Children's home run by Oaktree Childcare Limited

Inspection report for children’s home: 1253975 1 Registered provider: Oaktree Childcare Limited Full inspection Inspected under the social care common inspection framework

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Information about this children’s home

The home is owned and managed by a private provider. It offers care for up to three children who may experience social and emotional difficulties and/or have learning disabilities.

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Information about this children’s home

At the time of the inspection, one child was living in the home.

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Information about this children’s home

The manager registered with Ofsted in July 2024.

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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: 1253975 2

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Inspection date Inspection type Inspection judgement

30/08/2023 Full Good 18/10/2022 Full Requires improvement to be good 09/06/2021 Full Good 04/07/2019 Full Outstanding Inspection report for children’s home: 1253975 3

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

The child enjoys positive, trusting relationships with staff who know them well and offer nurturing and supportive care. The child is very comfortable with staff members. The child enjoys a range of activities with the staff inside and outside of the home. Staff promote positivity in the home and are aspirational for the child’s future. The child says that they enjoy living in the home and are happy.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Staff ensure that the child’s health needs are met. There are clear plans in place with guidance for staff to follow. The child is supported by staff to develop healthy habits that they will be able to sustain after leaving the home. For example, the child has learned how to shop for food and make healthy meals. The child is taken on walks and supported to understand health and nutrition.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

The child attends an education provision full time. Staff transport the child and celebrate their educational achievements and progress. The child’s tutor said, ‘[Name of child] is a model pupil who is doing brilliantly.’

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Staff support the child to see the people who are important to them. The child’s family members are welcomed into the home. Staff keep the child’s family regularly updated on the child’s care and progress. One parent said, ’They treat [name of child] like their own child, I couldn’t ask for more.’

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Independence plans are realistic for the child. Staff have clear plans in place to support the child in developing life skills. The child has engaged well with this and has learned important skills. Staff are alert to the challenges the child will face when living on their own and are working collaboratively with the child and the child’s local authority to plan for this. This includes increasing the amount of time the child currently spends on their own and consideration for ongoing support once they move on from the home.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

The child’s bedroom reflects their individuality, and there are lots of photos displayed around the home. However, there are maintenance repairs outstanding throughout the home.

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

The child says that they feel safe in the home and cared for by staff. The child’s needs are known and understood. Staff have the knowledge, skills and understanding to help keep the child safe. Practice is supported by detailed written information about the child from their placing local authority. Risk assessments are clear, detailed and include guidance for staff to follow.

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

Staff carry out regular direct work with the child to develop the child’s knowledge and understanding of how to keep themselves safe. The child has difficulties in managing Inspection report for children’s home: 1253975 4 their emotions. Staff are supporting the child to understand difficult emotions and helping the child to consider positive strategies to manage these.

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

Children’s medication is stored safely. There are clear plans in place for administering medication with detailed guidance for staff to follow. Records of medications administered are clear, and regular medication audits are carried out by the registered manager.

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

The registered manager ensures that staff are recruited safely and receive a quality induction. Monitoring of visitors to the home further ensures the protection of the child from potential harm.

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

Staff regularly use rewards, de-escalation techniques and distraction methods to manage the child’s behaviour. Consequences are restorative in nature or natural consequences. On a small number of occasions, the child has been physically held by staff. However, records do not detail the appropriateness and proportionality of consequences and physical holds used. This is necessary to show that all restrictions on the child are used as a last resort.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

The registered manager is suitably qualified and experienced. She has been in post since January 2024 and has a good understanding of the home’s strengths and areas for development. The registered manager knows the child very well and is child centred. She is passionate about the care that the child receives and is enthusiastic about the child’s progress and achievements. Staff say that they are well supported by the manager. She leads by example and models expected practice for the child. One staff member said, ‘We are lucky to have her.’

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

Staff development is a priority. Staff have individual development plans in place that identify key strengths and areas for further development. There is a range of training available that staff attend, including training that is specific to the child’s individual needs. The registered manager carries out additional bespoke training in team meetings and regularly uses quizzes to test staff’s knowledge and to reflect on their practice.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

The registered manager communicates well with partner agencies and family members. Professionals and family members describe communication as ‘really good’ and say that they are kept well informed about the child’s progress. She advocates on behalf of the child when she feels that their needs are not being met. However, on one occasion, the registered manager did not raise concerns with the placing local authority regarding drift and delay in a referral for specialist support.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

The registered manager has effective monitoring and reviewing systems in place. All documents, except for the home’s statement of purpose and location risk assessment, are regularly reviewed and kept up to date. Inspection report for children’s home: 1253975 5 Staff say that they benefit from supervision. However, the recordings of these sessions do not evidence in-depth discussions about the child or staff’s learning and development. This is a missed opportunity for the staff to discuss the quality of care that they provide to the child or identify any learning and development opportunities. Inspection report for children’s home: 1253975 6

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Statutory requirements

This section sets out the actions that the registered person 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 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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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 to children living in the home the physical necessities they need in order to live there comfortably; and

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Requirement Due date

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

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Requirement Due date

meet the needs of each child. (Regulation 6 (1)(a)(b) (2)(vii)(c)(i))

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Requirement Due date

In particular, ensure that any maintenance repairs are addressed to improve the condition of the home. 29 November 2024

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Recommendations

 The registered person should ensure that they work in partnership with the child’s placing local authority and escalate their concerns to ensure that there is no drift and delay in the care and support the child receives. (‘Guide to The Children’s Homes Regulations, including the quality standards’, page 11, paragraph 2.5)  The registered person should ensure that the home’s statement of purpose is kept under regular review and provide a copy to His Majesty’s Chief Inspector. (‘Guide to the Children’s Homes Regulations, including the quality standards’, page 14, paragraph 3.5)  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 and Inspection report for children’s home: 1253975 7 proportionate. (‘Guide to the Children’s Homes Regulations, including the quality standards’, page 46, paragraph 9.36)

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Recommendations

 The registered person should 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. (‘Guide to the Children’s Homes Regulations, including the quality standards’, page 61, paragraph 13.2)  The registered person should review the appropriateness and suitability of the location of the home and premises at least once per year. When carrying out the review, the registered person should consult with each relevant person and consider their views. (‘Guide to the Children’s Homes Regulations, including the quality standards’, page 64, paragraph 15.1)

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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: 1253975 8

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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, Lancashire FY4 2FF

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Inspector

Leanne Carr, Social Care Inspector Inspection report for children’s home: 1253975 9 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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Inspector

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Inspector

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