Children's Home run by Oracle Care Limited in Staffordshire

Inspection report children‟s home: SC066912 1 SC066912 Registered provider: Oracle Care Limited Interim inspection Inspected under the social care common inspection framework

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Information about this children’s home

The home provides care and accommodation for up to two children who have emotional and/or behavioural difficulties. A private provider owns and operates this home.

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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 home has been without a registered manager since February 2017. A new manager took over the vacant post in November 2017 and submitted an application for registration in February 2018. Ofsted is processing this application. A lack of effective leadership means that interim managers and senior staff have not met three of the seven requirements made at the last inspection in August 2017. The two recommendations made at that time are met. However, a further requirement and a further recommendation are made as a result of this inspection. The majority of the staff now working in the home hold suitable diploma-level qualifications. This means that staff have the skills necessary to support young people. Relationships between staff and the young person currently living in the home are generally positive. Staff invest time and attention in these relationships. As a result, the young person feels safe and secure in the home.

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and young people since the most recent full inspection

Inspection report children‟s home: SC066912 2 Since the last inspection, the young person has made good progress in some areas of development such as education and health. Staff work in partnership with other professionals such as teaching staff and assigned therapists. Subsequently, the young person benefits from comprehensive and integrated support in these areas of development. This helps the young person to grow in confidence and self-esteem. However, staff still do not ensure that case files include all necessary documents. This shortfall potentially limits the young person‟s progress because staff do not have access to all relevant information. Subsequently, the internal care and support plans that staff devise do not take into account all of the young person‟s needs. There have been no incidents of the young person going missing from the home since the last inspection. The young person is generally settled in the home. The use of

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and young people since the most recent full inspection

physical restraint continues to reduce and staff only use this measure of control as a last resort. However, the young person‟s individual risk assessments lack clear guidance for staff. For example, when the young person displays a specific behaviour, staff may respond to this in different ways. This is because the current risk assessment does not detail the steps that staff should take to manage and reduce these risky behaviours. Subsequently, the young person receives mixed messages relating to what is acceptable behaviour. Staff have revised the section of the risk assessment relating to the use of bedroom door alarms. At the time of the last inspection, the use of this monitoring device was custom and practice in the home. Staff did not consider if, or why, the use of these alarms was necessary to safeguard young people. Staff no longer activate these alarms. There has been one allegation of abuse since the last inspection. This allegation was not

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and young people since the most recent full inspection

appropriately referred to all relevant agencies as required. This is because an external manager supporting this home did not provide the newly appointed manager with the correct advice and support. Subsequently, there was an unnecessary delay in the referral of this matter to the designated office for the local authority. This failure to implement safeguarding procedures correctly potentially placed the young person at risk of harm. In the absence of a permanent manager, the review of the quality of care provided by the home is insufficient. In this document, interim managers make extensive reference to areas that they believe the service does well. However, this report does not consider the service shortfalls, young people‟s progress, or the detrimental impact that a lack of suitable management has on the capacity for the home to develop. Furthermore, interim managers did not devise actions plans to improve the service.

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and young people since the most recent full inspection

A review of the premises and the location of the home is incomplete. In this document, the new manager makes considerable reference to the risk-taking behaviours of young people who have now left the home, and not the current young person. This requirement is outstanding from the last inspection. Inspection report children‟s home: SC066912 3

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Inspection date Inspection type Inspection judgement

07/08/2017 Full Requires improvement to be good 01/02/2017 Interim Sustained effectiveness 24/05/2016 Full Requires improvement 07/10/2015 Full Good

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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

The protection of children standard is that children are protected from harm and enabled to keep themselves safe. In particular, the standard in paragraph (1) requires the registered person to ensure that staff— 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. (Regulation 12(1)(2)(a)(i)) 30/03/2018

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Requirement Due date

The registered person must prepare and implement a policy which sets out the procedure to be followed in the event of an allegation of abuse or neglect. (Regulation 34(1)(b)) 30/03/2018

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Requirement Due date

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; and are kept up to date. (Regulation 36(1)(a)(b) 30/03/2018

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Requirement Due date

The registered person must review the appropriateness and suitability of the location of the premises used for the purposes of the children‟s home at least once in each calendar year taking into account the requirement in regulation 12(2)(c) (the protection of children standard). (Regulation 46(1)) 30/03/2018 Inspection report children‟s home: SC066912 4

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Recommendations

 The registered person is responsible for deciding what each review should focus on, based on the specific circumstances of the home at that particular time and any areas of high risk to the children that the home is designed to care for. The review should enable the registered person to identify areas of strength and possible weakness in the home‟s care, which will be captured in the written report. The report should clearly identify any actions required for the next 6 months of delivery in the home and how those actions will be addressed. („Guide to the children‟s homes regulations including the quality standards‟, page 65, paragraph 15.4)

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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‟. Inspection report children‟s home: SC066912 5

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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

Jo Stephenson, social care inspector Inspection report children‟s home: SC066912 6 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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