Children's Home run by Oaktree Childcare Limited in Lancashire

Assurance inspection report for children's home for 2651794 1 Registered provider: Oaktree Childcare Limited

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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.

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Information about this children’s home

It is registered to provide care for up to three children with social and emotional difficulties. Two children are currently living in the home.

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Information about this children’s home

There has been no registered manager since 19 October 2023. An acting manager is in post and has submitted their application to register with Ofsted.

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Inspection date: 22 March 2024

Date of last inspection: 29 November 2023

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Inspection date: 22 March 2024

Judgement at last inspection: requires improvement to be good

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Inspection date: 22 March 2024

Enforcement action since last inspection: none

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Information about this inspection

At this inspection, the inspector evaluated:

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Information about this inspection

 the care of children  the safety of children  the effectiveness of leaders and managers. The inspector has looked closely at the experiences and progress of children, using the social care common inspection framework. This assurance 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’. Assurance inspection report for children's home for 2651794 2

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Findings from the inspection

We identified the following serious concerns in relation to the care or protection of children at this assurance inspection:

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Findings from the inspection

 Safety plans were not implemented in a timely way to emerging risk.  Staff did not adhere to the safety plan when it was implemented.  The manager did not identify the shortfalls in staff practice.  Information was not shared, or not shared in a timely way, with relevant professionals and agencies.

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Findings from the inspection

Not all staff are familiar with the children and their routines. There have been several changes to the staff team, and staff from other homes in the organisation work in the home to cover shortages. Children have not experienced continuity of care.

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Findings from the inspection

Children have positive experiences moving into the home. The manager assesses all the relevant needs of a child when considering whether they can be met. Children meet staff and visit the home before they move in.

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Findings from the inspection

The home is well maintained. Staff help children to personalise their bedrooms in line with their interests and tastes. Communal areas contain children’s artwork and photos of people that are important to them. Children have ownership of their space and are comfortable in the home.

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Findings from the inspection

The risks to the children are known and understood. Risk assessments are regularly updated and contain clear strategies for staff to use. However, the manager did not immediately implement a safety plan in relation to emerging risks impacting both children in the home. When a safety plan was implemented, it was not fully followed by staff.

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Findings from the inspection

The manager has not ensured that relevant agencies and professionals have been notified of serious incidents without delay. Therefore, children have lacked external oversight of their plans and care.

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Findings from the inspection

Children have individual missing-from-home plans. When children go missing from home, the individual plans are followed by staff. Staff make every effort to locate children quickly. The manager updates the plans using learning from previous missing-from-home episodes. This ensures that the plans contain current and relevant information for staff to use.

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Findings from the inspection

Staff undertake room searches where there is a safeguarding reason to do so. Staff inform children of their intentions and ask them to be present. Staff ensure that children’s bedrooms are safe and maintain their privacy and dignity. Assurance inspection report for children's home for 2651794 3 Not all children are attending an educational provision. One child has now started at a mainstream provision, and staff have identified a suitable provision for another. Staff ensure that children have routine and structure to their days, to prepare them for attendance in education.

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Findings from the inspection

Children’s physical health needs are known and met. Staff have knowledge of children’s specialist health needs and how these impact their daily lives. Children’s emotional health needs are not always met. Staff did not seek the views of a child in response to a significant incident or offer emotional support.

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Findings from the inspection

The manager does not have a copy of the placing authority’s plan for all children in the home. Therefore, it is unclear whether the home is meeting the aims of these plans.

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Findings from the inspection

Staff complete mandatory training. There is one staff member who has not completed their qualification within the required time frame. The manager has a plan to support staff to complete their diploma.

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Findings from the inspection

An independent person visits the home monthly. The independent person has not spoken to any of the children’s families since the home opened.

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Findings from the inspection

The manager failed to identify when staff did not adhere to safety plans for the children. The safety of children was compromised, and practice shortfalls were not addressed by the manager.

