Children's Home run by Oak Childcare Plus Limited in Wolverhampton

Inspection report for children's home - monitoring visit: 1273769 1 Registered provider: Oak Childcare Plus Limited

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Inspected under the social care common inspection framework

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Information about this children’s home

This home is privately owned and provides care for up to three children who have experienced childhood instability leading to trauma and associated complex behaviours.

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Information about this children’s home

The home has been without a registered manager since June 2021.

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This monitoring visit

Ofsted last visited the home to complete a full inspection on 20 and 21 April 2022. At the inspection, serious and widespread failures were found that meant children were not protected or their welfare promoted. The home was judged inadequate.

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This monitoring visit

Due to the significant concerns found during the inspection, Ofsted issued 13 requirements and two compliance notices, under regulation 12 (the protection of children standard) and regulation 13 (the leadership and management standard).

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This monitoring visit

Ofsted also issued a notice of suspension of a children’s home. This means that no children can live in the home.

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This monitoring visit

This monitoring visit took place to review the actions managers have taken to meet the compliance notices and requirements.

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This monitoring visit

During the visit, the inspector found that some improvement has been made and the requirements under regulations 11, 12, 23, 26 and 40 have been met. One compliance notice, under regulation 12 (the protection of children standard) has also been met. However, shortfalls remain in some aspects of leadership and management. As a result, the compliance notice has been issued again under regulation 13 (the leadership and management standard). Inspection report for children's home - monitoring visit: 1273769 2 Managers have taken action to review and update children’s risk management plans. Risk assessments set out relevant information and guidance. This helps staff to understand children’s known risks and act in accordance with the risk assessments.

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This monitoring visit

Managers carry out lessons learned exercises when reviewing incidents. This enables managers and staff to learn from previous incidents and support children effectively when they struggle with their emotions.

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This monitoring visit

Staff access a wide range of training to meet children’s complex needs and to keep them safe. All staff have received training in safeguarding, responding to bullying behaviours, attention deficit hyperactivity disorder, autism spectrum disorder, self- harm, harmful sexualised behaviour, radicalisation, and child criminal and sexual exploitation. Consequently, staff are provided with the skills to care for and to safeguard the children in their care.

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This monitoring visit

Managers have developed recording forms for staff to complete if there are signs of bullying in the home. This provides prompts for staff and informs them of the required action to take. Additional resources are available for children to use as part of preventative work to educate them in the zero-tolerance approach to bullying.

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This monitoring visit

Improvements mean that systems are now in place to ensure that the storage and recording of medication is robust. All members of staff have received additional training in administering medication. A controlled drug medication cabinet is now available in the office and staff are required to record all controlled drugs in the controlled drug medicine book. This means that staff now have the means and knowledge to store and record medication in line with the organisation’s medication policy.

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This monitoring visit

Additional safer recruitment checks have been conducted with regard to the responsible individual. The provider has now fully verified the reasons for them leaving previous employments and has assured themselves that the responsible individual has the skills and expertise for the role.

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This monitoring visit

Managers notify Ofsted of significant incidents in a timely way. Managers have also introduced systems that support them to review the quality of care provided at the home.

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This monitoring visit

Despite this good progress, managers have yet to make sufficient progress in other areas to meet three requirements.

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This monitoring visit

Maintenance work is ongoing. During the visit, the inspector observed works being undertaken to improve children’s bedrooms. Managers informed the inspector that further improvements are planned, for example, a new bathroom suite is to be purchased and fitted. Inspection report for children's home - monitoring visit: 1273769 3 The manager’s and responsible individual’s revised internal monitoring system is yet to be implemented. Progress has been made in creating new auditing tools, however, these have not been actioned. This means that managers are not able to assess and review the impact of the quality of care in the home.

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This monitoring visit

There are continued failings in staff supervision. Managers fail to ensure that all staff receive supervision in line with the organisation’s supervision policy. For example, one member of staff who is currently in their probation period has not received formal supervision since April. This is despite the organisation’s expectation that staff on probation are to be supervised every two weeks.

