Children's Home run by Oasis Adolescent Services Ltd in Oldham

Inspection report children’s home: 1258975 1 Registered provider: Oasis Adolescent Services Limited

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Inspected under the social care common inspection framework

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Information about this children’s home

A limited company owns the home. It is registered to provide care and accommodation for up to three children and young people who have experienced adverse childhood experiences, which have led to associated trauma and complex behaviours. The home offers placements on both a planned and emergency basis. This home was registered on 16 October 2017. The manager’s registration was also completed at this time. Since registration, the home has provided placements for five children and young people. During the inspection, the inspectors had the opportunity to speak with two young people. In addition, parents and professionals were also consulted to gain their views and opinions.

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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: first inspection Inspection report children’s home: 1258975 2 Overall judgement at last inspection: not applicable

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outstanding

Enforcement action since last inspection: none

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Inspection date Inspection type Inspection judgement

This is the first inspection. Inspection report children’s home: 1258975 3

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Recommendations

 Staff should continually and actively assess the risks to each child and the arrangements in place to protect them. (‘Guide to the children’s homes regulations including the quality standards’, page 48, paragraph 9.50) In particular, ensure that computer games and DVDs are age-appropriate and do not exceed the age of the young people accessing them.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: outstanding

Leaders, managers and staff provide highly effective services that contribute to significantly improved outcomes for all young people. As a result, young people are making exceptional progress in all areas of their development, including education, health and their behaviours. Research-informed practice continues to develop from a strong and confident base, making a difference to the lives and experiences of young people.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: outstanding

Young people are extremely positive about living at the home and the difference this has made in their lives. They are particularly positive about the care and support that they receive and the significant progress that they have made from their starting points. One young person said, ‘The staff here have changed me as a person. I used to be involved with the police and I was always getting in and out of trouble. Since moving here I have not been in trouble and I now get on better with my brother. The staff are fair, and they talk to us about what we do wrong and they help us to get it right. Living here has changed my life.’

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: outstanding

Consultation with young people is exceptional in all aspects of their care. Staff undertake regular and effective one-to-one work sessions with young people. These are very detailed and address a range of topics relevant to the individual young person, including their overall progress and experiences. This includes risks in the community, drug and alcohol misuse, gang affiliation, radicalisation and education. Sessions are child-friendly and detailed records are maintained to show the progress that young people make.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: outstanding

Young people’s educational outcomes are outstanding, considering some of the difficulties young people experienced in education prior to living in this home. All young people engage in education or training programmes and staff have high aspirations for young people. A teacher commented, ‘Prior to moving into the home [name] had not attended school for a significant time. He now has 100% attendance. He engages fantastically in lessons and is a role model to his peers. He is a pleasure to teach and now has a real interest in construction and music.’ Inspection report children’s home: 1258975 4 Staff document the healthcare needs of young people in their plans. Staff ensure that young people have information and guidance to support them to achieve healthy lifestyles, including food choices, exercise and hygiene. Staff are persistent in ensuring that young people’s physical and emotional needs are well met. As a result, young

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: outstanding

people make positive health choices that improve their own health, including eating a varied and healthy diet and attending planned health appointments.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: outstanding

A key strength of the home is the work undertaken by staff with young people and their families. Distance is not a barrier to the staff promoting, supporting and facilitating contact. Parents speak with conviction about the difference that living at the home has made for their children. Parents said ‘communication is excellent’, ‘staff really care about my child’ and ‘without the support of staff, I’m not sure my son would be coming home to visit’. Professionals also confirmed that they had seen a significant difference in the progress and development of the young people since moving into the home.

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

Young people are clear that they feel extremely safe and happy in the home. They say that this is because they know staff care about them. Professionals say that staff provide safe and nurturing care and promote transparency in their relationships. This instils confidence in the ability of staff to keep young people protected from harm.

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

Staff have received extensive training in safeguarding. This includes child sexual exploitation, criminalisation and radicalisation. Staff can recognise the signs and symptoms of abuse and risks relating to gang affiliation, criminality and child sexual exploitation. They know exactly what they need to do when they have concerns about young people, and take decisive action to safeguard all of the young people in their care.

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

At the time of the inspection, some computer games within the home were not age- appropriate for the young people using them. The manager took immediate action to address this shortfall. He confirmed that they would update the children’s guide to explain about age-appropriate games and DVDs. He also planned training and guidance for staff to help them to understand the potential impact these games can have on young people.

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

Most of the young people do not go missing from home and are very good at keeping in touch with staff when they go out. If young people go missing, staff ensure that they liaise effectively with out-of-area police, social workers and young people’s families to find young people. When young people return home, staff always provide them with a warm welcome, check to see if they need medical attention and get them something to eat and drink.

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

Staff support young people effectively to manage risk-taking behaviours, such as substance or alcohol misuse. Specialist intervention is provided when necessary to support young people through these difficulties. Furthermore, one-to-one sessions take place to support young people and raise their awareness and understanding of the risks associated with these behaviours. Inspection report children’s home: 1258975 5 Behaviour management in the home is effective. Young people benefit from clear, consistent rules and boundaries. Any incidents are dealt with appropriately and staff use restorative practice to support the young people to improve their behaviour. Young people regularly receive rewards and incentives to promote positive behaviour. Sanctions are rarely required, and when they are, they are used effectively because of their restorative nature rather than being punitive.

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

The registered manager employs staff by using safer recruitment processes that help prevent unsuitable adults from working in the home. In addition, induction processes ensure that staff are equipped with the knowledge and skills to work safely and competently with vulnerable young people.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: outstanding

Leaders and managers are inspirational and ambitious for the young people and the development of the service. The responsible individual and the registered manager have a wealth of knowledge and experience within residential childcare. They maintain an up- to-date knowledge of social care legislation and regulatory changes, and ensure that this information is understood by the staff team.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: outstanding

The registered manager is highly motivated and is supported by an extremely committed deputy manager. Together, they display exceptional leadership and identify strengths and areas for improvement, implementing clear development plans that continually improve the experiences of young people. The monitoring and review systems in the home are robust and enable the management team to have a consistent oversight of all documentation in the home, which ensures that it is of a high standard and is continually updated and reviewed.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: outstanding

Leaders and managers use learning from practice and feedback to improve the experiences and care of young people including, for example, direct testimony from young people, parents, other professionals and other stakeholders. Leaders and managers learn from complaints, staff feedback, placement successes and any serious events. Robust action is taken to address all issues of concern, including any concerns or complaints from young people and local residents.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: outstanding

Leaders and managers take immediate action to protect young people when they are alerted to allegations against staff members. Records are detailed and demonstrate all actions taken and clearly identify the professionals who have been notified and updated. A notification is provided to HMCI as required by regulation when any serious safeguarding concerns arise.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: outstanding

Staff are motivated and passionate about their work and are keen to develop their knowledge and skills to consistently improve the quality of care that they provide to the young people. All staff are either qualified or working towards the required qualification.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: outstanding

Staff said that they are fully supported by the management team. They receive regular Inspection report children’s home: 1258975 6 reflective supervision and training and development opportunities. Staff morale is good, and staff regularly meet as a team to reflect on and share good practice and discuss their learning from training and development opportunities. This ensures a consistent approach to the care provided to the young people.

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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

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: 1258975 7

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Children’s home details

Registered provider: Oasis Adolescent Services Limited

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Children’s home details

Registered provider address: 9 Beacon Grove, Oldham, Lancashire OL8 2XH

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Inspectors

Sarah Oldham, social care inspector Michelle Edge, social care inspection manager Inspection report children’s home: 1258975 8 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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Inspectors

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Inspectors

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Inspectors

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