Children's home run by Omega Care Group Limited

Inspection report children’s home: 2559317 1 Registered provider: Omega Care Group Limited Full inspection Inspected under the social care common inspection framework

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Information about this children’s home

This home is run by a private provider. It is registered to provide care for one child who may have social, emotional or mental health needs.

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Information about this children’s home

The manager registered with Ofsted in May 2020.

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Overall experiences and progress of

children and young people, taking into account

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requires improvement to be good

How well children and young people are helped and protected requires improvement to be good

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requires improvement to be good

The effectiveness of leaders and managers inadequate

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requires improvement to be good

The children’s home is not yet delivering good help and care for children and young people. However, there are no serious or widespread failures that result in their welfare not being safeguarded or promoted.

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requires improvement to be good

Date of last inspection: 17 January 2022

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requires improvement to be good

Overall judgement at last inspection: requires improvement to be good

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requires improvement to be good

Enforcement action since last inspection: none Inspection report children’s home: 2559317 2

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Inspection date Inspection type Inspection judgement

17/01/2022 Full Requires improvement to be good Inspection report children’s home: 2559317 3

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improvement to be good

The adults caring for the child have developed trusting relationships with him, which has provided him with security. However, the child’s day-to-day care is not informed by recommendations from specialist assessments that have been completed to help him to make progress. This limits opportunities for the child’s care to be informed by a variety of expertise.

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improvement to be good

The adults have helped the child to make significant progress with developing healthy coping strategies to support him when he is struggling emotionally. This progress is underpinned by consistency of care by the same adults and has resulted in the child being less distressed.

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improvement to be good

The child is not receiving his right to full-time education and there is a lack of challenge to other agencies to ensure that he is receiving this entitlement. The adults caring for him do not have a knowledge of his academic functioning and his educational goals that are contained within specialist assessments and plans. They also do not utilise resources available to them through the Local Offer, which gives children with special educational needs and/or disabilities, and their carers, information about what support services may be available in their local area . These shortfalls reduce the child’s chances to gain further life skills and qualifications for his future aspirations.

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improvement to be good

The adults support the child to have meaningful relationships with his family. He has also been supported to re-form relationships with family members who have not been in his life for some time. The child is due to start learning a new language to support his identity needs and long-term plan.

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improvement to be good

The child’s home has features which create an institutionalised environment. This does not make the home feel welcoming, homely and comfortable for a child to grow up in.

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improvement to be good

The adults respond to the child’s day-to-day health needs. However, there is a lack of curiosity relating to the child’s therapeutic needs and exploring further assessments to gain a more holistic view of his needs. Therefore, strategies to support the child’s adverse experiences are not therapeutically informed.

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improvement to be good

The adults caring for the child understand the risks in his life and how to keep him safe. However, assessments are not always reviewed in line with the child’s progress, and some safety measures to reduce risk are not always clear. Although Inspection report children’s home: 2559317 4 this has not had a direct impact on the child’s safety, it creates a risk of inconsistent responses to safeguarding issues.

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improvement to be good

The manager has not followed safeguarding procedures relating to an allegation made. The child’s social worker was informed but the local authority designated officer for safeguarding was not alerted. This shortfall prevents independent oversight of safeguarding practice to ensure that the child is safe.

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improvement to be good

The child rarely goes missing from home. However, when he does go missing, the adults caring for him act with determination to ensure that he gets home safely. The adults have built up relationships with the child’s friends and their families. This practice has promoted collaboration and good communication, which has reduced risks to the child.

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improvement to be good

The adults have a good understanding of how to support the child when he is struggling emotionally. This support usually prevents situations from escalating and the adults soothe the child well. When a physical intervention is required, the recording of the intervention is not detailed enough. This limits the manager’s ability to evaluate practice and ensure that practice is in line with the child’s plan.

