Children's Home run by Oakley House Kent in Kent

Inspection report children's home: 2625170 1 Registered provider: Oakley House (Kent) Limited Full inspection Inspected under the social care common inspection framework

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Information about this children’s home

This privately-owned home was registered with Ofsted in May 2021. It is registered to provide care for up to four children, aged between eight and 18. The aim from the home’s statement of purpose is to provide a safe and homely environment where children can be supported and challenged to develop the skills they need to live a full and happy life, while making a positive contribution to society.

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Information about this children’s home

The manager was registered with Ofsted alongside the home’s registration in May 2021.

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Information about this children’s home

Due to COVID-19, at the request of the Secretary of State, we suspended all routine inspections of social care providers carried out under the social care common inspection framework (SCCIF) on 17 March 2020. We returned to routine SCCIF inspections on 12 April 2021.

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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 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

Overall judgement at last inspection: Not applicable

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good

Enforcement action since last inspection: Not applicable Inspection report children's home: 2625170 2

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Recent inspection history

Not previously inspected Inspection report children's home: 2625170 3

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

The children are making good progress from their starting points in this home.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

The staff listen to and respect the children’s opinions and views. The children seek the company of the staff and are confident in expressing their views with them. The children can influence the running of their home and choose what activities they participate in. It is also apparent that all the staff, including the registered manager, make themselves available to the children so that they can talk to them about their wishes and feelings. This helps the children to feel valued, and to feel that they have meaningful influence on the direction their lives are taking.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Some of the children are currently not accessing full-time education. The registered manager is working cohesively with social care and education professionals to resolve this as a matter of urgency. When children are not in school, the staff work proactively in setting school-assigned tasks and activities such as BBC Bitesize learning exercises and GCSE revision papers. This approach prepares the children to participate in formal learning.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

The children are able, with the sensitive support from the staff, and when permitted, to have suitable arrangements in place for seeing their families and friends. The staff are aware that sometimes these visits can be upsetting or stressful for the child. Therefore, they plan for these visits with the children and ensure that the children and their families receive the support needed for visits to go smoothly and successfully.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

The staff encourage the children to develop their independence skills by promoting good routines and being actively involved in the day-to-day running of the home, for example tidying their bedrooms, showering and bathing regularly, budgeting, food and clothes shopping, and preparing and cooking their daily meals. This helps the children to develop self-reliance and worth, and to develop a sense of belonging.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

The staff guide the children to develop their interests and activities. They take a supportive parental role and help the children to attend activities such as attending youth clubs, going to the gym, and swimming, as well as taking them on regular outings. Participating in these activities supports the children to develop their interests and helps them to expand their social skills and grow in confidence.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

The staff create behaviour management plans using the children’s opinions and insight into their behaviours. The children work with members of staff to identify what strategies help them if they are struggling to maintain positive behaviour, and what situations may trigger their anger. This approach has been very successful and has helped the children to develop better self-control and coping strategies. In turn, one child’s self-harming incidents have significantly reduced, and another child’s missing from home episodes have decreased. Inspection report children's home: 2625170 4 The staff reward the children’s positive behaviours. The children can earn extra privileges such as special outings and extra spending money. This approach encourages positive behaviour and helps the children take responsibility for their own actions. One child told the inspector she was working towards a new nail art set.

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How well children and young people are helped and protected: good

The staff work very hard to successfully ensure that the children are kept safe. All staff understand their roles and obligations with regards to safeguarding and child protection, and all receive regular training to ensure that their knowledge is current and up to date. This enables any concerns to be promptly shared and action plans put in place to keep the children safer.

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How well children and young people are helped and protected: good

The staff prioritise the safety of the children. They are aware of each child’s abilities and vulnerabilities. The staff offer sound support and advice to the children and this educates and equips them to understand potential risks and how to minimise these. Some of the children have safe words that they use with the staff when they find themselves in uncomfortable situations. This approach helps a member of staff recognise how a child is feeling without the child needing to use their behaviour. This means the staff can discretely and sensitively support the child and make suitable arrangements to help them feel safer, in and out of the home.

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How well children and young people are helped and protected: good

When the children move in, the registered manager takes account of their journey into care and known vulnerabilities in order to ensure that staff can meet their needs and keep them safe. The children understand how their individual circumstances may leave them exposed to harm. They confidently spoke to the inspector about how the staff are helping them to overcome difficult and painful emotions. This has empowered the children to use their voices, and to take control and responsibility in making healthier and better life choices.

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How well children and young people are helped and protected: good

The children and the staff are knowledgeable about the risks associated with the use of the internet. The children have access to the internet in accordance with their individual plans and assessments of their vulnerabilities. At this time, access is carefully controlled. However, this is seen as a temporary measure and the plan is to increase both time and access as each child’s knowledge grows. This calculated risk- taking means that the children can develop their knowledge and take responsibility for their use of the internet with the benefit of staff guidance and advice.

