Children's home run by Onextra Care Limited

Inspection report for children’s home: 2571031 1 Registered provider: Onextra Care Limited Full inspection Inspected under the social care common inspection framework

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Information about this children’s home

The home is operated by a private organisation. It is registered to provide care for up to two children who experience social and emotional difficulties.

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Information about this children’s home

There were two children living in the home at the time of this inspection.

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Information about this children’s home

The manager registered with Ofsted in April 2025.

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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: 22 October 2024

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good

Overall judgement at last inspection: outstanding

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good

Enforcement action since last inspection: none Inspection report for children’s home: 2571031 2

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Inspection date Inspection type Inspection judgement

22/10/2024 Full Outstanding 05/12/2023 Full Outstanding 26/04/2022 Full Good 20/07/2021 Full Requires improvement to be good Inspection report for children’s home: 2571031 3

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Since the last inspection, two children have moved out, and one child has moved in. Children’s moves into and out of the home are generally well managed, with careful planning. Staff involve children already living at the home when making decisions about new children moving in. Children moving into the home are encouraged and supported to visit the home and meet staff before the move. This helps children settle in and feel safe. In line with their care plan, one child was supported to live more independently. Another child has lived in the home for over a year and is making progress in many aspects of their life. One child moved on from the home at short notice as the other child did not feel safe. The manager worked closely with the placing authority to coordinate the move and made efforts to maintain appropriate contact with the child to provide reassurance and support.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Children are encouraged to express their views in a variety of ways. Staff approach conversations with curiosity and sensitivity, ensuring that children feel listened to and respected. One child said, ‘I can talk to staff about anything.’ This approach contributes to positive relationships between children and staff. Staff actively encourage children to pursue their individual interests and hobbies, promoting confidence and positive experiences.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Children’s health needs and well-being are prioritised, and staff progress suitable specialist referrals as needed. Staff provide appropriate guidance around topics such as nutrition, healthy routines and sexual health, tailoring this to each child’s needs. One child is engaging with the organisation’s therapist to help them understand past trauma and how this affects their emotional well-being.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Children’s education is valued, and staff offer effective support to promote regular attendance and positive progress. One child has been supported to make informed GCSE choices that align with their identified career aspirations. The manager is working closely with the placing authority and education professionals to secure a suitable school placement for another child. In the interim, the child is engaging in informal learning activities supported by staff.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Staff work closely and have good communication with children’s families. One parent stated, ‘They [staff] keep me updated and tell me everything that I need. They are easy to speak to and explain everything to me.’ This helps children to maintain important connections and strengthens their sense of identity and belonging. Inspection report for children’s home: 2571031 4

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

Children are kept safe by staff who understand their strengths and vulnerabilities. Effective multi–agency working, regular communication and information-sharing ensures that care planning is responsive to children’s individual needs. There are detailed risk management plans that incorporate the views of children, reflecting what they feel they need to keep safe and supported.

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

Staff are trained in a therapeutic model that focuses on a nurturing and restorative approach to supporting children. Staff prioritise building relationships and helping children to feel understood and learn from their experiences.

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

When children go missing from home, staff respond appropriately, and incidents are reported to the police in line with the missing-from-home protocol. However, almost a year ago, there were isolated incidents when staff did not actively search for a child who was missing from home. The manager reviewed the procedures to strengthen staff practice in this area, and staff now take immediate action to try to locate children. When children return home, staff show genuine professional curiosity to understand the reasons why children go missing from home, which helps shape their ongoing support.

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

Incidents of restraint are rare. There have been three incidents, which have been necessary to keep the child and staff safe. The incidents of restraint are clearly recorded, and the child and staff have been spoken to following the measure. However, on one occasion when the manager was directly involved in the hold, the record was not independently reviewed and evaluated to ensure independent oversight and scrutiny.

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

Children are empowered to use the internet and navigate online environments safely with staff support. This is underpinned by careful monitoring and regular checks by staff to safeguard children effectively. Staff help children to understand potential risks by having regular discussions with them and using resources such as videos and scenario- based activities to support learning.

