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

Inspection report for children’s home - monitoring visit: SC356327 1 SC356327

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Oracle Care Limited

Monitoring visit 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 who may have complex social and emotional difficulties and may require attachment aware, trauma-informed care and support.

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Information about this children’s home

The home has a registered manager who has been in post since 27 October 2019.

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This monitoring visit

Ofsted judged this children’s home as inadequate at the last full inspection in November 2018. The provider closed the home and subsequently demonstrated their readiness to re-admit children at a monitoring visit in January 2020. The inspector could not assess progress made to address the nine requirements and one recommendation made at the 2018 inspection. This remote monitoring visit, now that the provision is operational, considered how the provider has addressed the identified shortfalls alongside the experience children have living in this home.

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This monitoring visit

The provider has met all nine requirements. The inspector spoke to staff who demonstrated a good understanding of children’s histories, care plans and risk assessments. Staff support children to contribute to their behaviour support plan. This helps staff to identify triggers and ways to avoid escalation of behaviour. Staff work hard to encourage children to engage in daily routines including eating meals together and joining in with activities such as football. This helps children to build relationships and trust in staff. The registered manager oversees this work. A clinician is available to provide strategies to support staff who are encountering barriers.

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This monitoring visit

Children attend a school, which the provider operates away from the home. The registered manager provided an excellent visual transition plan for one child, who Inspection report for children’s home - monitoring visit: SC356327 2 has a history of school non-attendance, to prepare him for moving into this home. As a result, this child is attending school. His mother and staff told the inspector how proud they are of his remarkable achievement.

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This monitoring visit

Staff encourage children to keep physically well. During the COVID-19 (coronavirus) restrictions, including the closure of dentists, staff have been proactive to obtain treatment for a child suffering with toothache.

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This monitoring visit

Staff support children in making healthy lifestyle choices. This includes good sleep hygiene, healthy eating and exercising. Staff have worked with one child’s family to seek their support in discouraging smoking. The child has not smoked for over two months, which is an excellent outcome.

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This monitoring visit

Children also have their psychological needs met by staff. A clinician assesses all children who have access to a range of therapists. The clinician also attends team meetings and provides guidance to staff. This helps staff to manage children’s emotional needs.

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This monitoring visit

The registered manager ensures that the house is safe for children to live in. Window restrictors are now fitted, and the house is homely and maintained to a high standard. The registered manager works in partnership with others, including the police and an exploitation worker, to reduce risk. The provider has updated the policy in relation to responding to allegations against staff. The registered manager is clear about his responsibilities to ensure that children in his care are safe.

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This monitoring visit

The registered manager has a full staff team. This has eliminated the use of agency workers and ensures that children receive consistent care. The inspector reviewed staff files. These confirmed that the provider follows safe recruitment processes. Staff feel supported by the registered manager. They stated that they work together well as a team. A parent and the clinician confirmed this in their discussions with the inspector.

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This monitoring visit

The inspector identified shortfalls in the ways that staff are managing behaviour. Staff turn the house Wi-Fi off at night to encourage children to settle and improve their sleeping patterns. The registered manager has not reviewed this practice to consider how to reduce this control and encourage children to take responsibility for their behaviour.

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This monitoring visit

The inspector reviewed incidents which involved disruptive behaviour triggered by staff turning or having the Wi-Fi off. On one occasion, the consequence for this behaviour was withdrawal of Wi-Fi for 24 hours. The registered manager did not evaluate the effectiveness of this measure and show that the child was spoken to in response to the consequence. This does not demonstrate management oversight or indicate the child’s opportunity to reflect on his behaviour or complain about the consequence. Inspection report for children’s home - monitoring visit: SC356327 3 Staff work together with children to create an online safety plan. This helps children to keep themselves safe. Keyworker sessions reinforce this work. Staff, however, do not complete and record regular device checks as stipulated in the online safety plan. Staff are therefore not following arrangements in place to reduce the risk of harm to and from children living in the home.

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This monitoring visit

The registered manager is an experienced and registered social worker who has previously managed children’s homes. Registered managers must hold a level 5 diploma in leadership and management for residential childcare or equivalent within the stipulated time. The registered manager has confirmed his commitment to meeting the regulatory requirements for his role.

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Recent inspection history

Inspection date Inspection type Inspection judgement 07/01/2019 Interim Not judged 07/11/2018 Full Inadequate 11/01/2018 Full Outstanding 28/02/2017 Interim Improved effectiveness Inspection report for children’s home - monitoring visit: SC356327 4

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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 protection of children standard is that children are protected from harm and enabled to keep themselves safe. In particular, the standard in paragraph (1) requires the registered person to ensure that staff— 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)) 28/08/2020

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Requirement Due date

The registered person must keep the behaviour management policy under review and, where appropriate, revise it. The registered person must ensure that— 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— a description of the measure and its duration; details of any methods used or steps taken to avoid the need to use the measure; the effectiveness and any consequences of the use of the measure; and within 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(2)(3)(a)(iv)(v)(vii)(c)) 28/08/2020

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Requirement Due date

A person may only manage a children’s home if— the person has the appropriate experience, qualification, and skills to manage the home effectively and lead the care of children. For the purposes of paragraph (1)(b)(i), a person has the appropriate experience and qualification if the person has— by the relevant date, attained— the Level 5 Diploma in Leadership and Management for Residential Childcare (England) (‘the Level 5 Diploma’); or a qualification which the registered provider considers to be equivalent to the Level 5 Diploma. The relevant date is— 30/11/2020 Inspection report for children’s home - monitoring visit: SC356327 5 in the case of a person who starts managing a home after 1st April 2014, the date which falls 3 years after the date on which that person started managing a home; or in the case of a person who was managing a home on 1st April 2014, 1st April 2017. The registered provider may defer the relevant date if the

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Requirement Due date

person— (a) does not manage, or has not managed, a home for a prolonged period. (Regulation 28(1)(b)(i)(2)(c)(i)(ii)(3)(a)(b)(4)(a))

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Information about this inspection

The purpose of this visit was to monitor the action taken and the progress made by the children’s home since its last Ofsted inspection.

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Information about this inspection

Ofsted is aware of the challenges that COVID-19 is currently posing to those we regulate. During this visit, the inspectors took into consideration the impact of any measures being taken to slow the spread of COVID-19 by the home. This has included the effect these have had on staffing arrangements. The purpose of this visit was to monitor the action taken and the progress made by the children’s home since its last Ofsted inspection.

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Information about this inspection

This inspection was carried out under the Care Standards Act 2000.

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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

Joanna Warburton, social care inspector Inspection report for children’s home - monitoring visit: SC356327 6 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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