Children's Home run by Oak House Children's Home Limited in Essex

Inspection report for children’s home: 2671486 1 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

An independent provider runs this home. The home can care for up to eight children aged between 8 and 18 with social and emotional difficulties.

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Information about this children’s home

The manager registered with Ofsted in July 2022.

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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

Overall judgement at last inspection: not applicable

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requires improvement to be good

Enforcement action since last inspection: none Inspection report for children’s home: 2671486 2

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Recent inspection history

Not previously inspected Inspection report for children’s home: 2671486 3

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improvement to be good

This inspection identified shortfalls in safeguarding and leadership and management of the home.

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improvement to be good

At the time of this inspection, one child was living at the home. No other children have lived at the home since it opened in July 2022. The registered manager has given notice on the child’s placement. Although the initial assessment was that staff would be able to meet the child’s needs, these needs have changed. The manager identified that staff lacked the skills and experience to meet the child’s changing needs.

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improvement to be good

The home is spacious and well decorated. However, at the time of the inspection a broken pool table had been stored outside the house. Although the child cannot access this area, the broken table was visible through the lounge window.

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improvement to be good

Staff organise activities that they know the child will enjoy. The child has visited theme parks and been swimming. The child said, ‘The best thing about living here is being near the sea.’ The child enjoys imaginative play. Staff use role play to encourage the child to spend quality time with them. Staff focus their time on building a relationship with the child in meaningful ways.

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improvement to be good

The child had not been in education for one year before living at the home. The manager challenged relevant professionals to find an appropriate education placement. Staff prepared the child for education. They stayed with the child as part of a planned induction back to education. The child now attends school full time. Attendance is good and the child is making progress.

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improvement to be good

Staff encourage the child to pursue their hobbies and interests. The child is a talented performer. Staff take the child to a theatre club and help them prepare for shows. Staff use encouragement and praise, which helps the child to build their confidence and self-esteem. Consequently, the child is now starring in a well-known musical at the local theatre.

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improvement to be good

The child is helped to stay in touch with people who are important to them. Staff make certain that the child can call their family members. Staff stay with the child to provide emotional support if they need it during visits. This helps the child to feel a sense of belonging to their family.

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improvement to be good

Staff use distraction and de-escalation strategies when the child is feeling anxious. These approaches have been tailored to the child’s interests. This helps the child to Inspection report for children’s home: 2671486 4 respond when they are feeling worried. Staff record incidents and the manager evaluates staff’s approaches. However, when staff have restrained the child, they have failed to describe the holds used and the duration of each hold. This limits the manager’s ability to consider the proportionality of the restraint.

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improvement to be good

Staff do not consistently follow risk assessments. On two occasions, the child took a lighter and tried to set fire to objects in the kitchen. The description of the level of support that the child requires is contradictory from one assessment to another. Risks to the child of travelling in a car are not recorded accurately. New behaviours from the child that place staff at risk have not been added to risk assessments. This could lead to inconsistencies in how staff respond to the child and the effectiveness of their actions.

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improvement to be good

Staff sometimes restrict access to the kitchen to safeguard the child from harm. However, the manager does not keep this restriction under review. This means that the child is limited to being in certain areas of the home for varying times without consideration of whether this is necessary.

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improvement to be good

A detailed missing-from-home procedure is in place for the child. The procedure is clearly written and includes the child’s vulnerabilities. The child has not been missing since living at the home.

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improvement to be good

Staff work closely with the local police youth liaison officer. Staff arrange for him to spend time with the child. This helps the child to learn about how their behaviour affects other people. Furthermore, this has helped staff to understand their responsibilities to manage incidents when they occur.

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improvement to be good

Staff understand their responsibility to report any safeguarding concerns. A social worker said that communication from staff is good.

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good

The registered manager is suitably experienced and is working towards a relevant level 5 qualification within the required timescale. Two deputy managers support her. The management team is focused on supporting the staff in their roles.

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good

The manager does not have effective monitoring and review systems. There is insufficient oversight of the home to make continuous improvements to the quality of care provided.

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good

The manager has not consistently verified why staff left their previous employment. This undermines her ability to ensure that effective safety checks are made on all staff.

