key findings from this inspection

The children‟s home‟s areas for development:

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Key findings from this inspection

 The registered person should ensure that all staff, including the manager, receive regular supervision. This will ensure effective practice oversight and identify any additional support that the home may require.  There has been improvement to the quality of the independent person‟s report. However, the manager recognises that further enhancement to the report‟s Inspection report children‟s home: SC408513 3 format will enable more effective evaluation of the home‟s practice. This work in progress must deliver more evaluative oversight to support the manager‟s understanding and development of the home.  Where placing authorities do not provide timely relevant plans, or plans do not reflect children‟s current circumstances and needs, the home should challenge them to ensure that all necessary information is available to meet children‟s needs.

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Inspection date Inspection type Inspection judgement

28/02/2017 Interim Improved effectiveness 16/08/2016 Full Good 18/02/2016 Interim Sustained effectiveness 22/09/2015 Full Good Inspection report children‟s home: SC408513 4

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Recommendations

 The registered person must have systems in place so that all staff, including the manager, receive supervision, which allows them to reflect on their practice and the needs of the children assigned to their care. („Guide to the children‟s homes regulations including the quality standards‟, page 61, paragraph 13.2)  Ensure that the independent person produces a report about a visit which sets out, in particular, the independent person‟s opinion as to whether children are effectively safeguarded and that the conduct of the home promotes children‟s well-being. („Guide to the children‟s homes regulations including the quality standards‟, page 55, paragraph 10.24)  Ensure that where the placing authority does not provide the input needed to meet the child‟s needs during their time in the home, the home challenges them to meet the child‟s needs. („Guide to the children‟s homes regulations including the quality standards‟, page 12, paragraph 2.8) This relates to challenging local

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Recommendations

authorities when relevant plans are not updated to reflect current circumstances, or when relevant plans are not provided in a timely manner to ensure that the home is able to meet children‟s holistic needs.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: outstanding

Staff form exceptionally strong, nurturing relationships with children. Children very clearly feel loved and nurtured by adults who appropriately demonstrate affection and provide care that promotes positive outcomes. Children are able to have fun and enjoy new experiences, which help them to develop trust and strong bonds with their care givers. One child was visibly delighted when she was told who was taking her on holiday, and thought she might „pop‟ with excitement. Children are encouraged in creative and imaginative play, and staff fully engage in their games of „horses and mermaids‟ and beauty salon days. During the visit, two of the children gave a singing performance for the inspector, which demonstrated how relaxed and happy they are, and how they enjoy living in the home. When describing the home, children say it is „amazing‟, „beautiful‟, and that the staff are „very nice‟. Children say that one of the best things about the

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: outstanding

home is each other, and one child told the inspector that she „needs to give [the home] an “excellent”‟. From their starting points, children make significant progress across all aspects of their lives. They all have 100% attendance at school, including a child who, prior to moving to the home, had been completely disengaged from education for five months. Two children are ready to transition to mainstream schools in the local area. The home has worked closely with virtual heads to ensure that the provision identified will meet the Inspection report children‟s home: SC408513 5 children‟s individual needs. The children have visited their respective schools during the summer term to support successful transitions. Staff have a very good understanding of children‟s academic ability, and support their development well. One child is an avid reader and regularly goes to the library with staff to choose new books, while another is

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: outstanding

encouraged to enjoy audio versions of books. Educational toys are bought to promote learning and staff help children to print out practice papers for exams. Staff are proud of children‟s achievements, for example when children win school talent competitions or successfully audition for the local gang show. Staff celebrate these successes, and use positive praise books, memory boxes and albums to record them. Children are supported to attend their health appointments and they are encouraged to live healthy, active lifestyles. Although staff were told that one child would not eat at the dining table with others, staff have successfully encouraged her to enjoy nutritious, home-cooked meals with her peers from her first day. The home has worked with nurses for children looked after, to make significant improvements to a child‟s minor, but ongoing, health issues, so that she is now well. Staff use incentive systems and rewards

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: outstanding

well to encourage children to improve their self-care, and use direct work to help them understand the onset of puberty. Children engage well with therapists, who use play to help children understand past trauma and learn how to manage their feelings. The therapists also work with the staff team members to deepen their understanding of individual children‟s attachment needs so that they are able to respond effectively and sensitively to the impact of trauma. Staff help children to improve their social relationships and extend their social networks, by encouraging age-appropriate activities. An older child makes regular trips to Laser Quest, which she thoroughly enjoys and enables her to interact with peers of her own age. Staff encourage the child‟s increasing independence through her free time. As a result, children‟s physical, social, emotional and physical well-being is improving. Children are regularly consulted about their feelings and their views are incorporated

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: outstanding

into all aspects of the home. Their bedrooms reflect their personalities and individual tastes, and the home has numerous displays of children‟s photographs and artwork. Children are closely involved in their care-planning through child-friendly versions of their documents so that they are able to see the progress they are making. Advocates are used effectively to make sure that children‟s voices are heard at statutory reviews of their care plans. One child attended her review for the first time because of the efforts that adults made to make the occasion personal and attractive to her. The review was princess-themed and the child proudly made food and held a quiz to test the adults‟ knowledge of Disney princesses. Adults attending the review came in costume to make it a truly positive celebration of her achievements. Children have positive and meaningful contact with their families. Staff have built

