Children's home run by Oxfordshire County Council

Inspection report children’s home: SC033896 1 SC033896 Registered provider: Oxfordshire County Council Full inspection Inspected under the social care common inspection framework

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Information about this children’s home

This local authority children’s home is registered to accommodate up to six children. The home is registered to care for children who may have emotional and social difficulties.

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Information about this children’s home

The manager registered with Ofsted in April 2020.

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Information about this children’s home

Due to COVID-19 (coronavirus), at the request of the Secretary of State, we suspended all routine inspections of social care providers on 17 March 2020.

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Information about this children’s home

We last visited this setting on 8 September 2020 to carry out an assurance visit. The report is published on the Ofsted website.

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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 requires improvement to be good

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good

The effectiveness of leaders and managers 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: 26 November 2019

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good

Overall judgement at last inspection: requires improvement to be good

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good

Enforcement action since last inspection: none Inspection report children’s home: SC033896 2

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Inspection date Inspection type Inspection judgement

26/11/2019 Full Requires improvement to be good 07/02/2019 Interim Declined in effectiveness 26/09/2018 Full Good 14/11/2017 Full Requires improvement to be good Inspection report children’s home: SC033896 3

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Staff provide individualised support to children. When children move into the home, staff get to know them quickly. As a result, children settle quickly and make progress.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Staff understand children’s health needs. Staff work alongside external health services to provide effective support for children who have a complex range of health needs. Any specific health conditions are risk assessed to ensure staff reduce risks and children can work towards independence in a safe way. Children’s progress is overseen by an in-house clinical team. One social worker said, ‘His (child) emotional and mental health needs are understood by staff, and he is supported through maintaining a healthy diet and physical activities that suited him.’

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Parents spoke positively about their children’s experiences. One parent said, ‘I cannot fault them (staff team), they have supported him (child) to communicate more than he used to. He is able to make choices and reflect on issues.’ Staff have helped children to increase their family visits which, in some cases, led to a move back to their family home.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Attention is given to ensuring that children are well matched to the home when their admission is on a planned basis. Staff complete thorough assessments and make careful consideration to the needs of both existing and new children. However, the matching of children placed in an emergency is not completed in the same careful way. This poor matching has led to some new children having unplanned endings, and disruption for children who have been living at the home for a longer term.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

All children are in stable educational placements. For some children, this is their first positive experience of education. Staff work collaboratively with educational provisions to help children build confidence while they are settling into a new school. This has been a successful approach and has allowed children to integrate, to find a sense of belonging and to enjoy school.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

The home consists of children and staff from diverse backgrounds. Staff use this variety of backgrounds, alongside current affairs to address and to explore issues of religion, cultures, identity and diversity. In addition, an external specialist who focuses on culture and diversity matters also helps the children and the staff with their understanding of equality and diversity. This approach has helped children to take pride in their identity, cultural backgrounds and express positive interest for people who identify differently to themselves.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Children take part in activities of their choice, including a range of activities in the home, within their community and other areas. These include walks and drives to local areas, going on bicycle rides, going to amusement parks, playing basketball, playing football, going on camping trips and participating in movie nights. Inspection report children’s home: SC033896 4 Children are involved in the planning of the house meetings and are keen to attend and to engage in them. Staff record weekly activity plans, menus and other subjects that are discussed during the meetings. Actions and responses are addressed with children in the next meeting. Almost all the requests and suggestions have been actioned. This gives children validity that their voice is important in the decisions made about their home.

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improvement to be good

Staff understand children’s individual risks. These risks are detailed in assessments which staff follow in practice. If children are missing, they search and work with other agencies, such as the police, to support children to return home safely.

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improvement to be good

Staff are trained in how to physically hold children safely. One child struggled to manage his emotions and feelings and was held on a number of occasions. He moved on to another placement as he was unable to settle in this home. The staff and the manager completed debriefs with the children who remained in the home and gave them time to reflect and to heal from this experience. Overall, the staff team has been successful in reducing the frequency that physical interventions are used.

