Children's Home run by Omega Care Group Limited in Halton

Inspection report for children’s home: 2806703 1 Registered provider: Omega Care Group Limited

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Full inspection Inspected under the social care common inspection framework

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Information about this children’s home

The home is owned by a private provider and can provide care for up to one child who may have social and emotional difficulties.

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Information about this children’s home

This was the first inspection since the home was registered with Ofsted on 15 November 2024. There was one child living in the home at the time of the inspection.

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Information about this children’s home

The inspector spoke with the child about their experiences of living in the home.

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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

Date of last inspection: not previously inspected

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good

Overall judgement at last inspection: not applicable

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good

Enforcement action since last inspection: none Inspection report for children’s home: 2806703 2

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

The child has settled well into their home and proudly refers to it as their ‘gaff’. It is a sunny and warm environment, and staff support the child to choose the decor and plan small projects, such as changing the use of the garage into a useable space. The child has a strong sense of belonging and they are enjoying exploring their own unique preferences.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

The child has made significant progress in education. Staff work closely with educational professionals to ensure that the educational experiences they provide for the child are united. Since living at the home, the child has learned to tell the time, and their confidence and wanting to learn have grown. This increases their future opportunities and ensures that they realise their own potential.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Staff have supported the child to develop their sense of adventure and find activities they enjoy. Before living in the home, the child could not swim or ride a bike. Staff addressed this sensitively and pragmatically, encouraging the child to overcome each challenge. Now, the child has great fun riding their bike and goes swimming regularly. The child’s self-esteem is growing, and they are developing skills to improve their physical and mental health.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Relationships between the child and staff are warm and nurturing. Staff ensure that the child can explore their individuality without judgement. The child shares moments of laughter with staff, as well as beginning to say when they feel sad. This helps the child to build their sense of identity and feel comfortable when talking about their feelings.

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

Managers and staff ensure that the child is kept safe in the home. Prior to moving into the home, there were a high number of missing from home episodes for the child. Managers and staff consistently reflect on incidents so they can fine tune their risk management plans to the needs of the child. They ensure that the child takes an active part in developing strategies that help them to not go missing from home. The child views the home as a safe place to be, and the number of episodes of going missing has reduced significantly.

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

Staff are skilled at talking to the child about their individual vulnerabilities. Conversations between staff and the child are curious, supportive and informative. This means that the child is learning how to express difficult feelings in more positive ways.

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

Staff understand the importance of routines for the child. They have implemented a clear structure to the child’s day based on their preferences, which helps the child to feel safe and have fun. Staff communicate the expectations of the home to the child clearly and Inspection report for children’s home: 2806703 3 ensure that the child understands. The child feels safe with the adults caring for them and that they can relax easily in their home.

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

Managers and staff ensure that strategies to reduce risks reflect the needs of the child. The child was subject to a deprivation of liberty order shortly after moving into the home. Staff completed the relevant training to ensure that they fully understood the implications of the order on their practice. Managers have implemented a clear plan to reduce the necessity of the order. This ensures that the strategies to reduce the risks for the child are not unnecessarily restrictive.

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

Managers and staff ensure that there is a strong multi-agency approach to keep the child safe. When incidents have occurred in the community, staff work collaboratively with external professionals to keep the child safe. However, managers have not ensured that the location risk assessment fully evaluates and addresses all the risks in the area surrounding the home. This has not had an impact on the safeguarding of the child, but does not ensure that appropriate measures are taken.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

The registered manager models care for the child that is trauma informed and unconditional. She is supported by an experienced deputy manager, and together they are embedding a culture of strong reflective practice and commitment to the child’s needs.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

Leaders and managers are establishing a child-centred approach within the team. Language used by staff when sharing information about the child, whether written or spoken, is communicated with care and consideration. The child lives in a home that is filled with compassion and understanding.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

Reflective practice is prioritised by leaders and managers. Managers hold regular supervisions and team meetings firmly centred on exploring the effectiveness of staff practice. Staff seek to understand the child’s perspective so that they can continuously improve the child’s care.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

Leaders and managers ensure that the child’s voice is at the heart of their practice. Managers are confident in escalating concerns with external professionals when it is in the child’s best interests. They support the child to raise their own complaints when there are shortfalls in their care. The child is beginning to feel confident in communicating their needs and understanding their rights.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

Oversight by leaders and managers is thorough and effective. Senior managers regularly visit the home to speak with the child, staff and to support managers. Areas of development for the team are identified and addressed quickly. As a result, staff feel supported and highly motivated to carry out their caring responsibilities. Inspection report for children’s home: 2806703 4

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Recommendation

 The registered person should review the appropriateness and suitability of the location and premises of the home at least once a year. The review should include the identification of any risks and opportunities presented by the home’s location and strategies for managing these. (‘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: 2806703 5

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Children’s home details

Registered provider: Omega Care Group Limited

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Children’s home details

Registered provider address: 40-42 Kemble Street, Prescot L34 5SQ

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Inspector

Sarah Gilbert, Social Care Regulatory Inspector Inspection report for children’s home: 2806703 6 and inspects 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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Inspector

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Inspector

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Inspector

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