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 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 offers care and support through therapeutic services to children who have experienced trauma.

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Information about this children’s home

The previous registered manager left in January 2021. There is an acting manager in post who is not yet registered.

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Information about this children’s home

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 children’s home

We last visited this home on 8 December 2020 to carry out an assurance visit. The report is published on the Ofsted website.

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Overall experiences and progress of

children and young people, taking into account

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requires improvement to be good

How well children and young people are helped and protected requires improvement to be good

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requires improvement to be good

The effectiveness of leaders and managers inadequate

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requires improvement to be good

The children’s home is not yet delivering good help and care for children and young people. However, there are no serious or widespread failures that result in their welfare not being safeguarded or promoted.

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requires improvement to be good

Overall judgement at last inspection: good

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requires improvement to be good

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

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Inspection date Inspection type Inspection judgement

08/01/2020 Full Good Inspection report children’s home: 2546196 3

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improvement to be good

There are several serious leadership and management failings at this home. These have the potential to compromise the quality of the care provided. Unchecked, these have the potential to affect the safety of the children. Despite these failings, the children are making progress with their health, education and behaviour.

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improvement to be good

Children who previously struggled with education are starting to attend regularly. The children are beginning to access therapeutic support and are using this to explore past issues that have greatly affected them. This support has improved the children’s emotional well-being.

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improvement to be good

Feedback from professionals is, generally, positive. Most professionals identified good communication with the staff. Communication with professionals has previously been an issue; however, professionals report recent improvements.

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improvement to be good

The children enjoy a range of activities. This has included a carefully planned holiday. Relationships between the staff and the children vary. Generally, the children have positive relationships with the staff. However, the high turnover of staff reduces the children’s ability to maintain these relationships.

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improvement to be good

The physical environment is not well maintained. One child has recently moved into the home. The room she moved into had damaged furniture. Furthermore, the sofas and chairs in the lounge are damaged and have been for some time. These shortfalls significantly affect the quality and the homeliness of the children’s environment.

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improvement to be good

Children said that they felt safe at the home. Social workers also reported that the children feel safe. Children’s behaviour indicates they feel safe. One child said, ‘This is the safest I have felt.’

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improvement to be good

The risks for children currently living at the home are reducing. For example, children who previously went missing from home on a regular basis have rarely done so since moving to the home. However, on one occasion, a child’s missing-from- home protocol did not include a recent missing-from-home incident. This does not provide the staff with up-to-date information about these incidents.

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improvement to be good

Children are involved in the creation of their individual behaviour management plans. Recently the number of physical interventions has significantly reduced for a child. The child is proud of this. Involving the child in the creation of behaviour plans has empowered this child and contributed to a reduction in interventions. Inspection report children’s home: 2546196 4 The staff are not routinely receiving debriefs following behavioural incidents. The manager confirmed that this does not happen unless an incident is particularly complex. This does not provide staff with the support that they need or allow for staff reflection and learning.

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improvement to be good

On at least two occasions, managers have not followed procedures when concerns or complaints have been raised about the staff. There have also been occasions when staff have not raised concerns promptly. Failing to act swiftly and follow set procedures could leave the children at risk of harm.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: inadequate

The management arrangements are disjointed and are ineffective. The managers have failed to ensure that the issues raised at the last inspection have been addressed. Managers have been unaware of several of the shortfalls identified at this inspection. The monitoring systems have not been strong enough to identify and to rectify these.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: inadequate

There is a manager in post who is in the process of registering with Ofsted. There have been three new managers during the last two years. Currently, three managers from within the organisation have managerial oversight of the home. However, there were occasions during the inspection when they were not all clear about their roles and responsibilities.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: inadequate

There are some records that are unclear and others that cannot be located. These fail to provide a clear account of incidents and have resulted in poor oversight and ineffective management of the home.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: inadequate

Managers have failed to ensure that staff receive adequate supervision. There are staff who have been involved in significant incidents who have either not had supervision afterwards or the issue has not been discussed. For some staff, supervision records could not be located at all. This does not provide the staff with the support they need to reflect and to learn from incidents.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: inadequate

Managers have not ensured that information about serious incidents has been shared with Ofsted. In addition, the updated statement of purpose has not been shared with Ofsted. This affects Ofsted’s ability to monitor and to regulate the home.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: inadequate

Managers have failed to identify and to address safety concerns in respect of fire doors. Some fire doors do not close properly. Although this was partly addressed during the inspection, managers had not identified this issue beforehand. In addition, managers had failed to take swift action to repair a broken fire door to the kitchen.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: inadequate

Some of the staff who should have the level 3 qualification have not achieved this within the requisite timeframe. Inspection report children’s home: 2546196 5

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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 quality and purpose of care standard is that children receive care from staff who—

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Requirement Due date

understand the children’s home’s overall aims and the outcomes it seeks to achieve for children; and

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Requirement Due date

use this understanding to deliver care that meets children’s needs and supports them to fulfil their potential.

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Requirement Due date

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

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Requirement Due date

understand and apply the home’s statement of purpose; and

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Requirement Due date

provide to children living in the home the physical necessities they need in order to live there comfortably.

