Children's home run by Onextra Care Limited

Inspection report for children’s home: 2616383 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 privately owned. The home provides care to two children who may have emotional and/or behavioural difficulties.

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Information about this children’s home

The home was registered by Ofsted in February 2021. The registered manager is suitably experienced and has managed the home since registration.

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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

Date of last inspection: not previously inspected

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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 for children’s home: 2616383 2

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Since the home’s registration in February 2021, three children have left the home. Two children made positive and planned transitions and one child’s placement ended prematurely, due to them being placed in secure accommodation. There are currently two children living at the home.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Children make good progress in relation to their starting points across aspects of their welfare, and physical, social, emotional and behavioural development. Children benefit from well-planned, highly individualised care that promotes their needs effectively. Children enjoy good relationships with staff, and their views about their care were consistently positive.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

One child said, ‘It’s fantastic and it’s welcoming.’ Another said, ‘There’s nothing to be worried about. I like it here, that’s all I can say. I don’t want to leave. It’s actually really good.’

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Children spend time with their friends and families. They are supported to sustain their close relationships with the people who are most important to them. Staff ensure that children’s experiences are positive. Children are engaged in meaningful activities and staff encourage their talents, interests and hobbies.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

One child goes horse riding regularly and the other plays for his local football team. Additionally, children have engaged in acts of kindness, such as visiting a homeless charity and baking cakes for the elderly in the community.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Children attend school with good support and encouragement from staff. Staff work constructively with parents, schools and social workers to ensure that children benefit from the best possible support. However, personal education plans and education and healthcare (EHC) plans had not been received for some children. These plans have been requested by the registered manager and one child’s EHC plan has since been received by the home.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

A social worker reported, ‘While in placement, [child] was able to complete eight GCSEs with support from staff and his tutor, and staff ensured that his education was prioritised.’

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Children enjoy good health and have access to the services they need to be healthy. This includes access to specialist services, such as therapy, and drugs and alcohol services. Medical consent is in place and children’s medication is stored and administered safely. Inspection report for children’s home: 2616383 3

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

The safety of children is consistently at the centre of staff’s practice. The use of clear risk assessment and safe and effective working practices promote the children’s safety and well-being. Children’s plans are reviewed regularly by staff in keeping with their specific needs and emerging vulnerabilities. Children are kept safe and feel safe.

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

A social worker reported, ‘Staff are always friendly, approachable and have the best interests of [child] at the heart of everything they do.’

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

Children are protected from abuse and all other forms of significant harm. Staff are trained in child protection and have a good understanding of their roles and safeguarding responsibilities.

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

One child said, ‘I am safe living here. They have got everything under control. The kids are in bed by 11 and the staff have time for us.’

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

There has been a considerable reduction in the frequency of missing-from-care episodes. Staff actively look for children if they are missing and follow the home’s procedures to secure their safe return.

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

Staff help children to manage their feelings and behaviours safely. There have been no restraints, and no complaints or allegations since the home started operating. Children raised no complaints or concerns with the inspector. The use of sanctions to address negative behaviour is fair, balanced and proportionate.

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

The house is warm, comfortable and homely. The home is physically safe and appropriately secure. The arrangements to promote health and safety are managed effectively by staff.

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

Significant incidents are reported to the appropriate authorities to ensure that the right action is taken by the right people to support and protect the children. Staff maintain effective partnerships with the police, social workers and other safeguarding agencies to promote children’s safety.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

Staff meet the aims and objectives outlined in the home’s statement of purpose. The statement of purpose was last reviewed to include the details of the new responsible individual for the home. However, the document requires minor amendment to include the registered manager’s new qualifications in leadership and management. The manager is now qualified to level 5.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

A stable, committed and capable staff team is employed to meet the needs of the children. This ensures that children have stability and consistency in their lives. There have been no staff changes since the home’s registration. The composition of the staff team is diverse in terms of experience, background, ethnicity and gender. Inspection report for children’s home: 2616383 4 The home is managed efficiently and effectively. The registered manager demonstrates effective leadership of staff and the day-to day operation of the home. A staff member reported the registered manager was, ‘compassionate and understanding and extremely supportive, and always puts the interest of the young person first’.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

The staff team meets regularly, and team meetings are used to reflect on the children’s progress and experiences. Staff benefit from regular practice-related supervision. However, the supervision records for the registered manager were not routinely kept at the home. These were made available for this inspection.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

Staff benefit from good-quality training, both face to face and through online learning. All mandatory training has been completed and staff implement their knowledge and learning in practice.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

The performance of the home is scrutinised effectively, and the registered manager makes good use of the home’s internal and external monitoring activities. However, the registered manager’s six-monthly quality of care review lacks consideration of what the home could do to improve and to sustain continuing improvement. Inspection report for children’s home: 2616383 5

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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; and

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Requirement Due date

seek to develop and maintain effective professional relationships with such persons, bodies or organisations as the registered person considers appropriate having regard to the range of needs of children for whom it is intended that the children’s home is to provide care and accommodation. (Regulation 5 (a)(b)(c)(d))

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Requirement Due date

This relates specifically to obtaining personal education plans and EHC plans from the placing authorities for each child living in the home. 10 January 2022

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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— 31 January 2022 Inspection report for children’s home: 2616383 6 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

This relates specifically to the quality of care review setting out realistic yet challenging targets and goals to secure continuing improvement.

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Recommendation

 The registered person should ensure that a record of supervision should be kept for all staff, including the registered manager. The record should provide evidence that supervision is being delivered in line with regulation. (‘Guide to the children’s homes regulations, including the quality standards’, page 61, paragraph 13.3)

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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 for children’s home: 2616383 7

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Children’s home details

Registered provider: Onextra Care Limited

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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

Anthony Kyem, Social Care Inspector Inspection report for children’s home: 2616383 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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