Children's Home run by Omega Care Group Limited in Cheshire West and Chester

Inspection report for children’s home – monitoring visit: 2599183 1

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Omega Care Group Limited

Monitoring visit Inspected under the social care common inspection framework

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Information about this children’s home

The home is privately owned. It is registered to provide care for up to three children who may experience emotional and/or behavioural difficulties.

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Information about this children’s home

The home and the manager have been registered since August 2020.

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This monitoring visit

On 28 January 2021, a monitoring visit took place due to escalating concerns about children’s safety, arising from safeguarding notifications received by Ofsted. Three compliance notices were issued, under regulation 12, the protection of children standard; regulation 13, the leadership and management standard; and regulation 14, the care planning standard.

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This monitoring visit

A further monitoring visit took place on 24 February 2021. The purpose of this monitoring visit was to assess the progress made by the home regarding the three compliance notices, issued under section 22A of the Care Standards Act 2000. At the time of this visit, the provider had served notice on one child’s placement. The child has since moved from the home. One child remains living there.

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This monitoring visit

Improvements have been made to the recording of children’s needs and risks. Risk assessments and behaviour management plans provide the staff with clearer guidance to inform their practice. Care plans better reflect children’s needs, and record their progress and outcomes. Plans now consider children’s views, and the team has modified its practice in response, which is improving relationships between the current child and the staff.

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This monitoring visit

Pre-admission planning processes have been reviewed, and now incorporate the locality risk assessment, which includes information about the local area. Plans fully consider the needs of children already living at the home, as well as the child being Inspection report for children’s home – monitoring visit: 2599183 2 considered for admission. Consultation with wider services is evident. However, no new children have been admitted, so it has not yet been possible to evaluate whether assessments are robust.

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This monitoring visit

The staff have completed training to better understand expectations of their roles and responsibilities, and to improve practice in behaviour management. They are yet to receive specialist training to meet specific needs, such as child exploitation. Team meetings encourage reflection on practice and reinforce learning and accountability. Supervision is now taking place regularly for all staff, with better management oversight to ensure that this is completed.

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This monitoring visit

The registered manager and her deputy have introduced new systems for monitoring children’s progress and staff practice. There is evidence of improved management oversight of incidents, and debriefs take place with children and staff following any physical intervention, to meet the regulation.

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This monitoring visit

The current child’s risk management plans state that two staff should be available to support him in the home, with the second team member being present to provide support when required. This is in accordance with the expectations of the placing authority. However, an incident occurred which resulted in the police attending for safety reasons, and the child was arrested. At the time, only one member of staff was present in the home. Despite unsuccessful attempts by the home to secure cover for staff sickness, the manager had left the home to deliver scheduled training elsewhere in the provider’s service. The rota does not indicate this planned absence, and therefore is not an accurate record of the manager’s day-to-day presence in the home. Leaders and managers failed to prioritise the needs of the child to ensure appropriate continuity of care, which compromises his safety and experiences of being accommodated in the home.

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This monitoring visit

A case review was held on 25 February 2021. The decision was made that the provider has demonstrated sufficient progress to meet the steps of the compliance notices issued under regulations 12 and 14, but has failed to meet the steps of the compliance notice issued under regulation 13, the leadership and management standard. A new compliance notice has therefore been issued under this regulation to ensure improved rigour in management of the home, to meet children’s needs more effectively.

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Recent inspection history

Inspection date Inspection type Inspection judgement Not yet inspected Inspection report for children’s home – monitoring visit: 2599183 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 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

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

help each child to understand how to keep safe;

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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

that the home’s day-to-day care is arranged and delivered so as to keep each child safe and to protect each child effectively from harm;

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Requirement Due date

that the premises used for the purposes of the home are located so that children are effectively safeguarded. (Regulation 12 (1) (2)(a)(i)(ii)(iii)(v)(b)(c))

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Requirement Due date

Specifically, children’s risks and vulnerabilities need to be thoroughly assessed and understood. Plans should be reviewed and updated as necessary to provide staff with clear guidance on how to mitigate and respond to risk. Staff should understand their roles and responsibilities in protecting children from harm and be proactive in keeping children safe. The home’s location should be reviewed to 28 March 2021 Inspection report for children’s home – monitoring visit: 2599183 4 ensure that it is safe for children to live there, considering their presenting risks and needs.

