Children's home run by Onextra Care Limited

Inspection report children’s home: 2571031 1 Registered provider: Onextra Care Limited Full inspection Inspected under the social care common inspection framework

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Information about this children’s home

This children’s home is operated by a private organisation. It is registered to provide care for one child who may have emotional and/or social difficulties.

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Information about this children’s home

The registered manager post has been vacant since 17 May 2021. A new manager has been appointed who has applied for registration with Ofsted.

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Overall experiences and progress of

children and young people, taking into account

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requires improvement to be good

How well children and young people are helped and protected requires improvement to be good

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requires improvement to be good

The effectiveness of leaders and managers inadequate

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requires improvement to be good

The children’s home is not yet delivering good help and care for children and young people. However, there are no serious or widespread failures that result in their welfare not being safeguarded or promoted.

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requires improvement to be good

Overall judgement at last inspection: Inadequate

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Enforcement action since last inspection:

On 19 May 2021 compliance notices were served against regulation 12, the protection of children standard, regulation 13, the leadership and management standard and regulation 14, the care planning standard. In addition, a notice of restriction of accommodation was served on 14 May 2021. Inspection report children’s home: 2571031 2 A monitoring visit was completed on 24 June 2021. The inspector found that the provider had complied with the notice of restriction of accommodation. The home also met the regulation 12 notice, as suitable progress had been made against the specified steps.

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Enforcement action since last inspection:

The notice of restriction of accommodation was lifted on 5 July 2021. Ofsted imposed a variation to the conditions of registration on 9 July 2021. This reduced the numbers of children the home is registered to care for to one child. This change was made in agreement with the provider. Inspection report children’s home: 2571031 3

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Inspection date Inspection type Inspection judgement

11/05/2021 Full Inadequate Inspection report children’s home: 2571031 4

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improvement to be good

No children were being cared for at the home at the time of this inspection.

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improvement to be good

One child has left the home following notice being served by the provider. Prior to leaving, the child, his parent and staff enjoyed a day out together and the staff team had a celebratory meal with him to mark his time at the home. The child was given a memory book to remember his achievements and the activities he had been involved in. As a result, the child experienced a positive ending to his time at the home.

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improvement to be good

The child’s introduction to his new home was aided by a detailed ‘about me’ document written by the staff who have been caring for him. This provided the new staff team with a clear understanding of the child, his likes and dislikes and how best to respond to his needs. It will help the new staff team to provide the child with individualised care.

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improvement to be good

No children have been admitted to the home since the notice of restriction of accommodation has been lifted. The interim manager and staff team have been using this time to ensure that they have the necessary skills and knowledge to meet the needs of a new child. This preparation means that the staff are better placed to care for a child in a manner which promotes positive experiences and outcomes.

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improvement to be good

The one child who has left the home in the reporting period said, through consultation documents and a letter left for the inspector, that there had been an improvement in the way staff treated him and had responded to his needs.

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improvement to be good

The home is moving away from the use of electronic recording systems as the primary method of recording children’s case records. A new paper-based recording system is being implemented. This is with the intention of encouraging children to be more involved in their care planning, supported by easier access to their records.

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improvement to be good

Alongside this, it is the intention of the interim manager that staff complete monthly consultations with children. Children will be encouraged to give their views about their individual plans and contribute to their records. These changes are yet to be implemented in practice as no children are currently being cared for at the home. The effectiveness of these initiatives will need to be reviewed by the interim manager once children move into the home. Inspection report children’s home: 2571031 5 The home now has a permanent team of staff in place. As a result, children moving into the home will have the opportunity to build trusting relationships with a consistent group of adults.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: inadequate

Senior leaders in the organisation have failed to follow safer recruitment practices in the appointment of a new manager and deputy manager. Both managers have been appointed without the necessary references being obtained and checked prior to them starting their employment. Poor recruitment practice means that children and staff are left in a potentially vulnerable position.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: inadequate