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

There was an incident involving a child self-administering medication. The manager sought appropriate medical advice, and a review was held. Subsequently, staff took over the administering and recording of the medication. This has improved oversight, however there are still some recording issues. Actions have been put in place to prevent similar errors. All staff have attended medication administration training, and the manager reviews medication records on a weekly basis.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

The manager has been in post since November 2024 and is working towards completing the relevant leadership and management qualification. Her practice is child centred, and she has a strong understanding of the children’s needs. The manager is well respected by staff, who describe feeling valued and well supported. Inspection report for children’s home: 2571031 5 Staffing pressures have been managed effectively through the careful use of known agency staff and familiar staff from across the organisation. This ensures that children continue to receive consistent and stable care from trusted adults who understand their needs.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

Team meetings take place regularly and are an opportunity for staff to share their experiences and knowledge. The in-house therapist regularly attends meetings, providing opportunities to reflect on incidents and explore any challenges. This supports staff to develop a deeper understanding of the children’s needs and enhances the care provided, through a trauma-informed lens. This also supports a culture of learning.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

The manager maintains effective systems to monitor and evaluate the quality of care. This enables her to have a clear understanding of the strengths and weaknesses of the care provided. The manager is aspirational and has a clear plan on how she wishes to develop the home and strengthen practice. However, on occasion, the manager did not inform the regulator of safeguarding incidents in the required timescales.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

The manager ensures that staff have access to a range of training opportunities that support them to care effectively for children. The manager carefully evaluates the children’s needs alongside the skills and experience of the staff. Additional training is identified to ensure that the staff are fully equipped to meet those needs. Staff receive regular supervision sessions that encourage reflection on practice and consider the needs of the children. Staff appraisals are carried out yearly and are enriched with feedback from children. This approach enhances the quality of care and support to children. Inspection report for children’s home: 2571031 6

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Statutory requirements

This section sets out the actions that the registered person(s) 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(s) must comply within the given timescales.

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Requirement Due date

The protection of children standard is that children are protected from harm and enabled to keep themselves safe.

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Requirement Due date

In particular, the standard in paragraph (1) requires the registered person to ensure—

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Requirement Due date

assess whether each child is at risk of harm, taking into account information in the child’s relevant plans, and, if necessary, make arrangements to reduce the risk of any harm to the child; and

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Requirement Due date

understand the roles and responsibilities in relation to protecting children that are assigned to them by the registered person. (Regulation 12 (1) (2)(a)(i)(v))

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Requirement Due date

In particular, the registered person must ensure that staff respond robustly when a child is missing from home and fully understand their responsibilities in safeguarding children. 18 December 2025

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Requirement Due date

within 24 hours of the use of a measure of control, discipline or restraint in relation to a child in the home, a record is made which includes—

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Requirement Due date

the effectiveness and any consequences of the use of the measure; and

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Requirement Due date

within 48 hours of the use of the measure, the registered person, or a person who is authorised by the registered person to do so (“the authorised person”)—

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Requirement Due date

has spoken to the user about the measure; and

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Requirement Due date

has signed the record to confirm it is accurate; and 18 December 2025 Inspection report for children’s home: 2571031 7 within 5 days of the use of the measure, the registered person or the authorised person adds to the record confirmation that they have spoken to the child about the measure. (Regulation 35 (3)(a)(vii)(b)(i)(ii)(c))

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Requirement Due date

In particular, the registered person must ensure that staff are spoken to and evaluations of any measure of control, discipline or restraint are carried out by a person who was not involved in the incident.

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Recommendations

 The registered person should ensure that medication records are completed in full and are accurate to increase oversight. (‘Guide to the Children’s Homes Regulations, including the quality standards,’ page 35, paragraph 7.15)  The registered person should have a system in place so that all serious events are notified, within 24 hours, to the appropriate people. The system should cover the action that should be followed if the event arises at the weekend or on a public holiday. (‘Guide to the Children’s Homes Regulations including the quality standards’, page 63, paragraph 14.13)

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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: 2571031 8

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Children’s home details

Registered provider: Onextra Care Limited

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Children’s home details

Registered provider address: 443 Houldsworth Business & Arts Centre, Houldsworth Street, Stockport SK5 6DA

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Inspector

Shauna Morley, Social Care Inspector Inspection report for children’s home: 2571031 9 regulates 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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Inspector

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