Oxford,
05
October
2016
|
15:45
Europe/London

Crunchy food, personal care plans and caring staff contribute to a ‘good’ rating across the board for Oxfordshire’s Children and Family Care Service

Oxfordshire County Council’s Children and Family Care Service has been rated ‘good’ across the board for the way it support children who are assessed with physical or learning disabilities by the independent regulator of all health and social care services in England.

The Care Quality Commission inspected the council’s services during August and has judged them on a range of criteria, to look at whether they are safe, effective, caring, responsive and well-led. ‘Good’ ratings were achieved for each. The services provide care and support to 157 children and their families within the county who are assessed as having a physical or learning disability.

safe, effective, caring, responsive and well-led

A range of services are provided to assist people in their own homes, or out in the community, and has an impact on many lives throughout the county. One resident asked to take part in the assessment put it, “I would not be able to manage in school holidays without the service, because I have two children with special needs, both needing one to one care”.

Melinda Tilley, Oxfordshire County Council’s Cabinet Member for Children, Education and Families, said:

“We’re delighted with the results of this assessment and the chance to recognise the hard work of our staff, and the service as a whole.” “Every child assisted by the service has different needs, and we make sure that staff are supported with specialised training to get the best for each child’s needs. The service is always trying to improve, so it’s great to hear that relatives were also confident that they would be listened to and action would be taken if they raised a concern.”

Hannah Farncombe said, Oxfordshire County Council’s Deputy Director for Children’s Social Care, said:

“This is a welcome result and reflects the hard work and energy that staff contribute to make a difference to young people across the county that need extra care and attention.”

 

The CQC report praises our staff for detailed personalised care plans - showing how they go the extra mile for those for whom they care. Any parent with a child with autism will understand the difference information such as liking ‘crunchy foods’ can make when it comes to mealtimes, and details of gestures and meanings that helped overcome a difficulty in speaking were cited as an example of clearly understanding the child’s needs.

“I love it, absolutely love it. I love making a difference for the children and their families.”

It all contributes to an approach that can be best summed up by feedback from a staff member, who explained their attitude to the service. “I love it, absolutely love it. I love making a difference for the children and their families.”

Meanwhile Oxfordshire County Council’s children’s home for boys has been rated “good”, following an unannounced inspection by Ofsted. The home narrowly missed out on an ‘outstanding’ result and was noted for its excellent examples in practice and outcomes for the children.