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: outstanding

trusting relationships with families so that contact has progressed from supervised contact centres to the community, with staff providing support. A child‟s independent reviewing officer confirmed that a parent was very positive about the home, which she attributed to the way that staff worked to build the relationship. The home works well with other professionals, who confirm that the home communicates with them regularly, and describe the home as welcoming and nurturing. There is a clear multi-professional approach in planning for children‟s futures, and the help the children require to make Inspection report children‟s home: SC408513 6 successful transitions and progress. The home makes an exceptional difference to the lives and experiences of children who live there. Staff make every effort to enhance children‟s life chances by placing them at the centre of their practice and promoting everyday experiences in line with children‟s

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: outstanding

peers who are not looked after. Staff are mindful of simple events, such as visits from the „tooth fairy‟, and celebrate birthdays with trips to the zoo and music concerts so that children feel valued. Children‟s religious beliefs are promoted according to children‟s wishes. A child, who does not wish to attend church, enjoys informal celebration of her faith as part of her bedtime routine by taking an imaginative trip on the „God bus‟. Children are intrinsically valued by staff, who promote children‟s continued development and resilience within a therapeutic environment.

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How well children and young people are helped and protected: outstanding

Risk assessments are robust, thorough and individualised, and correspond well with behaviour support plans. Changes in risk levels are tracked over time through regular reviews and show how children are helped to become safer. Child-friendly versions of behaviour support plans mean that children contribute to, and have understanding of, their own plans. This also helps children to understand how and why staff work towards specific goals to help and support them. Practice is consistent to ensure that clear boundaries are maintained. This enables children to feel safe, and helps them to reflect on their emotions and behaviour. Children‟s increasing ability to self-reflect, given their ages and needs, is a notable achievement. Incidents do occur, but there is clear understanding of underlying contributory factors, such as night time routines when children may feel more unsettled, or when they struggle with sharing particular staff. These factors are regularly reviewed to identify

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How well children and young people are helped and protected: outstanding

alternative approaches, so that incidents reduce over time. For example, children were reluctant to listen to other staff if their key worker was on shift, so it was decided that a traditional key worker system would no longer be used. Children, therefore, do not focus on a specifically allocated person and respond better to all staff. The diversity in the team is used effectively to educate children about different cultures, develop an understanding of race equality and the need to respect individual identity. Creative responses to challenges promote children‟s well-being, sense of security, ability to adapt and to learn acceptable behaviour. Physical intervention is required at times to ensure children‟s and others‟ safety. Records clearly demonstrate that the staff understand which methods are appropriate to use, particularly in response to specific medical conditions. Most interventions are not

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How well children and young people are helped and protected: outstanding

physically restrictive, for example staff will guide a child to another room using light touch. Thorough debriefs take place with staff and children, so that it is clear why an intervention is used. One child said that she felt safe when she was upset or angry because staff support her. The child‟s social worker notes that her levels of aggression are decreasing compared to previous placements. Staff manage children‟s complex behaviours well and do their utmost to prevent them from being criminalised. Staff have worked closely with the local police to seek support for early intervention to help a child understand the potential consequences of Inspection report children‟s home: SC408513 7 aggressive behaviour, although there are limited local resources. The home has used this external input effectively to reduce the child‟s number of incidents. Effective restorative meetings are held to help children understand the impact of their behaviour on others

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How well children and young people are helped and protected: outstanding

and to rebuild relationships. Staff take care to reassure children that they hold them in positive regard, and do not judge them by any unwanted behaviours. This enables children to learn from mistakes, build their resilience and improve their self-esteem. Routines and boundaries are clear, reflecting the different ages of children and providing stability and predictability. Staff demonstrate how they vary environmental factors to reduce levels of arousal, such as following a regular, settling routine to quieten the home before bedtime. Staff are conscious of small details that can have significant impact on children and are mindful that simple actions, such as remembering to turn off lights during the night, help to prevent children from becoming anxious. Children have large bedrooms, and one child was bought a small tent, so that she has a smaller, more confined space she can use to feel safe and secure when she needs to. Practice is

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How well children and young people are helped and protected: outstanding

underpinned by theoretical understanding that helps children to feel safer and increasingly secure because staff understand them well. Children very rarely go missing from the home, and there has only been one incident since the interim inspection. Appropriate action was taken by the staff to notify all relevant individuals and an independent return home interview took place. Children are, therefore, protected from other risks associated with going missing. Staff clearly demonstrate that they know the procedures they must follow to safeguard children and consult with the designated officer if any allegations are made against staff. Meticulous records are kept which provide a clear chronology of actions and outcomes. Staff help children to understand how to keep themselves safe by using different media which engage children‟s interest and help them to remember important safety messages. Children are encouraged to take age-appropriate risks that help them to become more

