Jamma Umoja

Inspection report for residential family centre - monitoring visit: Jamma Umoja 1 Jamma Umoja 23 Haling Park Road, South Croydon, Surrey CR2 6NJ

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Inspected under the social care common inspection framework

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Information about this residential family centre

This residential family centre is a family resource service offering parental assessment and treatment services. A group of directors owns the company and another residential family centre. Both centres are based in the South London area.

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Information about this residential family centre

The centre aims to complete residential parental assessments within a 12-week time frame, amending this if necessary, to meet the individual needs of families. The centre accommodates up to nine families and is staffed on a 24-hour basis.

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Information about this residential family centre

The centre was registered with Ofsted in December 2004. The current manager is awaiting registration with Ofsted.

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Information about this residential family centre

Due to COVID-19 (coronavirus), at the request of the Secretary of State, we suspended all routine inspections of social care providers on 17 March 2020.

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Information about this residential family centre

We last visited this setting on 10 May 2020 to carry out a monitoring visit. The report is published on the Ofsted website.

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Inspection date: 1 July 2021

Date of previous inspection: 24 October 2017

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This monitoring visit

This monitoring visit was triggered by a significant number of complaints received by Ofsted expressing the following concerns about the centre:

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This monitoring visit

 The needs of a disabled mother not being met.  The centre not being suitably adapted to meet the needs of the disabled mother, resulting in her having to crawl across the floor.  A lack of resources for staff and families. Inspection report for residential family centre - monitoring visit: Jamma Umoja 2  The high staff turnover and inexperience of staff.  The poor management arrangements, which include unprofessional practices and working with their own baby on site.  The managers bullying staff.  The low staffing levels at night.

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This monitoring visit

During the visit, the inspector spoke to the disabled parent, their placing social worker and five other parents. Discussions were held with three members of the day staff team and two members of the night staff team. Individual discussions were also held with a deputy manager and the acting managers of the Croydon and Bromley centres. The inspector examined documents and also undertook a tour of the ground floor of the premises.

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This monitoring visit

The centre is unsuitable for a parent who is a wheelchair user. The property is not purpose built or suitably adapted to enable the parent to live independently. Leaders and managers have made efforts to adapt the property, which includes installing grab rails in the bathroom. They have also provided the parent with equipment and other reasonable adjustments.

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This monitoring visit

However, the disabled parent’s needs continue to be unmet and she needs assistance to undertake basic household and parenting tasks, due to the unsuitability of the property. The work surfaces, water supply, and the kitchen and laundry facilities are not located at a suitable height. Staff therefore have to provide support with an extensive range of tasks. They help with filling and emptying the baby’s bath, sterilising baby bottles, cooking, washing up, hoovering the family’s room and shopping.

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This monitoring visit

The disabled parent confirmed that she is not crawling on the floor due to the property not being adapted to meet her needs, as indicated in a complaint to Ofsted. A slimmer wheelchair has been purchased for her, as her own wheelchair is too wide for the doorways. Staff assist her by pushing her wheelchair. A portable ramp is also used to enable her to access the garden and the laundry room. In the event of a fire, the disabled parent and her child would need staff assistance to leave the property.

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This monitoring visit

During the visit, it was observed that the acting manager had her own baby in the office with her. The acting manager explained this was due to her still nursing her baby. The responsible individual has confirmed their agreement to this practice. Ofsted are only concerned if this impacts on the service.

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This monitoring visit

Parents were generally positive about life at the centre. They describe staff as ‘nice’. Parents’ only issues were in relation to the physical environment. A common concern was the mould in the laundry room. The inspector noted that there is a large area of what did appear to be mould on the wall. Inspection report for residential family centre - monitoring visit: Jamma Umoja 3 Staff have relevant experience. Staff enjoy their work and they feel supported. Staff and parents feel there are sufficient staffing levels, especially during the night. Staff did not report any issues with bullying from managers and they are involved in decision-making. Staff feel that the centre is well resourced, and they did not identify any areas for improvement.

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This monitoring visit

An organisational restructuring is imminent, which has contributed to the removal of specific posts. This has impacted on the turnover of staff. The new structure will have more social work staff and more staff working directly with families. New shift leader posts have been internally advertised. Leaders and managers recognise that the new staffing structure could be a source of tension for some members of staff.

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This monitoring visit

The management oversight of the centre was noted to be sufficient. There is a clear record of management decision-making. There is an efficient system for the sharing of information within the staff team. The manager of the Bromley centre also provides additional management support at the Croydon centre.

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This monitoring visit

The requirements and recommendations from the previous monitoring visit are still within timescale for completion. They were not reviewed during this visit and so are repeated in this report.

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This monitoring visit

It is concluded that the centre is unsuitable for disabled parents who are wheelchair users, due to the lack of adaptations to enable full independence. The mould issue in the laundry room also requires attention. Inspection report for residential family centre - monitoring visit: Jamma Umoja 4

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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, Residential Family Centre Regulations 2002 and the national minimum standards. The registered person(s) must comply within the given timescales.

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Requirement Due date

The registered person must ensure that a written record is made of any complaint or representation, the action taken in response, and the outcome of the investigation. (Regulation 20 (6)) 30 July 2021

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Requirement Due date

The registered person shall supply to Ofsted a report in respect of any review conducted by him under regulation 23 and make a copy of the report available to residents. (Regulation 23 (2)) 30 July 2021

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Requirement Due date

The registered person shall ensure that all persons employed by him—

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Requirement Due date

receive appropriate training, supervision and appraisal. (Regulation 17 (5)(a))

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Requirement Due date

Specifically, staff inductions must offer comprehensive support and guidance. 30 July 2021

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Requirement Due date

The registered person shall ensure that—

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Requirement Due date

the physical design and layout of the premises to be used as the residential family centre meet the needs of families. (Regulation 21 (2)(a)) 30 July 2021

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Requirement Due date

The registered person shall ensure that—

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Requirement Due date

the premises to be used as the residential family centre are of sound construction and kept in a good state of repair externally and internally. (Regulation 21 (2)(b))

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Requirement Due date

Specifically, treat the mould issue in the laundry room. 30 July 2021 Inspection report for residential family centre - monitoring visit: Jamma Umoja 5

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Recommendations

 The registered person should ensure that managers and staff are clear about their roles and responsibilities and that the level of delegation and the lines of accountability are clearly defined. In particular, that communication between staff members is effective. (NMS 19.3)  The registered person should ensure that all people working in or for the residential family centre are interviewed as part of the selection process and have references checked to assess their suitability before taking on responsibilities. Telephone enquiries should be made as well as obtaining written references. (NMS 14.1)  The registered person should ensure that, except in an emergency, parents and children are given information, before arrival, about the centre and the placement, training, supervision, assistance and assessment they can expect, in a format which meets their needs. Parents and their children should visit the

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Recommendations

centre prior to a placement decision being made. (NMS 7.3)

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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 residential family centre 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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Residential family centre details

Registered provider: Jamma Umoja (Residential Services) Limited

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Residential family centre details

Registered provider address: Mazars Llp Apex 2, 97 Haymarket Terrace, Edinburgh EH12 5HD

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Inspector

Sharon Payne, Social Care Inspector Inspection report for residential family centre - monitoring visit: Jamma Umoja 6 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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