Children's home run by Oak House Children's Home Limited in Redbridge

Inspection report children’s home: SC467847 1 SC467847 Registered provider: Oak 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 five children who experience social and emotional difficulties. The provider has another children’s home in the area and there are close links between the two homes.

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Information about this children’s home

The registered manager’s post has been vacant since October 2021. A manager has been appointed and he started working at the home in July 2022. His application to register with Ofsted is progressing.

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Information about this children’s home

At the time of the inspection, three children were living at the home. The inspectors spoke with all of the children during this inspection.

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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 requires improvement to be good

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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: 12 October 2021

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requires improvement to be good

Overall judgement at last inspection: good

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requires improvement to be good

Enforcement action since last inspection: none Inspection report children’s home: SC467847 2

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Inspection date Inspection type Inspection judgement

12/10/2021 Full Good 11/11/2019 Full Good 03/01/2019 Interim Improved effectiveness 21/08/2018 Full Good Inspection report children’s home: SC467847 3

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improvement to be good

Generally, children are settled in the home. The children living at the home are making progress in their education and emotional well-being. However, one child made very little progress when they lived at the home. Leaders and managers acknowledged that they were unable to meet this child’s needs and the child had a planned move to another home.

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improvement to be good

Staff’s ability to develop positive relationships with children is variable. For example, one child said that they ‘love’ some staff and described them as ‘like family members’; other children said that some staff did not listen to them and ‘lacked compassion’. Some positive interactions were observed between children and staff throughout the inspection.

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improvement to be good

Children are not always being provided with the therapeutic care that they need. Not all staff understand how children’s past trauma could negatively impact on their progress, experiences and behaviour. On occasions, staff, including the therapist, have used inappropriate language when speaking to and recording information about the children. Staff do not consistently present as positive role models for children or communicate high expectations of behaviour.

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improvement to be good

Communication with relatives is inconsistent. A family member shared that staff do not always keep in touch. Some children and their families experience regular communication and family time is promoted both virtually and face to face. This helps children to feel a sense of belonging and attachment to their family.

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improvement to be good

Children are able to share their views and thoughts in a meaningful way. This includes discussing their feelings with the company’s therapist, who visits the home every week. Children and staff have regular group meetings to plan activities and daily meals. Children also benefit from discussions with staff about their goals and topics that are important to them.

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improvement to be good

All children living at the home are in education. A child has successfully passed their GCSEs and is now attending college. Other children are attending the onsite school. Children have enjoyed a summer holiday and a range of activities, which take into account the children’s interests. There are examples of children visiting museums and attractions in central London.

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improvement to be good

Ofsted received a complaint that raised concerns in relation to a member of staff shouting at a child. The provider has suspended this member of staff and they are Inspection report children’s home: SC467847 4 investigating the complaint. A referral was made to the local designated officer and no further action was taken.

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improvement to be good

Staff have locked the kitchen door to manage children’s behaviour, which has resulted in all children’s access to this area of the home being restricted. There was no evidence of this being risk assessed and regularly reviewed to ensure that this is a necessary and proportionate safeguarding measure.

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improvement to be good

Some risk assessments are not sufficiently detailed. The home’s location risk assessment does not consider all of the potential risks within the immediate area, such as a local adult care provision, local gangs and the busy road. Children’s individual risk assessments and behaviour support plans provide sufficient detail to enable staff to meet children’s needs.

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improvement to be good

Not all staff are skilled and confident to deal with some children’s particular emotional needs. The way children are supported when they become anxious and frustrated is inconsistent. There have been instances where staff have felt unable to cope with children’s presenting needs, especially if a child has expressed themselves physically.

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improvement to be good

For some children, incidents of self-harm and going missing from care have reduced. Children use the therapy room to relax, and they also use physical exercise, such as going to a boxing gym, playing football and cycling, to alleviate their anxieties. The home also has a personal trainer who visits every week.

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good

The home has not had a registered manager since October 2021. A manager has been appointed and he is enrolled onto the required qualification. The manager is supported by an experienced deputy, who has worked within the organisation for several years. The responsible individual has a wealth of experience of managing children’s homes.

