Children's home run by Jamores Limited

Inspection report for children's home - monitoring visit: 2566238 1

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Jamores Limited

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

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This monitoring visit

This visit was triggered as a result of information received from the provider and the home’s independent visitor.

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This monitoring visit

At the time of the visit, the home was looking after two children. This is the home’s first Ofsted visit following its registration with Ofsted in February 2020.

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This monitoring visit

The visit was conducted remotely, using a combination of telephone conversations, video conference calls and document review. The inspector spoke with one child, staff and the allocated social worker for one child.

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This monitoring visit

 review whether the placement of one child continued to meet their needs  explore staff’s effectiveness in managing incidents of self-harm  explore staff’s effectiveness in helping children to explore their gender identities  review the safety of staff’s management of children’s medication  assess whether the home’s accommodation is suitable. Inspection report for children's home - monitoring visit: 2566238 2 The main outcomes of the visit are as follows:

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This monitoring visit

 The placement of the child in question was appropriate in meeting their needs.  Staff take effective action that helps to reduce children’s self-harmful behaviour.  Staff provide children with good support that help them to explore gender identity issues.  Staff’s management of children’s medication has improved. Staff’s practices are appropriate and safe.  The home’s premises are homely, well maintained and well equipped to meet the needs of children.

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This monitoring visit

Independent visitor reports and notifications to Ofsted highlighted serious safeguarding incidents relating to one child. Documents reviewed confirmed that detailed background and current information about the child was shared with managers at the time of the referral.

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This monitoring visit

The skills of the staff team, additional staff training and access to therapeutic models of care helped staff to provide an appropriate, safe placement. The child’s local authority social worker said, ‘I think the placement did their very best with him. The issues were not with the placement, who tried really hard.’ Care plans outlined the child’s needs and explained how staff would meet these needs. However, care plans were not always explicit in addressing all identified needs or in outlining what specific care was needed. Furthermore, care plans did not state timeframes for the review or completion of the child’s placement goals.

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This monitoring visit

The staff team was diligent in its monitoring and supervision of the child in question. This helped to reduce behaviours that were of concern. Staff received bespoke training to help reduce children’s risk-taking behaviour. This included training in self- harm, managing suicide ideations and episodes of missing from home.

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This monitoring visit

The organisation’s therapist provided training to staff that focused on relevant practice issues. In addition, staff team meetings explored the child’s known and anticipated risks. Staff also received consultative guidance from external mental health specialists to support their practice. This training and guidance lead to the development of detailed risk assessments, which further offered staff strategies to help keep the child safe. However, risk assessments did not highlight all risks posed to the child prior to their admission to the home.

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This monitoring visit

Staff support children to safely explore their gender identity. The visit reviewed the nature and effectiveness of this support. Staff meetings were used to discuss sexual identity issues and strategies that would support a child’s exploration and gender dysphoria. Sessions with the therapist focused on key themes such as gender Inspection report for children's home - monitoring visit: 2566238 3 diversity, value base, attitude and effective communication. Appropriate resources relating to gender and non-binary issues were shared with both the staff team and the child concerned.

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This monitoring visit

Staff paid good attention to their use of language. For example, they referred to the child by their preferred name and pronoun. The child was supported to safely reflect on their experiences. Staff accessed information and advice from a leading transgender national organisation. This was to assist their support of the child. Staff’s approach has been effective. The child’s confidence has increased, allowing them to speak openly about their queries, which historically had been a cause of distress.

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This monitoring visit

An independent monitoring visit highlighted an error in staff’s handling of children’s medication. The registered manager confirmed that this was a recording error. In response, managers discussed the incident at team meetings. All staff were required to complete medication training and have their competency in this area of their work re-assessed. Medication policies and recording tools were amended to provide clarity.

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This monitoring visit

Staff daily handovers now routinely feature a review of medication, and senior staff conduct weekly and monthly monitoring of medication practices and recording. These measures promote staff’s safe management of children’s medication.

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This monitoring visit

Staff offer children stable placements where they make progress and have positive experiences. Staff are interested in what children have to say and staff regularly consult with them. This ensures that children contribute to the shaping of the service.

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This monitoring visit

Children said that they feel listened to, however, some feel that staff do not provide feedback about things they ask for quickly enough. This was the case for one child who had asked to change the way her bedroom looked.

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This monitoring visit

A virtual tour of the building, conducted by way of a video call with the registered manager, confirmed that the premises are homely, clean, tidy, well maintained and well decorated. Individual bedrooms and communal spaces are well furnished and comfortable. There are no health and safety concerns. The home’s premises provide quality accommodation to children.

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This monitoring visit

Two recommendations are made as a result of this visit.

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Recent inspection history

Inspection date Inspection type Inspection judgement

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Recent inspection history

Not previously inspected. Inspection report for children's home - monitoring visit: 2566238 4

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Recommendations

 The registered person should ensure that staff are familiar with the home’s policies on record-keeping and understand the importance of careful, objective and clear recording. Staff should record information on individual children in a non-stigmatising way that distinguishes between fact, opinion and third-party information. Information about the child must always be recorded in a way that will be helpful to the child. This relates to care plans and risk assessments. (‘Guide to the children’s homes regulations including the quality standards’, page 62, paragraph 14.4)  The registered person should ensure that children are consulted regularly on their views about the home’s care to inform and support continued improvement in the quality of care provided. Due consideration should be given to the child’s cognitive ability in the development and implementation of any consultation processes. Children should be able to see the results of their

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Recommendations

views being listened to and acted upon. (‘Guide to the children’s homes regulations including the quality standards’, page 22, paragraph 4.11)

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Information about this inspection

The purpose of this visit was to monitor the action taken and the progress made by the children’s home since its last Ofsted inspection.

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Information about this inspection

This inspection was carried out under the Care Standards Act 2000.

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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 for children's home - monitoring visit: 2566238 5 to 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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