Children's home run by Oasis Adolescent Services Ltd

Inspection report for children’s home: 2645901 1 Registered provider: Oasis Adolescent Services Limited

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Inspected under the social care common inspection framework

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Information about this children’s home

The home is run by a private organisation and is registered to care for up to three children who may experience social and emotional difficulties.

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Information about this children’s home

The manager registered with Ofsted on 21 June 2024.

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Overall experiences and progress of

children and young people, taking into account

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outstanding

How well children and young people are helped and protected good

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outstanding

The effectiveness of leaders and managers outstanding

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outstanding

The children’s home provides highly effective services that consistently exceed the standards of good. The actions of the children’s home contribute to significantly improved outcomes and positive experiences for children and young people who need help, protection and care.

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outstanding

Date of last inspection: 27 February 2024

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outstanding

Overall judgement at last inspection: good

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outstanding

Enforcement action since last inspection: none Inspection report for children’s home: 2645901 2

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Inspection date Inspection type Inspection judgement

27/02/2024 Full Good 21/02/2023 Full Good 23/03/2022 Full Good Inspection report for children’s home: 2645901 3

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: outstanding

At the time of the inspection, there were two children living in the home. Since the last inspection, one child has moved from the home to live independently. One child has recently moved in. Children are supported to move into the home at their pace, so that they can familiarise themselves with the home and staff team. When needed, additional training is delivered to staff to ensure that they have the appropriate skills to meet the children’s specific needs, in readiness for them moving into the home. Children’s needs are understood and well met by staff.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: outstanding

Children benefit from help, support and care that they receive from a nurturing, cohesive and committed staff team. This provides the foundations from which children have positive experiences, learn and develop new skills, grow in confidence and make exceptional progress from their individual starting points.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: outstanding

The quality of relationships between staff and children is evident in their daily interactions. Children are happy and safe in the home. Children new to the home have settled well. They are building trusting relationships with staff. One child who has moved on to independent living said that he felt ‘safe and happy’ when he lived at the home. Children’s established relationships with staff often mean that, when they have moved on from the home, they remain in touch with the staff.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: outstanding

Staff actively promote and consistently engage children in tailored packages of independence support. Individualised, child-centred sessions are specifically targeted to enable each child to achieve their set goals. Children are proud of the skills they learn in cooking, budgeting, time management, communication with others and education skills. When required, additional support is sourced by the staff team to ensure that children have support in place for when they move on from the home. This support has included translation and interpreter services for children who do not speak English as a first language, and arranging legal representation for immigration advice and support.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: outstanding

Children’s education needs are understood and supported. There is an awareness of the barriers some children can face in education. Staff advocate for children by liaising with education professionals to devise creative plans which reflect children’s existing knowledge and skills. The manager proactively works alongside education providers to ensure that children new to the home have a suitable education plan in place.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: outstanding

Children’s health and well-being are consistently promoted. The staff team has a thorough understanding of the individual health needs of each child, and staff are provided with training to meet any specialist health needs. When children’s mental health and emotional well-being are fragile, staff advocate on the child’s behalf to ensure that appropriate support is made available. When children are not confident to access services, the staff reassure children to allay any anxieties that they may have, to ensure that they receive treatment in a timely manner. Inspection report for children’s home: 2645901 4 Staff support family time in line with children’s care plans. Staff help children to maintain links with family members and advocate for children who want to change their plans for family time. This enables children to feel listened to and supported.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: outstanding

Children are encouraged to respect others. This includes educating children about different religions and cultures. Children have been supported to attend places of worship, engage in community activities and to participate in a range of celebrations and festivities. These enriching experiences provide children with a positive sense of self- worth and community support.

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

Staff work collaboratively with a range of professionals to ensure that safety planning is effective, and this work is overseen by the management team. The manager completes detailed risk assessments before children move into the home to ensure that staff have the skills to manage any known risks. When children are living in the home, risk management plans are constantly reviewed. As emerging risks are identified, the manager is proactive in identifying strategies to keep children safe, for example using additional staff to ensure that there is effective supervision of children.

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

Staff know how to report safeguarding concerns to the relevant agencies. Although safeguarding incidents are rare, the manager ensures that staff continue to understand their roles and responsibilities, through regular discussions in supervision and team meetings.

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

There have been no serious incidents in the home for a considerable time. Staff manage children’s behaviours in a way that ensures their safety but continues to take account of their wishes and feelings. Staff use praise and encouragement and spend quality time with children, encouraging them to learn new skills such as boxing, fishing and skateboarding. They also give them new opportunities they may never have experienced before, such as going to the cinema and theme parks and going out for meals. This fosters a sense of self-belief and encourages positive self-esteem.

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

The staff team works collaboratively with a range of professionals to ensure that safety planning is effective. Staff work consistently with children to help them understand their individual plans. This helps them to make positive choices about their future independence. When children do not speak fluent English, interpreter and translation services are provided so that children can participate in their meetings and give their views about the things that mean the most to them. This enables children to feel valued and respected.

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

Children can identify a trusted adult they can talk to about any concerns. Children know how to make a complaint, and say they feel listened to and understood. The complaints booklet is available and accessible to children in the games room. One child said, ‘I know how to make a complaint, but I don’t need to because I am always listened to.’ Inspection report for children’s home: 2645901 5 The home environment is safe and maintained to a high standard. The house looks and feels like a family home. There are photos of children doing activities and children’s artwork is hung on the walls. Children are proud of their bedrooms, which are personalised, clean and comfortable.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: outstanding

The manager is an inspirational and confident leader. She has high expectations for children’s progress and is a strong advocate for children’s participation in the decisions being made about their future. Her drive and ambition positively influence the staff, who are dedicated and committed to the future vision for the home.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: outstanding

Staff say that they feel supported by the manager, who is visible, approachable and available. She is held in high regard across the team and in the organisation. A staff member said, ‘She is the best manager I have ever had.’ The retention of staff is excellent and there is a strong sense of teamwork. Staff are confident in sharing new ideas, as they feel listened to by the manager. Staff believe in the vision for the development of the home, as they trust the manager’s knowledge and skills and the wealth of experience she brings with her.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: outstanding

Staff training and professional development are prioritised by the manager. This ensures that staff are highly skilled and trained to meet the needs of children who have complex lived experiences.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: outstanding

Staff value supervision, which takes place on a regular basis. Supervision records are clear and concise, highlighting individual professional development goals and how these can be achieved. This enables staff to have a sense of purpose and a focus on their career pathway, which is actively encouraged by the manager. There are firm plans in place to develop a reflective model of supervision.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: outstanding

The manager has exceptionally good communication with partner agencies. She works collaboratively and consistently, attending meetings and formulating up-to-date plans. She advocates for the children and escalates her concerns without delay. When there is uncertainty around planning, the manager stresses the needs of children to senior leaders and external professionals to avoid drift. This ensures that children are receiving the best possible care with the most appropriate services to meet their needs. One social care professional said, ‘She is passionate about the children and will fight for them.’

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: outstanding

No requirements or recommendations were raised at this inspection. Inspection report for children’s home: 2645901 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: 2645901 7

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Children’s home details

Registered provider: Oasis Adolescent Services Limited

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Children’s home details

Registered provider address: Hobart House, Oakwater Avenue, Cheadle Royal Business Park, Cheadle SK8 3SR

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Inspector

Michelle Greenhalgh, Social Care Inspector Inspection report for children’s home: 2645901 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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