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good

Children’s records are not well organised. Accessing information about the children is difficult, which undermines the monitoring of their progress and experiences.

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good

The home is welcoming and is furnished and decorated to a high standard. Children like their bedrooms and they can personalise them to reflect their individuality. However, a child’s bedroom does not have sufficient heating. There remains an ongoing issue with the home’s bathrooms not having wash basin plugs. The recommendation raised at the last inspection to address this has been repeated.

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good

The home has sufficient staff and resources to meet the children’s needs. There is evidence of direct consultations with children and professionals to enable positive outcomes. Staff generally work in partnership with local authorities, social workers and other agencies. However, a social worker said that they had not been informed Inspection report children’s home: SC467847 5 of an incident and that staff did not follow their request not to take a child on public transport.

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good

Leaders and managers are addressing with the home’s therapist the need for staff to communicate with children in a more nurturing manner. The therapist attends team meetings and shares with staff the importance of positively communicating with children and helping children with managing their emotions.

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good

Staff feel supported by managers, who have an open-door policy. Staff support each other and cover shifts as and when needed, which enhances the continuity of care for children. There are opportunities for personal development. Staff undertake mandatory training and the majority of staff have the required vocational training. Staff who do not have the relevant vocational qualification are scheduled to start this course shortly. Inspection report children’s home: SC467847 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, 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

meet the needs of each child. (Regulation 6 (1)(a)(b) (2)(c)(i)(ii))

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Requirement Due date

In particular, ensure that children’s bedroom have sufficient heating. 18 November

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Requirement Due date

The positive relationships standard is that children are helped to develop, and to benefit from, relationships based on—

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Requirement Due date

an understanding about acceptable behaviour; and

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Requirement Due date

positive responses to other children and adults.

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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

meet each child’s behavioural and emotional needs, as set out in the child’s relevant plans; 18 November Inspection report children’s home: SC467847 7 help each child to develop socially aware behaviour;

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Requirement Due date

encourage each child to take responsibility for the child’s behaviour, in accordance with the child’s age and understanding;

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Requirement Due date

help each child to develop and practise skills to resolve conflicts positively and without harm to anyone;

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Requirement Due date

communicate to each child expectations about the child’s behaviour and ensure that the child understands those expectations in accordance with the child’s age and understanding. (Regulation 11 (1)(a)(b)(c) (2)(a)(i)(viii)(ix))

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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

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. (Regulation 13 (1)(a)(b) (2)(a)(f)) 18 November

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Requirement Due date

The registered person must ensure that all employees—

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Requirement Due date

undertake appropriate continuing professional development. (Regulation 33 (4)(a))

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Requirement Due date

In particular, the registered person must ensure that staff undertake all relevant training on trauma-informed care. 18 February 2023

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Requirement Due date

children can access all appropriate areas of the children’s home’s premises; and 18 November Inspection report children’s home: SC467847 8 any limitation placed on a child’s privacy or access to any area of the home’s premises—

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Requirement Due date

is intended to safeguard each child accommodated in the home;

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Requirement Due date

is kept under review and, if necessary, revised; and allows children as much freedom as is possible when balanced against the need to protect them and keep them safe. (Regulation 21 (b)(c)(i)(ii)(iii)(iv))

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Recommendations

 The registered person should ensure that the children’s bathroom washbasin has a plug. (‘Guide to the Children’s Homes Regulations, including the quality standards’, page 15, paragraph 3.9)

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Recommendations

 The registered person should ensure that the review of the home’s location identifies any risks presented by the home’s location and strategies for managing these. (‘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 children’s home: SC467847 9

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Children’s home details

Registered provider: Oak House Children’s Home Ltd

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Children’s home details

Registered provider address: A B C Care Solutions, 249 Cranbrook Road, Ilford IG1 4TG

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Inspectors

Sharon Payne, Social Care Inspector Zara Salim, Social Care Inspector Inspection report children’s home: SC467847 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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Inspectors

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Inspectors

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Inspectors

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