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

Inspection report children’s home: SC469686 1 SC469686 Registered provider: Oracle Care Limited Full inspection Inspected under the social care common inspection framework

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Information about this children’s home

This home is owned and operated by a private company. It is registered to provide care and accommodation for up to three children aged eight to 18. Children and young people may have complex social, emotional and behavioural needs and require attachment-aware, trauma-informed care and support.

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Information about this children’s home

The current manager successfully registered with Ofsted in July 2018.

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Overall experiences and progress of

children and young people, taking into account

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good

How well children and young people are helped and protected good

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good

The effectiveness of leaders and managers good

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good

The children’s home provides effective services that meet the requirements for good.

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good

Date of last inspection: 6 February 2018

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good

Overall judgement at last inspection: declined in effectiveness

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good

Enforcement action since last inspection: none Inspection report children’s home: SC469686 2

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Inspection date Inspection type Inspection judgement

06/02/2018 Interim Declined in effectiveness 13/09/2017 Full Requires improvement to be good 13/10/2016 Full Requires improvement 11/07/2016 Full Inadequate Inspection report children’s home: SC469686 3

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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 education standard is that children make measurable progress towards achieving their educational potential and are helped to do so.

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Requirement Due date

In particular, the standard in paragraph (1) requires the registered person to ensure that staff—

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Requirement Due date

understand the barriers to learning that each child may face and take appropriate action to help the child to overcome any such barriers; and

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Requirement Due date

help each child to understand the importance and value of education, learning, training and employment. (Regulation 8(1), (2)(a)(iii)(iv)) 14/09/2018

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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.

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Requirement Due date

In particular, the standard in paragraph (1) requires the registered person to ensure that staff—

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Requirement Due date

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)) 14/09/2018

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Requirement Due date

The registered person may only use devices for the monitoring or surveillance of children if the monitoring or surveillance is for the purpose of safeguarding and promoting the welfare of the child concerned, or other children; and the monitoring or surveillance is no more intrusive than necessary, having regard to the child’s need for privacy. (Regulation 24(1)(a)(d)) 14/09/2018

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Requirement Due date

The registered person must ensure that all employees receive practice-related supervision by a person with appropriate experience. (Regulation 33(4)(b)) 14/09/2018 Inspection report children’s home: SC469686 4

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Staff provide personalised care and support for the young person currently living in the home. One young person left the service shortly after the last inspection, and the service has not admitted any other young people. The reduced occupancy levels mean that this young person benefits from intensive support. This enables him to make good progress in all areas of his development, because his specific needs are the focus of routines in the home.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Relationships between the young person and staff continue to improve. Staff use these relationships to encourage the young person to reflect on his progress. This consultative approach helps the young person to start to make realistic plans for his future.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Staff discuss physical and emotional health issues with the young person during one-to- one sessions. When appropriate, staff access additional resources, such as family therapists, to support the young person’s emotional well-being. Consequently, the young person is growing in confidence and self-esteem.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Since the last inspection, managers have worked with the organisation’s own school, ‘virtual headteacher’ services and the placing authority to address shortfalls in access to learning for the young person. However, staff do not discuss barriers to education with the young person. They do not help him to understand the positive impact that education will have on his career prospects as he moves towards adulthood.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Staff facilitate regular family contact. They understand how important this is for the young person and ensure that he can spend quality time with his family. This support helps to strengthen relationships with family members.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

The environment has improved since the last inspection. Communal and external areas have been repaired and redecorated. These now provide a welcoming space for young people to relax in.

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

The young person is safe in the home and feels safe. Managers devise risk assessments that detail the young person’s risks and provide staff with guidance on how to manage and reduce these risks. Since the last inspection, the incidents of challenging and anti- social behaviours have continued to fall. This is because staff consistently adhere to these risk assessments.

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

The young person now rarely goes missing from the home. Nevertheless, staff retain their partnership-working relationships with local police teams. These positive relationships mean that managers and staff are aware of any specific risks that the young person may face in the community. As a result, staff act to reduce these risks and Inspection report children’s home: SC469686 5 to help the young person to keep himself safe when he is away from the home. Incidents of physical restraint and the use of sanctions continue to fall. This is because staff use a range of de-escalation techniques to distract the young person. They encourage the young person to reflect on the possible consequences of his actions and take responsibility for his own behaviour.

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

Safe recruitment practice ensures that anyone employed in the home is safe to work with young people.

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

The home currently accommodates only one young person. This means that staff often ‘lone work’ in the home. The risk assessment in place in relation to this situation does not take account of any possible risks that the young person may face, only those that staff may face. In formulating this risk assessment, the registered manager did not consider if the young person is able to summon assistance in an emergency or if he feels unsafe when alone with staff.

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

Staff currently use bedroom door alarms to monitor the young person’s movements. As the young person resides in the home alone, this is an unnecessary restriction. There are no risk assessments in place to explain the need for this use of this alarm. The use of this monitoring device is now custom and practice in the home.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

The manager is now registered with Ofsted. This has brought stable leadership to the home, and the requirements made at the last inspection have been met. This demonstrates the capacity of the home to continue to develop and improve.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

Managers and staff have a clear vision for the home. Partnerships between the service and external agencies and professionals are effective. When the practice of others falls short of acceptable standards, the registered manager is rigorous in his challenge. This ensures that the young person can access the services that he may need to further his progress.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

The registered manager continues to recruit staff to work in the home. Currently, there are sufficient staff to support the young person in placement. Staff receive the necessary training to enable them to meet the young person’s needs. This includes the opportunity to gain the relevant level 3 qualification in residential childcare within the required period.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

Staff now receive practice-related supervision. However, the frequency of these sessions is extremely variable. For example, some staff have not received formal supervision in the past three months. This compromises the registered manager’s ability to monitor staff practice and performance.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

The registered manager is developing new systems to monitor and review the quality of care that the home provides. These will enable the registered manager and others to identify the strengths of the service and areas for development. Inspection report children’s home: SC469686 6

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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 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: SC469686 7

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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: SC469686 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 looked after children, safeguarding and child protection.

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Inspector

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Inspector

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Inspector

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