Children's Home run by Oxfordshire County Council in Oxfordshire

Inspection report for children’s home: 2830769 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 local authority children’s home provides care for up to 2 children who experience emotional and social difficulties. The home provides short-term care for children aged between 12 and 17 years.

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Information about this children’s home

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

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Information about this children’s home

This was the first inspection after the home was registered in June 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 requires improvement to be good

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good

The effectiveness of leaders and managers inadequate

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good

The children’s home is not yet delivering good help and care for children and young people. However, there are no serious or widespread failures that result in their welfare not being safeguarded or promoted.

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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: 2830769 2

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improvement to be good

The child has made some progress since they came to live at the home. However, staff do not work collaboratively and so the child experiences inconsistent responses from them. This approach undermines the effectiveness of safety plans and means that the child is receiving mixed messages about boundaries. Consequently, the child is not being given enough support to learn how to build and maintain positive and trusting relationships.

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improvement to be good

Staff complete key-work sessions with the child, but these are not thorough enough to ensure that they provide meaningful opportunities for the child to reflect on their experiences and understand their own vulnerabilities.

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improvement to be good

The child’s health is improving because staff are supporting them to attend medical and dental appointments. They are also helping the child to understand the importance of eating healthily and improving their sleep routine.

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improvement to be good

The child had not been attending school for a substantial period before living at the home. Managers are exploring apprenticeship opportunities for them. In the meantime, staff support the child to obtain AQA awards at the home.

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improvement to be good

Staff support the child to have positive time with their family at home and in the community. This emphasis on maintaining family ties and good communication with the child’s family and external professionals are supporting the long-term care plan for the child.

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improvement to be good

Risk management and mitigation strategies are recorded in the child’s care plan and discussed in team meetings. However, not all staff demonstrate a sound understanding of the significant risks that exist for the child. As a result, the child’s plan is not always followed, which undermines the effectiveness of plans that are designed to improve the child’s safety and wellbeing.

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improvement to be good

The child raised some concerns with the inspector about a member of staff’s conduct in the community. These had not previously been recorded as safeguarding concerns, highlighting weaknesses in the reporting culture. This also indicates that the child does not feel confident that staff will address issues internally, which has a negative impact on their sense of security.

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improvement to be good

There are 2 further safeguarding incidents that remain unresolved, one involving a racially negative comment by a staff member and another where the child reported Inspection report for children’s home: 2830769 3 waking night staff being asleep. These issues raise concerns about the staff team’s ability to provide safe and responsive care.

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improvement to be good

External recruitment processes are generally robust and meet regulatory requirements. However, when staff transfer from other homes within the organisation, previous safeguarding concerns are not shared with the recruiting manager. This prevents appropriate support or risk assessments from being implemented, increasing potential risks to the child and to staff.

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improvement to be good

Staff have received training on safeguarding and exploitation risks and have access to regular meetings with managers and the organisation’s psychologist to support their understanding of the child’s complex needs.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: inadequate

Decisions made by senior managers have compromised the safety of children and staff. A child was placed in the home whose needs exceeded the staff’s experience and skills, creating significant safeguarding risks.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: inadequate

Recruitment decisions have been poor. Staff with previous safeguarding concerns were recruited without these being disclosed to the registered manager. Additionally, a staff member was placed in the home despite known interpersonal conflicts with an existing team member, escalating animosity and destabilising the team.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: inadequate

Communication regarding staff investigations and suspensions is ineffective. A staff member returned to work following suspension without the manager’s knowledge, preventing any reparative work or phased return planning. This has led to staff feeling isolated and unsupported. Additionally, not all serious events have been reported to the regulator in a timely way.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: inadequate

The home has failed to create a safe and supportive environment for the child and for staff. One member of staff reports feeling racially targeted and victimised after raising safeguarding concerns and that personal stress factors were not acknowledged or supported by management. This demonstrates poor practice in equality, diversity and staff wellbeing, which negatively impacts on the overall culture of the home.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: inadequate

Supervision is inconsistent, although when it occurs, it is of good quality and records staff concerns. Team meetings are regular, but staff conflicts remain unresolved, preventing positive role modelling for children.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: inadequate

The lack of consistent practice, unresolved conduct issues and poor communication indicate significant weaknesses in leadership oversight and accountability. These failings compromise the safety and wellbeing of children and staff. Inspection report for children’s home: 2830769 4

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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 leadership and management standard is that the registered person enables, inspires and leads a culture in relation to the children’s home that—

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Requirement Due date

helps children aspire to fulfil their potential; and

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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

lead and manage the home in a way that is consistent with the approach and ethos, and delivers the outcomes, set out in the home’s statement of purpose;

