Children's home run by Oxfordshire County Council

Inspection report children‟s home: SC033896 1 SC033896 Registered provider: Oxfordshire County Council Full inspection Inspected under the social care common inspection framework

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Information about this children’s home

This local authority children‟s home is registered to accommodate up to six children. It currently admits only boys. The home is registered to care for children who may have emotional and social difficulties.

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Information about this children’s home

The home has been without a registered manager since 8 August 2018.

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Information about this children’s home

Inspection dates: 26 to 27 September 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: 14 November 2017

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good

Overall judgement at last inspection: requires improvement to be good

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good

Enforcement action since last inspection: none Inspection report children‟s home: SC033896 2

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Inspection date Inspection type Inspection judgement

14/11/2017 Full Requires improvement to be good 22/02/2017 Interim Improved effectiveness 21/09/2016 Full Good 30/03/2016 Interim Improved effectiveness Inspection report children‟s home: SC033896 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 leadership and management standard requires the registered person use the monitoring and review systems to make continuous improvements to the quality of care provided in the home. (Regulation 13(2)(h)) 28/02/2019

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Requirement Due date

The independent person must produce a report about a visit (“the independent person‟s report”) which sets out, in particular, the independent person‟s opinion as to whether–

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Requirement Due date

children are effectively safeguarded; and

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Requirement Due date

the conduct of the home promotes children‟s well-being. (Regulation 44(4)(a)(b)) 30/11/2018

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Requirement Due date

The registered person must ensure that all employees–

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Requirement Due date

undertake appropriate continuing professional development;

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Requirement Due date

receive practice-related supervision by a person with appropriate experience; and

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Requirement Due date

have their performance and fitness to perform their roles appraised at least once every year. (Regulation 33(4)(a)(b)(c)) 30/11/2018

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Requirement Due date

The enjoyment and achievement standard is that children take part in and benefit from a variety of activities that meet their needs and develop and reflect their creative, cultural, intellectual, physical and social interests and skills.

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Requirement Due date

In particular, the standard in paragraph (1) requires the registered person to ensure–

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Requirement Due date

develop the child‟s interests and hobbies;

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Requirement Due date

participate in activities that the child enjoys, and which meet 30/11/2018 Inspection report children‟s home: SC033896 4 and expand the child‟s interests and preferences; and

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Requirement Due date

make a positive contribution to the home and the wider community; and

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Requirement Due date

that each child has access to a range of activities that enable the child to pursue the child‟s interests and hobbies. (Regulation 9(1), (2)(a)(i)(ii)(iii)(b))

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Recommendations

 Children must be consulted regularly on their views about the home‟s care, to inform and support continued improvement in the quality of care provided. Due consideration should be given to the child‟s cognitive ability in the development and implementation of any consultation processes. Children should be able to see the results of their views being listened to and acted upon. („Guide to the children‟s homes regulations including the quality standards‟, page 22, paragraph 4.11)  Children should have access to a computer and the internet to support their education and learning, unless there are specific safeguarding reasons why this would be inappropriate. In such cases, the home should consider whether and how it can support the child to access a computer and the internet safely. („Guide to the children‟s homes regulations including the quality standards‟, page 29, paragraph 5.19) Inspection report children‟s home: SC033896 5

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Senior managers have worked closely with the interim manager to lead the home in a way that is consistent with the statement of purpose. They have given him the autonomy to make decisions about who moves in and when. Young people now benefit from well- planned placements and care that meets their individual needs.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

The interim manager, supported by a committed team of staff, has worked hard to implement the predictable routines and boundaries that help the young people to feel safe. Staff have paid particular attention to building and sustaining meaningful relationships with them. This experience has enabled the young people to develop their self-confidence and begin to make progress.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Staff use activities to positively engage with the young people. However, resources in the home are limited, including access to the internet. This means that young people are bored at times and, as a result, will display negative behaviour. Leaders and managers are aware of this and have plans in place to replace the broken TV and computers and to purchase a more robust pool table.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Most of the young people are attending and engaging in education. The staff have high aspirations for them and challenge the professional network when learning opportunities are reduced.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

A variety of methods are used to consult with the young people on a day-to-day basis, including regular visits from independent visitors. The house meetings are used to agree menu choices for the week, as well as to reinforce the rules and boundaries. The records of these meetings do not make it clear to the young people that their voices have been listened to.

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

Staff have worked hard to create a safeguarding culture which helps young people to feel safe. They have established strong links with the local police community support officer (PCSO) and the designated officer. Communication is good. Both agencies are regularly used for advice and guidance. As a result, serious incidents in the community and allegations against the staff have been significantly reduced.

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

The interim manager has noted a huge reduction in complaints from the local community. Regular meetings with the neighbours have helped to rebuild previously strained relationships including by sharing some information and using a restorative approach when dealing with any issues or concerns.

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

The staff‟s proactive approach to behaviour management is effective. Detailed behaviour support plans are implemented by staff with caring and supportive attitudes. This has Inspection report children‟s home: SC033896 6 contributed to a reduction in the number of incidents of challenging behaviour, physical interventions and sanctions.

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

Young people rarely go missing. When they do, the staff follow individual protocols, and this may involve calling the police. However, the PCSO spoken to at the time of the inspection said that the majority of these calls were in fact made just because the young people were late in returning home.

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

Key-work sessions take place regularly and evidence the quality of discussions between the staff and the young people on a range of relevant topics. While these conversations are meaningful, they are neither planned nor linked to young people‟s goals.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

The interim manager is very experienced and has a clear vision for the service. Senior managers are very complimentary about him and see him as instrumental in driving the improvements since the last inspection. Using his leadership skills, he has supported the team through a period of uncertainty and change, resulting in positive outcomes for the young people.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

The long-standing staff team is committed to continued improvement and has shown real resilience during a difficult period. The interim manager said, „it had been a real team effort‟ and „things were moving in the right direction‟.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

Staff report feeling supported by leaders and managers, and morale in the team has improved recently. However, the quality and frequency of formal supervision are not consistent with the organisation‟s policy. When formal supervision does take place, it lacks clear goals and targets. This does not support staff‟s continual professional development or evidence an annual review of their performance, as expected by the organisation.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

Senior managers and leaders have worked hard to address identified shortfalls. Clear action plans have enabled them to review and track progress. The feedback from the independent visitor has contributed to these improvements by identifying gaps and making clear recommendations, particularly in relation to care planning. However, the reports do not provide the manager with an explicit opinion as to whether young people are safeguarded effectively. Inspection report children‟s home: SC033896 7

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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: SC033896 8

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Children’s home details

Registered provider: Oxfordshire County Council

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Children’s home details

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

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Inspectors

Amanda Harvey, social care inspector Inspection report children‟s home: SC033896 9 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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Inspectors

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Inspectors

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Inspectors

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