Children's Home run by Oasis Adolescent Services Ltd in Oldham

Inspection report children’s home: 1258975 1 Registered provider: Oasis Adolescent Services Limited Full inspection Inspected under the social care common inspection framework

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Information about this children’s home

This privately operated home provides care for up to three children. The provider states in its statement of purpose that it specialises in providing the best possible care for c hildren with emotional and behavioural difficulties (social and emotional difficulties), including affective disorders such as psychosis. The manager registered with Ofsted in October 2017. 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. We last visited this setting on 19 November 2020 to carry out a monitoring 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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outstanding

How well children and young people are helped and protected outstanding

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outstanding

The effectiveness of leaders and managers outstanding

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outstanding

The children’s home provides highly effective services that consistently exceed the standards of good. The actions of the children’s home contribute to significantly improved outcomes and positive experiences for children and young people who need help, protection and care.

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outstanding

Date of last inspection: 24 February 2020 Overall judgement at last inspection: outstanding Enforcement action since last inspection: none Inspection report children’s home: 1258975 2

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Inspection date Inspection type Inspection judgement

24/02/2020 Full Outstanding 14/02/2019 Interim Sustained effectiveness 18/07/2018 Full Outstanding Inspection report children’s home: 1258975 3

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outstanding

Children receive exceptional care and support in this children’s home. The extremely detailed residential care plans clearly identify the support the children need, the agencies that are involved and the progress the children make towards their plan.

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outstanding

Children receive well-planned care and support in preparation for moving into this home. As a result, their introduction into the home is a very positive experience. During COVID-19 restrictions, when there have been limitations on people being able to routinely visit the home, the staff have been creative and used video technology, including a virtual tour of the home, to build relationships with the child and their parents, prior to the child moving into the home. This process enables plans and routines to be developed ready for the child to move in.

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outstanding

The children who move into this home often have a history of extended absence and disruption in their education. From the point of a referral being accepted, staff strive to ensure that appropriate education is sourced and put into place ready for the child’s arrival. This means that there are no delays in children having access to suitable education. As a result, all the children attend full-time education and have 100% attendance. In addition, children’s educational attainment is exceptional. For example, one child is on target to take GCSE examinations, and a further child has commenced the level 3 qualification in accountancy.

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outstanding

Staff are trained to Level 3 in mindfulness practice. As a result, the emotional health and well-being of children are given high priority. This course enables the staff to develop their mindfulness practice by increasing their insight into the mental processes that drive our thoughts, emotions and behaviour. Staff also understand the effects of negative life experiences and trauma on children’s behaviour. Because staff embed this knowledge in their practice, the children engage with the staff and begin to share their emotions in this extremely safe and supportive environment.

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outstanding

Family contact is exceptionally well supported by staff. Parents are invited to the home to take part in day-to-day activities, such as baking, helping their child with their laundry and helping to decorate their child’s bedroom. Furthermore, parents are invited to support their child during events such as football and cricket matches. A parent said: ‘The support is unbeatable. I wish I had this level of support before. My relationship with my son is going from strength to strength. I’ve got my son back.’

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outstanding

Children’s individual interests are actively used to build a full programme of recreational activities. The staff support and mentor the children to try out activities that encourage positive friendships and teamwork. As a result, the children now play for local football and cricket teams, and regularly attend the boxing club. Inspection report children’s home: 1258975 4 Consultation with the children and their families is a strength. Children’s views and opinions about how the home operates are regularly sought and are viewed with high regard. Likewise, families and professionals regularly feed back on the quality of service, which enables staff to assess satisfaction with the care provided in the home. However, children do not consistently review or comment on the work that is being undertaken with them. A recommendation is made to address this matter.

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outstanding

Children become safer very quickly after moving into this home. Children who come to this home may have a history of criminal activity, including gang-related crime. From the point of referral, creative and effective steps are taken to build a support plan and routine to assist in breaking any unhelpful cycles of behaviour. The staff team provides a structured mentoring system that supports the children to take part in age-appropriate activities, build suitable friendships and become positive members of the community.

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outstanding

The team is made up of staff who present as excellent role models for the children, and the children look up to them. One child said: ‘I love it here. I would rather be here than go back to where I was. The staff understand me; they are top.’ A parent said: ‘My child has changed so much. He has a new attitude, new outlook and is doing really well. The staff are fantastic.’

