Children's home run by Onextra Care Limited

Inspection report for children’s home: 2616383 1 Registered provider: Onextra Care Limited Full inspection Inspected under the social care common inspection framework

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Information about this children’s home

A private provider operates this children’s home. The home is registered to provide care for two children with emotional or social difficulties. Two children were living in the home at the time of the inspection.

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Information about this children’s home

The manager registered with Ofsted in February 2021.

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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: 2616383 2

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Inspection date Inspection type Inspection judgement

20/07/2022 Full Good 01/12/2021 Full Good Inspection report for children’s home: 2616383 3

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

The home is warm and welcoming and feels very much like a family home. This helps children to feel comfortable. Children say that they like their home and the staff, and they feel cared for and safe.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Staff offer children a variety of activities. Children take part in a range of activities in the community. They enjoy activities that interest them, such as boxing and cricket. Staff encourage children to attend the gym. This means that children expand their life experiences and form happy childhood memories.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Children attend school. Staff also provide educational activities during school time when needed. Staff are creative in finding educational activities that suit the children’s likes and interests. Children are encouraged and supported to enjoy learning.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Staff support children to see their families in line with care plans. Family members are welcomed to the home, and staff take children to see their family members. Family time is important for children’s identity and sense of belonging.

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

There have been some incidents of children going missing from home. Each child has an individual missing-from-home plan. The plans help staff to know how to respond when they are worried about a child’s whereabouts. Staff follow these risk assessments and search for children. Children have not gone missing from this home for several months.

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

Staff manage children’s behaviour through rewards and incentives. Staff have never used physical intervention to control children’s behaviour. Staff support children to learn how to manage their emotions and behaviours. This will support them to integrate well into society.

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

Staff recruitment procedures are thorough. This means that the provider employs adults who are safe to work with vulnerable children. However, the recruitment of new staff does not effectively consider staff training, qualifications or experience.

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

Each child has an individual risk assessment. Some staff have not signed the documents when the risk assessments have been reviewed. This means that not all staff may have an up-to-date knowledge of the children’s risks. Inspection report for children’s home: 2616383 4

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

Staff describe the manager as an approachable leader. She has a positive relationship with both staff and children. The manager is working creatively to ensure that staff feel valued, supporting them to remain in their role.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

Supervision is regular and of good quality. It provides an opportunity for staff to reflect on their work with the children. Staff have annual appraisals, and children contribute to these appraisals. This supports staff development to ensure positive care for the children.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

Staff have regular team meetings. This enables staff to discuss their plans and ambition for the children. There is also a thorough handover of information when staff change shift. This ensures that care practice is consistent and boundaries are clear. This means that children feel secure.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

Some staff had not received all the training necessary to be working alone with children. During the inspection, the manager made some changes in staffing. This was to ensure only staff with relevant training provided care for children.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

The manager’s monitoring of the service is thorough. There is a regular peer audit of the home. This helps to support the manager in her critical evaluation of the home.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

The home’s statement of purpose is not accurate. Staff do not have all of the training outlined in the statement of purpose. This may lead to children coming to live at the home whose needs the staff could not meet. Inspection report for children’s home: 2616383 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, 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 recruit staff using recruitment procedures that are designed to ensure children’s safety.

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Requirement Due date

employ an individual to work at the children’s home;

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Requirement Due date

or if an individual is employed by a person other than the registered person to work at the home in a position in which the individual may have regular contact with children, allow that individual to work at the home if the individual satisfies the requirements in paragraph (3).

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Requirement Due date

the individual is of integrity and good character;

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Requirement Due date

the individual has the appropriate experience, qualification and skills for the work that the individual is to perform;

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Requirement Due date

the individual is mentally and physically fit for the purposes of the work that the individual is to perform;

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Requirement Due date

and full and satisfactory information is available in relation to the individual in respect of each of the matters. (Regulation 32 (1) (2)(a)(b) (3)(a)(b)(c)(d))

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Requirement Due date

In particular, ensure that staff are properly equipped with the knowledge and skills that will support them to meet the needs of the children in the home. 3 November 2023

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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—

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Requirement Due date

that staff— 3 November 2023 Inspection report for children’s home: 2616383 6 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;

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Requirement Due date

understand the roles and responsibilities in relation to protecting children that are assigned to them by the registered person;

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Requirement Due date

are familiar with, and act in accordance with, the home’s child protection policies;

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Requirement Due date

that the home’s day-to-day care is arranged and delivered so as to keep each child safe and to protect each child effectively from harm. (Regulation 12 (1) (2)(a)(i)(v)(vii)(b))

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Requirement Due date

In particular, ensure that staff are fully aware of each child’s risks and any changes to their risk assessments.

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Recommendation

 The registered person should ensure that the home’s statement of purpose accurately describes the services that the staff group are trained to provide. (Guide to the Children’s Homes regulations, including the quality standards.’ paragraph 3.6 page 15)

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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: 2616383 7

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Children’s home details

Registered provider address: 443 Houldsworth Business & Arts Centre, Houldsworth Street, Stockport SK5 6DA

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Inspector

Cathy Wilkins, Social Care Inspector Inspection report for children’s home: 2616383 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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