Children's Home run by Oaktree Childcare Limited in Blackpool

Inspection report for children’s home 1277158 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

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

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Information about this children’s home

Two children have lived in the home in the inspection period. One child is currently living at the home.

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Information about this children’s home

The registered manager has been in post since 13 March 2023.

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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

Date of last inspection: 13 September 2022

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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 1277158 2

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Inspection date Inspection type Inspection judgement

13/09/2022 Full Good 28/03/2022 Interim Declined in effectiveness 17/11/2021 Full Requires improvement to be good 05/12/2019 Full Good Inspection report for children’s home 1277158 3

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

The child has positive relationships with the staff who care for them. However, there has been high staff turnover, which has impacted on the child’s ability to build sustained relationships with all staff. Staff try hard to build their relationships with the child and show interest in their hobbies, such as clothing and cosmetics.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

The home is well decorated and homely. Staff helped the child to personalise their bedroom. There are photos displayed around the house of the child engaging in activities and of the people who are important to the child. The child was involved in choosing decorations and decorating the home for Christmas.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Staff have positive relationships with the child’s family, including those who are far away or travelling abroad for extended periods. Staff transport the child to see their family and ensure that technology is available for the child to speak to those who are travelling. Staff promote the child’s relationships with their friends and make arrangements with their families and carers to ensure that they can remain in touch with their friends.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

The child has a school place and is making academic progress. When the child did not have a suitable school place, staff advocated for them and liaised with education professionals to ensure that one was identified without delay. Staff take the child to and from school, which helps the child to have high attendance levels. Staff liaise regularly with school staff and attend meetings to ensure that the child is consistently supported in their education. Staff helped the child to get a voluntary work placement, in line with their interests. They support the child to maintain this placement by taking them to and from the placement at a local kennels.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

The child is in good health. Staff encourage the child to attend their health assessment and routine appointments. Staff ensure that any actions in relation to the child’s health are met promptly. When the child is reluctant to attend appointments, staff encourage and incentivise them to do so. This has resulted in the child, who had a previous phobia of the dentist, regularly attending dental and orthodontic appointments.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

The child is encouraged to express their identity. Staff have facilitated the child’s attendance at local community groups and supported the friendships that they have formed there. Staff support the child to purchase the clothing and cosmetics that they wish to wear, and make appointments at salons for the child. The child feels comfortable to express themselves both in and out of the home.

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

Staff know the risks to the child. Risk assessments are clear, regularly updated and clearly understood by staff. The child’s risks have reduced throughout their time Inspection report for children’s home 1277158 4 living in the home. The deprivation of liberty order in place lapsed and was not reapplied for as a result of the progress that the child had made. Staff do not call the police to manage behaviour.

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

The child does not go missing from home. Staff know what to do should the child go missing from the home. The manager discusses missing-from-home plans in team meetings. Staff complete quizzes and mock reports. This ensures that staff knowledge and skills remain current.

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

Children are rarely held by staff. On the one occasion that a child was held, this was to prevent harm to the child and a staff member. The hold was proportionate to the risk to the child. Staff reflected with the child after the hold to ensure that they understood the reason for it, and their views were gained. The manager reflected with the staff involved to consider their practice. Staff are all trained in physical intervention so that they can hold children safely in the event that this is necessary.

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

Consequences for the child are restorative. Staff ensure that consequences are fair and proportionate and linked to the child’s behaviour. For example, the child is expected to research the costs of any items damaged and then go with staff to buy them. Staff recognise positive behaviour and ensure that it is rewarded with verbal praise and the provision of treats that are individual to the child’s tastes and interests.

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

Staff take the child’s concerns seriously. Allegations are reported to the relevant professionals and agencies, investigated thoroughly, and recorded in detail. The manager makes the child aware of the result of any concerns. The child feels comfortable expressing any concerns to the manager and believes that they will act on them.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

The manager has an excellent relationship with the child. The child identifies the manager as someone who they trust. The child seeks the manager out to share their views and ask questions. The manager knows the child’s personality, history and interests well.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

The manager seeks the views of the child regularly. The manager ensures that the child has the opportunity to share their views on the home environment and the care they receive, as well as make choices about their schedules and activities. The manager values the child’s wishes and acts on them. As a result, the child has developed a sense of permanence and belonging in the home.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

There has been a significant number of staff changes. The manager has thoroughly investigated any concerns about staff and used disciplinary processes when required. The manager and the responsible individual have ensured that the recruitment process is thorough and tests prospective staff’s knowledge and values. Inspection report for children’s home 1277158 5 The manager has a good understanding of the development needs of the staff team. The induction process includes a workbook that ensures that staff demonstrate the required knowledge as they progress through it. The manager holds a team meeting every fortnight and chooses a development topic to work on with the staff. The manager delivers presentations and quizzes, and uses scenarios for staff to complete mock reports on during the team meetings.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

The manager supports the staff. Staff say that the manager is approachable and available to them. The manager holds supervisions regularly and new staff have them at an increased frequency. Appraisals are timely and reflect on practice and staff development.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

All staff are provided with the knowledge to provide good care to the child who they look after. The staff team has completed their mandatory training. The manager has identified and provided additional training to help staff to meet the specific needs of the child, such as training on attention deficit hyperactivity disorder, oppositional defiance disorder, and LGBTQ+ issues.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

An independent visitor visits the home monthly. However, a visit was missed in July 2023 during a transition period between visitors. This means that an opportunity for the independent review of staff practice and the experiences of the child was missed. A requirement has been made in relation to this. Inspection report for children’s home 1277158 6

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Statutory requirement

This section sets out the actions that the registered person 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 ensure that an independent person visits the children’s home at least once each month. (Regulation 44 (1)) 19 January 2024

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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 1277158 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

Sarah Huntbatch, Social Care Inspector Inspection report for children’s home 1277158 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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