Children's Home run by Jasper Education and Support Services Limited in Essex

Inspection report children’s home: 2546196 1 Registered provider: Jasper Education and Support Services 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, which is run by a private organisation, provides care for up to six children. The home’s overall aim is to offer care and support through therapeutic services to children who have experienced trauma.

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Information about this children’s home

The registered manager has been in post since 26 September 2019. This is the home’s first inspection.

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Overall experiences and progress of

children and young people, taking into account

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good

How well children and young people are helped and protected good

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good

The effectiveness of leaders and managers requires improvement to be good

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good

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

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good

Overall judgement at last inspection: not applicable

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good

Enforcement action since last inspection: none Inspection report children’s home: 2546196 2

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Inspection date Inspection type Inspection judgement

Not applicable Inspection report children’s home: 2546196 3

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

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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

are familiar with, and act in accordance with, the home’s child protection policies. (Regulation 12(1)(2)(a)(vii))

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Requirement Due date

In particular, ensure that the registered manager follows the safeguarding protocol when a complaint is received from a child. 31/01/2020

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Requirement Due date

The leadership and management standard is that the registered person enables, inspires and leads a culture in relation to the children’s home that—

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Requirement Due date

helps children aspire to fulfil their potential and

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

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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(1)(a)(b)(2)(h))

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Requirement Due date

In particular, monitor and evaluate restraint and sanction records effectively. 31/01/2020

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Requirement Due date

children can access all appropriate areas of the children’s home’s premises; and

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Requirement Due date

any limitation placed on a child’s privacy or access to any area 31/01/2020 Inspection report children’s home: 2546196 4 of the home’s premises—

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Requirement Due date

is intended to safeguard each child accommodated in the home;

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Requirement Due date

is kept under review and, if necessary, revised; and

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Requirement Due date

allows children as much freedom as is possible when balanced against the need to protect them and keep them safe. (Regulation 21(b)(c)(i)(ii)(iii)(iv))

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Requirement Due date

In particular, review the arrangement of locking the kitchen. The registered person must recruit staff using procedures that are designed to ensure children’s safety.

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Requirement Due date

employ an individual to work at the children’s home; or

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Requirement Due date

if an individual is employed by a person other than the registered person to work at the home in a position in which the individual may have regular contact with children, allow that individual to work at the home,

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Requirement Due date

if the individual satisfies the requirements in paragraph (3).

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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)(2)(a)(b)(3)(d)) 31/01/2020

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Requirement Due date

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

The registered person must ensure that a record is made of any complaint, the action taken in response, and the outcome of any investigation.

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Requirement Due date

The registered person must supply to HMCI, at HMCI’s request, a statement containing a summary of any complaints made during the preceding twelve months and the action that was taken in response to each complaint. (Regulation 39(1)(3)(5)) 29/02/2020

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Requirement Due date

The registered person must notify HMCI and each other relevant person without delay if— 31/01/2020 Inspection report children’s home: 2546196 5 there is an allegation of abuse against the home or a person working there. (Regulation 40(4)(c))

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Recommendations

 Children should be in full-time education while they are of compulsory school age, unless their personal education plan contained within the care plan or other relevant plan states otherwise. The home must aim to support full-time attendance at school unless the child’s relevant plan indicates this is not in their best interests. (‘Guide to the children’s homes regulations including the quality standards’, page 28, paragraph 5.14)  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 safeguard children and minimise potential risks to them. (‘Guide to the children’s homes regulations including the quality standards’, page 61, paragraph 13.1) In particular, a risk assessment should be in place when family members work together.  The registered person must have systems in place so that all staff, including the

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Recommendations

manager, receive supervision of their practice from an appropriately qualified and experienced professional, which allows them to reflect on their practice and the needs of the children assigned to their care. (‘Guide to the children’s homes regulations including the quality standards’, page 61, paragraph 13.2)

