Children's home run by Optimum Childcare Limited

Inspection report for children’s home: 2696856 1 Registered provider: Optimum Childcare Limited Full inspection Inspected under the social care common inspection framework

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Information about this children’s home

This children’s home is operated by a private company. The home can provide care for up to two children with social and emotional difficulties.

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Information about this children’s home

There is a registered manager in post who is suitably experienced and qualified.

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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: not applicable

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good

Enforcement action since last inspection: none Inspection report for children’s home: 2696856 2

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

When children move in to the home, they are sensitively welcomed. The manager ensures that the best possible planning takes place. Before children move in to the home, they are provided with opportunities to visit and meet staff. This helps to ease any anxieties that children may have.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Not all children are in full-time education. One child attends an educational provision part time, and another receives home tuition. There are weekly planners in place to support children to participate in educational activities throughout the day when they are not in education. However, these planners are not routinely followed.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

There are clear health plans in place and children living in the home are registered with local health services. Staff advocate on behalf of children, and all health appointments are up to date. Staff carry out regular direct work with children to support them to learn about and understand their individual health needs. As a result, children have been able to make informed decisions about their health.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Staff and managers invest time in children; they listen to them, protect them, and promote their welfare. Staff and managers are proud of children’s progress and achievements. As a result, children can develop a sense of permanence and belonging. Children are also able to name trusted adults who they can speak to if they have any worries.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

When children struggle with their feelings and emotions, the manager ensures that specialist help is available, according to the individual child’s needs. One child regularly meets with a life coach, who supports them to develop skills and strategies to manage their own conflicts and difficult feelings.

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

Some children have been missing from home. Individual missing-from-care plans help staff to understand the action that they need to take to locate children and keep them safe. The incident reports completed are detailed and evidence the steps that staff have taken to locate a missing child.

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

There is a consequence and reward system in place in the home. The system is used to promote positive behaviour and discourage negative behaviour while supporting children to recognise the effects of their behaviour on themselves or others. Not all consequences are reviewed by the manager. This results in a lack of scrutiny, and it is not always possible to tell whether the consequence imposed has been effective in addressing the behaviours.

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

Holding a child to keep them safe is used as a last resort in conjunction with the home’s policies and procedures. Following the use of restraint, the manager ensures Inspection report for children’s home: 2696856 3 that children are provided with an opportunity to reflect. All records of restraint are reviewed by the manager. However, there is a lack of scrutiny and consideration of the effectiveness of the restraint used.

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

The manager and staff team know the children’s risks and understand them. Together, they identify and appropriately assess new risks. When children display risk-taking behaviours, these are well managed and they receive high levels of support from the staff. The acting manager ensures that effective liaison takes place with relevant professionals to ensure that the most-appropriate safety plans and support are implemented. As a result, children are helped to stay safe, and their risks are reducing.

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

Safe recruitment and health and safety practice at the home mean that only the most-suitable staff work at the home and it is a safe place to live. Children and staff regularly practise evacuating the building in case of a fire. Therefore, everyone knows how to respond in an emergency.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

The manager is passionate, confident and leads by example. She is ambitious for children and has high expectations for the staff team and their development. The manager receives additional support from the home’s responsible individual, who is a visible presence in the home and equally ambitious for children.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

The staff team is experienced, stable and consistent. They are clear about their responsibilities and accountabilities; they are child focused and have a sense of shared ownership about their practice. Staff feel valued and supported by the managers of the organisation.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

There is a safe area report in place, which is detailed and up to date. It takes into consideration the local risks and hazards. The manager has consulted with relevant agencies, such as the local police in the community to obtain their views.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

The manager ensures that supervisions take place regularly and in line with the home’s statement of purpose. The manager provides staff with opportunities to reflect on their practice and the care that they provide to children. Regular team meetings also take place. These are reflective and provide staff with opportunities to appropriately challenge practice and discuss the individual needs of children.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

The manager ensures that all staff are provided with opportunities to complete training. Staff complete a combination of mandatory and additional training; this is in line with children’s individual needs. However, some staff are yet to complete some training. This impacts on staff’s ability to learn and develop. Inspection report for children’s home: 2696856 4

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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 effectiveness and any consequences of the use 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)(vi)(b)(i)(ii)(c))

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Requirement Due date

In particular, ensure that incidents of restraint are evaluated with scrutiny, taking into consideration any possible learning outcomes that can be implemented within children’s risk management plans, or to support the development of staff.

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Requirement Due date

Ensure that when consequences are used, they are subject to scrutiny to ensure that their use is fair, and they are also restorative in nature and not punitive. 19 May 2023

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Recommendations

 The registered person should ensure that when children are not participating in full-time education, they are supported to sustain or regain their confidence in education and be engaged in suitable structured activities. (‘Guide to the Children’s Homes Regulations, including the quality standards’, page 28, paragraph 5.15) Inspection report for children’s home: 2696856 5  The registered person should ensure that staff can access appropriate facilities and resources to support their training needs. In particular, ensure that all staff are up to date with mandatory and additional training. (‘Guide to the Children’s Homes Regulations, including the quality standards’, page 53, paragraph 10.11)

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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: 2696856 6

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Children’s home details

Registered provider: Optimum Childcare Limited

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Children’s home details

Registered provider address: Beckett Rawcliffe Ltd, Unit 17, Sovereign Court, Wyrefields, Poulton Industrial Estate, Poulton-le-fylde FY6 8JX

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Inspector

Kimmy Feeley, Social Care Inspector Inspection report for children’s home: 2696856 7 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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