Children's home run by Juventas Services

Inspection report children’s home: 2566488 1 Registered provider: Juventas Services Limited Full inspection Inspected under the social care common inspection framework

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Information about this children’s home

This privately owned home provides care for up to four children aged between 11 and 17 who may have experienced trauma, a sense of rejection, neglect, abuse and exploitation.

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Information about this children’s home

The manager registered with Ofsted in April 2021.

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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 15 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 requires improvement to be good

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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: not applicable

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requires improvement to be good

Enforcement action since last inspection: not applicable Inspection report children’s home: 2566488 2

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improvement to be good

This is the first full inspection since the home registered in March 2020. Since registration, eight children have moved into the home and six children have moved on, including four in an unplanned way. At the time of the inspection, two children were living at the home. Since the assurance visit in December 2020, there have been two significant incidents when the staff have called the police because they have been unable to manage the escalating volatility of the relationships between children safely. These incidents and recent staff turnover have reduced the overall quality of children’s experiences. However, despite these issues, children are making some progress.

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improvement to be good

The matching of new children to other children already living at the home has been ineffective. Group impact risk assessments attempt to consider the children’s compatibility. However, important information about the risks for some children has not been shared by the placing authority in a timely way. In addition, the depth and quality of internal matching assessments could be improved to consider known vulnerabilities and risks for children more thoroughly. Failure to ensure that planning arrangements are effective has resulted in poor group dynamics and reduced capacity for staff to implement risk-reduction strategies.

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improvement to be good

The staff focus on meeting the children’s primary health needs and work with specialist mental health teams when necessary to meet additional needs. However, one child, who regularly smokes, has not been supported to seek health advice to stop smoking. In addition, other areas of this child’s health needs, such as sexual health advice, are not fully explored by staff. This means that the child has had a delay in receiving the service that he needs.

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improvement to be good

The home is spacious, stylish and well appointed. The children benefit from personalised bedrooms that are decorated in line with their preferences. However, some damage caused during recent incidents has not been repaired to a good standard and areas of the house need repainting. This detracts from what is otherwise a nurturing and welcoming home.

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improvement to be good

Education plans are in place for all children, and staff are actively encouraging children with their learning. In the absence of formal education, children have undertaken a range of accredited courses. One child has started to access home tutoring. Another child has increased their education hours from when they first moved to the home. This is progress from their starting points.

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improvement to be good

The staff team is motivated, child focused and committed to providing children with positive experiences. The staff offer activities that enhance children’s interests and expand their social opportunities. Inspection report children’s home: 2566488 3 Staff ask children for their views and opinions during regular house meetings, individual consultations and key-work sessions. The children receive feedback about decisions made. This inclusive approach means that children are involved in planning their care and that their wishes and feelings are listened to.

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improvement to be good

At times, a child has smoked at the home. Staff challenge appropriately when this occurs; however, their responses and subsequent actions are not consistently recorded. This child carries a lighter and has a history of setting fires in the garden. Currently, there is no risk assessment or clear guidance on how this risk is mitigated. Failure to ensure that risk-reduction strategies are identified to guide staff, unnecessarily increases the risk of fire at the home.

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improvement to be good

Safe recruitment processes for full-time staff are robust. However, managers have not ensured that the recruitment records for agency staff always contain the required information. As a result, the processes do not sufficiently reduce the potential for unsuitable people to gain employment at the home.

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improvement to be good

The location risk assessment identifies clearly the risks associated with the location of the home. However, important crime statistics that could help to reduce risks and provide an up-to-date overview of concerns in line with children’s vulnerabilities are not regularly obtained. This does not ensure that staff are continually informed about the area and potential concerns are reduced.

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improvement to be good

Some children have experienced peer-on-peer bullying at the home. Managers and staff confront this behaviour and explain to children why it is not acceptable. Staff have taken action to minimise this by supervising children closely. The current relationships between children have improved following a child moving out of the home.

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improvement to be good

Children who were previously involved in risky behaviours in the community and were subject to criminal exploitation are now safer. The core staff actively follow the updated and individualised behaviour management plans and forge positive relationships with children. Staff have effective links with the police and local authorities. As a result, children become safer.

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improvement to be good

Staff are aware of their safeguarding responsibilities and have good knowledge of whistle-blowing procedures. Allegations about staff and safeguarding concerns are shared with professionals and managed appropriately. Actions following investigations are followed through. This provides assurances that there are suitable systems in place to safeguard children.

