Children's home run by Oxfordshire County Council

Inspection report children’s home: 1229977 1 Registered provider: Oxfordshire County Council Interim inspection Inspected under the social care common inspection framework

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Information about this children’s home

This children’s home is run by a local authority. It provides care and accommodation for up to six children who have emotional and/or behavioural difficulties. The home provides short-term care and accommodation, which may be on a shared-care basis, aimed at preventing a family breakdown. It also accommodates children while assessments of their longer-term placement needs are carried out. The home does not offer long-term placements. The home provides an emergency bed.

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Information about this children’s home

Judgement at last inspection: Requires improvement to be good

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Information about this children’s home

Enforcement action since last inspection: None

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and young people since the most recent full inspection

This home was judged requires improvement to be good at the last full inspection. At the interim inspection, Ofsted judges that it has declined in effectiveness.

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and young people since the most recent full inspection

The registered person has not addressed all of the requirements and recommendations set at the last inspection, as set out below. Some improvements have been made in the monitoring and quality assurance systems. Senior managers are informed, on a daily basis, about the previous day’s shift and any significant events that occurred. However, the manager was not fully aware that the requirements and recommendations made at the last inspection had not been fully met. Shortfalls remain in ensuring that children’s views are considered and acted on at all times. For example, some issues which children have raised in house meetings have not Inspection report children’s home: 1229977 2 been followed up. The mix of children staying in the home and the ability of the staff team to meet the needs of all children are not being adequately considered in the compatibility assessments. This means that it cannot be assured that all risks between children can be

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and young people since the most recent full inspection

managed effectively. While there have been some improvements in the quality of some records, for example the record-keeping of key-work sessions, there continue to be shortfalls in others. In one case, the decision-making about a concern raised by a child was not recorded. In another case, despite a multi-agency risk-management planning meeting having been held, the resulting risk assessment was not available to the staff. The internal risk assessments could not, therefore, accurately reflect the decision-making from this meeting. Some records have not been signed and dated. There have been some improvements in getting staff training up to date. However, for some staff this shortfall remains. Since the last inspection, the location risk assessment has been reviewed. However, the document is not analytical. Risks and opportunities presented by the home’s location and strategies for managing these have not been fully considered. For example, crime

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and young people since the most recent full inspection

comparison data have not been analysed and risks to children relating to the local train station and railway tracks have not been assessed and planned for. There has been a failure to plan and prepare for one child’s health needs. The manager was aware that, in the past, the child had experienced a seizure. This information was not followed up adequately with health professionals. There was no guidance for staff about how they should support the child should she have a seizure. Despite the shortfalls, children have made some good progress. Most children have had a positive experience during their time staying in the home. Children develop good relationships with staff. Children trust staff and begin to confide in them. Staff also spend good-quality fun time with children. During the inspection, a young person and some staff were having a competitive game of scrabble. This was good-natured and the source of much laughter from all.

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and young people since the most recent full inspection

Young people are encouraged to follow their interests and, where possible, turn these into learning opportunities. For example, one child, who is adept at cooking, often does the cooking in the home. He has also secured a work placement in a prestigious local restaurant. Most children engage well with staff and get involved in key-work sessions. The sessions are purposeful and provide children with the opportunity to reflect on their pasts and plan for their futures. For example, one child has used this time to reflect and make positive decisions about how to turn his life around. He has begun to move away from undesirable people he used to associate with and is developing aspirations for his future. One child who was admitted in an emergency was very well supported by staff until a more suitable, longer-term placement was found for him. He was also very well supported to move into his new placement. Some professionals thought that, due to the

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and young people since the most recent full inspection

child’s difficulties in managing his behaviour, he should travel to his new placement via secure transport. Staff successfully challenged this view. Staff planned his move Inspection report children’s home: 1229977 3 meticulously and travelled with him. This provided the child with positive memories of the home.

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Inspection date Inspection type Inspection judgement

04/10/2017 Full Requires improvement to be good 11/05/2017 Full Inadequate 16/02/2017 Full Requires improvement

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Statutory requirements

This section sets out the actions that the registered person(s) must take to meet 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

7.—(1) The children’s views, wishes and feelings standard is that children receive care from staff who— (a) develop positive relationships with them; (b) engage with them; and (c) take their views, wishes and feelings into account in relation to matters affecting the children’s care and welfare and their lives. (Regulation 7(1)(a)(b)(c)) In particular, when children have provided their views, make sure that these are considered and dealt with in a timely way so that children know that they have been listened to. 09/03/2018

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Requirement Due date

12.—The protection of children standard is that children are protected from harm and enabled to keep themselves safe. (2) In particular, the standard in paragraph 1 requires the registered person to ensure— (a) that staff— (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 any risk of harm to the child. 09/03/2018 Inspection report children’s home: 1229977 4 (Regulation 12 (2)(a)(i)) In particular, the registered person should only accept placements for children where they have fully considered the impact that the placement will have on the existing group of children and the staff’s ability to meet all of the children’s needs. The registered person must maintain records (‘case records’) for each child which: include the information and documents listed in Schedule 3 in relation to each child; are kept up to date; and

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Requirement Due date

are signed and dated by the author of each entry. (Regulation 36(1)(a)(b)(c)) 09/03/2018

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Requirement Due date

13.—(1) The leadership and management standard is that the registered person enables, inspires and leads a culture in relation to the children’s home that— (a) helps children aspire to fulfil their potential; and (b) promotes their welfare. (Regulation 13(1)(a)(b)) In particular, ensure the results of reviews of multi-agency risk management meetings are obtained to inform internal assessment and planning. 09/03/2018

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Requirement Due date

The registered person must ensure that all employees— (a) undertake appropriate continuing professional development. (Regulation 33(4)(a)) In particular, ensure that each staff member attends training or updates to training in a timely way. 09/03/2018

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Requirement Due date

13.—(1) The leadership and management standard is that the registered person enables, inspires and leads a culture in relation to the children’s home that— (a) helps children aspire to fulfil their potential; and (b) promotes their welfare. (2) In particular, the standard in paragraph (1) requires the registered person to— (h) use monitoring and review systems to make continuous improvements in the quality of care provided in the home. (Regulation 13(1)(2)(a)(b)(h)) 09/03/2018

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Requirement Due date

10.—(1) The health and well-being standard is that— (a) the health and well-being needs of children are met. (Regulation 10 (1)) In particular, ensure that conflicting information about a child’s health needs is sufficiently explored in order that staff have 09/03/2018 Inspection report children’s home: 1229977 5 sufficient information to support the child’s health needs.

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Recommendations

The registered person should review the appropriateness and suitability of the location and premises of the home at least once a year. The review should include the identification of any risks and opportunities presented by the home’s location and strategies for managing these. Providers should refer to the non-statutory advice about the location assessment process. (‘Guide to the children’s homes regulations including the quality standards’, page 64, paragraph 15.1)

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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 differences 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 whom it is trying to help, protect and look after.

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Information about this inspection

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

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’.

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Children’s home details

Registered provider address: Oxfordshire County Council, County Hall, New Road, Oxford OX1 1ND

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Children’s home details

Registered manager: Paul Jacobs Inspection report children’s home: 1229977 6

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Inspector

Rosie Dancer, social care inspector Inspection report children’s home: 1229977 7 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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