Children's Home run by Oaktree Childcare Limited in Blackpool

Assurance inspection report for children's home: 2706013 1 Registered provider: Oaktree Childcare Ltd

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Inspected under the social care common inspection framework

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Information about this children’s home

This children’s home is one of several owned and operated by a private company. The home can provide care for up to three children with social and emotional difficulties.

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Information about this children’s home

There were two children living in the home at the time of this inspection.

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Inspection date: 23 July 2024

Enforcement action since last inspection: none

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Information about this inspection

At this inspection, the inspectors evaluated:

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Information about this inspection

 the care of children  the safety of children  the effectiveness of leaders and managers. Inspectors have 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: 2706013 2

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Findings from the inspection

We did not identify any serious or widespread concerns in relation to the care or protection of children at this assurance inspection.

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Findings from the inspection

Since the last inspection, the home has experienced a period of uncertainty and disruption, with the manager and several staff leaving the organisation. This has caused anxieties for some children. However, a new management team has started working in the home and they plan to recruit new staff.

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Findings from the inspection

Children said that they generally like living in the home and have some adults caring for them that they can talk to. However, they were unhappy about the inconsistent staffing and constant changes to routines and boundaries, as this had led to confusion and upset. Staff confirmed that there had been lots of changes in the home. They said this has led to inconsistent care practices and a general feeling of ‘chaos’ in the home. However, the children and staff said that there is now a different atmosphere in the home since the new management team has been introduced.

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Findings from the inspection

Children have access to healthcare services, including dentists, when they need them. However, not all children are supported to maintain a healthy lifestyle and healthy eating is not consistently promoted. This is a missed opportunity to help children to develop the knowledge they will need to support them into adulthood.

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Findings from the inspection

Children have raised concerns about staff practice and made a complaint about staffing changes. However, previous managers have failed to record any concerns or take action to help children understand what has happened as a result of their complaint.

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Findings from the inspection

Safeguarding decisions have not been thoroughly explored or recorded. Previous managers have not recorded their rationale for decision-making in relation to safeguarding, complaints, room searches and consequences, to ensure that there is an accurate record of all action taken and to identify the additional support provided to children when they are at risk of harm. Leaders are reviewing safeguarding documentation to ensure that all agreed safeguarding actions have been carried out.

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Findings from the inspection

Medication records lack important information to demonstrate that medication is administered in line with each child’s prescription. When children refuse medication, records are unclear, and staff have not considered the impact refusal of medication can have on a child’s well-being. Leaders had identified some shortfalls in medication administration and had spoken to staff in a team meeting about a new system being implemented to improve practice. However, not all medication errors have been identified.

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Findings from the inspection

Previous managers have not ensured that children live in a supportive environment which provides appropriate boundaries for them regarding their behaviour. Some Assurance inspection report for children's home: 2706013 3 staff have not taken appropriate action to meet children’s basic needs in the way that a good parent would. This does not support children to understand that all staff care for them and value them as individuals.

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Findings from the inspection

Care plans and risk management plans do not focus on children’s safety and welfare and do not reflect children’s current risks and vulnerabilities or their lived experiences and progress. Terminology used in documents, that means that children may be at risk, lacks further scrutiny and language used is stigmatising and does not distinguish between fact and opinion. However, the new management team is taking action to address poor record-keeping and plans to review care records to ensure that they reflect children’s experiences and progress.

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Findings from the inspection

Areas of the home environment require redecoration and refurbishment. The home has two large offices on the ground floor, one with a whiteboard showing information about individual children. This information can be seen by children and visitors to the home and fails to maintain confidentiality.

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Findings from the inspection

Safer recruitment procedures are not adhered to. Gaps in employment history are not explored and some references were not available for review. Previous managers have not scrutinised or evaluated all the relevant information that is available to them. This does not ensure that only suitably vetted adults work with children. However, senior leaders took action to ensure that staff on the shift during inspection had relevant checks in place.

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Findings from the inspection

Staff rosters do not include a record of the actual hours that staff and managers work in the home. This information is contained in other records in the home but is not readily available for review.

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Findings from the inspection

The new management team has completed an analysis of the care provided to children and an audit to understand the immediate safeguarding concerns that require attention. Leaders have identified learning outcomes and started to take action to improve the service. Learning outcomes and actions have been shared with the staff team in a team meeting. This provided them with an opportunity to reflect on the identified concerns and understand how practices in the home need to change.