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How well children and young people are helped and protected: outstanding

confident in their independence. For example, one child now attends a Brownie group independently. Staff listen to children‟s concerns and take any complaints they make seriously and work to resolve them promptly. Staff also encourage children to resolve their own differences when they complain about each other. Recently, one child led the children‟s meeting so that they could collectively discuss ways to be nicer to each other and get along better. This involves children in finding creative solutions and developing their own skills to de-escalate situations, so that they learn in a meaningful and relevant way.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: outstanding

The home is efficiently led by an enthusiastic, suitably qualified and experienced manager. She and her team clearly have very high expectations of themselves to deliver best outcomes and are ambitious for children. They are collectively motivated to continually drive improvements in practice, learning, and the home environment to give children positive experiences of the highest quality care. Staff demonstrate excellent understanding of theory that underpins and informs their practice. Staff convey their passion for their work and demonstrate genuine affection and nurture towards the children. Staff understand children‟s needs in detail and respond to each individual with Inspection report children‟s home: SC408513 8 sensitivity. The manager shows a very ambitious vision for the home‟s continued development. She has implemented systems to carefully track children‟s progress against their goals and outcomes, and has excellent oversight of how staff support children to achieve. Her own

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: outstanding

professional development is evident in promoting best practice, and she has been well supported by the company to complete her foundation degree in therapeutic care. This has had a significant impact on practice development and supporting staff‟s understanding, and complements the consultation provided by the clinical team. The team speaks highly of the level of support from the manager, who will join shifts to support staff. The manager nurtures staff development and provides positive feedback on their work, which staff value. Staff describe how they „love working [at the home]‟ and how they „thrive‟ as a result of the manager‟s support and praise for their work. There is use of a wide range of training resources, including the Local Safeguarding Children‟s Board, to enhance learning. Staff embrace learning opportunities to enhance their skills and practice, and use team meetings and clinical consultations effectively to

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: outstanding

discuss individualised and responsive care. They are able to reflect on their practice in well-structured supervision, as well as more informal „job chats‟. New staff say that their induction is effective and the home has well-structured processes to safeguard children within a nurturing environment. Senior managers need to ensure that the registered manager receives individual supervision, particularly at more challenging times, so that she has the opportunity to reflect on the home‟s practice and is well supported. The home clearly meets its stated aims and objectives in providing therapeutic care. The home demonstrates a focus on relationships which foster well-being, working towards the principles of the Enabling Environment award, recognised by the Royal College of Psychiatrists. This is ongoing work that is led by the company‟s lead clinical professional. The manager is very particular about the qualities she expects of her staff team and has

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: outstanding

taken time to recruit male staff members, who will fit in with the home‟s ethos to balance the team. Robust recruitment practice ensures that only suitable adults work at the home. The home maintains strong, effective relationships with external professionals to seek specific support for children. It fully integrates with other services to deliver the best quality care in meeting children‟s holistic needs. Staff communicate well with social workers and request children‟s relevant plans to inform their care planning. Where agencies fail to meet requests or provide outdated information, the home needs to demonstrate further challenge. However, clear knowledge and understanding of children, in conjunction with good professional relationships, means that there is negligible impact on children‟s care. Professional feedback is highly positive about the home and how it supports children to make progress. One social worker was writing an

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: outstanding

article for an internal work network about his positive experience of a visit to the home and how he was touched by a performance given by some of the children. He commented on the impact of the „little things; days like that, you remember‟. External monitoring of quality continues to improve, and helpfully supports the manager‟s oversight of care in the home. The manager recognises that the format of the report needs further enhancement in order for it to be more effective. This is a work in progress, and therefore the previous recommendation is repeated. The manager‟s own Inspection report children‟s home: SC408513 9 evaluation of quality of care is thorough, contributing to ongoing development and improvements. She has numerous creative ideas to develop the physical environment of the home to make it even more child friendly, and as a warm and welcoming place to live. Children are very clearly at the centre of practice. Their voices and views are seen

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: outstanding

throughout records, planning and within the physical environment. Children‟s identity in the home is strong, and there is a very strong sense from them that they feel loved, listened to and cared for.

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Information about this inspection

Inspectors have looked closely at the experiences and progress of children and young people. Inspectors considered the quality of work and the difference made to the lives of children and young people. They watched how professional staff work with children and young people and each other and discussed the effectiveness of help and care provided. Wherever possible, they talked to children and 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.

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Information about this inspection

Using the „Social care common inspection framework‟, this inspection was carried out under the Care Standards Act 2000 to assess the effectiveness of the service, how it meets the core functions of the service as set out in legislation, 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‟. Inspection report children‟s home: SC408513 10

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Children’s home details

Registered provider: Oracle Care Limited

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Children’s home details

Registered provider address: Unit 54 Wrest Park, Silsoe, Bedford MK45 4HS

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Inspector

Karen Willson, social care regulatory inspector Inspection report children‟s home: SC408513 11 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, further education and skills, adult and community learning, and education and training in prisons and other secure establishments. It assesses council children‟s services, and inspects services for children looked after, safeguarding and child protection.

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Inspector

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Inspector

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Inspector

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