Children's home run by Oracle Care Limited in Central Bedfordshire

Inspection report for children’s home: SC378464 1 SC378464 Registered provider: Oracle Care Limited Full inspection Inspected under the social care common inspection framework

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Information about this children’s home

This home is privately owned and provides care and support for up to three children who may have experienced childhood trauma. Children may experience social and emotional difficulties or have learning disabilities.

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Information about this children’s home

The manager registered with Ofsted on 23 November 2022.

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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: 11 September 2023

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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: SC378464 2

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Inspection date Inspection type Inspection judgement

11/09/2023 Full Good 06/07/2022 Full Good 10/11/2021 Full Good 21/11/2019 Interim Sustained effectiveness Inspection report for children’s home: SC378464 3

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Since the last inspection, two children have moved into the home and no children have moved out of the home. At the time of this inspection, three children were living at the home.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Positive, warm and nurturing interactions were observed between the children and staff throughout the inspection. The children appear very comfortable in the company of the team of staff and have built trusting relationships with them. Children said they can talk to staff if they are worried or upset.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Staff understand the barriers to education and support children to minimise the effect of these. As a result, children are making progress in education from their starting points. The manager and staff work closely with schools to support children with their individual learning needs and attendance. Staff also support and encourage children to engage in informal learning and develop their independence skills.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Staff have a good understanding of children’s health needs. They work closely with external agencies to support children with health concerns.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

The children benefit from a home that is spacious and feels like a family home. The home is clean and tidy. The home has recently had a new kitchen fitted, new carpets and a new sofa in the living room. Children’s bedrooms are personalised to reflect their tastes and preferences.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

The staff work hard to ensure that the time children spend with their families is meaningful. This helps children to maintain links with those who are important to them. The children have a wide range of opportunities to try new activities and experiences. Children engage in enjoyable and enriching experiences.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Feedback from professionals is positive. When asked about the quality of care provided to children, one social worker said, ‘I am seldomly as impressed as I am with this home, I can’t praise them enough.’ Another professional said, ‘I think the staff adapt to children’s needs extremely well, they have been absolutely brilliant.’

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

Staff keep children safe and take action to ensure that they are protected. The children have formed meaningful and trusting relationships with the staff.

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

Staff have completed the organisation’s mandatory safeguarding training. They are confident in their roles of reporting and escalating any child protection concerns and they understand the whistle-blowing policy. Inspection report for children’s home: SC378464 4 Staff have a good understanding of the risks children experience. They are sensitive in how they approach and support children to identify and understand the risks posed to them. External professionals said they are happy with how children are safeguarded. The children also said that they feel safe at the home.

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

There have been some incidents where staff have used physical intervention techniques. This use has been appropriate, proportionate and necessary. Children and staff are spoken to following such incidents. However, on some occasions, there have been delays in staff being debriefed following the use of physical intervention techniques.

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

There have been no complaints or allegations against staff at the home. There has been a significant reduction in missing-from-care incidents. When these incidents occur, staff work effectively with external professionals to keep children safe.

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

The children’s guide is well structured. It contains compliments from children who previously lived in the home, which gives children a sense of what it is like living in the home. The guide also contains information to help children understand who to speak to if they are worried or if they need support outside of the home.

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

There are good safe recruitment procedures in place. Staff are assessed as suitable before an appointment is confirmed. This reduces the potential for the children to be cared for by unsuitable adults.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

The registered manager holds a relevant level 5 diploma. The manager has high expectations of the staff team, is ambitious for children and has a good understanding of their needs.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

Effective management systems are in place. The manager works closely with and is supported by the responsible individual. This provides an extra layer of management oversight of the home and support for the children and staff team. Records are of a good standard and provide information on the care provided. Regular audits take place, with actions to address any shortfalls or learning.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

The staff receive a wide range of training, which includes therapeutic training. The deputy manager is working towards a level 5 diploma. Some staff hold a relevant level 3 qualification, and others are working towards attaining their qualification.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

On one occasion, following an incident, staff recorded actions designed to safeguard a child as a punitive consequence. This could be confusing for the child should they wish to access their care records in the future.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

Staff are happy and fulfilled in their roles. They benefit from annual performance appraisals. Most staff receive regular one-to-one supervision. However, new staff have not always received this. Consequently, some staff are missing this regular support at a crucial time in their development. Inspection report for children’s home: SC378464 5 Feedback from staff is positive. Staff said that the managers are very supportive. Staff said they would not change anything about the home.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

Feedback from professionals is very positive. One social worker said that the manager leads by example and is a strong advocate for children. Another social worker said that communication from the manager is very good and that they have a good working relationship with the manager and the staff at the home. Inspection report for children’s home: SC378464 6

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Recommendations

 The registered person should ensure that all incidents of control, discipline and restraint are subject to systems of regular scrutiny to ensure that their use is fair. In particular, the registered person should ensure that staff receive a debrief within 48 hours of any incidents that involve the use of physical intervention techniques. (‘Guide to the Children’s Homes Regulations, including the quality standards’, page 46, paragraph 9.36)  The registered person should ensure that they have systems in place so that all staff, including the manager, receive supervision of their practice from an appropriately qualified and experienced professional which allows them to reflect on their practice and the needs of the children assigned to their care. In particular, ensure that all staff receive formal supervision. (‘Guide to the Children’s Homes Regulations, including the quality standards’, page 61, paragraph 13.2)

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Recommendations

 The registered person should ensure that staff are familiar with the home’s policies on record-keeping and understand the importance of careful, objective and clear recording. Staff should record information about individual children in a non- stigmatising way. In particular, ensure that consequences issued to children are written in a non-punitive manner. (‘Guide to the Children’s Homes Regulations, including the quality standards’, page 62, paragraph 14.4)

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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: SC378464 7

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Children’s home details

Registered provider: Oracle Care Limited

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Children’s home details

Registered provider address: Suites 1 and 5, Riverside Business Centre, Foundry Lane, Milford, Belper, Derbyshire DE56 0RN

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Children’s home details

Responsible individual: Chelsea Lightfoot

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Inspector

Anver Rose, Social Care Inspector Inspection report for children’s home: SC378464 8 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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