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Findings from the inspection

A member of the management team has met with each member of staff and carried out an individual supervision session. These had not been carried out previously. The sessions were used as an opportunity to reflect on care practices and professional development and reiterate the roles and responsibilities of each member of the team.

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Findings from the inspection

The independent visitor works for the organisation and is not solely employed to conduct quality assurance work. Shortfalls identified at this inspection had not been highlighted in the last independent report, to demonstrate that safeguarding had been carefully considered when reaching a decision that children living in the home were safe. However, senior leaders have identified a new independent visitor for the home. Assurance inspection report for children's home: 2706013 4

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Inspection date Inspection type Inspection judgement

16/04/2024 Full Good 12/04/2023 Full Good Assurance inspection report for children's home: 2706013 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 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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use this understanding to deliver care that meets children’s needs and supports them to fulfil their potential.

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In particular, the standard in paragraph (1) requires the registered person to—

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understand and apply the home’s statement of purpose; ensure that staff—

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understand and apply the home’s statement of purpose;

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Requirement Due date

protect and promote each child’s welfare;

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treat each child with dignity and respect;

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provide personalised care that meets each child’s needs, as recorded in the child’s relevant plans, taking account of the child’s background;

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help each child to understand and manage the impact of any experience of abuse or neglect;

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help each child to develop resilience and skills that prepare the child to return home, to live in a new placement or to live independently as an adult;

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ensure that the premises used for the purposes of the home are designed and furnished so as to—

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meet the needs of each child. (Regulation 6 (1)(a)(b) (2)(a)(b)(i)(ii)(iii)(iv)(vi)(c)(i)) 23 August 2024 Assurance inspection report for children's home: 2706013 6 The children’s views, wishes and feelings standard is that children receive care from staff who—

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Requirement Due date

develop positive relationships with them;

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Requirement Due date

take their views, wishes and feelings into account in relation to matters affecting the children’s care and welfare and their lives.

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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

ascertain and consider each child’s views, wishes and feelings, and balance these against what they judge to be in the child’s best interests when making decisions about the child’s care and welfare;

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Requirement Due date

help each child to express views, wishes and feelings;

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Requirement Due date

help each child to understand how the child’s views, wishes and feelings have been taken into account and give the child reasons for decisions in relation to the child;

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Requirement Due date

regularly consult children, and seek their feedback, about the quality of the home’s care;

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Requirement Due date

is enabled to provide feedback to, and raise issues with, a relevant person about the support and services that the child receives;

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Requirement Due date

has access to the home’s children’s guide, and the home’s complaints procedure, when the child’s placement in the home is agreed and throughout the child’s stay in the home; and is given appropriate advocacy support;

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Requirement Due date

keep the children’s guide and the home’s complaints procedure under review and seek children’s comments before revising either document. (Regulation 7 (1)(a)(b)(c) (2)(a)(i)(ii)(iii)(iv)(b)(i)(ii)(c)) 23 August 2024

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Requirement Due date

The health and well-being standard is that— 23 August 2024 Assurance inspection report for children's home: 2706013 7 the health and well-being needs of children are met;

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Requirement Due date

children receive advice, services and support in relation to their health and well-being;

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Requirement Due date

and children are helped to lead healthy lifestyles. (Regulation 10 (1)(a)(b)(c))

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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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assess whether each child is at risk of harm, taking into account information in the child’s relevant plans, and, if necessary, make arrangements to reduce the risk of any harm to the child;

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Requirement Due date

help each child to understand how to keep safe;

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Requirement Due date

have the skills to identify and act upon signs that a child is at risk of harm;

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

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take effective action whenever there is a serious concern about a child’s welfare; and

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are familiar with, and act in accordance with, the home’s child protection policies;

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that the home’s day-to-day care is arranged and delivered so as to keep each child safe and to protect each child effectively from harm;

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that the effectiveness of the home’s child protection policies is monitored regularly. (Regulation 12 (1) (2)(a)(i)(ii)(iii)(v)(vi)(vii)(b)(e)) 23 August 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— 23 August 2024 Assurance inspection report for children's home: 2706013 8 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

lead and manage the home in a way that is consistent with the approach and ethos, and delivers the outcomes, set out in the home’s statement of purpose;

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ensure that staff have the experience, qualifications and skills to meet the needs of each child;

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ensure that the home’s workforce provides continuity of care to each child;

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understand the impact that the quality of care provided in the home is having on the progress and experiences of each child and use this understanding to inform the development of the quality of care provided in the home;

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Requirement Due date

demonstrate that practice in the home is informed and improved by taking into account and acting on—

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research and developments in relation to the ways in which the needs of children are best met; and

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feedback on the experiences of children, including complaints received; and

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

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Requirement Due date

The registered person must make arrangements for the handling, recording, safekeeping, safe administration and disposal of medicines received into the children’s home.

