Children's Home run by Oaktree Childcare Limited in Lancashire

Inspection report for children’s home: 2682141 1 Registered provider: Oaktree Childcare Limited Full inspection Inspected under the social care common inspection framework

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Information about this children’s home

The provider’s statement of purpose states that the home provides care for one child, aged 8 to 17 years old, with social and emotional difficulties, or learning disabilities.

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Information about this children’s home

The manager was registered with Ofsted in October 2022, at the same time as the home.

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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: not applicable

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good

Enforcement action since last inspection: none Inspection report for children’s home: 2682141 2

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

At the time of this inspection, there were no children living in the home. One child had recently moved on and another child was due to move in. The child that left was positive about her time living in the home, informing the inspector that she has been helped and supported to develop her life skills. The manager and placing authority have worked together to ensure that the new child who is due to move in has had their wishes considered in order to identify the best support for them when moving in. The manager and staff care about the children who come to live in the home and want them to do well. Individualised care is provided and tailored to the children’s needs. This supports children and helps with their development and preparation for the next stage of their lives. The child who has now moved out enjoyed a variety of activities while living at the home, including trips to theme parks, meals with staff and attending local clubs.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Staff capture memories by taking photos and making journey books with children to create keepsakes. The child formed trusting relationships with the staff and said, ‘The staff are great. They listen to me and spend time with me.’ A staff member said, ‘We are a very close team, and we work hard to help children achieve the best that they can.’ The child was supported to see their family. Staff have made efforts to build relationships with people in the children’s lives. This helps them understand the child’s personal circumstances and people who are important to them. The child engaged with staff and took part in regular key-work sessions. Each session was linked to the child’s individual placement targets. The child routinely commented on and reviewed the work undertaken with them. This meant that key- work sessions were more effective. Staff supported the child to engage in education. When the child faced barriers to

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

learning, the manager called meetings with professionals to discuss the best way forward and to look for solutions. This helped the child with their learning. However, the child’s education, health and care plan (EHC plan) was not on file. This means that staff may not have access to all the information required to support children.

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

Individual assessments completed for the child who has moved on took account of the child’s lived experiences and potential triggers for behaviours that may be challenging for staff and the strategies in place to manage them. This helps staff decide what action to take to de-escalate situations when needed and means the child was kept safe, with a consistent approach by staff. Inspection report for children’s home: 2682141 3 Staff are trained in the use of holding a child to keep them safe. This strategy is only used if a child is presenting as a risk to themselves or others. The child and staff reviewed the incident reports. This helped them to reflect and learn and further supports the identification of themes, which supports keeping the child safe. There has been one missing-from-home incident. Staff kept the child safe by following robust missing-from-home protocols. This ensures that staff can act

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

quickly to prevent incidents from occurring. The return home interview has been completed. The child was supported by staff who listened to them. Staff spent quality time with the child in key-work sessions. Discussions took place to help the child understand how to stay safe and the importance of good personal hygiene and managing their emotions. As a result, the child reported that they felt safe and supported. Suitable background checks are completed before any adults start work at the home. This ensures that children are not placed at risk from inappropriate adults caring for them.

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good

Leaders and managers accept that the team is on a journey. They are keen to continue to learn and develop and they want to offer an excellent level of care to their children. The manager monitors the care provided to children and is proactive in addressing shortfalls in practice. This internal monitoring identifies patterns and trends in relation to incidents taking place in the home. Because of this, the manager has taken steps to address his findings and make improvements to records created by the staff team. Leaders and managers have not vigorously investigated all allegations made by the child. In addition, records relating to allegations against staff are not robust. This has meant that thorough follow-up actions have not always taken place, including ensuring that all relevant parties have been informed after an allegation. Team meetings are used as a forum for learning. Managers are not afraid to

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good

challenge and address staff practice. This helps staff to reflect on their performance and to identify areas for improvement. Children are cared for by a committed and enthusiastic staff team. Staff are either suitably qualified or about to enrol on the relevant training. Staff are trained in a therapeutic model of care and receive ongoing mandatory training and relevant online focused training. Managers have not notified Ofsted of all serious incidents in line with regulation. This prevents the regulator from having oversight of practice in the home to help ensure that children are sufficiently safeguarded. Inspection report for children’s home: 2682141 4 Staff feel well support by the manager and the provider. Supervision is monthly and is reflective, allowing staff to learn from events that have happened. This means that staff practice can evolve and improve when necessary. A staff member said, ‘The manager is great. We get the support we need.’

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good

The manager and the staff team have worked hard to develop good relationships with other professionals, including social workers and education staff. This ensures that professionals are working towards agreed goals, which provides consistency for children. Inspection report for children’s home: 2682141 5

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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, the 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 registered person must notify HMCI and each other relevant person without delay if—

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Requirement Due date

there is an allegation of abuse against the home or a person working there. (Regulation 40 (4)(c))

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Requirement Due date

This specifically relates to ensuring that the registered person informs Ofsted of any serious incidents and allegations made in the home and that notifications to Ofsted are provided without delay. 19 May 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

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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

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. (Regulation 13 (1)(a)(b) (2)(f))

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Requirement Due date

The registered manager must ensure that they have clear oversight of all safeguarding and child protection issues and ensure that action is taken in line with policy. 19 May 2023

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Recommendation

 The registered person should ensure that managers and staff are aware of their roles in supporting children in line with their EHC plan and recommendations from education and health professionals. Ensure that the child’s plan is available and in Inspection report for children’s home: 2682141 6 their file. (‘Guide to the Children’s Homes Regulations, including the quality standards’, page 26, paragraph 5.3)

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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: 2682141 7

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Children’s home details

Registered provider: Oaktree Childcare Limited

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Children’s home details

Registered provider address: Ground Floor, Seneca House, Links Point, Amy Johnson Way, Blackpool FY4 2FF

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Inspector

Jennifer Quest, Social Care Inspector Inspection report for children’s home: 2682141 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 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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