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Findings from the inspection

The manager has not addressed all requirements made at the last inspection. Assurance inspection report for children's home for 2651794 4

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Inspection date Inspection type Inspection judgement

29/11/2023 Full Requires improvement to be good Assurance inspection report for children's home for 2651794 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 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

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

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Requirement Due date

take effective action whenever there is a serious concern about a child’s welfare. (Regulation 12 (1) (2)(a)(v)(vi))

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Requirement Due date

Specifically, ensure that staff understand and adhere to any safety plans implemented to protect the children in their care. 2 May 2024

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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

use monitoring and review systems to make continuous improvements in the quality of care provided in the home. (Regulation 13 (1)(a)(b) (2)(h))

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Requirement Due date

Specifically, ensure that the manager’s oversight identifies shortfalls in staffing or practice and addresses them. This is restated from the last inspection. 2 May 2024 Assurance inspection report for children's home for 2651794 6 The quality and purpose of care standard is that children receive care from staff who—

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Requirement Due date

understand the children's home's overall aims and the outcomes it seeks to achieve for children;

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Requirement Due date

use this understanding to deliver care that meets children's needs and supports them to fulfil their potential.

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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

provide personalised care that meets each child's needs, as recorded in the child's relevant plans, taking account of the child's background. (Regulation 6(1)(a)(b)(2)(b)(iv))

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Requirement Due date

In particular, that staff should offer children the opportunity to express their feelings and provide emotional support when this is required. 28 March 2024

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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

a child is involved in or subject to, or is suspected of being involved in or subject to, sexual exploitation;

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Requirement Due date

an incident requiring police involvement occurs in relation to a child which the registered person considers to be serious;

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Requirement Due date

there is an allegation of abuse against the home or a person working there;

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Requirement Due date

a child protection enquiry involving a child—

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Requirement Due date

concludes (in which case, the notification must include the outcome of the child protection enquiry); or

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Requirement Due date

there is any other incident relating to a child which the registered person considers to be serious. (Regulation 40 (4)(a)(b)(c)(d)(i)(ii)(e)) 2 May 2024

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Requirement Due date

The registered person must maintain records ("case records") for each child which— 11 April 2024 Assurance inspection report for children's home for 2651794 7 include the information and documents listed in Schedule 3 in relation to each child. (Regulation 36 (1)(a))

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Requirement Due date

Specifically, ensure that there is a copy of any plan for the care of the child prepared by the child’s placing authority.

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Requirement Due date

This is restated from the last inspection.

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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; or

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Requirement Due date

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; and

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Requirement Due date

full and satisfactory information is available in relation to the individual in respect of each of the matters in Schedule 2.

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Requirement Due date

For the purposes of paragraph (3)(b), an individual who works in the home in a care role has the appropriate qualification if, by the relevant date, the individual has attained—

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Requirement Due date

the Level 3 Diploma for Residential Childcare (England) ("the Level 3 Diploma"); or

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Requirement Due date

a qualification which the registered person considers to be equivalent to the Level 3 Diploma.

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Requirement Due date

The relevant date is— 2 May 2024 Assurance inspection report for children's home for 2651794 8 in the case of an individual who starts working in a care role in a home after 1st April 2014, the date which falls 2 years after the date on which the individual started working in a care role in a home; or

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Requirement Due date

in the case of an individual who was working in a care role in a home on 1st April 2014, 1st April 2016. (Regulation 32 (1) (2)(a)(b) (3)(a)(b)(c)(d) (4)(a)(b) (5)(a)(b))

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Requirement Due date

This is restated from the last inspection.

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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.

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Requirement Due date

When the independent person is carrying out a visit, the registered person must help the independent person—

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Requirement Due date

if they consent, to interview in private such of the children, their parents, relatives and persons working at the home as the independent person requires. (Regulation 44 (1) (2)(a)) 13 June 2024 Assurance inspection report for children's home for 2651794 9

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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 Assurance inspection report for children's home for 2651794 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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