Children's home run by Jamores Limited in Bexley

Inspection report children’s home: 1237027 1 Registered provider: Jamores Limited

p.1

Full inspection Inspected under the social care common inspection framework

p.1

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 who have emotional and/or behavioural needs, and/or a mental disorder and/or a learning disability. The provider has four children’s homes registered with Ofsted.

p.1

Information about this children’s home

The manager was registered with Ofsted in 2016.

p.1

Overall experiences and progress of

children and young people, taking into account

p.1

good

How well children and young people are helped and protected good

p.1

good

The effectiveness of leaders and managers good

p.1

good

The children’s home provides effective services that meet the requirements for good.

p.1

good

Date of last inspection: 4 February 2019

p.1

good

Overall judgement at last inspection: sustained effectiveness

p.1

good

Enforcement action since last inspection: none Inspection report children’s home: 1237027 2

p.1

Inspection date Inspection type Inspection judgement

04/02/2019 Interim Sustained effectiveness 30/05/2018 Full Requires improvement to be good 02/10/2017 Full Requires improvement to be good 20/06/2017 Full Inadequate Inspection report children’s home: 1237027 3

p.2

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.

p.3

Requirement Due date

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

p.3

Requirement Due date

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

p.3

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)(v))

p.3

Requirement Due date

This relates to staff’s lack of understanding of the action that they need to take in the event of a child making an allegation against senior members of staff. 01/10/2019

p.3

Requirement Due date

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

p.3

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)(3)(d)) 01/10/2019

p.3

Requirement Due date

The registered person must ensure that all employees—

p.3

Requirement Due date

receive practice-related supervision by a person with appropriate experience; and

p.3

Requirement Due date

have their performance and fitness to perform their roles appraised at least once every year. (Regulation 33(4)(b)(c)) 01/10/2019

p.3

Requirement Due date

The children’s views, wishes and feelings standard is that children receive care from staff who—

p.3

Requirement Due date

take their views, wishes and feelings into account in relation to 01/10/2019 Inspection report children’s home: 1237027 4 matters affecting the children’s care and welfare and their lives.

p.3

Requirement Due date

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

p.4

Requirement Due date

keep the children’s guide and the home’s complaints procedure under review and seek children’s comments before revising either document. (Regulation 7(1)(c)(2)(c))

p.4

Recommendations

 The registered person is responsible for leading a team which provides high quality care for all children living in the home. They must lead and manage the home in a way that delivers the ethos, outcomes and approach set out in the home’s Statement of Purpose. They should also play a key role in shaping the ethos of the home through developing a culture of high aspirations for children which is demonstrated through the care, resources and opportunities offered to the children. (‘Guide to the children’s homes regulations including the quality standards’, page 42, paragraph 10.4) In particular, that managers devise a development plan that outlines strategies to improve the quality of care provided in the home.

p.4

Recommendations

 For children’s homes to be nurturing and supportive environments that meet the needs of their children, they will, in most cases, be homely, domestic environments. Children’s homes must comply with relevant health and safety legislations (alarms, food hygiene etc.); however, in doing so, homes should seek as far as possible to maintain a domestic rather than ‘institutional’ impression. (‘Guide to the children’s homes regulations including the quality standards’, page 15, paragraph 3.9) This relates to the decor of some rooms which require repainting. The flooring in the kitchen needs replacing. Inspection report children’s home: 1237027 5

p.4

Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Children make good progress and have positive experiences while living in this home. They receive individualised care, which meets their identified needs. Often the nature of this care is focused on exploring children’s trauma and issues of attachment, loss and rejection.

p.5

Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Children share positive relationships with staff. The home’s two therapists are creative in their approach to ensuring that children can develop trusting relationships.

p.5

Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

One child has been encouraged to have a safe, private space in her bedroom, a pink tent. This is a space that she can go to, to think and reflect. The child invites staff she wants to enter this space for discussion and play. The child told the inspector, ‘This is my palace, it belongs to me and I can invite who I want.’ This approach is particularly effective in addressing the child’s feelings of ownership, containment and belonging.

p.5

Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Children know how to make complaints and do so. Other complaints recently received include some from neighbours. Managers ensure that concerns raised by children and others are managed swiftly and appropriately. Records of complaints highlighted that all complaints are sensitively resolved.

p.5

Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Children’s educational outcomes are variable. Some attend school regularly and are making steady progress, although for other children this is not the case, and their attendance with home tuition sessions is sporadic.

p.5

Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Staff are good at identifying creative alternatives that help children to engage in their learning. For example, one child participates in a community project that supports his keen interest in the mechanics of bicycles. He enjoys and attends these sessions very regularly.

p.5

Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Children live healthy lifestyles. They eat nutritious meals that they prefer and participate in physical exercise. Routine leisure activities include bike-riding, trampolining and trips to a local adventure playground. Children keep primary care appointments, and some are working to reduce their use of illegal substances and cigarettes.

p.5

Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Children benefit from the input of the home’s two art and drama therapists. Their work is routinely focused on building children’s emotional resilience, exploring trauma and abuse and their experience of abandonment and rejection.

p.5

Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

The work of the therapists has been significant in allowing children to explore their feelings and how this comes out in their behaviour. This has been largely successful in working with children to explore some very difficult issues.

