Children's Home run by Acorns to Oaks Children’s Care & Support Limited in Lancashire

Inspection report for children’s home: 2718813 1 Registered provider: Acorns to Oaks Children’s Care & Support Limited Full inspection Inspected under the social care common inspection framework

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Information about this children’s home

This home is operated by a private provider. At the time of this inspection, the home was registered to care for up to four children who may have emotional and social difficulties.

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Information about this children’s home

Two children have lived at the home since it was registered in April 2023.

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Information about this children’s home

The registered manager is suitably qualified and experienced.

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Information about this children’s home

The provider has applied to Ofsted for a variation to the conditions of registration to include the care of children with learning difficulties.

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Overall experiences and progress of

children and young people, taking into account

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requires improvement to be good

How well children and young people are helped and protected requires improvement to be good

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requires improvement to be good

The effectiveness of leaders and managers requires improvement to be good

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requires improvement to be good

The children’s home is not yet delivering good help and care for children and young people. However, there are no serious or widespread failures that result in their welfare not being safeguarded or promoted.

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requires improvement to be good

Dates of last inspection: 19 and 20 June 2023

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requires improvement to be good

Overall judgement at last inspection: inadequate

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Enforcement action since last inspection:

At the home’s first full inspection, on 19 and 20 June 2023, inspectors found significant shortfalls in safeguarding practices, the leadership and management of Inspection report for children’s home: 2718813 2 the home and care planning for children. The home was judged inadequate and compliance notices were issued under regulation 12, the protection of children standard, regulation 13, the leadership and management standard, and regulation 14, the care planning standard.

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Enforcement action since last inspection:

A monitoring visit took place on 7 August 2023. At this visit, it was identified that sufficient progress had been made against the specified steps in the compliance notice for regulation 13 and this notice had been met. Compliance notices were reissued under regulation 12, the protection of children standard, and regulation 14, the care planning standard. Progress against these compliance notices was monitored during this full inspection. Inspection report for children’s home: 2718813 3

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Inspection date Inspection type Inspection judgement

19/06/2023 Full Inadequate Inspection report for children’s home: 2718813 4

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improvement to be good

Children’s experiences of living in the home have improved and they are making progress. There has been an increased awareness and understanding on the part of staff to meet each child’s individual needs.

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improvement to be good

The brothers, who have lived at the home since it opened, benefit from being cared for together. They are supported to see their parent regularly. Staff provide additional oversight of this family time in the community. Vocabulary from the first language of their parent is also on display in the home to remind the children of their cultural heritage. These arrangements help the children to maintain their sense of belonging and identity.

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improvement to be good

The children are developing trusting relationships with staff. The staff team is stable and therefore provides them with consistency of care. This helps to build these positive relationships.

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improvement to be good

The children are following the progress of one member of staff who is travelling (with a teddy bear from the home) around Australia. She sends the children regular photos and updates. Australian flags have been put up in the dining room and the children have books about Australia to read. This helps the children to understand that the member of staff will be returning. It also develops their curiosity and knowledge about the world around them.

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improvement to be good

Both children attend a school that is a distance from the home. The registered manager has been proactive in working with the school to ensure that the children are not leaving the home too early each morning. Consequently, the additional travel is not currently impacting on their school lives or on their educational progress.

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improvement to be good

Symbols and pictures are used to communicate with one child who is non-verbal. All staff carry these with them and they are also displayed throughout the home. This helps staff to gain a better understanding of the child’s views and feelings. It ensures that the child’s wishes and feelings are understood and that he is able to make choices about his day-to-day life.

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improvement to be good

The home environment is warm and welcoming. The children’s bedrooms reflect their interests and personalities. One child, who has additional and complex needs, has his own bathroom, which gives him the opportunity to spend time each evening in the bath relaxing and having fun. Inspection report for children’s home: 2718813 5

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improvement to be good

The quality of children’s plans and assessments has improved. Staff now have clear and comprehensive written information to use to inform their care of the children.

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improvement to be good

There is a detailed protocol in place to support staff to provide personal care for one non-verbal child. This helps to maintain the child’s dignity and provides additional safeguards for him and for staff.