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Requirement Due date

ensure that staff work as a team where appropriate;

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Requirement Due date

ensure that staff have the experience, qualifications and skills to meet the needs of each child;

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Requirement Due date

ensure that the home has sufficient staff to provide care for each child;

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Requirement Due date

ensure that the home’s workforce provides continuity of care to each child;

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Requirement Due date

understand the impact that the quality of care provided in the home is having on the progress and experiences of each child and use this understanding to inform the development of the quality of care provided in the home;

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Requirement Due date

demonstrate that practice in the home is informed and improved by taking into account and acting on—

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Requirement Due date

research and developments in relation to the ways in which the needs of children are best met; and 20 March 2026 Inspection report for children’s home: 2830769 5 feedback on the experiences of children, including complaints received; and

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Requirement Due date

use monitoring and review systems to make continuous improvements in the quality of care provided in the home. (Regulation 13 (1)(a)(b) (2)(a)(b)(c)(d)(e)(f)(g)(i)(ii)(h))

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Requirement Due date

In particular, senior management and the registered person must ensure that the needs of the children who come to stay at the home are fully assessed to understand if the staff have the skills and experience to care for the children. This should be considered before a new child comes to stay.

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Requirement Due date

Additionally, the registered manager must be provided with support to ensure that there is consistency of oversight across the service, staff supervision, challenge to partner agencies and addressing concerns about staff practice.

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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;

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Requirement Due date

help each child to understand how to keep safe;

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Requirement Due date

have the skills to identify and act upon signs that a child is at risk of harm;

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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;

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Requirement Due date

take effective action whenever there is a serious concern about a child’s welfare; and

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Requirement Due date

are familiar with, and act in accordance with, the home’s child protection policies;

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Requirement Due date

that the home’s day-to-day care is arranged and delivered so as to keep each child safe and to protect each child effectively from harm. 20 March 2026 Inspection report for children’s home: 2830769 6 Regulation 12 (1) (2)(a)(i)(ii)(iii)(v)(vi)(vii)(b))

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Requirement Due date

The positive relationships standard is that children are helped to develop, and to benefit from, relationships based on—

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Requirement Due date

an understanding about acceptable behaviour; and

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Requirement Due date

positive responses to other children and adults.

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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

meet each child’s behavioural and emotional needs, as set out in the child’s relevant plans;

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Requirement Due date

help each child to develop socially aware behaviour;

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Requirement Due date

encourage each child to take responsibility for the child’s behaviour, in accordance with the child’s age and understanding;

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Requirement Due date

help each child to develop and practise skills to resolve conflicts positively and without harm to anyone;

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communicate to each child expectations about the child’s behaviour and ensure that the child understands those expectations in accordance with the child’s age and understanding;

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Requirement Due date

help each child to understand, in a way that is appropriate according to the child’s age and understanding, personal, sexual and social relationships, and how those relationships can be supportive or harmful;

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Requirement Due date

help each child to develop the understanding and skills to recognise or withdraw from a damaging, exploitative or harmful relationship;

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Requirement Due date

strive to gain each child’s respect and trust;

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Requirement Due date

understand how children’s previous experiences and present emotions can be communicated through behaviour and have the 20 March 2026 Inspection report for children’s home: 2830769 7 competence and skills to interpret these and develop positive relationships with children;

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Requirement Due date

are provided with supervision and support to enable them to understand and manage their own feelings and responses to the behaviour and emotions of children, and to help children to do the same. (Regulation 11 (1)(a)(b)(c) (2)(a)(i)(ii)(iv)(v)(vi)(vii)(viii)(ix)(x))

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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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understand the children’s home’s overall aims and the outcomes it seeks to achieve for children;

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use this understanding to deliver care that meets children’s needs and supports them to fulfil their potential.

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

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understand and apply the home’s statement of purpose;

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understand and apply the home’s statement of purpose. (Regulation 6 (1)(a)(b) (2)(a)(b)(i)) 20 March 2026

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Requirement Due date

The registered person must recruit staff using recruitment procedures that are designed to ensure children’s safety.

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Requirement Due date

employ an individual to work at the children’s home;

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Requirement Due date

if the individual satisfies the requirements in paragraph (3).

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Requirement Due date

full and satisfactory information is available in relation to the individual in respect of each of the matters in Schedule 2. (Regulation 32 (1) (2)(a) (3)(d)) 20 March 2026

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Requirement Due date

The registered person must notify HMCI and each other relevant person without delay if— 31 December Inspection report for children’s home: 2830769 8 there is an allegation of abuse against the home or a person working there. (Regulation 40 (4)(c))

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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: 2830769 9

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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: 2830769 10 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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