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Requirement Due date

In particular, ensure that children’s bedrooms and communal areas are furnished and are maintained to a good standard, and that repairs are carried out without delay. 19 August 2021

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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

have the skills to identify and act upon signs that a child is at risk of harm; 4 August 2021 Inspection report children’s home: 2546196 6 understand the roles and responsibilities in relation to protecting children that are assigned to them by the registered person; and

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Requirement Due date

are familiar with, and act in accordance with, the home’s child protection policies;

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Requirement Due date

that the home’s day-to-day care is arranged and delivered so as to keep each child safe and to protect each child effectively from harm; and

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Requirement Due date

that the premises used for the purposes of the home are designed, furnished and maintained so as to protect each child from avoidable hazards to the child’s health.

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Requirement Due date

(Regulation 12 (1) (2)(a)(iii)(v)(vii)(b)(d))

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Requirement Due date

In particular, ensure that concerns are shared promptly with designated officers, that staff share concerns with managers promptly, and that any concerns relating to fire safety are dealt with promptly and effectively.

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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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Requirement Due date

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

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Requirement Due date

lead and manage the home in a way that is consistent with the approach and ethos, and delivers the outcomes, set out in the home’s statement of purpose;

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Requirement Due date

understand the impact that the quality of care provided in the home is having on the progress and experiences of each child and use this understanding to inform the development of the quality of care provided in the home; and

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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.

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Requirement Due date

(Regulation 13 (1)(a)(b) (2)(a)(f)(h)) 31 August 2021 Inspection report children’s home: 2546196 7 In particular, ensure that clear management arrangements are in place and that managers understand one another’s roles and responsibilities, and ensure that leaders and managers understand the strengths and weaknesses of the home and take action to improve the quality of the service.

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Requirement Due date

keep the statement of purpose under review and, where appropriate, revise it; and

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Requirement Due date

notify HMCI of any revisions and send HMCI a copy of the revised statement within 28 days of the revision.

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Requirement Due date

(Regulation 16 (3)(a)(b)) 31 August 2021

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Requirement Due date

For the purposes of paragraph (3)(b), an individual who works in the home in a care role has the appropriate qualification if, by the relevant date, the individual has attained—

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Requirement Due date

the Level 3 Diploma for Residential Childcare (England) (“the Level 3 Diploma”); or

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Requirement Due date

a qualification which the registered person considers to be equivalent to the Level 3 Diploma.

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Requirement Due date

in the case of an individual who starts working in a care role in a home after 1st April 2014, the date which falls 2 years after the date on which the individual started working in a care role in a home; or

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Requirement Due date

in the case of an individual who was working in a care role in a home on 1st April 2014, 1st April 2016.

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Requirement Due date

The registered person may defer the relevant date if the individual—

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Requirement Due date

does not work, or has not worked, in a care role in a home for a prolonged period; or

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Requirement Due date

works, or has worked, in a care role in a home on a part- time basis.

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Requirement Due date

(Regulation 32 (4)(a)(b) (5)(a)(b) (6)(a)(b)) 31 December Inspection report children’s home: 2546196 8 The registered person must ensure that all employees—

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Requirement Due date

receive practice-related supervision by a person with appropriate experience.

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Requirement Due date

within 24 hours of the use of a measure of control, discipline or restraint in relation to a child in the home, a record is made which includes—

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Requirement Due date

the effectiveness and any consequences of the use of the measure; and

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Requirement Due date

within 48 hours of the use of the measure, the registered person, or a person who is authorised by the registered person to do so (“the authorised person”)—

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Requirement Due date

has spoken to the user about the measure; and

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Requirement Due date

within 5 days of the use of the measure, the registered person or the authorised person adds to the record confirmation that they have spoken to the child about the measure.

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Requirement Due date

In particular, ensure that the manager discusses the effectiveness of the measure with the staff. 4 August 2021

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Requirement Due date

The registered person must notify HMCI and each other relevant person without delay if—

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Requirement Due date

there is an allegation of abuse against the home or a person working there; or

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Requirement Due date

there is any other incident relating to a child which the registered person considers to be serious.

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Requirement Due date

(Regulation 40 (4)(c)(e)) 4 August 2021 Inspection report children’s home: 2546196 9

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Recommendations

 The registered person should ensure that children’s views about the staff turnover are considered when monitoring and reviewing the patterns and the trends of the turnover of staff, whether agency or directly employed, and be able to understand and, where possible, to address any negative trends. (‘Guide to children’s homes regulations including the quality standards’, page 54, paragraph 10.19)  The registered person should ensure that missing-from-care risk assessments are kept up to date. (‘Guide to children’s homes regulations including the quality standards’, page 62, paragraph 14.3)

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Information about this inspection

Inspectors have looked closely at the experiences and progress of children and young people, 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 10

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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: Suite 22 The Ongar Business Centre, The Gables, Fyfield Road, Ongar, Essex CM5 0GA

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Inspector

Ashley Hinson, Social Care Inspector Inspection report children’s home: 2546196 11 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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