Children's home run by Omega Care Group Limited

Inspection report for children’s home: 2559317 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

This home is owned and operated by a private company. It provides care for one child who may experience social and emotional difficulties and/or have learning disabilities.

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Information about this children’s home

At the time of the inspection, one child was living in the home. They were spoken to as part of the inspection.

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Information about this children’s home

The 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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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

Overall judgement at last inspection: outstanding

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outstanding

Enforcement action since last inspection: none Inspection report for children’s home: 2559317 2

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Inspection date Inspection type Inspection judgement

27/08/2024 Full Outstanding 11/10/2023 Full Good 05/04/2022 Full Requires improvement to be good 17/01/2022 Full Requires improvement to be good Inspection report for children’s home: 2559317 3

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outstanding

The child living in the home is making exceptional progress across all areas of their development. They benefit from a warm, nurturing and stable home environment, in which staff demonstrate a strong commitment to providing personalised care. Staff have an excellent understanding of the child’s needs and have developed strong, trusting and secure relationships with them. The child now confidently seeks and accepts reassurance from staff and presents as a child who feels valued, listened to and emotionally safe. As a result, the child says that they feel happy and that they experience a strong sense of belonging in the home.

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outstanding

The home provides a welcoming, family like atmosphere. Photos of shared experiences are displayed throughout, reinforcing the child’s identity and connectedness to the home. The child’s bedroom is personalised, well maintained and reflects their interests, including their enthusiasm of plush toys.

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outstanding

The child has made significant and sustained progress from their starting point. Due to the substantial reduction in risk for the child, staffing ratios are being safely reduced. Staff no longer supervise the child’s gymnastics sessions, evidencing the effectiveness of consistent and skilled care in supporting increased independence.

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outstanding

Staff have provided excellent support to the child to ensure that their outstanding health needs have been met since moving into the home. Staff recognised that attending the local GP surgery caused the child distress. The manager advocated for health appointments to take place at home or online. This helped the child to overcome the difficulties in attending appointments. The child now attends all medical appointments without issue and is able to use the check-in system independently.

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outstanding

Staff have high aspirations for the child’s education. They recognise the child’s abilities and support the child to achieve their full academic potential. As a result, the child is making significant progress in education. The child now attends a specialist education provision that meets their needs and has achieved 100% attendance. Staff support the child to complete additional tasks set by their school. As a reward for completing these, they are going on a school trip to see a themed ice-skating show.

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outstanding

The child’s self-esteem and confidence have improved considerably. They have participated in a gymnastics competition and have formed positive peer relationships, with friends visiting the home.

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outstanding

Staff and the manager are highly committed to supporting the child to maintain relationships with significant people in their life, ensuring that arrangements are well organised and centred around the child’s emotional needs. When the child was Inspection report for children’s home: 2559317 4 The home is overseen by an experienced, skilled and knowledgeable registered manager. She is dedicated and child-centred leader who models positive practice. She provides high-quality support to both the child and the staff team. This unable to spend time with family, the manager introduced a creative ‘teddy bear and journal’ system, which supported the child to maintain written contact and promoted meaningful connection between the child and their family.

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outstanding

Staff engage the child in purposeful and child-centred work that is tailored to their learning style. Staff use a range of creative tools, including interactive worksheets and play-based approaches, to support the child’s understanding of their experiences and to help them develop new skills.

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outstanding

Staff are skilled in supporting the child’s behaviour and meeting their needs. They implement therapeutic models effectively, and the child has responded positively to these approaches. The child is able to identify a trusted adult they would speak to if they had any worries. Consequently, risks for the child have reduced across all areas.

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outstanding

Staff have an excellent and detailed understanding of the child’s risks and vulnerabilities. Support plans are highly individualised, clearly written and consistently followed by staff. Regular reviews of the child’s plans mean that staff receive purposeful and practical guidance that promotes safe, well-informed and personalised care.

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outstanding

There has been a sustained reduction in incidents. Staff work closely with the child to identify what they find helpful and unhelpful and to develop strategies that support them when they are distressed. These strategies are applied consistently and have been effective in helping the child to manage their emotions more effectively.

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outstanding

Incidents of the child being physically held have reduced. Staff only physically hold the child when necessary to keep the child safe. When incidents do occur, staff and managers undertake debriefs with the child to help them to reflect on events and to develop their understanding of their behaviour. This supports the child to recognise and manage their emotions better. Staff also attend reflective debriefs facilitated by managers, which enable them to identify learning, consider triggers for the child and strengthen their practice. This contributes to a culture of continuous improvement.

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outstanding

The manager responds appropriately to allegations in line with agreed plans of local authority designated officers. Relevant professionals are informed when concerns are raised, and direct work and debriefs are undertaken with the child to support their understanding. Staff also receive reflective debriefs that help them to recognise what works well for the child and identify areas for development.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: outstanding

Inspection report for children’s home: 2559317 5 leadership approach has created a culture in which the child’s needs are prioritised and staff feel confident and assured in their roles.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: outstanding

The manager promotes a reflective culture within the home. She has high aspirations for the child and maintains a strong and consistent focus on improving their outcomes. She routinely evaluates the child’s progress and adapts support in response to their emerging needs.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: outstanding

The manager is an effective advocate for the child. She challenges partner agencies appropriately to ensure that the child’s needs are prioritised. When the child moved into the home, they faced significant waiting times for a specialist assessment. The manager escalated concerns and advocated for the child to be reassessed as a priority. As a result, the child received their assessment significantly sooner and is now accessing the specialist support they require.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: outstanding

Professionals hold the manager and staff team in high regard. They describe the team as committed, proactive and instrumental in the child’s progress since moving into the home. One health professional commented that the manager ‘is the most attentive manager I have worked with’.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: outstanding

Staff morale is high, and they report feeling valued and well supported by leaders and managers. One staff member commented that the home provides ‘a stable, aspirational and well-supported environment for both staff and young people’.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: outstanding

Leaders and managers ensure that staff receive relevant training to develop their knowledge and skills. Regular development sessions, team meetings and supervision sessions provide opportunities for reflection and shared learning. These opportunities help staff to understand the child’s needs and to provide consistent and informed care. The manager identifies additional training promptly when gaps arise. For example, autism-specific training was arranged following the child’s referral for assessment.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: outstanding

The manager demonstrates a strong commitment to continuous improvement. Established monitoring systems support the review of the child’s plans, staff practice and patterns or trends in incidents. These systems are generally effective. However, one shortfall was identified in relation to the manager not always verifying references for new staff. Inspection report for children’s home: 2559317 6

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Recommendation

 The registered person should ensure that they maintain good employment practice. They must ensure that all character references are verified. Where staff are identified as directors of a company, this should be fully explored and any previous ownership of a business should be appropriately checked and validated. (‘Guide to the Children’s Homes Regulations, including the quality standards’, page 61, paragraph 13.1)

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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: 2559317 7

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Children’s home details

Registered provider: Omega care group LTD

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Children’s home details

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

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Children’s home details

Registered manager: Alice-Leigh Birtwistle

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Inspector

Michelle McGrath, Social Care Inspector Inspection report for children’s home: 2559317 8 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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