p.5

Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Children have opportunities to develop independent living skills. Staff encourage them to Inspection report children’s home: 1237027 6 keep their bedrooms tidy, clean up after themselves and, for young girls, help to prepare them to manage their periods.

p.5

Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Children can spend time with their family and friends when it is safe for them to do so. Contact arrangements are clear and in accordance with children’s wishes.

p.6

Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

The home’s premises are generally well maintained and comfortable. Children personalise their bedrooms as they wish. The building is safe and secure; there are no health and safety issues.

p.6

Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Some areas of the home, such as a few bedrooms, the lounge, kitchen flooring and reception area require redecorating and modernising. This is to make the home’s environment more nurturing and homelier.

p.6

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

Children are safe at the home. Staff protect them from harm and abuse. If bullying occurs, staff are prompt and effective in ensuring that children understand the need to stop this behaviour.

p.6

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

Staff receive regular training that focuses on child protection. However, not all staff are familiar with the action to take in the event of a child making an allegation against a senior member of the staff team. Staff have access to the home’s child protection policies and procedures.

p.6

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

There have been several allegations made by children against staff. Managers have taken swift and appropriate action to ensure that these issues are managed well. Managers liaised with safeguarding professionals in every case and ensured that the safety of children remained the home’s priority.

p.6

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

Staff’s practices in managing missing persons are effective. The frequency of children going missing from the home or being absent without permission is on the decline. Staff are familiar with missing persons protocols and records of missing episodes are clear and comprehensive. Staff’s communication with the police in these cases is appropriate.

p.6

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

Children benefit from the clear boundaries set by staff. Some children present with extremely challenging behaviour. Staff’s supervision of children is effective. Staff are skilled in helping children manage their emotions and reflect on their behaviour.

p.6

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

Risk assessments are clear and alert staff to known and anticipated risks. These are kept up to date and include strategies that help to reduce risks.

p.6

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

Children’s positive behaviour is promoted. Staff and the home’s therapists are working effectively with children to help to equip children with the skills that will help them to manage their feelings better. For example, children learn to use calming techniques that the therapists recommend. Children are now able to say that they are sorry and write letters of apology. This was not the case when these children first arrived at the home. Inspection report children’s home: 1237027 7 Managers and therapists devise careful, personalised behaviour management strategies. There have been several restraints of children. In each case this action had been necessary to prevent harm or injury to children or others. Records are clear about how children have been restrained and why. Managers ensured that everyone involved was debriefed, and that the views of children were obtained.

p.6

The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

The home is well managed by a strong leadership team. The home is run by an experienced registered manager. She is supported by a deputy manager.

p.7

The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

Leaders’ and managers’ overview of the home is effective. This helps to prompt continual improvements to the home. Regulation 44 and 45 monitoring reports support this effort; however, the home is yet to devise a targeted development plan which will enhance existing plans for improvement.

p.7

The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

The vetting and recruitment of new staff requires improvement. Staff personnel files do not evidence full information as is required. For example, not all files consistently contain job application forms, while information about staff inductions is not clear.

p.7

The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

Not all staff files evidence that staff receive regular supervision and some staff do not have appraisals each year. This does not ensure that managers are assessing staff’s development needs effectively.

p.7

The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

The provider is financially viable, and staff use resources creatively to ensure that children have positive experiences. The home’s statement of purpose outlines well the aims and objectives of the home. However, the children’s guide requires revision. This is to ensure that it contains accurate information about the home, for example the age range of children living there and the actual name of the home.

p.7

The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

Leaders and managers ensure that the home’s care planning processes are effective. They make child-centred decisions when exploring possible new placements. The home’s impact assessment reviews the needs of children being referred, and the needs of children already living in the home. This ensures that staff are aware of the potential risks to any child.

p.7

The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

The home employs a sufficient number of staff to meet the children’s needs. Staff have access to training opportunities that help them to develop the skills that they need to care for vulnerable children.

p.7

The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

Staff’s learning and skills development are enhanced by the work of the home’s two therapists. The therapists offer staff regular training opportunities that are focused on issues specific to individual children. Staff’s understanding of children’s complex issues and behaviour is well developed.

p.7

The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

Staff’s communication with external partners, such as placing authorities, educational Inspection report children’s home: 1237027 8 and health professionals, is regular and consistent. This helps to ensure that those involved in children’s lives are aware of their progress and issues. This supports the good coordination of children’s care.

p.7

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.

p.8

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: 1237027 9

p.8

Children’s home details

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

p.9

Inspector

Sandra Jacobs-Walls, social care inspector Inspection report children’s home: 1237027 10 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.

p.9

Inspector

If you would like a copy of this document in a different format, such as large print or Braille, please telephone 0300 123 1231, or email enquiries@ofsted.gov.uk . You may reuse this information (not including logos) free of charge in any format or medium, under the terms of the Open Government Licence. To view this licence, visit http://www.nationalarchives.gov.uk/doc/open-government-licence , write to the Information Policy Team, The National Archives, Kew, London TW9 4DU, or email: psi@nationalarchives.gsi.gov.uk .

p.10

Inspector

Interested in our work? You can subscribe to our monthly newsletter for more information and updates: http://eepurl.com/iTrDn .

p.10

Inspector

T: 0300 123 1231 Textphone: 0161 618 8524 E: enquiries@ofsted.gov.uk W: http://www.gov.uk/ofsted

p.10