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

Inspection report children’s home: SC066917 1 SC066917 Registered provider: Oracle Care Limited

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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 young people aged eight to 18. The young people may have social and/or emotional difficulties.

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Information about this children’s home

Inspection dates: 11 to 12 September 2019

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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 requires improvement to be 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: 22 January 2019

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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: SC066917 2

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Inspection date Inspection type Inspection judgement

22/01/2019 Interim Declined in effectiveness 12/07/2018 Full Good 08/02/2018 Interim Declined in effectiveness 26/10/2017 Full Requires improvement to be good Inspection report children’s home: SC066917 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 is that the registered person enables, inspires and leads a culture in relation to the children’s home that—

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Requirement Due date

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

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Requirement Due date

understand the impact that the quality of care provided in the home is having on the progress and experiences of each child and use this understanding to inform the development of the quality of care provided in the home.

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Requirement Due date

feedback on the experiences of children, including complaints received; and

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Requirement Due date

use monitoring and review systems to make continuous improvements in the quality of care provided in the home. (Regulation 13 (1)(2)(f)(ii)(h)) 15/11/2019

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Requirement Due date

The registered person must recruit staff using recruitment procedures that are designed to ensure children’s safety.

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Requirement Due date

The requirements are that— full and satisfactory information is available in relation to the individual in respect of each of the matters in Schedule 2. (Regulation 32 (1)(2)(3)(d)) 15/11/2019

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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; receive practice-related supervision by a person with appropriate experience employees. (Regulation 33 (4)(a)(b)) 15/11/2019

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Recommendations

 Regulations 35-39 details the records that must be kept in children’s homes. All children’s records must be kept up to date and stored securely whilst they remain Inspection report children’s home: SC066917 4 in the home. Case records must be kept up to date. (‘Guide to the children’s homes regulations including the quality standards’, page 62, paragraph 14.3) In particular, risk assessments are too genetic and not all risks are documented to the right young person.  The statement of purpose is of particular importance to this standard (regulation 6(2)(a) and (b)(i)). Homes are required to developed and keep under review a ‘statement of purpose’ (regulation 16 and schedule 1). The homes statement of purpose should be children focused, indicating how the home provides individualised care to meet the quality standard of the children in their home. The information set out tit h statement of purpose is essential part of the process of

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Recommendations

agreement between the registered persons and placing authority that placement in that home is the right one for that child and the home will be able to responds effectively to the child’s assessed needs. (‘Guide to the children’s homes regulations including the quality standards’, pages 14–15, paragraphs 3-5 and 3.6.) In particular, the registered manager should ensure that the statement of purpose accurately reflects the staff structure and staffing levels.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Young people develop positive relationships with the staff and the registered manager. Staff understand young people’s complex needs and manage their vulnerabilities well. This positive relationship helps young people to express their wishes and feelings. This gives young people a sense of comfort, acceptance and reassurance.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Young people have good school attendance and enjoy their learning experiences. The registered manager and staff encourage young people to succeed by supporting them with their homework, helping them to pursue interests and promoting their individual aspirations. Staff communicate well with young people’s teachers and attend meetings to support young people’s educational needs.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

The registered manager and staff promote young people’s emotional and physical health needs. Young people access the in-house therapy support, which helps young people to keep themselves safe and have a better understanding of their vulnerabilities. The staff receive regular input from the in-house therapist. This support helps them to provide young people with a consistent approach in line with the home’s therapeutic model of care.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

The registered manager and staff continue to ensure that young people maintain important and positive relationships with their families.

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

The registered manager and staff understand young people’s vulnerabilities. Staff understand the risks that young people can face and keep a detailed record of how young people are safeguarded. Inspection report children’s home: SC066917 5 Staff write detailed risk assessments and use these records to help them to identify triggers that can result in young people being placed at risk. However, sometimes staff do not pick up on conflicting information. This means that, occasionally, advice for staff to help them to manage young people’s vulnerabilities can be unclear.

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

When staff are required to physically intervene to safeguard a young person, these incidents are well documented. These records show that young people and staff receive a debrief.

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

Young people rarely go missing from the home. On the rare occasion when young people have gone missing, the staff have acted quickly, working closely in partnership with the placing local authority, local services and the police.

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

Staff carry out regular one-to-one sessions with young people. These sessions help young people to discuss the risks of accessing social media sites, online gaming and self- harming. This creative support helps to encourage young people to take responsibility for keeping themselves safe.

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

Since the last inspection, the registered manager has addressed shortfalls raised by the fire and rescue service. The registered manager was quick to correct a new fire safety concern that was picked up during this inspection.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: requires improvement to be good

Staff show a good understanding of the therapeutic approach used in the home and how this helps them to support young people to make progress, socially, emotionally and physically.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: requires improvement to be good

The registered manager escalates matters on behalf of young people when he identifies shortfalls in the support and care that young people receive from their placing authority. When required, the registered manager is not afraid to challenge local authorities to ensure that young people get the right help at the right time.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: requires improvement to be good

The registered manager does not always use monitoring and review systems well enough to help with his oversight of the home. For example, the statement of purpose needs to be brought up to date to reflect changes in the staff structure.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: requires improvement to be good

Management has failed to carry out suitable checks on staff working in the home. For example, managers do not always verify references before staff start to work at the home. This does not promote safe recruitment of staff and potentially leaves young people vulnerable.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: requires improvement to be good

Staff receive formal supervision. However, these sessions are not always regular and do not include practice-related discussions. This creates a missed opportunity to help the staff to develop their practice. Inspection report children’s home: SC066917 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 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: SC066917 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

Patrick McIntosh, social care inspector Inspection report children’s home: SC066917 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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