Children's Home run by Oaktree Childcare Limited in Lancashire

Inspection report for children’s home: 2808157 1 Registered provider: Oaktree Childcare Ltd

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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 owned and managed by a private company. It provides care for one child who may experience social and emotional difficulties or learning disabilities.

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Information about this children’s home

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

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Information about this children’s home

The provider and manager registered with Ofsted in November 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

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: not applicable Inspection report for children’s home: 2808157 2

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

The child living in the home has been supported to make positive progress by a knowledgeable and caring staff team. Staff have been tenacious in their support and advocacy for the child, ensuring that they have received safe and consistent care.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

The child has been supported to build open and trusting relationships with staff who understand their needs well. The child says that they love their core staff members, and this is the best home they have lived in. Staff provide frequent opportunities for the child to share their views and take time to understand the child’s perspective. Staff speak about the child with warmth and affection.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

The child is supported to achieve good physical health and emotional well-being. Staff consistently work with external agencies to ensure that adaptations are made that support the child’s access to appropriate healthcare. Staff support the child to attend all health appointments. Staff work closely with the home’s clinical therapist, which supports a consistent approach across the staff team.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

The child is encouraged to take part in activities and develop hobbies in line with their wishes and career goals. The child enjoys spending time with animals and staff work creatively to support the child’s interests.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

The child is supported to spend time with their family and people who are important to them. As a result, the child has regular, consistent family time and maintains links to their local community, which supports their sense of belonging and identity.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Staff support the child in their independence and provide age-appropriate support and guidance to help develop the child’s independence skills. The child’s views are always considered, and they are regularly encouraged to contribute towards their care planning.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

When barriers to attending education are identified, staff work effectively with external agencies to find a solution that works best for the child. Staff share practice that works well for the child with education professionals to support a consistent approach for the child across both settings.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

The home is generally well decorated, and the child is encouraged to contribute ideas towards the home’s decor. However, a few areas of the home require further decoration to maintain the overall warm feeling of the home.

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

The child’s needs are well known and understood by staff. Their plans are detailed and include clear guidance for staff to follow. The child is regularly consulted and supported to contribute to their plans and tell staff how they wish to be supported. Inspection report for children’s home: 2808157 3 Risk assessments are detailed and updated monthly to reflect any changes. Assessments provide clear strategies for staff to use to help manage risks and include the views of the child on how they wish staff to respond.

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

Staff complete relevant and targeted direct work with the child. Staff manage issues sensitively and help the child to develop their understanding of pertinent issues such as how to safely manage conflict and how to express frustration in a productive way. The child’s views are clearly explored, considered, and challenged where appropriate.

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

Staff work closely with external agencies to ensure that there is consistency and continuity of care for the child. They strongly advocate on behalf of the child when needed and are committed to providing a safe and nurturing home environment. The child’s social worker said, ‘This is the most settled that [name of child] has been in two years, staff will challenge external professionals which has been really positive for [the child]. I do not think any other home would have been able to support [the child] the way that they have.’

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

Incidents in the home have steadily decreased and incidents resulting in physical intervention are minimal. The child is only held by staff as a last resort. However, the record-keeping of the physical interventions used needs to be clearer to ensure that the documents are accurate and to support effective evaluation.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

The registered manager is suitably qualified and experienced and has effective oversight of practice within the home. He has a clear understanding of the child’s needs and has developed an open and trusting relationship with the child.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

Staff say that they are well supported by the registered manager and there is an open culture in the home, where staff help and support one another. Newer staff members say that they are welcomed into the home and immediately feel included and part of the staff team.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

Staff are provided with a wide range of training to meet the child’s needs. The registered manager has a good understanding of staff development needs and ensures that staff have access to helpful, relevant training to develop their knowledge and understanding of the child’s needs and identified risks.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

Staff say that they find supervisions helpful and provide an opportunity to reflect on their individual needs and development. Staff team meetings are regularly held and are used to share information, reflect on staff practice and what works well for the child. The registered manager has plans in place to introduce targeted workshops for staff to develop their knowledge and understanding of specific areas relevant for the child. Staff are encouraged to share their ideas on how to improve practice, and this ensures that there is consistent approach across the staff team. Inspection report for children’s home: 2808157 4

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Recommendations

 The registered person should ensure that all records of restraint provide a detailed description of the actual restraint used in order to effectively review the method of restraint used. ('Guide to the Children's Homes Regulations, including the quality standards', page 49, paragraph 9.59)  The registered person should ensure that the home decor reflects that of a homely, domestic environment and is finished and maintained to a good standard. (‘Guide to the Children’s Homes Regulations, including the quality standards,’ page 15, paragraph 3.9)

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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: 2808157 5

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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, Lancashire FY4 2FF

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Inspector

Justina Henry, Social Care Inspector Inspection report for children’s home: 2808157 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 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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