Children's Home run by Oracle Care Limited in Bedford

Inspection report for children's home: SC389698 1 SC389698 Registered provider: Oracle Care Limited Full inspection Inspected under the social care common inspection framework

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Information about this children’s home

The home is owned by a private company. It is registered for three children who require care, education and clinical support.

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Information about this children’s home

There has been no registered manager at the home since 28 February 2023. A manager was employed but left before being registered with Ofsted.

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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: good

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good

Enforcement action since last inspection: none Inspection report for children's home: SC389698 2

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Inspection date Inspection type Inspection judgement

07/04/2022 Full Good 21/07/2021 Full Good 16/09/2019 Full Good 27/09/2018 Full Good Inspection report for children's home: SC389698 3

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Two children were living at the home at the time of this inspection. Since the last inspection, one child has moved out of the home and one child has moved in.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

One child has lived in the home for five years and is in the process of moving out. She was positive about her time in the home and how, with the help of the staff, she has made progress.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

The staff provided good support to help the newest child move into the home. The staff visited the child before they moved in. The child was able to visit and choose their room before moving in. This provided the child with reassurance and an awareness of where they were moving to. This helped the child to settle.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Careful care planning ensures that staff have the skills and experience to look after the children. When children initially struggled to live together, staff worked with them to help them adapt and spend positive time with each other.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

The staff build positive relationships with children. The children see the staff as trusted and safe adults. Children know they will receive sensitive non-judgemental support. Consequently, children feel confident to talk openly to staff about the issues that matter to them.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Staff take time to get to know the children, their personalities and interests. Children benefit from regular therapy with the company’s clinician. This helps staff to be attuned to children’s fluctuating emotional well-being and to provide the highly personalised support the children need.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

The staff work closely with education providers and encourage children to attend education. One child has tutoring in the home three times a week and an education provision has been found for two days a week. Another child attends school five days a week and has a tutor twice a week in the evenings.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Staff encourage children to enjoy a wide variety of hobbies and interests. One child attends regular horse-riding lessons and another enjoys playing pool and looking after their rabbits.

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

Children feel safe and secure. Parents and professionals have absolute confidence in the staff. The staff are clear about their roles and responsibilities to keep children safe. As a result of staff support, children are safer. One child said that staff had taught them how to build safe relationships. The risks this child experiences have reduced significantly. Inspection report for children's home: SC389698 4 Staff encourage good behaviour and send cards to children celebrating their achievements. This supports children to understand when they have done something well and see that staff are proud of them.

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

Staff challenge unwanted behaviours and reinforce boundaries. Consequences for unwanted behaviours are fair, proportionate and evaluated by managers. However, consequences are not discussed with the children. This was a shortfall at the last inspection and remains a missed opportunity to help children to reflect on their behaviours and find different ways to respond.

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

No children have gone missing from the home since the last inspection. Staff and children work together to identify places in the community the children may go to if they were to go missing from the home. This information is then incorporated into the local area risk assessment.

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

The staff work closely with safeguarding professionals such as the child sexual exploitation team who deliver bespoke training to the staff. As a result of these partnerships, children are safer and more aware of risky situations.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

There has been no registered manager at the home since February 2023. A manager was appointed but left in March 2023. The organisation is recruiting a new manager. In the interim, the responsible individual has based themselves at the home to support the staff and children.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

Despite not having a manager, team morale is high. Staff have a shared vison of supporting children’s success and achievements. They provide a nurturing and warm environment, which is critical for children to be able to talk about and make sense of their past.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

Staff receive regular supervisions and benefit from regular team meetings and training. This support helps staff to work effectively with the children. However, staff have not received their annual appraisals.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

Staff listen to children’s views in regular children’s meetings and one-to-one discussions. Staff respond and act on children’s views. This helps children to understand that staff value their views and opinions.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

Leaders make good use of clear monitoring systems, enabling them to identify trends and patterns in the home. They act on recommendations from the independent person’s report to improve the quality of care.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

Parents and social workers are extremely positive about the care provided and the progress made by children. Social workers say that communication with the provider is excellent. Inspection report for children's home: SC389698 5 Leaders have responded positively to the four requirements made at the last inspection. Three of the requirements have been addressed. One has been restated . Inspection report for children's home: SC389698 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

within 48 hours of the use of any measure of control, they, or a person who is authorised by registered person to do so (“the authorised person”)—

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Requirement Due date

has spoken to the user about the measure. (Regulation 35 (3)(b)(i))

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Requirement Due date

This requirement was made at the last inspection and is restated. 8 June 2023

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Requirement Due date

The registered provider must appoint a person to manage the children’s home if—

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Requirement Due date

there is no registered manager in respect of the home. (Regulation 27 (1)(a)) 31 July 2023

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Requirement Due date

The registered person must ensure that all employees—

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Requirement Due date

have their performance and fitness to perform their roles appraised at least once every year. (Regulation 33 (4)(c)) 8 June 2023

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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: SC389698 7

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Children’s home details

Registered provider: Oracle Care Limited

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Children’s home details

Registered provider address: Suites 1 & 5, Riverside Business Centre, Foundry Lane, Milford, Belper, Derbyshire DE56 0RN

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Children’s home details

Responsible individual: Kathleen McGowan

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Inspector

Trish Palmer, Social Care Inspector Inspection report for children's home: SC389698 8 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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