Children's home run by Juventas Services

Inspection report children’s home: 2644456 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 with social and emotional difficulties and learning disabilities.

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Information about this children’s home

The home and the manager registered with Ofsted in September 2021.

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Information about this children’s home

Due to COVID-19, at the request of the Secretary of State, we suspended all routine inspections of social care providers carried out under the social care common inspection framework (SCCIF) on 17 March 2020. We returned to routine SCCIF inspections on 12 April 2021.

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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 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: 2644456 2

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Inspection date Inspection type Inspection judgement

Not previously inspected Inspection report children’s home: 2644456 3

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

One child has lived at the home since its registration in September 2021. The child moved out on 30 December 2021. At the time of the inspection, there were no children living at the home.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Managers carefully planned for the child’s move into the home and considered information provided by the child’s placing local authority. As a result, the child felt comfortable and initially settled quickly. Staff speak about the child positively.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Staff knew the child well and had a good understanding of their needs. The staff were able to identify the child’s strengths and recognise their progress. Staff provided strong and consistent boundaries. These boundaries helped the child to develop a routine, which improved areas of their independence and self-care skills.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

The manager advocated for the child to access an appropriate education provision that would meet their needs. Despite the child not attending school while living at the home, staff helped the child to engage in tutoring provided by the placing authority.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

The child enjoyed a range of activities. Staff worked with the child to introduce them to various hobbies. This supported social interaction with other children and the child’s physical and mental health.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Despite the good level of care, staff were unable to manage some of the child’s behaviours. It became apparent that the placing authority had not shared details of these behaviours with the home before the child moved in. The manager advocated for additional support for the child. However, after ongoing and significant behavioural incidents, the manager made the decision that the home was not the right one for the child.

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

The child’s risk assessments were clear and provided strategies for staff to follow. The assessments included information about what the child responded well to and what they did not. This helped staff to understand how to keep the child safe.

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

Staff established positive relationships with the child, which supported effective engagement and helped when managing behavioural incidents. Staff responded confidently to incidents of physical aggression. They used appropriate behaviour management strategies in line with the child’s plans to provide supportive responses to the child at times of distress.

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

There have been frequent incidents of physical intervention. Staff demonstrate a good understanding of when and how to use physical intervention, and these Inspection report children’s home: 2644456 4 interventions have been appropriate and proportionate. However, following incidents, debriefs with staff have not been recorded. There is a lack of oversight of records of restraint by the manager. This means that learning from such incidents is not as effective as it could be.

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

There has been one allegation against a staff member, which was subsequently withdrawn. Although the manager consulted the child’s social worker, the manager did not refer the allegation to the designated officer as per the home’s safeguarding policy. This failed to ensure a transparent and independent response to the allegation.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

The manager is suitably experienced and qualified to level 5. She is committed to the home and demonstrated good advocacy for the child. This included using creative ways of supporting the child to access advocacy themselves. This helped to ensure that the child’s views were heard.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

The manager has established a stable and committed staff team. The staff are either qualified to level 3 or enrolled to complete a relevant qualification. A thorough induction programme is in place for staff, which includes a good range of training. Additional training was arranged by managers in response to the child’s individual needs. Staff value the manager’s commitment to developing their practice and they feel supported to develop professionally. This has led to a positive culture in the staff team.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

Staff say that managers are approachable and available when needed. Staff receive regular supervision. They say that this has provided an opportunity to discuss behavioural incidents and consider learning that could be taken from them.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

Staff take part in regular team meetings and have used these to consider the child’s progress, share information and to discuss the running of the home. Staff’s contribution is an important feature of making sure that they understand their roles, provide good-quality and consistent care, and work as a cohesive and effective team.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

The manager uses internal and external monitoring of the home to good effect. The independent person’s reports are of good quality and consider areas of development for the home.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

There have been some incidents when the police have been called for support, and one when a member of staff went to hospital due to being injured. These incidents were not notified to Ofsted, despite the emerging pattern of the child’s behaviours and the incidents leading to the child needing to move to another home. The failure to notify has prevented Ofsted from monitoring the home effectively.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

Staff reported an incident involving the child to the police, however there was a delay in informing the manager. It is not clear in the home’s behaviour management Inspection report children’s home: 2644456 5 policy what the guidance and procedures are in respect of reporting to the police. Consequently, expectations of staff are not clear. Inspection report children’s home: 2644456 6

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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 any allegations against staff are referred to the designated officer. 10 January 2022

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Requirement Due date

within 48 hours of the use of a measure of control discipline or restraint, 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

has signed the record to confirm it is accurate. (Regulation 35 (3)(b)(i)(ii))

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Requirement Due date

In particular, ensure that debriefs with staff are completed and recorded after incidents of restraint and that the manager has effective oversight of the records of restraint. 7 February 2022

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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

an incident requiring police involvement occurs in relation to a child which the registered person considers to be serious;

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Requirement Due date

there is an allegation of abuse against the home or a person working there; 10 January 2022 Inspection report children’s home: 2644456 7 there is any other incident relating to a child which the registered person considers to be serious. (Regulation 40 (4)(b)(c)(e))

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Recommendation

 The registered person should, along with their local police force, agree procedures and guidance on police involvement with the home and provide staff with guidance in relation to this. (‘Guide to the children’s homes regulations including the quality standards’, page 47, paragraph 9.40)

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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: 2644456 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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Inspectors

Laraine Edmondson, Social Care Inspector Joe Cox, Social Care Inspector Inspection report children’s home: 2644456 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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Inspectors

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Inspectors

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Inspectors

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