Children's home run by Octagon Care Ltd

Inspection report for children’s home: 2548528 1 Registered provider: Octagon Care Limited Full inspection Inspected under the social care common inspection framework

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Information about this children’s home

The provider states in the statement of purpose that this home provides care for up to four children with social and emotional difficulties.

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Information about this children’s home

The manager registered with Ofsted in August 2019.

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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

Date of last inspection: 28 September 2021

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good

Overall judgement at last inspection: good

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good

Enforcement action since last inspection: none Inspection report for children’s home: 2548528 2

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Inspection date Inspection type Inspection judgement

28/09/2021 Full Good 05/02/2020 Full Requires improvement to be good Inspection report for children’s home: 2548528 3

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Children are supported by a consistent and dedicated staff team that is child centred. Children are involved in their care and their views, wishes and feelings are kept at the forefront. One independent reviewing officer said, ‘[Name of child] knows his voice is valued and it wasn’t before.’ This means that children feel happy and respected.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Children have good relationships with the manager and staff team. Children say that they can speak to staff if they are worried about anything. This ensures that children feel safe.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Children’s time with family is supported and encouraged. For one child, this has meant a return to living with his family. The parent said, ‘I can’t speak highly enough of how the home has helped me and my son through such a difficult time.’ The staff work closely with social workers and parents to ensure that the time children have with their family is a positive experience.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Children enjoy activities with staff in and out of the home. Staff keep an electronic memory book for all children to keep and take when moving on. This means that children can look back on their positive experiences and achievements. Staff encourage children’s interests and strengths. However, not all children have friends, which could lead to them being socially isolated.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Children attend education and there is good communication between the staff and schools. Through good joint working, one child is becoming more settled in school following a period of absence. One child is educated at home. The manager has been proactive in ensuring that a full-time provision is in place. However, there is not currently a structured plan of suitable activities in place for the staff to support the child with.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

The manager has arranged for a counsellor to visit the home each fortnight to speak with the children. This gives children the opportunity to speak about anything that they wish. However, the manager is not made aware of the content of these discussions. This means that the team does not have all the information needed to support children with their past experiences.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

There are two children currently living at the home and both say that they are looking forward to another child moving in. However, the manager’s processes to consider which children can move in are not robust enough when taking into account children’s individual risks. This has not had an impact on the children but has the potential to do so. Inspection report for children’s home: 2548528 4

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

Children have clear and relevant risk management plans which staff understand. The plans are reviewed and updated regularly and shared with social workers. This means that staff always have the current information that they need to keep children safe.

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

Children have the support from other services that they need in line with their individual risks. The manager also has good links with the local police community support officer, who regularly visits the home to speak with the children. This means that there is a multi-agency approach to keeping children safe. However, return home interviews are not always carried out when children have been missing from care.

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

There have not been any restraints since the last inspection. The staff use their knowledge of the children and clear behaviour support plans to de-escalate incidents. When consequences are used, they are reviewed for their effectiveness by the manager and children.

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

Staff are recruited following safer recruitment processes. This means that staff employed are suitable to care for children. Staff have a good understanding of safeguarding procedures. As a result, children are kept safe.

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

The physical environment is safe, and the manager has good oversight of health and safety. However, internal locks remain in use on doors, which restricts children’s access and makes the home feel institutional.

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

The staff responded appropriately to an allegation and worked with the placing authority on safety planning. However, not all staff know who to speak to if they have a concern about the manager or responsible individual. This has not had an impact on children but has the potential to do so.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

The manager is suitably experienced and qualified and has managed the home since it registered.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

Staff say that they feel supported and listened to. One staff member said, ‘The manager is inspirational and empowering.’ Children are supported by a team of motivated and committed staff.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

The manager has good systems in place to review children’s progress. He has recently implemented a quarterly monitoring tool that clearly outlines targets to be worked on by the staff team. These, along with placement plans and risk assessments, are reviewed in team meetings. Inspection report for children’s home: 2548528 5 The staff receive regular supervision. However, records do not clearly demonstrate the discussions held about the children or any learning and reflection. This is a missed opportunity to improve and inform how staff support children.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

Team meetings have a clear agenda and are held regularly. The manager has recently introduced ‘seven-minute sessions’ on topics that he believes would be beneficial for the team. However, the aims of the sessions, along with the learning and impact on children, have not been captured.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

Staff have received appropriate training to support the children with their individual needs and risks. However, when children have been missing from the home, the manager has not evaluated incident records to identify any gaps in staff’s skills, training or knowledge.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

The manager has not always notified Ofsted of serious incidents. This means that the regulator does not have full oversight. Inspection report for children’s home: 2548528 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

children can access all appropriate areas of the children’s home’s premises; and

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Requirement Due date

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

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Requirement Due date

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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Requirement Due date

In particular, this relates to the manager removing the lock from the kitchen door. The manager must have a clear risk assessment and review process for keeping the cellar door locked. 12 December

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Requirement Due date

The registered person must notify HMCI and each other relevant person without delay if—

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Requirement Due date

a child is involved in or subject to, or is suspected of being involved in or subject to, sexual exploitation;

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Requirement Due date

an incident requiring police involvement occurs in relation to a child which the registered person considers to be serious. (Regulation 40 (4)(a)(b)) 12 December

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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— 12 December Inspection report for children’s home: 2548528 7 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

ensure that staff have the experience, qualifications and skills to meet the needs of each child;

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Requirement Due date

demonstrate that practice in the home is informed and improved by taking into account and acting on—

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Requirement Due date

research and developments in relation to the ways in which the needs of children are best met; and

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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)(a)(c)(g)(i)(h))

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Requirement Due date

This relates specifically to the manager evaluating missing- from-home incident records to identify gaps in staff’s training, skills or knowledge.

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Requirement Due date

This also relates to the manager demonstrating how supervision and training are being used to improve practice and being aware of the other work services are doing with children.

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Requirement Due date

This further relates to the manager ensuring that all relevant risks are considered before children move in.

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Recommendations

 The registered person should ensure that there is a structured plan in place for when children are not engaged in full-time education. (‘Guide to the Children’s Homes Regulations, including the quality standards’, page 28, paragraph 5.15)  The registered person should support children to understand how to build and sustain friendships with other children to prevent them from being socially isolated. (‘Guide to the Children’s Homes Regulations, including the quality standards’, page 38, paragraph 8.7)  The registered person should ensure that staff know who to contact if they have a concern regarding the manager or the responsible individual. (‘Guide to the Inspection report for children’s home: 2548528 8 Children’s Homes Regulations, including the quality standards’, page 43, paragraph 9.14)  The registered person should ensure that the responsible local authority is carrying out independent return home interviews after children have been missing

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Recommendations

from care. (‘Guide to the Children’s Homes Regulations, including the quality standards’, page 46, paragraph 9.31)

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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: 2548528 9

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Children’s home details

Registered provider: Octagon Care Limited

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Children’s home details

Registered provider address: 4 Briony Close, Royton, Oldham, Lancashire OL2 5AL

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Inspector

Kerri Lynch-Mahoney, Social Care Inspector Inspection report for children’s home: 2548528 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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