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good

Inspection report children’s home: 2566488 4 The manager has the experience and skills to manage the home. She is currently working towards a relevant level 5 qualification. She recognises that there are areas that could be improved and demonstrates an enthusiastic drive to make the necessary improvements needed.

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good

The home has experienced a difficult period and staff turnover. The management team has used staffing agencies to cover these staffing gaps. Managers have embarked on a recruitment exercise and have implemented plans to address negative trends. However, on one occasion, due to staff absence, one staff member was left alone with children. This resulted in the member of staff feeling anxious about keeping children safe. Staff shortages and reliance on agency staff mean that children have not benefited from consistent care from staff who have experience in meeting their individual needs.

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good

Core staff say that they feel well supported and valued by the manager. There are detailed records of the regular practice-based supervision for full-time staff. However, despite agency staff consistently working at the home, they do not receive the same level of support. This has not been identified in the home’s workforce development plan. As a result, these staff members do not have the opportunity to develop and reflect on their practice.

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good

External monitoring visits by an independent person provide a good level of scrutiny to develop practice. The manager undertakes an objective internal quality of care review. This level of monitoring supports the manager to understand the strengths and areas of development of the home.

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good

Well-developed training equips permanent staff with the skills to meet the individual needs of children. Regular and child-focused team meetings take place and are well attended. This helps staff to identify goals and improve their practice.

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good

The management team has sustained good relationships with parents and professionals, who provided positive feedback particularly in respect to effective communication.

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good

The management team has taken some immediate steps to address the shortfalls identified. Prior to the inspection, an independent review of care planning arrangements took place. No new children have moved into the home since this review took place. Inspection report children’s home: 2566488 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 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

assess whether each child is at risk of harm, taking into account information in the child’s relevant plans, and, if necessary, make arrangements to reduce the risk of any harm to the child. (Regulation 12 (1) (2)(a)(i))

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Requirement Due date

In particular, ensure that risks associated with children smoking are assessed, mitigated and understood by staff. 10 September

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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

ensure that the home has sufficient staff to provide care for each child;

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Requirement Due date

ensure that the home’s workforce provides continuity of care to each child. (Regulation 13 (1)(a)(b) (2)(d)(e)) 30 September

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Requirement Due date

The care planning standard is that children—

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Requirement Due date

receive effectively planned care in or through the children’s home; and 10 September Inspection report children’s home: 2566488 6 have a positive experience of arriving at or moving on from the home. (Regulation 14 (1)(a)(b))

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Requirement Due date

In particular, improve the detail and quality of matching assessments, and implement an effective system to understand the combined risks of children living together.

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Requirement Due date

The registered person must recruit staff using recruitment 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

the individual is of integrity and good character;

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Requirement Due date

the individual has the appropriate experience, qualification and skills for the work that the individual is to perform;

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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)(a)(b)(d))

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Requirement Due date

In particular, ensure that agency staff have had the required checks prior to their deployment. 10 September

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Recommendations

 The registered person should provide a nurturing, homely environment. In particular, they should ensure that all areas of the home are decorated to a consistently high standard. (‘Guide to the children’s homes regulations including the quality standards’, page 15, paragraph 3.9)  The registered person should ensure that staff have the skills and knowledge to help children to understand their sexual health and the dangers of smoking, including helping them to stop. (‘Guide to the children’s homes regulations including the quality standards’, page 35, paragraph 7.18)  The registered person should have systems in place so that all staff, including agency staff, receive supervision of their practice from an appropriately qualified Inspection report children’s home: 2566488 7 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

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Recommendations

regulations including the quality standards’, page 61, paragraph 13.2)  The registered person should review the appropriateness and suitability of the location and premises of the home. Specifically, ensure that the assessment is informed by up-to-date crime intelligence related to children’s identified vulnerabilities. (‘Guide to children’s homes regulations including the quality standards’, page 64, paragraph 15.1)

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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: 2566488 8

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Children’s home details

Registered provider: Juventas Services Limited

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Children’s home details

Registered provider address: Yare House, 62 to 64 Thorpe Road, Norwich, Norfolk NR1 1RY

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Inspector

Mark Anderton, Social Care Inspector Inspection report children’s home: 2566488 9 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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