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improvement to be good

The home environment lacks homely touches. The lounge area has stained carpets that are old and worn. The bedrooms lack individualisation and child-friendly decoration. Children’s bedrooms are fitted with wet rooms. After use, the wet rooms have puddles of water which form due to faults in the layout of the flooring and the poor drainage system. There is no routine in place to wash and to clean bath mats and, as a result, they have become mouldy and discoloured. This poses risks of slipping and a possible risk of infections. Some of the electric plug sockets are not safely fitted to the wall. These shortfalls have the potential to be hazardous to children.

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improvement to be good

Staff have a good understanding of the children’s strength and vulnerabilities. Staff support children to explore teenage friendships and to access the community independently. Children are confident to share concerns with the manager. One child said, ‘When I don’t feel safe, I will tell the manager first because I know he will do something to help me.’

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improvement to be good

Any allegations relating to staff practice are responded to appropriately by the registered manager in consultation with the designated officer at the local authority. Internal investigation processes address any practice issues effectively. Staff speak confidently about their internal safeguarding policy and procedures.

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improvement to be good

Children have regular key-work sessions. These are structured and include topics which relate to children’s lives and their personal goals. Topics that staff discuss with children include keeping safe and reflecting on the child’s progress. Children’s Inspection report children’s home: SC033896 5 views are also gathered through questionnaires and house meetings. This ensures children’s views and feelings are heard and are acted upon.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

The registered manager demonstrates commitment to the service. He role models good practice and enables staff to develop well in their individual roles. Senior managers support the registered manager to put the vision for the home into practice. Leaders and managers promote a team approach to the care provided to children.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

Overall, internal monitoring of the quality of care has helped improve systems in the home. The monthly monitoring of the home by the independent visitor has also informed practice and some changes in the environment. Managers respond effectively to the points raised, and these are documented in a clear action plan. The registered manager is a strong advocate to children.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

All staff receive mandatory training. However, the training record does not reflect accurately the status of some training. For example, the training record does not show whether some training has been completed, is booked, or is overdue. This means the manager does not have an accurate record to refer to and to add to the workforce plan to ensure that all the staff have the relevant skills to care for the children.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

Staff receive regular formal supervision and appraisals, as well as informal management guidance and help, when required. The staff feel supported and value the regular opportunity to reflect and to discuss practice.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

Social workers shared positive views about the home and the care provided to children. One social worker stated that staff responded well when plans changed for one child. The staff response ensured continuity of care for the child, and the staff successfully helped the child to understand the changes that had occurred.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

The manager is aware of the home’s strengths and weaknesses, and he addresses these effectively. Since the previous inspection, he has focused on improving staff practice when supporting children if they are upset. Through reflecting on incidents with staff, day-to-day care practice has been amended. This has resulted in a reduction in incidents and in the building of trust between children and staff. Inspection report children’s home: SC033896 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, 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; and

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Requirement Due date

use this understanding to deliver care that meets children’s needs and supports them to fulfil their potential.

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

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Requirement Due date

enable each child to participate in the daily life of the home. (Regulation 6 (1)(a)(b) (2)(c)(i)(ii)) 7 October 2021

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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

that the premises used for the purposes of the home are designed, furnished and maintained so as to protect each child from avoidable hazards to the child’s health. (Regulation 12 (1) (2)(d)) 7 October 2021

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Requirement Due date

The care planning standard is that children—

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Requirement Due date

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. 7 October 2021 Inspection report children’s home: SC033896 7 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. (Regulation 14 (1)(a)(b) (2)(a))

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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)(h))

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Requirement Due date

With reference to the oversight and accuracy of training records. 7 October 2021 Inspection report children’s home: SC033896 8

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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: SC033896 9

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Children’s home details

Registered provider address: Oxfordshire County Council, County Hall, New Road, Oxford, Oxfordshire OX1 1ND

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Inspector

Alphie Khumalo, Social Care Inspector Inspection report children’s home: SC033896 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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