Children's home run by Oldham Children’s Social Care in Oldham

Inspection report for children’s home: SC035339 1 SC035339 Registered provider: Oldham Metropolitan Borough Council Full inspection Inspected under the social care common inspection framework

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Information about this children’s home

This local authority home provides care for up to four children who may experience social or emotional difficulties.

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Information about this children’s home

The manager has been registered with Ofsted since April 2022.

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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: inadequate

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Enforcement action since last inspection:

The home was issued with three compliance notices at the last inspection, under regulation 12, the help and protection standard, regulation 13, the leadership and management standard and regulation 14, the care planning standard. The local authority closed the home and a condition was imposed to notify Ofsted three months prior to the admission of a child. Inspection report for children’s home: SC035339 2

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Inspection date Inspection type Inspection judgement

07/01/2020 Full Inadequate 17/07/2019 Interim Declined in effectiveness 21/11/2018 Full Good 05/10/2017 Full Good Inspection report for children’s home: SC035339 3

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

The manager has clear pre-admission planning processes to consider whether the home is a suitable place for children to live together. Children meet with the staff and visit the home before moving in. Children will not move to the home on an emergency basis.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

The home has been fully refurbished, and children’s art is on display as part of the decorative touches. Children are consulted about the home.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Children’s plans are generally clear about how the staff will support them to make positive progress. Plans provide the reader with a sense of the children’s characters and personalities. However, some records are not fully updated to help to understand children’s lived experiences and are not always signed by the author. Children are encouraged to review and comment on their plans.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

A child said that living at the home was better than being in foster care and that, if she cannot live with her family, then she will stay living at the home. She said that the manager ‘helps everyone’.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Children who move from other areas are enrolled at a new school as soon as possible. Education professionals say that the staff in the home communicate with them well.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

The staff are trained and have a good understanding of how to respond to children’s health needs. Some important information, such as children’s immunisations, are not yet recorded on children’s records. However, in some cases, there are difficulties in accessing this information.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

The manager reviews whether she and the team can still meet children’s needs if their needs change. She advocates for more specialist care if this is necessary. The staff are committed to providing continuity of care while alternative arrangements are made.

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

Risk management plans provide the staff team with clear guidance on how to respond to children’s risks and keep them safe. Plans are updated to reflect children’s changing needs and vulnerabilities.

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

The staff follow procedures if children go missing from home or school to ensure that they return safely as soon as possible. Return home interviews are requested to provide children with the opportunity to talk about why they go missing. Inspection report for children’s home: SC035339 4 The staff are proactive in seeking medical support when children’s emotional well- being deteriorates. Room searches are completed to remove objects that a child may use to harm themselves.

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

Direct work is used to help children to understand specific risks, such as using alcohol or smoking. Staff respond to any socially unacceptable comments and help children understand how to behave more appropriately.

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

The staff respond to children’s cultural needs and sense of identity. Children are offered a range of activities in the local area and are supported to keep in touch with family and friends safely.

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

The assessment that considers risk relating to the location of the home includes details about local risks and concerns. The manager communicates with other agencies to review and manage any risks. The assessment does not always include mitigation to reduce risks, such as local busy roads. It does not consider the local offer, setting out the support available for children with special educational needs and/or disabilities. This is a missed opportunity to access additional resources for children, but does not affect children currently living at the home.

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good

Leaders moved a child into the home during the pandemic, due to limited placement options being readily available. The local authority worked hard to support the child and keep them safe. However, the home was operating outside of the conditions of registration. A requirement is made to address this breach in the conditions of registration. The local authority later submitted a variation in the conditions and this was endorsed in March 2022.

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good

There is a new registered manager in post. She is experienced and committed to her role. The manager says that she receives support from the responsible individual and a service manager to ensure that children only move into the home if it is suitable to meet their needs.

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good

Prior to her registration with Ofsted, the current manager recruited new staff members in accordance with safer recruitment practice. All staff worked at other local authority homes until the home reopened in April 2022. There are sufficient staff to care for the children. Current circumstances mean that consistent agency staff are used to provide waking night support. The rota does not currently include the full names of the staff.

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good

Mandatory training is up to date for all staff. The team is trained to meet specific and individual needs of children. The staff who do not hold a relevant children’s residential childcare qualification are enrolled on suitable training programmes.

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good

The manager has a good understanding of the development needs of the new team. She takes swift action in response to shortfalls in practice, including by agency staff. Inspection report for children’s home: SC035339 5 The manager uses regular team meetings to improve and embed practice. Supervision is reflective and identifies any further professional development needs for the staff.

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good

The manager and staff work proactively with other agencies involved in children’s care. The manager challenges partner agencies to ensure that they respond to children’s safety and care appropriately.

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good

The manager has effective monitoring systems in place that provide good oversight of children’s progress and care practice in the home. External independent monitoring also supports the manager’s understanding of practice to drive forward improvement. Inspection report for children’s home: SC035339 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 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. (Regulation 13 (1)(a)(b) (2)(a))

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Requirement Due date

Specifically, that leaders and managers ensure that the home does not operate outside its statement of purpose. 26 August 2022

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Requirement Due date

The registered person must maintain records (“case records”) for each child which—

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Requirement Due date

include the information and documents listed in Schedule 3 in relation to each child;

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Requirement Due date

are signed and dated by the author of each entry. (Regulation 36 (1)(a)(b)(c))

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Requirement Due date

In particular, that children’s health and education plans are updated to understand children’s journeys while living at the home. As far as is practicable, the plans should include details of children’s immunisation status. They should include details about when a child moves to a new school. All documents should be signed by the author. 26 August 2022 Inspection report for children’s home: SC035339 7

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Recommendations

 The registered person should ensure that all records that must be kept in the home include the relevant information, including full names of staff on the rota. (‘Guide to the Children’s Homes Regulations, including the quality standards’, page 62, paragraph 14.3)  The registered person should ensure that the review of the location of the home includes consideration of mitigation of risks such as main roads and opportunities for children who have special educational needs and/or disabilities. (‘Guide to the Children’s Homes Regulations, including the quality standards’, page 64, paragraph 15.1)

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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: SC035339 8

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Children’s home details

Registered provider: Oldham Metropolitan Borough Council

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Children’s home details

Registered provider address: Civic Centre, West Street, Oldham OL1 1UT

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Children’s home details

Responsible individual: Nicholas Whitbread

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Inspector

Karen Willson, Social Care Inspector Inspection report for children’s home: SC035339 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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