The interim manager has a good understanding of the failings identified at the previous inspection. She is working hard to address these issues and has begun to implement new ways of working.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: inadequate

There has been a significant turnover in staff since the last full inspection, with only one member of staff remaining in post. The current staff are all experienced in their roles and are working well together as a team.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: inadequate

The staff are being supported to understand their roles and responsibilities and expectations of them through regular team meetings and individual supervision. These meetings are being used effectively to aid team development and ensure that they continue to make progress in preparing for children moving into the home.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: inadequate

Staff are undertaking a comprehensive training programme to support their care of children admitted to the home. Some of these training sessions have been planned for face-to-face training. However, as they are yet to take place, the impact of this training is yet to be evidenced in practice.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: inadequate

The compliance notices in respect of regulation 13, the leadership and management standard and regulation 14, the care planning standard have been met as suitable progress had been made against the specified steps.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: inadequate

A number of other requirements, not subject to compliance notices, remain in place as managers and staff have not had an opportunity to show their progress against these actions. Inspection report children’s home: 2571031 6

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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, The 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

In meeting the quality standards, the registered person must, and must ensure that staff—

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Requirement Due date

seek to involve each child’s placing authority effectively in the child’s care, in accordance with the child’s relevant plans;

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Requirement Due date

seek to secure the input and services required to meet each child’s needs;

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Requirement Due date

if the registered person considers, or staff consider, a placing authority’s or a relevant person’s performance or response to be inadequate in relation to their role, challenge the placing authority or the relevant person to seek to ensure that each child’s needs are met in accordance with the child’s relevant plans. (Regulation 5 (a)(b)(c))

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Requirement Due date

In particular, the registered person should escalate concerns to the placing local authority if arrangements are not in place for a child’s education. 30 September

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Requirement Due date

The registered person must prepare and implement a policy ("the missing child policy") setting out—

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Requirement Due date

the steps taken, and to be taken, to prevent children from being absent without permission; and

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Requirement Due date

the procedures to be followed, and the roles and responsibilities of persons working at the home, in relation to a child who is, or has been, so absent.

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Requirement Due date

Before implementing, or making an amendment which the registered person considers to be substantive to, the missing child policy, the registered person must—

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Requirement Due date

consult, and take into account the views of, each relevant person; and 30 September Inspection report children’s home: 2571031 7 have regard to any relevant local authority or police protocols on missing children. (Regulation 34 (4)(a)(b) (5)(a)(b))

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Requirement Due date

Specifically, the registered person should ensure that that information contained in missing-from-care plans is consistent with the information contained in other assessments and plans and that staff are proactive in searching for children when they are missing and that return home interviews are arranged for each child.

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Requirement Due date

establish a procedure for considering complaints made by or on behalf of children.

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Requirement Due date

ensure that a record is made of any complaint, the action taken in response, and the outcome of any investigation. (Regulation 39 (1)(3))

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Requirement Due date

In particular, the registered person must follow the complaints procedure for all complaints made by or on behalf of children. 30 September

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Requirement Due date

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

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Requirement Due date

employ an individual to work at the children’s home; or 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, if the individual satisfies the requirements in paragraph (3).

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Requirement Due date

The requirements are that— the individual is of integrity and good character;

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Requirement Due date

the individual has the appropriate experience, qualification and skills for the work that the individual is to perform;

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Requirement Due date

the individual is mentally and physically fit for the purposes of the work that the individual is to perform; and

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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)(b)(3)(a)(b)(c)(d)) 20 August 2021 Inspection report children’s home: 2571031 8 Specifically, the registered person should obtain suitable references and verify these references prior to the start of employment.

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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: 2571031 9

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Children’s home details

Registered provider: Onextra Care Limted

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Children’s home details

Registered provider address: 443 Houldsworth Business & Arts Centre, Houldsworth Street, Stockport SK5 6DA

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Inspector

Dawn Parton, Social Care Inspector Inspection report children’s home: 2571031 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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