Children's home run by Oxfordshire County Council

Inspection report for children’s home: 1229977 1 Registered provider: Oxfordshire County Council

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Full inspection Inspected under the social care common inspection framework

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Information about this children’s home

This home is operated by Oxfordshire local authority. It provides care for up to six children who need an assessment of their needs and/or require shared care arrangements. The provider also offers outreach support for children and their families.

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Information about this children’s home

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

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Information about this children’s home

The manager registered with Ofsted in October 2018.

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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 outstanding

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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: 28 November 2023

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outstanding

Overall judgement at last inspection: outstanding

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outstanding

Enforcement action since last inspection: none Inspection report for children’s home: 1229977 2

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Inspection date Inspection type Inspection judgement

28/11/2023 Full Outstanding 16/01/2023 Full Good 05/01/2022 Full Good 10/03/2020 Interim Sustained effectiveness Inspection report for children’s home: 1229977 3

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: outstanding

Children have secure and trusting relationships with staff. A parent said, ‘Staff take the time to understand the children’s needs and work with them individually.’ The children say that they feel valued and loved. The staff are highly skilled in caring for the children and understanding their needs. To welcome new children to the home, staff bake their favourite cakes, which gives the children a nurturing welcome. As a result of this approach, one child’s parent said their child has ‘made exceptional progress’.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: outstanding

Managers plan the children’s moves into the home effectively. The manager diligently assesses the needs of the children, ensuring that the staff have the skills to care for them. This assessment thoughtfully considers the needs of the other children living at the home. The new children are introduced to the home in a planned way and quickly settle in.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: outstanding

Staff have a sharp focus on helping the children to be ready to move on. They work closely with professionals from relevant agencies to help understand and share risks for the children. The organisation completes detailed assessments that inform decisions about future care planning for the children. After the children have moved on, staff continue to visit them for the first few months, as well as providing support to the parents.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: outstanding

Staff creatively promote education. One child did not like going to school as they were not familiar with the school setting. Staff went into school and attended classes with the child to help them feel safe. Furthermore, they worked with the child’s older brother to attend some of the school activities with him. This encouraged the child to feel confident to participate in various activities. As a result, children engage in more education.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: outstanding

The home environment is welcoming with a spacious kitchen and garden area. The children can spend time together in the games room or have individual time in sensory or arts rooms. Staff talk passionately about the children and their achievements. One child said, ‘It is a lovely big home.’

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: outstanding

The staff create an inclusive culture for the children. The children are supported by a diverse staff team. The staff help the children explore their identity. They helped one child feel safe to explore their gender identity through thoughtful and sensitive practice.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: outstanding

Children have opportunities to engage in a range of activities. The staff take them on day trips in the local area, going to the beach and going out for meals.

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

Staff understand safeguarding extremely well. They have excellent working relationships with the professionals who have a role in the children’s lives, ensuring that all agencies Inspection report for children’s home: 1229977 4 take responsibility to keep the children safe. Staff ensure all risk assessments are clear and updated and are included in children’s long-term care plans. They hold the children’s best interests at the forefront of all decision-making.

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

Staff work hard to ensure that children are found if they have gone missing from home. They provide expert care and support when they return. Staff have built good relationships with key people in the community, such as bus drivers and shop owners, and this helps them to locate the children when they have gone missing from home. Staff always look for the children when they are missing, and one child said, ‘The staff are nice’, and that they ‘care about me’. Staff’s relationships with the local community have reduced the number of times that the children are missing and have also helped the children become part of the local community. The staff complete excellent records of incidents, which the manager uses to strengthen their oversight and to spot emerging trends.

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

One child becomes distressed regularly and the staff are working very closely with the relevant agencies to ensure that the child is kept safe and protected. They create and deliver plans that help the child develop insight into their emotions and maintain relationships with staff. Staff work closely with birth families, ensuring plans are shared. This results in everyone working together to ensure they maintain a high standard of care for the children. Staff rarely need to use physical intervention and place emphasis on helping the children talk about their emotions.

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

Children’s views are included in every aspect of their planning. Staff take time and care when working with the children. They diligently work through the risks, focusing on how to manage them, which encourages the children to learn and understand their behaviour and make positive changes. As a result, risks are reducing for the children.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: outstanding

The manager is leaving their role. There has been thoughtful consideration about succession planning to reduce any disruption and to maximise stability for the children. The deputy manager has been appointed as the new manager. They are completing their induction into the role and will continue to receive support from another manager from a different home to help ensure that the quality of care continues.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: outstanding

The manager and the deputy manager are very dedicated to and enthusiastic about the children in their care. External professionals and staff all speak very highly about the manager. One social worker said, ‘The care provided by the team is outstanding.’

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: outstanding

The manager has created a culture of high aspirations and positivity in her team. Staff supervision is reflective and is used well to set clear goals about what needs to be achieved for each child. These goals correlate with the children’s care plans, ensuring their progress is being continually reviewed. Inspection report for children’s home: 1229977 5 The manager ensured that her staff received specialised training when they had a child expressing a gender identity different from the one assigned at birth. Staff understood that they needed to listen and be supportive of the child’s needs and explore their identity with them. Staff have a folder of resources that they can access to refresh their learning and to help them to support the child sensitively.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: outstanding

Staff benefit from the clinical psychology team that is available for them to consult with, as and when needed. They also have access to a consultant psychiatrist, who provides crucial advice that helps them to better understand the children’s emotions. Additionally, the clinical psychology team provides outreach work to parents in the community to support a smooth move for those children who are returning to the care of their families.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: outstanding

The manager has a team of long-standing confident staff members who are committed to ensuring the children make positive progress. The manager prioritises the well-being of the staff. The ‘wellness basket’ that she has arranged, and which all staff can access, is just one example of the actions she has taken to ensure that the staff feel valued and respected. This respect and value transfers into the diligent care staff provide to the children. Inspection report for children’s home: 1229977 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: 1229977 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: County Hall, New Road, Oxford OX1 1ND

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Inspector

Shaheda Dhandia, Social Care Inspector Inspection report for children’s home: 1229977 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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