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improvement to be good

Staff have had additional training to develop their understanding of one child’s complex learning and physical needs. This has included specialist face-to-face training, as well as online learning and information provided to the team by the registered manager. The staff team now has access to a resource file that provides them with written information about the child’s needs. These needs are regularly discussed in team meetings and one-to-one supervision meetings.

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improvement to be good

The progress made in relation to children’s written records, and staff skills and training, is still in its infancy. Time is needed to embed these changes and to evidence that they are integral to the longer-term practice of the home.

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improvement to be good

Staff do not have written, signed, delegated authority from the children’s placing authority. As a result, they do not have the appropriate written authority to ensure that their decision-making is in line with their agreed responsibilities.

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improvement to be good

Staff provide children with caring and consistent responses that encourage positive behaviours. There have not been any incidents of staff needing to hold children to keep them safe. Consequences as a response to negative behaviours are rare. When these have been used, their effectiveness is evaluated by the registered manager. The manager also advises staff on alternative strategies to use. However, the provider’s electronic recording system does not clearly record when staff have completed their written records. This reduces accountability for recording and limits management oversight.

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good

Leaders and managers have responded positively to address the shortfalls identified at the previous inspection and monitoring visit. Action has been taken to address the improvements required to ensure that children experience a good quality of care and make progress.

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good

Leaders and managers have changed the provider of their independent person visits to provide a greater challenge to practice in the home. The registered manager is committed to using this independent oversight to improve practice in the home.

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good

Staff say they enjoy working at the home and feel supported by the registered manager. Staff receive ongoing support to help them to care for the children. Team Inspection report for children’s home: 2718813 6 meetings are used to share detailed information about the children and to reflect on their progress.

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good

The quality of formal supervision is variable. Not all staff have frequent supervision as detailed in the provider’s supervision policy. New staff do not have additional formal supervision to ensure that they are developing their skills and knowledge. Supervision records are of poor quality and do not reflect that staff are receiving appropriate challenge or support. This limits opportunities for staff to reflect and learn and reduces management oversight of supervision practices in the home.

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good

The registered manager has developed positive working relationships with the children’s placing authority and their schools. This ensures that the children, who are living away from their home authority, continue to receive access to relevant services in their home area and are supported to maintain their identity in their local area.

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good

A case review took place following the inspection where it was determined that the compliance notices under regulation 12, the protection of children standard, and regulation 14, the care planning standard, had been met. The provider’s application to vary the conditions of registration to include children who may have learning difficulties was also considered and was granted.

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good

. Inspection report for children’s home: 2718813 7

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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 registered person must maintain records (“case records”) for each child which—

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Requirement Due date

include the information and documents listed in Schedule 3 in relation to each child;

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Requirement Due date

are signed and dated by the author of each entry. (Regulation 36 (1)(a)(b)(c))

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Requirement Due date

Specifically, the registered person must ensure that there is an up-to-date delegated authority agreement signed by a representative of the local authority with the authority to delegate these decisions. 31 October 2023

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Requirement Due date

The registered person must ensure that all employees—

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Requirement Due date

receive practice-related supervision by a person with appropriate experience. (Regulation 33 (4))(b))

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Requirement Due date

Specifically, the registered person must ensure that supervision is undertaken with the frequency detailed in the provider’s supervision policy; the quality and duration of supervision supports staff to undertake their role to a high standard; and that supervision records are well maintained. 31 October 2023

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Recommendation

 The registered person should ensure that records of any consequences used for negative behaviours, and the registered manager’s evaluation of any measures used, include the date the record was completed. (‘Guide to Children’s Homes Regulations, including the quality standards,’ page 62, paragraph 14.3)

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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 Inspection report for children’s home: 2718813 8 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: 2718813 9

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Children’s home details

Registered provider: Acorns to Oaks Children’s Care & Support Limited

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Children’s home details

Registered provider address: Suite 3, 125–129 Witton Street, Northwich CW9 5DY

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Inspector

Dawn Parton, Social Care Inspector Inspection report for children’s home: 2718813 10 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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