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

The children make good progress because of the care and support that they receive. Their emotional well-being and independence skills improve. For example, a child has become better able to manager their behaviour because their communication has improved, and they have been supported to make the right choices. This resulted in a reduction in aggressive behaviour.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Children spoke about feeling valued. They said that they know that the staff care about them. The children are confident that their opinions and views are listened to and that they are important to staff. The children can see and understand how they can influence the home and their care. One child was observed during inspection to cuddle staff on a staff member’s arrival. Another child said that this is the best home that he has ever lived at and he would judge the home as ‘outstanding’. These special relationships empower the children to communicate clearly their wishes and feelings to the staff. Inspection report children’s home: 2546196 6 Children grow in confidence because the staff encourage them to take part in fun activities, which include horse riding, bowling, daily gym attendance and trips out for the day. The children make and build friendships at the home. They have new experiences, develop new skills and forge relationships.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Care and support planning are well organised, detailed and helpful. Records contain good information and provide a unique picture of each child. The staff understand the children well and use their knowledge carefully to think about what events and behaviours mean, to help children to progress.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Despite the staff’s efforts, two of the children do not have education placements. Although they access some home tuition, this lack of suitable education does not support the children into adult life and careers.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

The children live in a beautiful home that is furnished and decorated to a very high standard. There are plenty of rooms in which the children can relax together or meet with external professionals and family members in private. Due to a shortfall in practice by staff, the kitchen area is locked each night, preventing the children from accessing it freely.

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

Children are kept safe at this home. The manager and the staff are very clear about risks. They assess these risks well and take appropriate steps to minimise and control them.

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

The staff use their positive relationships with the children to underpin behaviour management. Behaviour and care management plans are effective. Physical intervention is only used as a last resort to safeguard the children and the staff. The staff work in partnership to enforce boundaries fairly and consistently. The staff are skilled in de- escalating the challenging behaviours that some of the children display. Effective sanctioning, when appropriate, enables the children to make amends and reflect on their behaviour. Consequently, the home is very settled, and there have been few instances of challenging behaviour.

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

Sanctions are minimal and proportionate to the children’s behaviour. This helps the children to understand and manage their behaviour and often results in the development of positive behaviour strategies. The staff constantly praise, reward and celebrate the children’s achievements. The children receive rewards for various acts, such as being polite to staff and settling well at night.

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

There is a clear protocol in place to follow if a child goes missing. The high level of supervision afforded to each child means that there have been no incidents of children going missing from the home.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: requires improvement to be good

The registered manager holds a relevant level 5 diploma in leadership and management. Inspection report children’s home: 2546196 7 He has good insight into the challenges of his current role and understands how to develop an effective team and support children to make progress. However, paperwork is not always detailed or fully completed, and records are not consistently monitored and evaluated effectively. For example, records of restraint and sanctions have not been completed, but the manager has signed these records off as complete.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: requires improvement to be good

The procedures for the recruitment of new staff are adequate. However, all necessary checks for agency staff are not reflected in the records retained at the home, and a risk assessment has not been undertaken in relation to family members who may work together. This does not demonstrate a clear understanding of safeguarding or give staff a clear reporting structure through which to report any concerns if they arise.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: requires improvement to be good

The records at the home indicated that there had been no complaints made by any child since the home’s registration. However, during inspection, it was evident that a child had recently made a complaint against a member of staff. On further review and in discussion with the manager, it was clear that a complaint had been received and that the manager had not followed the protocols correctly. The manager failed to inform the designated officer, he did not notify Ofsted of the concern and nor did he acknowledge receipt of the complaint to the child. The child has not been informed of how the complaint has been managed. Therefore, the process was not transparent.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: requires improvement to be good

Most staff receive regular supervision and a good level of training. However, the manager has not received formal supervision. This does not provide the required oversight of the manager and the home or support the manager to develop his practice.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: requires improvement to be good

The manager and the staff team have formed positive relationships with a range of agencies, including social workers and specialist teams. A social worker said, about a recent emergency placement, ‘I have seen an improvement since [my child] has moved here from home. [The child] is starting to open up. In fact, I am really impressed. The communication between the home and myself is excellent.’

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: requires improvement to be good

Monitoring visits by independent visitors are of a good standard. The visitors’ reports include suggestions about how to improve the quality of care.

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Information about this inspection

Inspection report children’s home: 2546196 8 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

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: 2546196 9

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Children’s home details

Registered provider: Jasper Education and Support Services Limited

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Children’s home details

Registered provider address: 1 The Green, Wanstead, London E11 2NT

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Inspector

Cathy Russell, social care inspector Inspection report children’s home: 2546196 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.

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Inspector

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Inspector

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Inspector

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