Children's Home run by Oracle Care Limited in Bedford

Inspection report for children’s home: SC389698 1 SC389698 Registered provider: Oracle Care Limited Full inspection Inspected under the social care common inspection framework

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Information about this children’s home

The home is owned by a private company. It is registered for three children who require care, education and clinical support.

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Information about this children’s home

There has been no registered manager at the home since July 2021. The current manager started working at the home on 18 January 2022 and is in the process of registering with Ofsted.

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Information about this children’s home

There were two children at the home at the time of the inspection. However, they did not speak to the inspector.

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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 requires improvement to be 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: good

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good

Enforcement action since last inspection: none Inspection report for children’s home: SC389698 2

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Inspection date Inspection type Inspection judgement

21/07/2021 Full Good 16/09/2019 Full Good 27/09/2018 Full Good 31/01/2018 Interim Declined in effectiveness Inspection report for children’s home: SC389698 3

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

The children continue to make good progress. They have both been living at the home for over three years and have built and maintained positive, trusting relationships with a staff team that knows and understands their individual needs and behaviours.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

During the inspection, the children were observing Ramadan. Staff were supporting them by ensuring that they had meals prepared at the appropriate times.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Staff recognise the importance of children attending education and work closely with school and education providers to ensure that this happens. Children’s education attendance is good. One child attends the organisation’s school and has recently sat their mock exams. The other child, due to struggling in the school environment, has an alternative education package and is progressing well.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Staff ensure that children see their friends. Children benefit from opportunities to build and maintain positive peer relationships.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Children are involved in the choosing the decor for the home. They are in the process of redecorating their bedrooms. This gives them a sense of belonging and ownership of the house.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Children’s individual plans are informative and regularly reviewed by staff. Children are in the process of rewriting these with staff to make them more child-friendly and to help staff know how they wish to be looked after.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Since the new manager started in post, children have begun to attend regular house meetings, which the staff use to gain children’s wishes and feelings. These meetings help children to feel valued and that their views are important and acted on.

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

Safeguarding concerns are managed extremely well. The staff report any concerns appropriately. They work with a wide variety of professionals and agencies to keep the children safe.

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

One child goes missing from the home. Staff search the local area and follow the missing-from-care protocol. Return home interviews are completed and staff follow these with a key-work session to support the child to understand the risks posed to her when she goes missing.

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

There have been several safeguarding concerns recently. The manager completes a review with staff following each incident to ensure that lessons are learned and Inspection report for children’s home: SC389698 4 practice is adapted. A social worker said that children are safe at the home and that she is kept fully updated about any concerns.

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

A police officer from the child sexual exploitation team said that the manager is knowledgeable and proactive. The officer said that staff go above and beyond expectations to keep children safe. The officer visits the home twice a month to spend time with the children and build trusting relationships with them.

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

All staff have had appropriate safeguarding training. The organisation arranged for additional child sexual exploitation training. This enhanced staff’s knowledge to enable them to understand the signs and risks of exploitation.

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

Risk assessments and behaviour management plans are comprehensive and individualised. Children are involved in writing these plans with staff. The children identify their potential triggers and discuss how staff can help them in a crisis. This leads to a consistent approach and is more likely to help children to manage difficult emotions.

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

The staff use appropriate sanctions. They record the reason for the sanction and the outcome. However, the effectiveness of the sanction is not always recorded, and the children do not routinely comment. This could lead to inconsistencies in how staff manage children’s behaviours. There has been a reduction in the use of sanctions as staff focus on children’s positive behaviours. This shows children that staff recognise when they have done something well.

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

The children know how to complain. However, their complaints are not always acknowledged and children are not made aware of the outcome within the appropriate timescale. This means that children do not know if their complaint has been heard or that staff have taken it seriously.

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good

There has not been effective and consistent management oversight since the last inspection due to several changes in management. Staff said that at times they felt that there was no oversight of the home. Since the arrival of the new manager and a new deputy, staff feel more confident that the home is well run.

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good

Staff have not received regular and effective supervision and some staff have not had an annual appraisal. This does not support them with their personal and professional development. The new manager has begun to make some improvements; however, these have yet to be embedded.

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good

Managers do not inform Ofsted of serious safeguarding incidents promptly. This has affected Ofsted’s ability to monitor the home effectively. Notifications have improved since the new manager has been in post. Inspection report for children’s home: SC389698 5 The manager has not submitted the six-monthly quality of care review report on time. This means that Ofsted has not been able to evaluate the quality and effectiveness of care for the last eight months.

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good

The independent person’s reports are detailed and contribute to the monthly monitoring process.

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good

Staff have undertaken the organisation’s mandatory training and additional training to support children. Staff either hold, or are in the process of achieving, a relevant level 3 qualification.

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good

Staff and professionals say that since the new manager has arrived, the home feels more settled, communication has improved and there is good direction in the home.

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good

There is clear evidence that the manager confidently raises issues with external professionals if she feels that actions, or proposed actions, are not in the best interest of the child.

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good

One requirement and one recommendation were made at the last inspection. The recommendation has been met. The requirement relating to reviewing records of sanctions is restated. Inspection report for children’s home: SC389698 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 registered person must ensure that all employees—

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Requirement Due date

receive practice-related supervision by a person with appropriate experience; and

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Requirement Due date

have their performance and fitness to perform their roles appraised at least once every year. (Regulation 33 (4)(b)(c)) 25 May 2022

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Requirement Due date

within 48 hours of the use of any measure of control, they, or a person who is authorised by registered person to do so (“the authorised person”)—

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Requirement Due date

has spoken to the user about the measure. (Regulation 35 (3)(b)(i))

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Requirement Due date

This requirement was made at the last inspection and is restated. 25 May 2022

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Requirement Due date

The registered person must ensure that a record is made of any complaint, the action taken in response, and the outcome of any investigation. (Regulation 39 (3))

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Requirement Due date

This is with particular regard to following up fully any complaint made by a child. 25 May 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

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. (Regulation 40 (4)(b)(c)) 25 May 2022 Inspection report for children’s home: SC389698 7 The registered person must complete a review of the quality of care provided for children (“a quality of care review”) at least once every 6 months.

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Requirement Due date

supply to HMCI a copy of the quality of care review report within 28 days of the date on which the quality of care review is completed. (Regulation 45 (1) (2)(a)) 25 May 2022

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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: SC389698 8

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Children’s home details

Registered provider: Oracle Care Limited

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Children’s home details

Registered provider address: Suites 1 & 5, Riverside Business Centre, Foundry Lane, Milford, Belper, Derbyshire DE56 0RN

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Children’s home details

Responsible individual: Kathleen McGowan

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Inspector

Trish Palmer, Social Care Inspector Inspection report for children’s home: SC389698 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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