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outstanding

Risk assessments are thorough and include critical information regarding each child’s lived experiences. Strategies to manage incidents of disruption are developed in partnership with the home’s psychologist and consider each child’s needs. This means that children’s behaviours are managed in a way that helps them to understand their own triggers, helps them to develop their emotional intelligence and builds positive and proactive coping mechanisms.

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outstanding

Once children move into the home, their incidents of going missing from home reduce substantially. Of note, there have been no incidents of children being missing from home in the past 15 months. This is a significant improvement and a huge reduction in risk. This is because children are provided with a one-to-one mentor and are supported by a consistent daily routine and a full programme of individual activities. A social worker said: ‘My child is busy all of the time. He is a much happier and healthier child and that is down to the home.’

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outstanding

While staff are trained in the use of de-escalation and physical intervention strategies, behaviour management strategies focus primarily on the positive and trusting relationships that the children have developed with the staff team. A staff member said: ‘We would never put our hands on a child unless there was a significant risk. Children need to trust us as safe adults, and it is our job to understand their behaviour and help them.’ As a result, since the last full inspection, there have been no occasions when physical intervention has been required. Inspection report children’s home: 1258975 5 Some children come to the home with a history of substance misuse. The staff team works in partnership with external support agencies to provide the children with the counselling and support required to address these behaviours. In addition, children’s access to unsupervised finances is limited, which helps to reduce the opportunities

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outstanding

for children to access substances. As a result, incidents of children accessing substances are minimal.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: outstanding

The leadership and management of the home are outstanding. Children live in a home that is managed in their best interests. The home meets the aims and objectives of the statement of purpose. Children, families and social workers are clear about the service and support that the staff provide. The team is provided with a consistent annual training package. Mandatory training is regularly refreshed, and additional training based on the theoretical framework of attachment and mindfulness is the foundation for all planned work with the children. The team also benefits from regular input from the private psychologist employed by the home. These regular sessions help the children to focus on the progress they make and to build on their aspirations for the future.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: outstanding

The team is provided with excellent managerial support. One staff member said: ‘The managers are great. They are very supportive and always on hand if we need support or advice.’ The staff receive regular supervision, including group and key- worker supervision.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: outstanding

The registered manager and the team demonstrate a strong commitment to delivering excellent child-centred practice that is tailored to the individual and personal needs of children. The effectiveness of this approach is measurable in the excellent progress children make, particularly in education, risk reduction and positive social integration. The home employs a strong and committed team of staff who are all qualified at either Level 3 and Level 4 of the children and young people’s workforce diploma. Training at this level ensures that the staff team is suitably qualified in the care and management of children. Internal monitoring systems provide the home with a clear approach to the overall monitoring of care. Detailed information highlights areas for development, and the manager’s action plan details the methods used to enhance the service. External monitoring takes place in accordance with regulation. The independent visitor’s

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: outstanding

reports provide a positive insight into the progress children make. The home employs a consistent, skilled and experienced staff team. However, most staff members are male. In order to promote a positive gender balance, the registered manager should consider the employment of additional female staff. A recommendation is made to address this matter. Inspection report children’s home: 1258975 6 The staff are skilled, knowledgeable and exceptional role models for the children in their care. They consistently invest in creating positive experiences and opportunities for the children. This is reflected in the mutual respect generated in this home. Inspection report children’s home: 1258975 7

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Recommendations

 The registered person should ensure that children are actively encouraged to read the records of work undertaken with them and to add further information to them. (‘Guide to the children’s homes regulations, including the quality standards’, page 62, paragraph 14.6)  The registered person should, whenever possible, ensure that staff in day-to-day contact with children include staff from different gender groups. (‘Guide to the children’s homes regulations, including the quality standards’, page 54, paragraph 10.22)

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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: 1258975 8

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Children’s home details

Registered provider: Oasis Adolescent Services Ltd

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Children’s home details

Registered provider address: 9 Beacon Grove, Oldham OL8 2XH

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Inspector

Maria McGranaghan, Social Care Inspector Inspection report children’s home: 1258975 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 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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