Children's Home run by Jigsaw Therapeutic Care Limited in Nottinghamshire

Inspection report children’s home: 2490994 1 Registered provider: Jigsaw Therapeutic Care Limited Full inspection Inspected under the social care common inspection framework

p.1

Information about this children’s home

This three-bedded home aims to provide family-type care based on therapeutic community principles. The home was registered in February 2019. The manager was registered at the same time and she is suitably qualified.

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: not applicable. This is the home’s first inspection.

p.1

good

Overall judgement at last inspection: not applicable

p.1

good

Enforcement action since last inspection: none Inspection report children’s home: 2490994 2

p.1

Recommendations

 Staff skills for safeguarding should include being able to identify signs that children may be at risk, and support children in strategies to manage and reduce any risks. (‘Guide to the children’s homes regulations including the quality standards’, page 43, paragraph 9.10) When using strategies to manage behaviour, staff need to ensure that they have carefully considered any unintended consequences, as some strategies employed by staff could exacerbate the situation.  All policies should be reviewed regularly and revised where appropriate. (‘Guide to the children’s homes regulations including the quality standards’, page 44, paragraph 9.19) In particular, ensure that these policies refer to current legislation.  As set out in regulations 31–33, the registered person is responsible for maintaining good employment practice. They must ensure that recruitment, supervision and performance management of staff safeguards children and

p.2

Recommendations

minimises potential risks to them. (‘Guide to the children’s homes regulations including the quality standards’, page 61, paragraph 13.1) In particular, ensure that the recruitment process prevents staff from commencing work in the home without the relevant checks and/or references. Also, incorporate into the organisation’s policies, procedures and statement of purpose the need for additional supervision sessions during the probation period.  All children’s case records (regulation 36) must be kept up to date and stored securely whilst they remain in the home. (‘Guide to the children’s homes regulations including the quality standards’, page 62, paragraph 14.3) In particular, ensure that this information is easily accessible.  Regulation 40(4) requires the registered person to notify Ofsted and other relevant persons if one of the situations specified in regulation 40(4)(a)–(d) occurs, or if there is an incident relating to the protection, safeguarding or

p.2

Recommendations

welfare of a child living in the home which the registered person considers to be serious (40(4)(e)). (‘Guide to the children’s homes regulations including the quality standards’, page 63, paragraph 14.10) Inspection report children’s home: 2490994 3

p.2

Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

This is the home’s first inspection. Two children live here, and their interactions with staff are full of warmth, humour and love. This rapport reflects the therapeutic approach that underpins the team’s work. A social worker spoke positively about this: ‘This is the longest place that [the child] has lived. I can see that he has built good relationships in the short time that he has lived here.’ A parent who had been worried about her child’s well-being in his previous home sent the team a message of thanks, saying that her child ‘is a lot happier now’.

p.3

Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

The formation of these relationships commences when the manager and home’s therapist carry out pre-admission visits. In addition to assessing whether the home can meet the child’s needs, the visits enable the children to feel included in the decision- making process.

p.3

Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

The children’s days are organised to ensure that they maintain positive routines. This is to assist them with the transition when school places are identified. One child is having home tuition. The staff have encountered some difficulty in securing education provision for children who have moved in from other local authorities. There is clear evidence that the manager is continually chasing the relevant professionals for updates and progress to ensure that children do not miss out on education or the benefits, such as socialising, that accompany school attendance.

p.3

Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Children are involved in planning their weekly activities. They are encouraged to widen their experiences and friendship groups by attending extra-curricular activities, such as army cadets.

p.3

Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

The home has been proactive in assisting children with their health needs. This has included arranging specific staff training from a renal nurse. This training has enabled the staff to be more attuned to the signs and symptoms to be aware of while caring for the child.

p.3

Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

The three children who have moved out of this home have done so in an unplanned way or earlier than expected. The staff ensured that the children had a positive farewell. Where this was not possible, the team sent the child a small gift and a card with positive messages from each team member. This ensured that the child knew that the staff were still thinking about them.

p.3

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

There have been very few incidents of children going missing from the home. Staff follow the appropriate protocols and respond quickly to any changes in children’s behaviour or the level of risk. Working with up-to-date information about behaviour and risks helps staff to keep children safe. Inspection report children’s home: 2490994 4 Staff support the children to recognise their own feelings and better manage their emotions and negative behaviours. Both children could describe the strategies they now use to successfully manage their emotions. The children’s engagement in therapy sessions and the use of identified strategies to manage emotions and behaviour are helping children to change their previously negative responses to situations. A child said, ‘They [the staff] are serious about helping me change, so I take it seriously, too.’ Another child said, ‘I am able to go and calm down or go into the garden and kick a ball.’

p.3

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

Staff often use the positive relationships that they have with children to de-escalate incidents. On one occasion, staff employed a behaviour management strategy without thinking about all the possible outcomes. Staff had not considered any unintended consequences and the situation had the potential to become much more serious. The manager recognised this and the need to carefully consider behaviour management strategies. Ofsted has not always been notified when there has been a significant incident.

p.4

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

Staff use debriefing and individual and group supervision to reflect on incidents and use them as learning points. This enables them to identify alternative approaches and offer each other support. Staff have been subject to racial abuse from a child. Staff helped the child to think about their behaviour and the impact on others. The child is now learning more about equality and diversity through being cared for, and living with, people from a range of backgrounds and faiths. This child has now formed very positive relationships with staff.

p.4

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

Staff recruitment processes have been strengthened to ensure that staff only start working in the home, including by shadowing staff, when the required pre-employment checks and information are in place. This revised approach protects children better.

p.4

The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

Leaders and managers have spent the months since registration building the team and continually reflecting on and reviewing their processes, policies and practice. Some of the policies reference out-of-date information, and they need to reflect current legislation.

p.4

The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

Leaders and managers are ambitious for children and are focused on ensuring that the children have a positive experience of care. This determination is evident in how they advocate for the children. Their passion and enthusiasm are mirrored by staff. Staff spoke very positively about working at the home.

p.4

The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

Staff describe the manager as supportive and accessible. One member of staff said, ‘She is the best manager I have ever had.’ They describe their supervision sessions as positive and helpful. However, given that many staff are new and some lack experience, supervision should take place more frequently.

p.4

The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

The home uses an electronic recording system for all its documentation and records. Inspection report children’s home: 2490994 5 However, some records did not have the relevant information uploaded. This prevents any reader from having a full overview of particular information, such as the use of sanctions.

p.4

The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

The home’s statement of purpose is a live document. This is regularly reviewed to ensure that it fully reflects the service offered.

p.5

The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

The home has a monthly visit from an independent person. These visits are used well, alongside the manager’s auditing process, to improve standards at the home.

p.5

The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

Professionals spoke very positively about the care provided and good partnership working. One praised the staff for being flexible and supportive in arranging family visits. Another professional commented on how quickly a child had settled into the home and how well staff had managed the child’s health issues. Inspection report children’s home: 2490994 6

p.5

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 difference 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.6

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: 2490994 7

p.6

Children’s home details

Registered provider: Jigsaw Therapeutic Care Limited

p.7

Children’s home details

Registered provider address: 33 Meadow Road, Beeston, Nottingham NG9 1JQ

p.7

Inspector

Sonia Hay, social care inspector Inspection report children’s home: 2490994 8 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.

p.7

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 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.8

Inspector

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

p.8

Inspector

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

p.8