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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 promotes their welfare.

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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

ensure that staff work as a team where appropriate;

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Requirement Due date

ensure that staff have the experience, qualifications and skills to meet the needs of each child;

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Requirement Due date

ensure that the home has sufficient staff to provide care for each child;

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Requirement Due date

ensure that the home’s workforce provides continuity of care to each child;

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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

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

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Requirement Due date

The registered person should ensure that the staff are trained to meet the specific needs of children, and work together consistently to deliver good-quality care. Rotas should include accurate details of staff working in the home and demonstrate that there are sufficient staff to meet placing authorities’ expectations of staffing ratios, in line with children’s plans. Effective monitoring and review systems should be embedded in the home so that children’s progress is tracked and practice within the home is monitored, to drive forward improvements in the quality of care. 28 March 2021

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Requirement Due date

The care planning standard is that children— 28 March 2021 Inspection report for children’s home – monitoring visit: 2599183 5 receive effectively planned care in or through the children’s home; and

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Requirement Due date

have a positive experience of arriving at or moving on from the home.

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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

that children are admitted to the home only if their needs are within the range of needs of children for whom it is intended that the home is to provide care and accommodation, as set out in the home’s statement of purpose;

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Requirement Due date

ensure the effective induction of each child into the home;

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Requirement Due date

manage and review the placement of each child in the home. (Regulation 14 (1)(a)(b) (2)(a)(b)(i)(ii))

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Requirement Due date

Specifically, the provider should ensure that children should only be admitted to the home based on a thorough assessment of their needs, and the ability of staff to meet those needs effectively. The assessment should consider the impact of the location of the home on the new child and any impact on children already living in the home in respect of their safety and well-being. Children’s plans should provide staff with clear guidance to meet their needs. Plans should be regularly reviewed and updated to include any emerging needs, and record progress and outcomes.

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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

the effectiveness and any consequences of the use of the measure;

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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 28 March 2021 Inspection report for children’s home – monitoring visit: 2599183 6 has signed the record to confirm it is accurate;

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Requirement Due date

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 (3)(a)(vii)(b)(i)(ii)(c))

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Requirement Due date

In particular, the registered person should evaluate the effectiveness of the measure to consider any changes in staff practice that reduce the risk of further use of the measures. The registered person or authorised person should ensure that records include confirmation that they have spoken to the child about the measure, in addition to offering medical attention and offering complaints forms.

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Requirement Due date

A notification made under this regulation—

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Requirement Due date

the other persons, bodies or organisations (if any) who or which have been notified; and

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Requirement Due date

any actions taken by the registered person as a result of the matter. (Regulation 40 (5)(a)(i)(ii)(iii))

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Requirement Due date

Specifically, notifications should include details of additional relevant information and action taken to ensure children’s safety. 28 March 2021

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Requirement Due date

The registered person must review the appropriateness and suitability of the location of the premises used for the purposes of the children’s home at least once in each calendar year, taking into account the requirement in regulation 12 (2)(c) (the protection of children standard).

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Requirement Due date

When conducting the review, the registered person must consult, and take into account the views of, each relevant person. (Regulation 46 (1) (2))

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Requirement Due date

In particular, the review should include details regarding how risks will be managed with reference to children’s specific needs, and take into account relevant knowledge about the local area. 28 March 2021

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Requirement Due date

The registered person must ensure that all employees— 28 March 2021 Inspection report for children’s home – monitoring visit: 2599183 7 receive practice-related supervision by a person with appropriate experience. (Regulation 33 (4)(b))

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Requirement Due date

This refers specifically to staff receiving reflective supervision regularly, in line with policy and procedures.

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Requirement Due date

*This requirement is subject to a compliance notice.

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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

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

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Children’s home details

Registered provider: Omega Care Group Limited

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Children’s home details

Registered provider address: Castle Chambers, 43 Castle Street, Liverpool L2 9TL

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Inspector

Karen Willson, Social Care Inspector Inspection report for children’s home – monitoring visit: 2599183 8 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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