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How well children and young people are helped and protected: good

The behaviour of the children shows marked improvement. This reflects a culture of respect and the positive relationships which have been established in a relatively short time. The children are aware of their own risk assessments and meet with staff to discuss the strategies that they would find most helpful to manage any behaviours or situations which may cause them anxiety. There have been no incidents of physical restraint in the home since it opened. Inspection report children's home: 2625170 5 The staff can impose sanctions if the children display negative behaviours. Sanctions are agreed on in the children’s behaviour plans and the children are encouraged to sign agreements and air their views on finding a solution to their behaviour. However, on one occasion reviewed by the inspector, a sanction was used by staff that was not restorative in its nature. This is a missed opportunity from the staff in

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How well children and young people are helped and protected: good

helping the child learn from their actions and had the potential to undermine positive relationships.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

An experienced and qualified registered manager provides good support to her staff team. The members of the newly formed team are highly motivated, work well together and report good team morale. The staff recognise their strengths and weaknesses as individuals and use this knowledge to support each other to perform as an effective team.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

The registered manager and responsible individual have a shared vision for the home. They are focused on providing a secure and stable base for children to enable them to progress and achieve. They work in close partnership with a range of professionals and specialist services to safeguard the children and to meet their holistic and therapeutic needs. This approach demonstrates the leaders’ and managers’ dedication to wanting the absolute best care and outcomes for children.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

The staff training is varied, and the programme is designed to ensure that all the staff have the knowledge and skills to meet each of the children’s needs. The registered manager delivers training workshops weekly to all staff and, on occasion, the children. She covers topics thematically and at the request of the learners. The responsible individual is in the process of arranging recognised training for the registered manager so that her training can be certificated. The staff value the training. One member of staff said, ‘It’s the best training I have ever had.’

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

The registered manager’s monitoring systems are excellent and demonstrate that she has clear managerial oversight of the home. The registered manager is reflective, focused and highly driven in delivering a centred-person approach to care. The staff say she is approachable and always makes time to listen to the children and the staff.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

The overall safer recruitment process for newly recruited staff is generally good. However, only one professional reference was sourced for one member of staff. Also, where staff have previously worked in a position involving work with children, verification of the reason why the employment ended has not been followed up by the registered manager. All other statutory checks are completed to ensure that staff are of good character and suitable to work with children.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

The home’s policies and procedures with regard to the home’s use of CCTV are unclear and unsuitable. The home’s statement of purpose does not make clear what CCTV footage is used for. Children and placing social workers are not clear how Inspection report children's home: 2625170 6 CCTV is used and have not consented to it. This has the potential to undermine children’s rights to privacy.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

The home’s statement of purpose does not detail the experience and qualifications of the staff, including the staff commissioned to provide therapy to the children.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

There have been occasions when the registered manager has not notified Ofsted of serious events. These omissions have not directly affected the quality of care provided for the children, but such practice does impede the regulator’s ability to effectively monitor the home in between inspections.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

The shortfalls found in this inspection do not detract from the good quality of care being provided to the children at the time of the inspection. Inspection report children's home: 2625170 7

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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 registered person must notify HMCI and each other relevant person without delay if—

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Requirement Due date

a child is involved in or subject to, or is suspected of being involved in or subject to, sexual exploitation;

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Requirement Due date

an incident requiring police involvement occurs in relation to a child which the registered person considers to be serious;

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Requirement Due date

there is an allegation of abuse against the home or a person working there;

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Requirement Due date

a child protection enquiry involving a child —

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Requirement Due date

concludes (in which case, the notification must include the outcome of the child protection enquiry); or

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Requirement Due date

there is any other incident relating to a child which the registered person considers to be serious. (Regulation 40 (4)(a)(b)(c)(d)(i)(ii)(e)) 20 January 2022

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Requirement Due date

The registered person must compile in relation to the children’s home a statement ("the statement of purpose") which covers the matters listed in Schedule 1. (Regulation 16 (1))

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Requirement Due date

In particular, the registered manager must ensure that details of the experience and qualification of staff, including any staff commissioned to provide education or healthcare, are included. 20 January 2022

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Requirement Due date

The registered person may only use devices for the monitoring or surveillance of children if— 20 January 2022 Inspection report children's home: 2625170 8 the monitoring or surveillance is for the purpose of safeguarding and promoting the welfare of the child concerned, or other children;

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Requirement Due date

the child’s placing authority consents in writing to the monitoring or surveillance;

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Requirement Due date

so far as reasonably practicable in the light of the child’s age and understanding, the child is informed in advance of the intention to do the monitoring or surveillance; and

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Requirement Due date

the monitoring or surveillance is no more intrusive than necessary, having regard to the child’s need for privacy. (Regulation 24 (1)(a)(b)(c)(d))

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Requirement Due date

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

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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

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))

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Requirement Due date

In particular, the registered manager must ensure that if an applicant has previously worked in a position involving work with children or vulnerable adults, the reference is verified so far as reasonably practicable, in order to establish the reason why the employment or position ended. 20 January 2022 Inspection report children's home: 2625170 9

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Recommendations

 The registered manager must ensure that any sanctions used to address poor behaviour should be restorative in nature, to help children recognise the impact that their behaviour has on themselves, other children, the staff caring for them and the wider community. In some cases, it will be important for children to make reparation in some form to anyone hurt by their behaviour, and the staff in the home should be skilled to support the child to understand this and carry it out. (‘Guide to the children’s homes regulations including the quality standards’, page 46, paragraph 9.38)

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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: 2625170 10

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Children’s home details

Registered provider: Oakley House (Kent) Limited

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Children’s home details

Registered provider address: 13 Shaw Crescent, South Croydon CR2 9JB

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Inspector

Kelly Monniot, Social Care Inspector Inspection report children's home: 2625170 11 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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