Children's home run by Oxfordshire County Council

Inspection report for children’s home: SC033896 1 SC033896 Registered provider: Oxfordshire County Council Full inspection Inspected under the social care common inspection framework

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Information about this children’s home

This local authority children’s home is registered to provide care for up to six children who may have emotional and social difficulties. At the time of the inspection, there were two children living in the home.

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Information about this children’s home

The manager of the home registered with Ofsted in April 2020.

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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: SC033896 2

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Inspection date Inspection type Inspection judgement

10/05/2023 Full Good 11/04/2022 Full Good 16/08/2021 Full Good 26/11/2019 Full Requires improvement to be good Inspection report for children’s home: SC033896 3

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Children have trusting and positive relationships with staff who know them well. One child said, ‘Staff are grand, and the best thing about them is how well they get on with the children. Since being in the home they have taught me to smile more, and my biggest achievement is my self-control.’

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Staff make children feel welcome when they arrive at the home. Children’s needs are carefully assessed and the relationships that staff build with children are strong, supportive and helpful. A number of children have been to stay at the home for short periods of time. Although these children moved on in a positive way and in accordance with their agreed care plans, this has had some impact on the feeling of stability for those children living long term in the home.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

The children enjoy living at the home. They value their relationships with the staff, who model kindness and acceptance. This leads to a relaxed atmosphere where the children turn to the staff for support. Consequently, children learn about the impact that their behaviours may have on themselves and others. One social worker said, ‘Staff know [name of child] really well, their complex needs and presentation are better understood, and their missing episodes are starting to decrease. [Name of child] feels comfortable to talk openly with staff about their feelings.’

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Children are supported to engage in education. One child is currently sitting exams and is being supported by staff to prepare for these. Another child has a bespoke education plan and engages in education activities in the home and external learning sessions.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Children’s views are sought frequently, and staff listen to them. Children can choose meals and activities and have a say about how the home is decorated. For example, one room is being changed into a music room due to children’s choice. This gives children a sense of belonging.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

The home is large and spacious, and children have a range of activities in the home, such as pool, table tennis and football tables. Children say that they like their bedrooms and can personalise them if they wish. However, some areas of the home require tidying, refreshing and repairing. For example, walls need repainting, and some walls and doors are damaged.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Children are encouraged to develop personal interests, for example basketball and music, that support them to lead healthy lifestyles and build improved emotional well- being. Staff understand how past experiences can impact on children’s development. They use this understanding to sensitively support children to develop independence to prepare them for their future.

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

Inspection report for children’s home: SC033896 4 Staff are attuned and responsive to the risks that are present for children individually, and as a group. Individual risk management plans are used to inform practice in the home. Staff support children through regular key-work sessions, to help them understand the risks associated with going missing and to help them make safer choices. The content and timing of these conversations are carefully considered to encourage children to talk as openly as possible.

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

Staff are proactive in responding to children who go missing from the home and work with appropriate professionals to ensure the children’s safety. For example, for one child, the provider is working closely with an external professional who provides additional support in relation to being at risk of exploitation. There are some indications that these changes are having a positive impact and helping this child to be safer.

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

Working closely with other professionals is given high priority by managers. Children say they feel safe in the home. Staff have a good understanding of safeguarding matters, and use this knowledge appropriately to identify concerns and to make decisions about how to keep children safe. Staff know and understand the processes for reporting safeguarding concerns and complaints, and respond well to children when they need support. Incidents are managed effectively. There is a transparent approach to managing concerns, and this demonstrates a culture of openness.

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

Good recruitment practices are in place. This ensures that only appropriately vetted individuals work at the home and provide care for children. Senior staff are aware of their responsibilities to ensure that effective health and safety processes are in place.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

The registered manager and staff are passionate about, and know the strengths and weaknesses of, the home. The manager’s six-monthly report on the home is very detailed and includes analysis and evaluation. This has been used to identify areas of development to improve the quality of care provided to children. For example, the manager has identified additional resources and training to help staff better support children who may go missing from the home and who are at risk of exploitation.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

Leaders and staff work in partnership with external professionals effectively. Feedback from children’s social workers is positive in relation to communication and partnership working. One social worker said, ‘When [name of child] moved into the home, he was so unsettled, he is a different child now through the hard work and commitment of the staff there. His needs are met to a very high standard, their communication is very good, and they attend all meetings.’

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

The home has experienced some challenges due to staff shortages. Staff feel that these have been managed well, with the support of senior managers and staff from the provider’s other homes coming to cover shifts consistently. This has helped mitigate Inspection report for children’s home: SC033896 5 against any negative impact from the changes in the workforce on the quality of care that the children receive.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

Children are cared for by skilled staff. Staff feel positive about the support provided by the registered manager and senior staff, who model good practice. This ensures that there is a shared ethos and that children are cared for in line with the home’s statement of purpose consistently.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

There are effective discussions in team meetings to understand children’s behaviours, past experiences and known risks. This helps to strengthen staff’s understanding and provides a safe forum for the team members to explore and develop their knowledge and relate it to their practice. However, not all staff are familiar with the home’s policies on record-keeping, and some records contain language that could be perceived as institutional.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

Staff receive a thorough induction and access training that is tailored to meet the specific needs of the children living in the home. This ensures a consistent response to children’s care. There is a real sense of teamwork, and there are strong working relationships between staff. They support each other to remain resilient during difficult times. This provides stability for the children. Inspection report for children’s home: SC033896 6

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Recommendations

 The registered person should ensure that decisions relating to new children moving into the home fully consider the child’s assessed needs as recorded in their relevant plans. These decisions are to include full consideration of the potential impact on the existing group of children already living in the home. (‘Guide to the Children’s Homes Regulations, including the quality standards’, page 56, paragraph 11.4)  The registered person should ensure that the home is a nurturing and supportive environment that meets the needs of children. This is in relation to redecoration and keeping the home cosy. (‘Guide to the Children’s Homes Regulations, including the quality standards’, page 15, paragraph 3.9)  The registered person should ensure that staff record information on individual children in a non-stigmatising way. In particular, ensure that child-centred language is consistently used in children’s records. (‘Guide to the Children’s Homes

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Recommendations

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: SC033896 7

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Children’s home details

Registered provider: Oxfordshire County Council

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Children’s home details

Registered provider address: Oxfordshire County Council, County Hall, New Road, Oxford OX1 1ND

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Inspector

Hannah Cox, Social Care Inspector Inspection report for children’s home: SC033896 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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