Children's home run by Oaktree Childcare Limited

Inspection report for children's home: 2550082 1 Registered provider: Oaktree Childcare Limited Full inspection Inspected under the social care common inspection framework

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Information about this children’s home

This home provides care for up to two children who may have social or emotional needs. It is owned and operated by a private company.

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Information about this children’s home

The home is currently without a registered manager. A manager has been appointed and is in the process of applying to register with Ofsted.

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Information about this children’s home

At the time of the inspection, there was one child living in the home.

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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

Date of last inspection: 18 November 2021

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good

Overall judgement at last inspection: improved effectiveness

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good

Enforcement action since last inspection: none Inspection report for children's home: 2550082 2

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Inspection date Inspection type Inspection judgement

18/11/2021 Interim Improved effectiveness 02/06/2021 Full Requires improvement to be good Inspection report for children's home: 2550082 3

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

The child who lives in the home has previously experienced a high number of placement breakdowns. They struggled to build trusting relationships with carers and did not settle in previous places. However, they have enjoyed a period of sustained stability in this home and built very positive relationships with staff.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

The child has, for the first time, begun to engage positively with community mental health services. A worker from this service attributed the child’s progress to the effective care and support that they receive at the home.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

The child is attending school regularly and developing aspirations for the future. There have been some issues in relation to behaviours at school. The manager works closely with education staff to ensure that the child continues to receive the right level of support.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Staff frequently travel a significant distance to support the child’s quality time with family and friends. The child’s relationships with family members have greatly improved and, as a result, they are enjoying more time together.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Staff have a good understanding of the child’s needs and the things that matter to the child. A more personalised plan, with a greater level of information about the child’s day-to-day needs, would further support consistent, child-centred care.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

The manager and staff consult with the child regularly and ensure that the child’s views, wishes and feelings are taken into account when planning their care. Good- quality direct work helps the child to understand their care plans and share their feelings.

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

Risks to the child’s safety and well-being have reduced significantly since they came to live at the home. As a result, the child is safer and has enjoyed increased independence.

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

Staff have a good understanding of safeguarding and are aware of the actions required to keep the child safe. Risk management plans provide guidance for staff but are not always up to date. This should be addressed to support consistently safe practice.

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

Prior to moving to this home, the child was going missing for long periods of time, and there were concerns that they were vulnerable to exploitation while away from home. These concerns are vastly reduced because the child no longer goes missing and has increased their understanding of safe behaviour. Inspection report for children's home: 2550082 4 All staff receive training in positive behaviour support and therapeutic practice. There have been no incidents requiring physical restraint since the last inspection because staff are able to de-escalate challenging situations in a positive way.

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

At times, staff use sanctions or consequences to help the child understand the impact of their behaviours. Sanctions are generally restorative in nature and proportionate. However, some records lack information, such as timescales for sanctions to be in place.

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good

There was no registered manager in place at the time of the inspection. A manager has been appointed but has yet to submit a complete application to register with Ofsted. Ofsted has been assured this will be addressed as a matter of urgency.

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good

There has been some staff turnover, but the team has now stabilised. The child benefits from a consistent staff team that knows him well.

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good

Staff speak highly of the manager and describe positive teamwork. One staff member commented, ‘We have a really strong team who want nothing but the best for [name of child] and will go out of their way to achieve this.’

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good

There are suitable arrangements for the induction, training and ongoing support of staff. Staff are provided with regular supervision, although de-briefs following significant incidents are not always provided in a timely manner.

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good

Some improvements have recently been carried out to the fabric of the home. Some areas have been redecorated, and new furniture has been provided. Some further work is required to ensure that all areas of the home are of an appropriate standard.

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good

The manager demonstrates a good understanding of the strengths of the home as well as areas for development. Monitoring processes are in place. However, the manager is not making best use of these, and shortfalls, such as gaps in records, are not always identified. More effective use of monitoring will support continuous improvement. Inspection report for children's home: 2550082 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, 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 quality and purpose of care standard is that children receive care from staff who—

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Requirement Due date

ensure that the premises used for the purposes of the home are designed and furnished so as to—

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Requirement Due date

meet the needs of each child. (Regulation 6 (1)(c)(i)) 30 June 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 promotes their welfare.

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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

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)) 30 June 2022

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Recommendations

 The registered person should ensure that children’s internal care plans address their needs and promote their welfare, considering their gender, religion, ethnicity, cultural and linguistic background, sexual identity, mental health, any disability, their assessed needs, previous experiences and any relevant plans. (‘Guide to the Children’s Homes Regulations, including the quality standards’, page 14, paragraph 3.2)  The registered person should ensure that staff continually and actively assess the risks to each child and the arrangements in place to protect them. Where there are safeguarding concerns for a child, their placement plan, agreed between the home and their placing authority, must include details of the steps the home will take to manage any assessed risks on a day-to-day basis. (‘Guide to the Children’s Homes Regulations, including the quality standards’, page 15, paragraph 9.5) Inspection report for children's home: 2550082 6

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Recommendations

 The registered person should ensure that all staff, including the manager, receive supervision of their practice from an appropriately qualified and experienced professional, which allows them to reflect on their practice and the needs of the children assigned to their care. In addition to routine supervision, staff should always be provided with supervision following involvement in serious incidents. (‘Guide to the Children’s Homes Regulations, including the quality standards’, page 61, paragraph 13.2)  The registered person should ensure that the independent person carries out an appropriate level of consultation with children, staff and external stakeholders during monthly visits. (‘Guide to the Children’s Homes Regulations, including the quality standards’, page 65, paragraph 15.5)

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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: 2550082 7

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Children’s home details

Registered provider: Oaktree Childcare Limited

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Children’s home details

Registered provider address: Ground Floor, Seneca House, Links Point, Amy Johnson Way, Blackpool FY4 2FF

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Inspector

Marie Cordingley, Social Care Inspector Inspection report for children's home: 2550082 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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