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This monitoring visit

The home continues to have no permanent manager, following the resignation of the manager immediately after the full inspection.

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This monitoring visit

Following this monitoring visit, the notice of suspension remains in place. One compliance notice has been reissued, as regulation 13 (the leadership and management standard) has not been met in full. Eight requirements have been raised. Requirements under regulations 6, 13, 28 and 33 have been raised again, having not been met in full. Requirements under regulations 8, 10, 14 and 35 have not been reviewed at this visit and will be reviewed at the next inspection. Inspection report for children's home - monitoring visit: 1273769 4

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Inspection date Inspection type Inspection judgement

20/04/2022 Full Inadequate 16/09/2021 Interim Declined in effectiveness 28/04/2021 Full Requires improvement to be good 17/02/2020 Interim Declined in effectiveness Inspection report for children's home - monitoring visit: 1273769 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

understand the children’s home’s overall aims and the outcomes it seeks to achieve for children;

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Requirement Due date

use this understanding to deliver care that meets children’s needs and supports them to fulfil their potential.

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

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Requirement Due date

enable each child to participate in the daily life of the home. (Regulation 6 (1)(a)(b) (2)(c)(i)(ii))

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Requirement Due date

This specifically relates to the manager ensuring that all maintenance issues are addressed and that the home is maintained to a standard that meets children’s needs.

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Requirement Due date

This requirement was raised at the last inspection and is restated. 3 July 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; 3 July 2022 Inspection report for children's home - monitoring visit: 1273769 6 help each child to attend education or training in accordance with the expectations in the child’s relevant plans. (Regulation 8 (1) (2)(a)(i)(x))

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Requirement Due date

This specifically relates to the manager ensuring that there are effective arrangements in place to meet the educational needs of children.

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Requirement Due date

This requirement was raised at the last inspection and is restated.

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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;

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Requirement Due date

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. (Regulation 10 (1)(a)(b)(c))

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Requirement Due date

This specifically relates to the manager ensuring that there are effective arrangements in place to meet the health needs of children.

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Requirement Due date

This requirement was raised at the last inspection and is restated. 3 July 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

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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

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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; 3 July 2022 Inspection report for children's home - monitoring visit: 1273769 7 use monitoring and review systems to make continuous improvements in the quality of care provided in the home. (Regulation 13 (1)(a)(b) (2)(f)(h))

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Requirement Due date

This requirement was raised at the last inspection and is restated.

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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; and

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Requirement Due date

have a positive experience of arriving at or moving on from the home. (Regulation 14 (1)(a)(b))

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Requirement Due date

This specifically relates to the manager carrying out a placement matching risk assessment before a child moves into the home.

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Requirement Due date

This requirement was raised at the last inspection and is restated. 3 July 2022

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Requirement Due date

A person may only manage a children’s home if—

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Requirement Due date

having regard to the size of the home, its statement of purpose, and the number and needs (including any needs arising from any disability) of the children—

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Requirement Due date

the person has the appropriate experience, qualification and skills to manage the home effectively and lead the care of children. (Regulation 28 (1)(b)(i))

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Requirement Due date

This specifically relates to the provider ensuring that there is a registered manager in post who has the necessary training and skills to manage the home.

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Requirement Due date

This requirement was raised at the last inspection and is restated. 3 July 2022

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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 manager ensuring that staff receive supervision that supports them to carry out their roles effectively. 3 July 2022 Inspection report for children's home - monitoring visit: 1273769 8 This requirement was raised at the last inspection and is restated.

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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

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;

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Requirement Due date

the effectiveness and any consequences of the use of the measure. (Regulation 35 (3)(a)(ii)(iv)(v)(vii))

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Requirement Due date

This specifically relates to the manager having effective oversight of physical intervention records to ensure that incidents are clearly recorded, including stating the holds used.

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Requirement Due date

This requirement was raised at the last inspection and is restated. 3 July 2022

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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. Inspection report for children's home - monitoring visit: 1273769 9

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Inspector

Kev Brammer, Social Care Inspector Inspection report for children's home - monitoring visit: 1273769 10 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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