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Requirement Due date

In particular the registered person must ensure that—

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Requirement Due date

medicine which is prescribed for a child is administered as prescribed to the child for whom it is prescribed and to no other child; and a record is kept of the administration of medicine to each child. (Regulation 23 (1) (2)(b)(c)) 23 August 2024 Assurance inspection report for children's home: 2706013 9 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;

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Requirement Due date

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. (Regulation 32 (1) (2)(a) (3)(b)(c)(d)) 23 August 2024

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Requirement Due date

within 24 hours of the use of a measure of control, discipline or restraint in relation to a child in the home, a record is made which includes—

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details of the child’s behaviour leading to the use of the measure;

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the date, time and location of the use of the measure;

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a description of the measure and its duration;

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details of any methods used or steps taken to avoid the need to use the measure;

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the name of the person who used the measure ("the user"), and of any other person present when the measure was used;

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the effectiveness and any consequences of the use of the measure; and 23 August 2024 Assurance inspection report for children's home: 2706013 10 a description of any injury to the child or any other person, and any medical treatment administered, as a result of the measure;

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Requirement Due date

within 48 hours of the use of the measure, the registered person, or a person who is authorised by the registered person to do so ("the authorised person")—

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Requirement Due date

has spoken to the user about the measure; and

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has signed the record to confirm it is accurate; and

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Requirement Due date

within 5 days of the use of the measure, the registered person or the authorised person adds to the record confirmation that they have spoken to the child about the measure. (Regulation 35 (3)(a)(i)(ii)(iii)(iv)(v)(vi)(vii)(viii)(b)(i)(ii)(c))

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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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maintain in the home the records in Schedule 4;

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ensure that the records are kept up to date; and

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retain the records for at least 15 years from the date of the last entry. (Regulation 37 (2)(a)(b)(c)) 23 August 2024

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The registered person must ensure that the following items, which may be kept in electronic form, are kept in an accessible manner—

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records of the use of measures of control, discipline or restraint (see regulation 35);

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Requirement Due date

children’s case records (see regulation 36);

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Requirement Due date

records of complaints (see regulation 39). (Regulation 38 (h)(i)(j)(l)) 23 August 2024

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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. 23 August 2024 Assurance inspection report for children's home: 2706013 11 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; and

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Requirement Due date

to inspect the premises of the home and such of the home’s records (except for a child’s case records, unless the child and the child’s placing authority consent) as the independent person requires.

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Requirement Due date

The independent person must produce a report about a visit ("the independent person’s report") which sets out, in particular, the independent person’s opinion as to whether—

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Requirement Due date

children are effectively safeguarded; and

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Requirement Due date

the conduct of the home promotes children’s well-being.

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Requirement Due date

The independent person’s report may recommend actions that the registered person may take in relation to the home and timescales within which the registered person must consider whether or not to take those actions.

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Requirement Due date

If the independent person becomes aware of a potential conflict of interest (whether under regulation 43(3) or otherwise) after a visit to the home, the independent person must include in the independent person’s report—

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Requirement Due date

details of the conflict of interest; and

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Requirement Due date

the reasons why the independent person did not notify the registered provider of the conflict of interest before the visit.

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Requirement Due date

The independent person must provide a copy of the independent person’s report to HMCI. (Regulation 44 (1) (2)(a)(b) (4)(a)(b) (5) (6)(a)(b) (7)(a)) Assurance inspection report for children's home: 2706013 12

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Children’s home details

Registered provider: Oaktree Childcare Ltd

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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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Inspectors

Michelle Edge, His Majesty’s Social Care Inspector Leanne Carr, Social Care Inspector Assurance inspection report for children's home: 2706013 13 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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Inspectors

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Inspectors

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Inspectors

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Inspectors

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