Children's Home run by Oak Childcare Plus Limited in Wolverhampton

Inspection report children’s home: 1273769 1 Registered provider: Oak Childcare Plus Interim inspection Inspected under the social care common inspection framework

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Information about this children’s home

This children’s home is run by a private organisation and offers care and accommodation for three young people who have experienced childhood instability leading to trauma and associated complex behaviours. The manager has been registered with Ofsted since November 2018.

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Inspection date: 17 February 2020

Enforcement action since last inspection: none Inspection report children’s home: 1273769 2

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children and young people since the most recent full inspection

This home was judged good at the last full inspection. At the interim inspection, Ofsted judges that it has declined in effectiveness.

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children and young people since the most recent full inspection

Since the last full inspection, two young people have moved out and two young people have moved into the home.

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children and young people since the most recent full inspection

The manager has not picked up that physical restraint records do not always contain all the required information. This represents a missed opportunity to ensure that restraint practice is safe and appropriate.

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children and young people since the most recent full inspection

The manager and staff do not always ensure that young people’s risk assessments contain all the required information. For example, one young person’s risk assessment does not contain information about self-harming, despite this being a known risk for the young person.

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children and young people since the most recent full inspection

When a young person goes missing from the home, staff act quick to try and locate the young person.

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children and young people since the most recent full inspection

The home is generally clean and tidy. However, some repairs are not quickly addressed. For example, the banister rail was coming off the wall. Furthermore, staff have developed a practice of wedging open fire doors without understanding the consequence of this practice. This compromises fire safety.

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children and young people since the most recent full inspection

Staff do not always use key-work sessions to help young people. For example, staff have not helped a young person to learn about the risks of using sexualised language. Another young person has not received help in learning more about healthy eating, despite this being a recommendation in their health plan. As a result, young people do not get early help and support.

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children and young people since the most recent full inspection

The frequency of staff supervisions varies. Although some staff receive regular supervision, this is not consistent. Furthermore, the manager does not always use supervision to monitor staff progress and professional development effectively. This represents a missed opportunity for staff to benefit from regular supervision to support their development and to review their performance.

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children and young people since the most recent full inspection

On one occasion, insufficient checks were made for a person’s suitability to work with young people. This has the potential to compromise young people’s safety.

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children and young people since the most recent full inspection

The manager and staff work closely with other professionals to make sure that young people receive the right educational support. Inspection report children’s home: 1273769 3 Parents’ views are mixed about the service. For instance, some parents are pleased with the care that their child receives. However, other parents feel that staff are not always consistent in their support to help their child to make progress and achieve their full potential. Inspection report children’s home: 1273769 4

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Inspection date Inspection type Inspection judgement

07/05/2019 Full Good Inspection report children’s home: 1273769 5

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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 quality and purpose of care standard is that children receive care from staff who—

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Requirement Due date

understand the children’s home’s overall aims and the outcomes it seeks to achieve for children;

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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

provide to children living in the home the physical necessities they need in order to live there comfortably;

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Requirement Due date

ensure that the premises used for the purposes of the home are designed and furnished so as to—

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Requirement Due date

meet the needs of each child. (Regulation 6 (1)(a)(2)(vii)(c)(i)) 27/03/2020

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Requirement Due date

The positive relationships standard is that children are helped to develop, and to benefit from, relationships based on—

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Requirement Due date

an understanding about acceptable behaviours and positive responses to other children and adults.

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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

help each child to develop socially aware behaviour;

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Requirement Due date

help each child to understand, in a way that is appropriate according to the child’s age and understanding, personal, sexual and social relationships, and how those relationships can be supportive or harmful;

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Requirement Due date

understand how children’s previous experiences and present 27/03/2020 Inspection report children’s home: 1273769 6 emotions can be communicated through behaviour and have the competence and skills to interpret these and develop positive relationships with children. (Regulation 11(1)(a)(b)(c)(2)(a)(vi)(vii)(ix)) 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—

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Requirement Due date

help each child to understand how to keep safe;

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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;

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Requirement Due date

have the skills to identify and act upon signs that a child is at risk of harm.

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Requirement Due date

understand the roles and responsibilities in relation to protecting children that are assigned to them by the registered person;

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Requirement Due date

are familiar with, and act in accordance with, the home’s child protection policies.

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Requirement Due date

(Regulation 12 (1)(2)(a)(i)(ii)(iii)(v)(vii)) 27/03/2020

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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

helps children aspire to fulfil their potential; and

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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

use monitoring and review systems to make continuous improvements in the quality of care provided in the home. (Regulation 13 (1)(a)(b)(2)(e)(h))

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Requirement Due date

This must include ensuring that staff do not wedge open fire doors. 27/03/2020

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Requirement Due date

The registered person must recruit staff using recruitment procedures that are designed to ensure children’s safety. 27/03/2020 Inspection report children’s home: 1273769 7 The registered person may only—

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Requirement Due date

employ an individual to work at the children’s home; or

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Requirement Due date

if an individual is employed by a person other than the registered person to work at the home in a position in which the individual may have regular contact with children, allow that individual to work at the home,

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Requirement Due date

if the individual satisfies the requirements in paragraph (3).

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Requirement Due date

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)(a)(3)(d)) The registered person must ensure that—

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Requirement Due date

within 24 hours of the use of a measure of control, discipline or restraint in relation to a child in the home, a record is made which includes—

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Requirement Due date

a description of the measure and its duration

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Requirement Due date

within 48 hours of the use of the measure, the registered person, or a person who is authorised by the registered person to do so (“the authorised person”)—

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Requirement Due date

has spoken to the user about the measure; and

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Requirement Due date

with 5 days of the use of the measure, the registered person or the authorised person adds to the record confirmation that they have spoken to the child about the measure. (Regulation 35 (3)(iv)(b)(i)(c)) 27/03/2020

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Recommendations

A record of supervision should be kept for staff, including the manager. The record should provide evidence that supervision is being delivered in line with regulation 33(4)(b). (‘Guide to the children’s homes regulations including the quality standards’, page 61, paragraph 13.3) Inspection report children’s home: 1273769 8

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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

Inspectors have looked closely at the experiences and progress of children and young people, 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: 1273769 9

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Inspector

Patrick McIntosh, Social Care Inspector Inspection report children’s home: 1273769 10 to 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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