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improvement to be good

The adults complete restorative work with the child when his responses have put him or others in an unsafe situation. However, not enough work is carried out with the child around current risks in society, such as online safety, substance misuse and child exploitation. This lack of education disempowers the child from creating his own safety plans and from broadening his knowledge base to support his development.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: inadequate

The manager has oversight of significant events in the child’s life. However, his evaluation of practice is not sufficient and his response to ensuring that regulations are met is poor. This hinders the manager’s ability to identify poor practice and address it in line with his management role and responsibilities.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: inadequate

The adults caring for the child have a good understanding of the child’s needs and safeguarding practice. However, they have not received formal training relating to all the child’s needs. This prevents the adults from keeping up to date with their knowledge base to inform their skill set to provide the best care to the child.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: inadequate

The manager does not challenge other agencies or utilise escalation procedures when practice is poor. This has resulted in the child not receiving services that they have a right to. It has also resulted in children not receiving responses to significant events for long lengths of time, which is an added emotional weight to the child. These shortfalls do not show the child that those who care about him are championing his rights and entitlements.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: inadequate

The manager’s monitoring systems are not effective. Due to this, several requirements have not been met from the previous inspection. This does not Inspection report children’s home: 2559317 5 evidence how the provider is making progress to improve the outcomes for children. The external monitoring systems have not identified shortfalls in practice to enable the manager to make improvements. Additionally, the manager and the independent person have not utilised feedback from the child and those who are important to him, including his family, the adults who care for him and professionals. This prevents the manager from having a holistic view of the care being provided to the child and hinders the future vision for improvement. Inspection report children’s home: 2559317 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, 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

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;

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Requirement Due date

support each child’s learning and development, including helping the child to develop independent study skills and, where appropriate, helping the child to complete independent study;

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Requirement Due date

understand the barriers to learning that each child may face and take appropriate action to help the child to overcome any such barriers;

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Requirement Due date

help each child to understand the importance and value of education, learning, training and employment;

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Requirement Due date

promote opportunities for each child to learn informally;

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Requirement Due date

raise any need for further assessment or specialist provision in relation to a child with the child’s education or training provider and the child’s placing authority. (Regulation 8 (1) (2)(a)(i)(ii)(iii)(iv)(v)(vii))

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Requirement Due date

This specifically relates to the child being supported to overcome educational barriers through structured educational timetables.

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Requirement Due date

It relates to ensuring that other agencies are challenged when a child does not receive their right to full-time education. 30 April 2022 Inspection report children’s home: 2559317 7 It relates to the adults caring for children having a knowledge of their academic functioning and educational targets from supporting plans and assessments.

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Requirement Due date

It also relates to the adults caring for children having a knowledge of the resources available to them through the Local Offer for children with special educational needs and/or disabilities.

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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.

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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

assess whether each child is at risk of harm, taking into account information in the child’s relevant plans, and, if necessary, make arrangements to reduce the risk of any harm to the child;

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Requirement Due date

help each child to understand how to keep safe;

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Requirement Due date

have the skills to identify and act upon signs that a child is at risk of harm;

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Requirement Due date

understand the roles and responsibilities in relation to protecting children that are assigned to them by the registered person;

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Requirement Due date

take effective action whenever there is a serious concern about a child’s welfare; and

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Requirement Due date

are familiar with, and act in accordance with, the home’s child protection policies;

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Requirement Due date

that the home’s day-to-day care is arranged and delivered so as to keep each child safe and to protect each child effectively from harm;

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Requirement Due date

that the effectiveness of the home’s child protection policies is monitored regularly. (Regulation 12 (1) (2)(a)(i)(ii)(iii)(v)(vi)(vii)(b)(e))

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Requirement Due date

This specifically relates to the child’s risk assessments highlighting the risks and being reviewed in line with the child’s progress. 30 April 2022 Inspection report children’s home: 2559317 8 It relates to adults and the manager being aware of their roles and responsibilities to safeguard children. The manager must ensure that child protection procedures are followed when there is an allegation of abuse from a child.

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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

lead and manage the home in a way that is consistent with the approach and ethos, and delivers the outcomes, set out in the home’s statement of purpose;

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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;

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Requirement Due date

demonstrate that practice in the home is informed and improved by taking into account and acting on—

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Requirement Due date

research and developments in relation to the ways in which the needs of children are best met; and

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Requirement Due date

use monitoring and review systems to make continuous improvements in the quality of care provided in the home. (Regulation 13 (1)(a)(b) (2)(a)(c)(f)(g)(i)(h))

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Requirement Due date

This relates to ensuring that there are monitoring and review systems in place to make improvements in the quality of care provided in the home.

