Children's Home run by Oakley House Children’s Home Limited in Staffordshire

Inspection report for children's home - monitoring visit: SC447457 1 SC447457

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Information about this children's home

This home is owned and operated by a private company. It is registered to provide care for three children who may have faced adverse childhood experiences, trauma and family breakdown.

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Information about this children's home

The manager was registered with Ofsted in December 2016 and is suitably qualified.

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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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This monitoring visit

On 7 and 8 December 2021, Ofsted undertook a full inspection. The inspector found that managers had failed to put appropriate safeguards in place to protect children who go missing from the home. In addition, some staff who worked in the home had not been safely recruited. The home was judged inadequate. In response to that visit, Ofsted issued two compliance notices under regulation 12 and 13 of the Children’s Homes (England) Regulations 2015.

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This monitoring visit

The purpose of this monitoring visit was to review the progress made in completing the actions set out in the compliance notice raised under regulation 12. The inspector found that some progress has been made, however not all steps in the compliance notice have been met and there are ongoing concerns about how children are protected.

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This monitoring visit

Staff have made progress in their response to children who go missing from the home. Risk assessments have been updated and contain relevant information to help staff respond to children who go missing from home. Staff have a better understanding of one child’s social network and who they are spending time with. This means staff can respond more effectively when the child goes missing from the home. Inspection report for children's home - monitoring visit: SC447457 2 The registered manager has not done enough to challenge the child’s local authority on their delay in convening strategy meetings. Since the last inspection on 7 and 8 December 2021, several requests have been made by the registered manager to the local authority for a strategy meeting. The registered manager’s escalation of this matter, when the strategy meeting was not arranged, has not been effective.

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This monitoring visit

Staff do not consistently document when the child has attended a health appointment. This does not provide an accurate record of the child’s health needs or appointments. At the time of the inspection, managers were reviewing an incident where a child was inappropriately given access to medication following a health appointment. Once staff became aware of this error appropriate action was taken.

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This monitoring visit

One member of staff who works in the home has not been safely recruited. The registered manager has not verified the reasons why the individual left previous employment positions which involved working with children and/or vulnerable adults. The registered manager was unaware that they needed to gain this verification.

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This monitoring visit

The other compliance notice and requirements raised at the previous inspection were not fully reviewed at this visit as their end dates had not been reached.

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Recent inspection history

Inspection date Inspection type Inspection judgement 07/12/2021 Full Inadequate 19/12/2019 Interim Sustained effectiveness 29/05/2019 Full Good 20/08/2018 Full Requires improvement to be good Inspection report for children's home - monitoring visit: SC447457 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

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

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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 (c))

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Requirement Due date

This specifically relates to the registered manager being effective in escalating issues when she does not receive a response from professionals relating to the health, care, education and safety needs of children. 6 February 2022

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Requirement Due date

The education standard is that children make measurable progress towards achieving their educational potential and are helped to do so.

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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

help each child to achieve the child’s education and training targets, as recorded in the child’s relevant plans. (Regulation 8 (1) (2)(a)(i))

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Requirement Due date

This specifically relates to the registered manager ensuring that staff understand children’s PEP targets and are working towards them. 6 February 2022

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Requirement Due date

The health and well-being standard is that—

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Requirement Due date

the health and well-being needs of children are met; 6 February 2022 Inspection report for children's home - monitoring visit: SC447457 4 children receive advice, services and support in relation to their health and well-being; and

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Requirement Due date

children are helped to lead healthy lifestyles.

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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

achieve the health and well-being outcomes that are recorded in the child’s relevant plans. (Regulation 10 (1)(a)(b)(c) (2)(a)(i))

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Requirement Due date

This specifically relates to the registered manager ensuring that staff understand and support children with their health needs.

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Requirement Due date

The positive relationships standard is that children are helped to develop, and to benefit from, relationships based on—

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Requirement Due date

an understanding about acceptable behaviour; and

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Requirement Due date

positive responses to other children and adults.

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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

help each child to understand, in a way that is appropriate according to the child’s age and understanding, personal, sexual and social relationships, and how those relationships can be supportive or harmful. (Regulation 11 (1)(a)(b)(c) (2)(a)(vi))

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Requirement Due date

This specifically relates to the registered manager ensuring that staff support children to understand how some relationships are harmful to them. 6 February 2022

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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. (Regulation 12 (1)) 6 February 2022 Inspection report for children's home - monitoring visit: SC447457 5 This a repeat requirement. This specifically relates to the registered manager ensuring that staff are safely recruited. In addition to the manager escalating issues when she does not receive a response from professionals relating to her request for a strategy meeting being to be held.

