Children's home run by Oracle Care Limited in Central Bedfordshire

Assurance inspection report for children’s home: SC066917 1 SC066917

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Registered provider: Oracle Care Limited

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Inspected under the social care common inspection framework

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Information about this children’s home

This home is owned and operated by a private company. It is registered to provide care for up to two children who may experience social and/or emotional difficulties.

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Information about this children’s home

Judgement at last inspection: requires improvement to be good

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Information about this children’s home

Enforcement action since last inspection: none

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Information about this inspection

At this inspection, the inspectors evaluated:

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Information about this inspection

 the care of children  the safety of children  the effectiveness of leaders and managers. Inspectors have looked closely at the experiences and progress of children, using the social care common inspection framework. This assurance 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’. Assurance inspection report for children’s home: SC066917 2

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Findings from the inspection

We did not identify any serious or widespread concerns in relation to the care or protection of children at this assurance inspection.

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The care of children

At the time of this inspection, no children were living in the home. The last child to live at the home left in October 2022.

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The safety of children

The manager continues to carry out a range of regular health and safety checks, which identify any hazards in the home, including fire safety risks. This ensures that the home is fit for children to live there.

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The safety of children

The manager has updated the location risk assessment to ensure that risks to any children who may live in the home are identified.

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The safety of children

The manager has safely recruited a team of staff and carried out recruitment checks to ensure that they are suitable to work with children.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers

There is a suitably experienced and qualified registered manager in place. As there are no children living in the home, the manager and staff are currently working at other homes operated by the provider.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers

Half of the staff team hold a suitable qualification and the other half are to begin training for their qualification after eight weeks of employment.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers

The responsible individual has used analysis to evaluate staff skills. This is being used to inform the planning for new children to move in to the home.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers

The oversight by the leaders and managers is effective and efficient. This ensures that shortfalls are recognised, and swift action is taken to address them. The manager has met two of the five requirements raised at the previous inspection. Three requirements have been restated due to no children living in the home. Assurance inspection report for children’s home: SC066917 3

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Inspection date Inspection type Inspection judgement

13/03/2023 Full Requires improvement to be good 27/04/2021 Full Good 11/09/2019 Full Good 22/01/2019 Interim Declined in effectiveness Assurance inspection report for children’s home: SC066917 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 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— that staff—

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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 specifically relates to managers ensuring that risk assessments are regularly updated with information about children’s new and emerging risks.

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Requirement Due date

This requirement has been restated. 28 July 2023

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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 that staff help each child to access and contribute to the records kept by the registered person in relation to the child. (Regulation 14 (1)(a)(b) (2)(c)(f))

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Requirement Due date

This specifically relates to managers ensuring that children receive planned care and are involved in reviewing their progress and setting new targets and goals. 28 July 2023 Assurance inspection report for children’s home: SC066917 5 This requirement has been restated.

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Requirement Due date

The registered person must prepare and implement a policy ("the behaviour management policy") which sets out—

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Requirement Due date

how appropriate behaviour is to be promoted in the children’s home; and

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Requirement Due date

the measures of control, discipline and restraint which may be used in relation to children in the home.

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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

the effectiveness and any consequences of the use of the measure. (Regulation 35 (1)(a)(b) (3)(a)(vii))

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Requirement Due date

This specifically relates to behaviour management records and evaluating the effectiveness of consequences given to children in the home.

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Requirement Due date

This requirement has been restated. 28 July 2023 Assurance inspection report for children’s home: SC066917 6

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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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Inspectors

Michelle Spruce, Social Care Inspector Virginia Vickers, Social Care Inspector Assurance inspection report for children’s home: SC066917 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 children looked after, safeguarding and child protection.

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Inspectors

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Inspectors

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Inspectors

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Inspectors

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