Children's home run by Oakley House Children’s Home Limited

Inspection report for children’s home: 2610935 1 Registered provider: Oakley House Children’s Home Limited Full inspection Inspected under the social care common inspection framework

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Information about this children’s home

This privately owned home provides care for up to two children aged between 12 and 18 years. The children may have experienced neglect and/or emotional abuse or had a traumatic experience that has left them vulnerable and who may find it difficult to manage in society.

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Information about this children’s home

The manager has been in post since the home was registered in January 2021.

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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 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: improved effectiveness

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good

Enforcement action since last inspection: none Inspection report for children’s home: 2610935 2

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Inspection date Inspection type Inspection judgement

15/03/2022 Interim Improved effectiveness 05/10/2021 Full Requires improvement to be good Inspection report for children’s home: 2610935 3

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

The children are well matched and have successfully lived together for over a year. They benefit from a stable staff team which provides consistency and security. The staff take time to get to know the children, their personalities and interests. As a result, children receive highly personalised care which meets their particular needs.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

The staff build very positive relationships with the children. The children identify the staff as trusted and safe adults. They feel confident to talk openly to staff about the issues which matter to them, knowing that they will receive sensitive non-judgmental support. One child said, ‘It is a really good home because the staff are very good listeners. They are supportive and understanding.’

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Children receive good guidance and support from staff in all aspects of their lives. This has helped them develop their confidence and resilience and build a sense of self- worth. One professional said that the staff have done a ‘remarkable job’ with a child who they described as ‘unrecognisable’ from the child who moved in.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

The staff have worked tremendously hard to engage the children in education. They have gone above and beyond when other services have not stepped up. This enabled one child to complete vocational training which has helped them secure employment. The staff encourage children to consider their current and future plans. The staff’s efforts and tenacity have helped another child take exams and re-engage with education to finish school. Consequently, children enjoy learning and have ended school with their peers. This included celebrating at the school prom. This has given children confidence in their abilities and aspiration for their futures.

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

The staff build positive relationships with the children, helping them to feel settled and safe. This has had a positive effect on the children’s safety and well-being. The risks children pose to themselves, or others, have significantly reduced. One child said that they no longer felt the need to self-harm because of the help, support and acceptance that they receive from the staff.

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

The positive relationships between the children and the staff have reduced the number of incidents. The staff help children manage their anxieties and give them the tools to cope with situations. When significant incidents occur, these are managed effectively and consistently. However, on one occasion, an incident of physical intervention was not identified or recorded as such. Therefore, the manager did not ensure that the records were detailed or reviewed in accordance with the regulations.

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

The staff have a good understanding of children’s individual risks and what may trigger incidents. The manager and staff understand any potential risks in the area. They have built relationships with local professionals, such as the police, which help to keep Inspection report for children’s home: 2610935 4 children safe. The staff work with the children to try to identify any potential risks in respect of friendship groups or employment.

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

One child continues to go missing from the home occasionally. When this happens, staff respond appropriately to try to ensure the child returns safely. However, there is no system for the placing authority to provide children with return home interviews. As a result, opportunities for understanding the triggers for children leaving the home are potentially missed.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

The manager is experienced and qualified for the role. She is available to the staff and children enjoy spending time with her. She understands what matters most to the children and ensures that the staff understand the children’s priorities and preferences. The manager has helped children to share their views. For example, she secured an independent advocate to assist a child raise concerns about the lack of support from their local authority. The manager appropriately raises concerns when other agencies do not fulfil their responsibilities.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

The manager has a good understanding of the service, its strengths and areas for development. This knowledge successfully drives improvement. The home has been open for 18 months and there have been no changes to the group of children. Staff retention is also very good. This consistency has provided stability and security for both the children and the staff. This provides a strong foundation for this relatively new home to grow.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

New staff benefit from good-quality induction and training. Training includes a variety of relevant e-learning courses supplemented by some face-to-face training. However, some staff have yet to complete the home’s core training, including preventing radicalisation, responding to self-harm, gang awareness and county lines. In addition, two regular bank staff, who have had over two years’ experience of working within residential childcare, have not completed the required level 3 training. This fails to ensure that all of the staff have the skills and knowledge to carry out their roles.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

The staff work closely as a team and maintain effective communication. The staff feel valued, challenged and respected by supportive managers. However, the staff supervision records do not demonstrate that supervision meetings are reflective or of good quality. Records do not demonstrate that staff have had an opportunity to review and comment on their annual appraisal. Therefore, it is not possible to know if the records are an accurate reflection of what was discussed.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

The manager scrutinises recruitment checks. However, these checks are not detailed enough. One recruitment file did not include a thorough exploration of the staff member’s employment history. This lack of attention to detail has the potential to miss relevant information relating to the suitability of staff.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

The independent visitor has announced all of their visits to the home this year. This reduces the opportunity for them to see how the home operates without prior warning. Inspection report for children’s home: 2610935 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 registered person must recruit staff using recruitment procedures that are designed to ensure children's safety.

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Requirement Due date

employ an individual to work at the children's home,

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Requirement Due date

if the individual satisfies the requirements in paragraph (3).

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Requirement Due date

the individual has the appropriate experience, qualification and skills for the work that the individual is to perform.

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Requirement Due date

For the purposes of paragraph (3)(b), an individual who works in the home in a care role has the appropriate qualification if, by the relevant date, the individual has attained—

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Requirement Due date

the Level 3 Diploma for Residential Childcare (England) ("the Level 3 Diploma"); or

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Requirement Due date

a qualification which the registered person considers to be equivalent to the Level 3 Diploma.

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Requirement Due date

in the case of an individual who starts working in a care role in a home after 1st April 2014, the date which falls 2 years after the date on which the individual started working in a care role in a home. (Regulation 32 (1) (2)(a) (3)(b) (4)(a)(b) (5)(a))

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Requirement Due date

In particular, ensure that all staff who have worked in a care role in a home for more than two years achieve a relevant level 3 qualification. 16 January 2023 Inspection report for children’s home: 2610935 6 The registered person must ensure that—

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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;

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Requirement Due date

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)) 24 October 2022 Inspection report for children’s home: 2610935 7

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Recommendations

 The registered person should ensure that when a child returns to the home after being missing, the responsible local authority provides an opportunity for the child to have an independent return home interview. (‘Guide to the Children’s Homes regulations, including the quality standards’, page 45, paragraph 9.30)  The registered person should ensure that all staff undertake the home’s core training, including preventing radicalisation, preventing self-harm, gang awareness and county lines. (‘Guide to the Children’s Homes Regulations, including the quality standards’, page 53, paragraph 10.11)  The registered person should, as set out in regulations 31–33, maintain good employment practice. In particular, ensure that a full employment history is obtained for each employee during recruitment. Furthermore, ensure that supervision is reflective and of good quality, and that records demonstrate that staff have had an opportunity to review and comment on their annual

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Recommendations

performance appraisal. (‘Guide to the Children’s Homes Regulations, including the quality standards’, page 61, paragraph 13.1)  The registered person should ensure that the independent visitor makes a rigorous and impartial assessment of the home’s arrangements for safeguarding and promoting the welfare of the children in the home’s care. (‘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: 2610935 8

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Children’s home details

Registered provider: Oakley House Children’s Home Limited

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Children’s home details

Registered provider address: Unit D, 17 Plumbers Row, London E1 1EQ

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Inspector

Joanna Heller, Social Care Inspector Inspection report for children’s home: 2610935 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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