Children's Home run by Omega Care Group Limited in Knowsley

Inspection report for children’s home: 2741688 1 Registered provider: Omega Care Group 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 and offers care for up to two children who may experience social and emotional difficulties.

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Information about this children’s home

The home’s statement of purpose says that they provide a stable, secure and non- institutionalised environment which promotes a positive living experience for children and promotes their well-being.

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Information about this children’s home

The manager registered with Ofsted in August 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: not previously inspected

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good

Overall judgement at last inspection: not previously inspected

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good

Enforcement action since last inspection: not applicable Inspection report for children’s home: 2741688 2

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

At the time of this inspection, two children were living at the home.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Children are welcomed into the home after a period of introductions to the staff and their new environment. Children’s experiences of moving into the home are positive, as the manager carefully considers information about children before they move in. This helps children settle into their new home.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Children make progress from their starting points. The two children living in the home are supported by a staff team that has remained stable. Staff know the children very well. Consequently, the children have developed a good sense of belonging and have formed trusting and positive relationships.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

The inspector observed warm and loving interactions between the children and the staff. Both the children contributed to the inspection, and they spoke highly of their experiences of living in the home; the activities that they take part in and what is fun about living in the home. One child said, ‘They [staff] respect me and I respect them.’

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

The manager has advocated for children to access education placements and receive additional tutoring to support their educational needs. However, when the children refuse to go to school, there is no plan in place to support staff to address this. This means that sometimes children are not supported to engage in learning and they are not provided with appropriate structure and routines. This has the potential to hamper the children’s engagement with education and progress.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Staff help children to spend time with people who are important to them. Staff understand that relationships may be complex. Staff help to strengthen family relationships and this has resulted in children spending more time with family members.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Staff support children to develop hobbies and interests. They encourage children to take part in a wide range of activities. These include helping with fundraising for charities, playing badminton and visits to local animal farms. Staff keep photos of all of these activities and experiences, enabling children to reflect on their memories in the future.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

The home environment is well decorated, warm and welcoming. Children’s bedrooms are decorated to reflect their individual interests. This gives children a secure base and a sense of stability and belonging. Inspection report for children’s home: 2741688 3

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

Children told the inspector that they feel safe living in the home. The children can identify staff who they can confide in and who take their concerns seriously.

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

Staff have the skills, knowledge and understanding to help children and keep them safe. Their practice is supported by comprehensive written information about children from their placing local authorities, as well as internal placement plans and risk management plans.

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

Structured and personalised responses by staff mean that children’s behaviours are managed well and that there is no need for staff to physically hold children. Children are gradually learning how to manage their anxieties and worries.

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

Staff know the children well, and as a result, there are few incidents in the home. Plans provide staff with the information that they need to care for the children and meet their needs.

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

The children’s risk-taking behaviours of self-injury and going missing from care have reduced significantly. This is due to staff being consistent; developing positive relationships and helping children understand how to keep safe. This includes completing work with the children on self-injurious behaviours, online safety and managing their emotions.

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

Staff support children during times of crisis. They use approved strategies to help children understand their feelings and regulate their strong emotions. For example, for one child, if they are feeling low, they can alert the staff to their low mood by switching on their LED lighting in their bedroom to a specific agreed colour.

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

Staff are focused on encouraging positive behaviour. Rewards are used when children have made significant progress, such as good school attendance, receiving good grades and developing independent living skills. Children are encouraged by staff to develop through set and agreed targets which children receive praise for achieving.

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

The manager and staff are strong advocates for children. External professionals report that children’s risks have reduced because of the high level of care, support and attention they receive.

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

There are good systems to ensure that the administration and storage of medicine are safely carried out.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

The registered manager has extensive experience in working with children in residential care. Staff feel supported by the manager and speak highly of his leadership. He is passionate and shows commitment to the professional development of the team. Inspection report for children’s home: 2741688 4 Monitoring takes place and is well documented and evidences the oversight the registered manager has of the home. He recognises the need for the team to continue to develop and provides frequent and reflective supervision. There is a focus on children and how to meet their needs, as well as on the training and support needs of staff.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

Staff are provided with a wide range of training that is specific and relevant to the children’s needs. Additionally, managers ensure that team meetings are informative, reflective and child focused.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

Managers and staff maintain good working relationships with children’s families and professionals. During the inspection, professionals spoken to by inspectors were positive about the quality of care provided to children. They told the inspector that the communication from managers and staff was excellent. They were happy with the progress children have made since coming to live in the home.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

Internal and external monitoring systems are used to review progress. This oversight ensures that ongoing improvements are made. However, some rosters of staff working patterns, reviewed by the inspector, did not identify the full names of staff. This fails to provide an accurate record of staff working with children. These shortfalls did not impact on the care or outcomes for the children. Inspection report for children’s home: 2741688 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 education standard is that children make measurable progress towards achieving their educational potential and are helped to do so.

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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

maintain regular contact with each child’s education and training provider, including engaging with the provider and the placing authority to support the child’s education and training and to maximise the child’s achievement;

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Requirement Due date

help a child who is excluded from school, or who is of compulsory school age but not attending school, to access educational and training support throughout the period of exclusion or non-attendance and to return to school as soon as possible. (Regulation 8 (1) (2)(a)(vi)(viii))

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Requirement Due date

In particular, the registered person must ensure that for children who are temporarily out of education or refusing education, that they engage in constructive activities during the school day. 30 April 2024

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Requirement Due date

Schedule 4 sets out the other information that the registered person must keep in relation to a children’s home.

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Requirement Due date

Maintain in the home the records in Schedule 4. (Regulation 37(1) (2)(a))

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Requirement Due date

In particular, keep an accurate record of those who are working in the home. 30 April 2024 Inspection report for children’s home: 2741688 6

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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: 2741688 7

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Children’s home details

Registered provider: Omega Care Group Limited

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Children’s home details

Registered provider address: 40–42 Kemble Street, Prescot L34 5SQ

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Inspector

Elaine Allison, Social Care Inspector Inspection report for children’s home: 2741688 8 regulates and inspects 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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