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Requirement Due date

This includes ensuring that management oversight and evaluation are consistent and address poor practice.

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Requirement Due date

This relates to the team receiving training to meet the child’s needs. 30 April 2022 Inspection report children’s home: 2559317 9 It also relates to the manager challenging poor practice from other agencies and utilising escalation procedures to ensure that children receive a positive outcome.

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Requirement Due date

The care planning standard is that children—

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Requirement Due date

receive effectively planned care in or through the children’s home.

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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

that each child’s relevant plans are followed;

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Requirement Due date

that staff help each child to access and contribute to the records kept by the registered person in relation to the child. (Regulation 14 (1)(a) (2)(c)(f))

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Requirement Due date

This relates to ensuring that specialist assessments inform day-to-day care. Also, that further assessments are considered if there is a need to help the child’s progress.

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Requirement Due date

It relates to the child receiving education about key topics in his life.

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Requirement Due date

It also relates to the child’s records being accessible to him. 30 April 2022

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Requirement Due date

within 24 hours of the use of a measure of control, discipline or restraint in relation to a child in the home, a record is made which includes—

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Requirement Due date

details of the child’s behaviour leading to the use of the measure;

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Requirement Due date

the date, time and location of the use of the measure;

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Requirement Due date

a description of the measure and its duration;

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Requirement Due date

details of any methods used or steps taken to avoid the need to use the measure; 30 April 2022 Inspection report children’s home: 2559317 10 the name of the person who used the measure (“the user”), and of any other person present when the measure was used;

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Requirement Due date

the effectiveness and any consequences of the use of the measure; and

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Requirement Due date

a description of any injury to the child or any other person, and any medical treatment administered, as a result of the measure;

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Requirement Due date

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

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Requirement Due date

has spoken to the user about the measure; and

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Requirement Due date

has signed the record to confirm it is accurate; and

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Requirement Due date

within 5 days of the use of the measure, the registered person or the authorised person adds to the record confirmation that they have spoken to the child about the measure. (Regulation 35 (3)(a)(i)(ii)(iii)(iv)(v)(vi)(vii)(viii)(b)(i)(ii)(c))

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Requirement Due date

This specifically relates to recording of physical interventions. The recording needs to include the duration and a description of an intervention. Debriefs must take place with adults and children who are involved in physical interventions and the manager must evaluate the incident.

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Requirement Due date

The registered person must ensure that an independent person visits the children’s home at least once each month.

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Requirement Due date

When the independent person is carrying out a visit, the registered person must help the independent person—

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Requirement Due date

if they consent, to interview in private such of the children, their parents, relatives and persons working at the home as the independent person requires; and

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Requirement Due date

to inspect the premises of the home and such of the home’s records (except for a child’s case records, unless the child and the child’s placing authority consent) as the independent person requires. 30 April 2022 Inspection report children’s home: 2559317 11 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.

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Requirement Due date

The independent person’s report may recommend actions that the registered person may take in relation to the home and timescales within which the registered person must consider whether or not to take those actions. (Regulation 44 (1) (2)(a)(b) (4)(a)(b) (5))

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Recommendations

 The registered person should ensure that the home’s physical environment is maintained to a high standard to ensure that it is a homely and welcoming place to live. (‘Guide to the Children’s Homes Regulations, including the quality standards’, page 15, paragraph 3.9)  The registered person should ensure that the review of the quality of care considers the opinions of stakeholders as identified in regulation 45. (‘Guide to the Children’s Homes Regulations, including the quality standards’, page 64, paragraph 15.2)

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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: 2559317 12

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Children’s home details

Registered provider: Omega Care Group Limited

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Children’s home details

Registered provider address: 40 to 42 Kemble Street, Prescot L34 5SQ

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Inspector

Carly Quinn, Social Care Inspector Inspection report children’s home: 2559317 13 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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