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good

Staff inductions are not regularly carried out. The inspector found a partially completed induction record and a blank induction record for staff who have been Inspection report for children’s home: 2671486 5 employed at the home for more than six months. This means that the manager has not fully assessed the competency of staff to undertake their roles effectively.

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good

The manager notifies Ofsted of serious incidents. However, notifications are consistently submitted late. This limits Ofsted’s ability to monitor serious incidents at the home and the effectiveness of staff’s actions.

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good

The registered manager has completed a review of the quality of care. However, feedback was not obtained from the child. This restricts the manager’s ability to make improvements to the child’s experiences.

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good

The workforce development plan does not support the manager to plan the continuing professional development actions for staff.

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good

Staff benefit from regular supervisions that focus on the child’s needs. Team meetings are well attended and structured around building relationships with the child. The manager understands the impact that the work can have on staff. Staff say that they feel supported by the manager.

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good

The staff team is diverse. There is a balance of new and experienced staff. The manager has not used any agency staff. This means that the child is cared for by people who are consistent in their life.

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good

Staff receive the organisation’s mandatory training. The manager organises additional training and competency sign-off for delegated tasks. All staff have been enrolled on a relevant level 3 qualification. Inspection report for children’s home: 2671486 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 protection of children standard is that children are protected from harm and enabled to keep themselves safe.

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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

assess whether each child is at risk of harm, taking into account information in the child’s relevant plans, and, if necessary, make arrangements to reduce the risk of any harm to the child. (Regulation 12 (1) (2)(a)(i))

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Requirement Due date

This relates to staff following risk assessments and ensuring that risk assessments clearly evidence known risks and support levels required to keep the child safe. 3 March 2023

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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 promotes their welfare.

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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

use monitoring and review systems to make continuous improvements in the quality of care provided in the home. (Regulation 13 (1)(a)(b) (2)(h))

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Requirement Due date

This relates to the registered manager using monitoring systems effectively to make improvements. 24 March 2023

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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— 3 March 2023 Inspection report for children’s home: 2671486 7 is kept under review and, if necessary, revised. (Regulation 21 (c)(iii)

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Requirement Due date

This relates to the registered manager reviewing restrictions placed on the child to access areas of the home.

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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

full and satisfactory information is available in relation to the individual in respect of each of the matters in Schedule 2. (Regulation 32 (1) (2)(a) (3)(d))

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Requirement Due date

This relates to the registered manager making reasonable attempts to verify why staff left their previous employment. 24 March 2023

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Requirement Due date

ensure that each employee completes an appropriate induction. (Regulation 33 (1)(a))

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Requirement Due date

This relates to the manager ensuring that staff complete an induction and that each staff member’s competency to undertake their role is assessed and evidenced. 31 March 2023

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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

a description of the measure and its duration. (Regulation 35 (3)(a)(iv)) 3 March 2023

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Requirement Due date

In order to complete a quality of care review the registered person must establish and maintain a system for monitoring, reviewing and evaluating—

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Requirement Due date

the feedback and opinions of children about the children’s home, its facilities and the quality of care they receive in it. (Regulation 45 (2)(b)) 30 June 2023 Inspection report for children’s home: 2671486 8 This relates to the manager obtaining feedback from the child about their experiences and including this feedback in the quality of care review.

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Recommendations

 The registered person should provide a nurturing and supportive environment that meets the needs of children. This will, in most cases, be a homely, domestic environment. In particular, the broken pool table should be removed. (‘Guide to the Children’s Homes Regulations, including the quality standards’, page 15, paragraph 3.9)  The registered person should have a workforce plan which can fulfil workforce- related requirements. (‘Guide to the Children’s Homes Regulations, including the quality standards’, page 53, paragraph 10.8)  The registered person should have a system in place so that all serious events are notified, within 24 hours, to the appropriate people. (‘Guide to the Children’s Homes Regulations, including the quality standards’, page 63, paragraph 14.13)

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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: 2671486 9

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Children’s home details

Registered provider: Oak House Children’s Home Limited

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Children’s home details

Registered provider address: 249 Cranbrook Road, Ilford IG1 4TG

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Inspector

Mandy Start, Social Care Inspector Inspection report for children’s home: 2671486 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 looked after children, safeguarding and child protection.

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Inspector

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Inspector

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Inspector

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