Children's home run by Oasis Adolescent Services Ltd

Inspection report for children’s home: 2645901 1 SC2645901 Registered provider: Oasis Adolescent Services 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 three children who may experience social and emotional difficulties. At the time of the inspection, two children were living in the home.

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Information about this children’s home

The manager registered with Ofsted in September 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 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: good

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good

Enforcement action since last inspection: none Inspection report for children’s home: 2645901 2

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Inspection date Inspection type Inspection judgement

23/03/2022 Full Good Inspection report for children’s home: 2645901 3

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Children like living in the home. One child told the inspector that they are ‘happy in the home and never want to leave’. The home is decorated and furnished to a good standard throughout. Children are supported to personalise and take pride in their bedrooms. This enables children to develop a sense of belonging in the home.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Supporting children’s education is a key strength. Staff work collaboratively with teaching staff to support children to overcome obstacles to their learning. As a result, there is a significant improvement in children’s attendance and attainment.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Children’s interests and hobbies are nurtured and encouraged. Children are provided with opportunities to attend a variety of groups and social activities, including going on high ropes, attending fairground attractions, going swimming and attending a boxing club. This positively impacts on children’s self-esteem and widens their social networks.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Children are supported to spend time with people who are important to them. The staff maintain close links with parents and siblings, ensuring they feel welcome in the home. There are photos of children cooking with their parents and enjoying time with siblings, which are memories that children can cherish.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Staff support children to develop independence skills such as cooking, independent travel and budgeting. The team has successfully supported one child to move back to their local area in preparation for adulthood.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Staff advocate for children and regularly seek their views. Children are consulted with about their care. However, the manager has not yet incorporated children’s views and wishes into their personal support plans.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Health needs are well understood. Children are supported to attend health appointments. Staff advocate for children and appropriately challenge other professionals to ensure that children have access to the support they require. The manager advocated on behalf of one child to ensure they had an up-to-date education, health and care plan in place.

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

Staff understand children’s individual vulnerabilities and risks. However, children’s risk plans are not sufficiently robust. They are updated regularly but do not reflect children’s current risks or include clear strategies for staff to follow to keep children safe.

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

Staff have developed positive relationships with the children in their care and know them well. As a result, staff know how to respond to children and are skilled at de- Inspection report for children’s home: 2645901 4 escalating incidents effectively. Children are helped to develop effective coping strategies to manage their emotions and make safer choices. There have not been any incidents of staff needing to hold the children to keep them safe.

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

Incidents of children going missing from the home are rare. When incidents do occur, staff take appropriate action to locate children and encourage their return. Children are supported to speak with an independent person on their return, and extensive support is put in place to reduce the likelihood of the child going missing again.

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

Staff educate children on relevant and current subjects. Through direct work and children’s meetings, topics such as internet safety, radicalisation, consent and racism are discussed at length. Children have also been supported to understand the risks of using e-cigarettes and substances.

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

Communication with partner agencies is effective. There is a multi-agency approach to managing risks for children. Professionals are complimentary about the organisation and communication from the team. One social worker said, ‘This is the best residential home I have known for safeguarding.’

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

Children know how to make a complaint. The manager takes children’s concerns seriously and ensures they are supported throughout the complaint process and informed of outcomes. Children recognise that the manager listens to them and acts on what they say.

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good

The home is managed by an experienced manager who is supported by a deputy manager. They are passionate about the delivery of care and improving outcomes for children. Staff benefit from their clear leadership and guidance. Staff say they feel supported and are helped to work effectively with children.

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good

Monitoring systems are not robust. Leaders and managers were not aware that children did not have required statutory documentation until it was identified by the inspector. The manager took immediate action to address this during the inspection.

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good

Recording shortfalls were also identified. Children’s plans are overly long, do not reflect children’s current needs and lack clarity on the strategies for staff to follow. This limits the manager’s oversight and reduces opportunities for consistent practice in the home.

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good

The manager is ambitious about the development of the staff team, and there is a variety of training opportunities for staff to access. The manager and staff are supervised regularly, and records are detailed. Staff are given the opportunity to reflect on their practice and any training they may have completed along with having detailed discussions about the children in the home. Appraisals are Inspection report for children’s home: 2645901 5 completed and focus on staff development and support. Children have also contributed to staff appraisals and have shared positive feedback.

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good

Team meetings are an effective tool in the home, and records are detailed. The manager uses these opportunities to talk about the children, and he completes training and research exercises with the team. This supports the team’s learning and development and helps to improve practice in the home.

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good

Careful consideration is given to how the team can meet children’s needs before they move into the home. However, records do not reflect the team discussions or consultation with other professionals that take place. Before the admission of one child, the management team completed training to meet the child’s individual needs. However, there was a delay in the staff team completing the relevant training until after the child had moved in. This reduces opportunities to ensure that staff have the required skills to meet children’s needs. Inspection report for children’s home: 2645901 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 children’s views, wishes and feelings standard is that children receive care from staff who—

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Requirement Due date

take their views, wishes and feelings into account in relation to matters affecting the children’s care and welfare and their lives. (Regulation 7 (1)(b)(c))

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Requirement Due date

Specifically, the registered person must ensure that children’s wishes and feelings are reflected in their plans. 21 April 2023

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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;

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Requirement Due date

help each child to understand how to keep safe. (Regulation 12 (1) (2)(a)(i)(ii))

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Requirement Due date

Specifically, the registered person must ensure that children’s risk and behaviour management plans clearly reflect children’s individual needs and include clear strategies for staff to follow to keep children safe. 21 April 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 21 April 2023 Inspection report for children’s home: 2645901 7 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

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

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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;

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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)(c)(f)(h))

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Requirement Due date

Specifically, the registered person must ensure that staff have the relevant skills, experience and training to support children living in the home. In addition, children’s records should be accurate and information should be factual and current to the children’s individual needs, with oversight from the manager.

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Requirement Due date

The care planning standard is that children—

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Requirement Due date

receive effectively planned care in or through the children’s home; and

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Requirement Due date

have a positive experience of arriving at or moving on from the home.

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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

that each child’s relevant plans are followed. (Regulation 14 (1)(a)(b) (2)(c))

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Requirement Due date

Specifically, the registered person must ensure that there is an up-to-date placing authority care plan in place for each child living in the home. 21 April 2023 Inspection report for children’s home: 2645901 8

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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: 2645901 9

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Children’s home details

Registered provider: Oasis Adolescent Services Limited

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Children’s home details

Registered provider address: 9 Beacon Grove, Oldham OL8 2XH

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Inspector

Kelly McCurdy, Social Care Inspector Inspection report for children’s home: 2645901 10 regulates and inspects 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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