Children's home run by Jamores Limited in Bexley

Inspection report children’s home: SC459354 1 SC459354 Registered provider: Jamores Limited Interim inspection Inspected under the social care common inspection framework

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Information about this children’s home

This is a privately owned home for three children. The home’s statement of purpose states that the home cares for children with emotional and/or behavioural needs and/or a learning disability.

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Information about this children’s home

Enforcement action since last inspection: none

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and young people since the most recent full inspection

This home was judged good at the last full inspection. At the interim inspection, Ofsted judges that it has declined in effectiveness.

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and young people since the most recent full inspection

Two children are currently in placement. The previous inspection highlighted some shortfalls, most of which have since been resolved successfully. However, staff annual appraisals, in particular the appraisal of the registered manager, have not happened.

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and young people since the most recent full inspection

Children share positive relationships with the staff team and are free to discuss any concerns that they may have and said that they know how to make a complaint. However, the home’s general complaints procedure regarding other stakeholders requires review to ensure it is clear how complaints are made. Managers record all complaints received, however they do not consistently record the action taken to resolve complaints, or the outcome of complaints.

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and young people since the most recent full inspection

Ofsted has recently received a number of complaints about the staff’s management of Inspection report children’s home: SC459354 2 children’s challenging behaviour. This follows several critical incidents that have occurred, both within the home and the immediate neighbourhood.

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and young people since the most recent full inspection

Staff receive regular training about managing children’s challenging behaviour. Since the last inspection, there have been occasions when staff have restrained children. The use of restraint has been appropriate in protecting children and others from serious harm.

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and young people since the most recent full inspection

Staff do not always take appropriate action to help prevent the escalation of children’s challenging behaviour. In one instance when an incident arose, staff locked themselves and a child in the staff office and, during this time, another child was able to cause considerable criminal damage to the home and the property of the home’s neighbours. Staff’s decision-making about allocating tasks to agency staff, as opposed to permanent staff members, proved to be inappropriate and did not support the effective management of the situation.

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and young people since the most recent full inspection

The home’s care planning processes require improvement. Managers use a matching referral tool to help them to make decisions about accepting placements. However, the completed form for one child was poorly completed and, in some areas, contained contradictory information about the risks posed by the child. The information did not help staff to fully understand the child’s needs and failed to confirm how the staff team would meet these needs. The subsequent placement planning meeting did not comprehensively explore known and potential risks to the child and others.

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and young people since the most recent full inspection

It is unclear from records that an appropriate level of staffing was in place from the outset of this child’s placement. A two-to-one staffing ratio was negotiated later in the placement, but it is unclear from what point this was agreed and acted on.

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and young people since the most recent full inspection

The quality of staff recording requires improvement, and managers do not routinely review case files to monitor the quality of records. For some key records, there are no staff signatures or dates of completion, such as support plans and behaviour management plans. Furthermore, updated behaviour management plans do not include comments about staff learning or insights following critical incidents. One file contained a blank management audit form.

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and young people since the most recent full inspection

Managers and staff work in partnership with other professionals. This is the case for health and educational professionals, relevant police teams and placing authorities. These partnerships result in the coordination of children’s care, help keep children safe and, for some, improve their progress and experiences.

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and young people since the most recent full inspection

Children have access to the home’s two therapists. This is to help address issues such as developing positive relationships, anger management, emotional resilience and exploring triggers for risk-taking behaviour.

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and young people since the most recent full inspection

Managers have taken swift action to address shortfalls in staff’s recent management of children’s challenging behaviour. These include providing additional de-escalation training to staff, effective shift planning and the consistent exchange of children’s information between staff members and other professionals. Despite this, staff’s Inspection report children’s home: SC459354 3 behaviour management practices require significant improvement if children are to be kept safe.

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Inspection date Inspection type Inspection judgement

21/08/2018 Full Good 19/02/2018 Interim Declined in effectiveness 30/08/2017 Full Good 21/02/2017 Interim Sustained effectiveness

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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, 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 registered person must ensure that all employees—

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Requirement Due date

have their performance and fitness to perform their roles appraised at least once every year. (Regulation 33(4)(c)) 01/05/2019

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Requirement Due date

Complaints and representations Subject to paragraph (6), the registered person must establish a procedure for considering complaints made by or on behalf of children.

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Requirement Due date

In particular, the procedure must provide that no person who is the subject of a complaint takes any part in its consideration or investigation, except at the informal resolution stage if the registered person considers it appropriate.

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Requirement Due date

The registered person must ensure that a record is made of any complaint, the action taken in response, and the outcome of any investigation. (Regulation 39(1)(2)(3)) 01/05/2019

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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— 01/05/2019 Inspection report children’s home: SC459354 4 mutual respect and trust; an understanding about acceptable behaviour; and 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

that staff— meet each child’s behavioural and emotional needs, as set out in the child’s relevant plans. (Regulation 11(1)(2)(a)(i)) The leadership and management standard is that the registered person enables, inspires and leads a culture in in relation to the children’s home that—

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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(2)(h))

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Requirement Due date

In particular, to monitor and improve, shift planning and the quality of staff’s recording. These include placement matching documents, support plans and behaviour management plans. 01/05/2019

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Information about this inspection

Inspectors have looked closely at the experiences and progress of children and young people. Inspectors considered the quality of work and the differences made to the lives of children and young people. They watched how professional staff work with children and young people and each other and discussed the effectiveness of help and care provided. Wherever possible, they talked to children and young people and their families. In addition, the inspectors have tried to understand what the children’s home knows about how well it is performing, how well it is doing and what difference it is making for the children and young people whom it is trying to help, protect and look after.

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Information about this inspection

This inspection focused on the effectiveness of the home and the progress and experiences of children and young people since the most recent full inspection.

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Information about this inspection

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 children’s home: SC459354 5

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Children’s home details

Registered provider address: 2 Thames Innovation Centre, Studio 52, Veridion Way, Erith DA18 4AL

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Inspector

Sandra Jacobs-Walls, social care inspector Inspection report children’s home: SC459354 6 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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