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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

ensure that staff have the experience, qualifications and skills to meet the needs of 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. (Regulation 13 (1)(a)(b) (2)(c)(f))

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Requirement Due date

This specifically relates to the registered manager ensuring that there are enough staff in place who have the skills and training to carry out their role. 6 February 2022

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Requirement Due date

After consultation with the fire and rescue authority, the registered person must—

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Requirement Due date

take adequate precautions against the risk of fire, including the provision of suitable fire equipment in the children’s home. (Regulation 25 (1)(a))

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Requirement Due date

This specifically relates to the provider taking appropriate action to address all shortfalls identified in the fire risk assessment review. 6 February 2022

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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

The requirements are that— 6 February 2022 Inspection report for children's home - monitoring visit: SC447457 6 full and satisfactory information is available in relation to the individual in respect of each of the matters in Schedule 2. (Regulation 32 (1) (3)(d))

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Requirement Due date

This specifically relates to the provider ensuring that all staff are safe to work in the home.

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Requirement Due date

The registered person must ensure that all employees—

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Requirement Due date

receive practice-related supervision by a person with appropriate experience. (Regulation 33 (4)(b))

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Requirement Due date

This specifically relates to the registered manager ensuring that staff are provided with supervision that promotes their overall development in their role in childcare practice. 6 February 2022

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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

there is any other incident relating to a child which the registered person considers to be serious. (Regulation 40 (4)(a)(e))

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Requirement Due date

This specifically relates to the provider ensuring all safeguarding concerns are reported to Ofsted in a timely manner. 6 February 2022

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Requirement Due date

The registered person must notify, without delay, the local authority for the area in which the children’s home is located of every admission of a child into the home and every discharge of a child from the home.

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Requirement Due date

The registered person is not required to notify the local authority in paragraph (1) if that local authority is also the placing authority for the child in question.

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Requirement Due date

A notification under this regulation must be in writing and must state—

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Requirement Due date

whether the child is provided with accommodation under section 20 or 21 of the Children Act 1989(1); 6 February 2022 Inspection report for children's home - monitoring visit: SC447457 7 whether the child is subject to a care or supervision order under section 31 of the Children Act 1989(2);

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Requirement Due date

the independent reviewing officer appointed for the child’s case; and

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Requirement Due date

whether the child has an EHC plan or a statement of special educational needs and, if so, details of the local authority with responsibility for the EHC plan or for maintaining the statement of special educational needs. (Regulation 41 (1) (2) (3)(a)(b)(c)(d)(i)(ii)(e))

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Requirement Due date

This specifically relates to the registered manager notifying the host local authority when children move in or leave the home.

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Requirement Due date

The independent person must produce a report about a visit ("the independent person’s report") which sets out, in particular, the independent person’s opinion as to whether—

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Requirement Due date

children are effectively safeguarded; and

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Requirement Due date

the conduct of the home promotes children’s well-being. (Regulation 44 (4)(a)(b))

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Requirement Due date

This a repeat requirement. This specifically relates to the provider ensuring that there is an independent visitor who has the necessary skills to undertake independent monitoring visits for the home. 6 February 2022

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Requirement Due date

In order to complete a quality of care review the registered person must establish and maintain a system for monitoring, reviewing and evaluating—

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Requirement Due date

the quality of care provided for children;

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Requirement Due date

the feedback and opinions of children about the children’s home, its facilities and the quality of care they receive in it; and

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Requirement Due date

any actions that the registered person considers necessary in order to improve or maintain the quality of care provided for children. (Regulation 45 (2)(a)(b)(c)) 6 February 2022 Inspection report for children's home - monitoring visit: SC447457 8 This specifically relates to the registered manager using feedback from children and professionals to inform how she drives improvement as part of her quality of care monitoring report.

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Requirement Due date

*These requirements are 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: Oakley House Children's Home Limited

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Children's home details

Registered provider address: Unit D, 17 Plumbers Row, London E1 1EQ

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Inspector

Lisa O'Donovan, Social Care Inspector Inspection report for children's home - monitoring visit: SC447457 9 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 looked after children, safeguarding and child protection.

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Inspector

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Inspector

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Inspector

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