Children's home run by Ar Curam Limited

Inspection report for children’s home: 2483718 1 Registered provider: Josh’s Place Limited Full inspection Inspected under the social care common inspection framework

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Information about this children’s home

This home is owned and managed by a private company. It provides care for up to five children who may have social, emotional and/or behavioural difficulties. 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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Information about this children’s home

We last visited this setting on 19 April 2021 to carry out a monitoring 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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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

Date of last inspection: 23 October 2019

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good

Overall judgement at last inspection: Sustained effectiveness

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good

Enforcement action since last inspection: none Inspection report for children’s home: 2483718 2

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Inspection date Inspection type Inspection judgement

23/10/2019 Interim Sustained effectiveness 29/05/2019 Full Good Inspection report for children’s home: 2483718 3

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

The home is set in spacious grounds with ample room for the children to exercise and play. Internal communal areas are large and plentiful. They encourage socialising but also allow children to spend time on their own if they want to. Bedrooms are well decorated and furnished to each child’s individual taste and needs. Personal belongings are evident. There is a warm and welcoming feel throughout, which helps the children quickly settle and feel at home.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Children like living in this home. One child said that he ‘feels happy and very much cared for’. Children have good relationships with staff and with each other. This helps children talk freely and honestly to staff about their feelings. Children are supported to express their individuality, and their differences are celebrated. For example, the home recently had a Pride Day celebration with decorations, food and relevant discussions.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Children benefit from a consistent team of waking night staff. The children look forward to their arrival every night. The two staff members know the children’s individual routines. This helps the children settle to bed and to get up and be ready for school the next day.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Staff seek children’s views in a variety of ways. Child-friendly care plans are in place, which children actively and regularly contribute to. Children know how to complain, and their complaints are taken seriously. Action is swiftly carried out. This helps children feel listened to and important.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Children’s families and carers are valued, and staff work hard to establish and develop these relationships. This means that children are able to spend time with the people who are important to them. One child told the inspector how ‘happy’ this made him and that ‘staff made it go so well that everyone enjoyed it’. Family members and friends are welcome in the home. This provides a sense of normality for the children.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Activities are varied, plentiful and chosen by the children. Children are given the option of attending group outings or spending one-to-one time with a staff member. Staff also encourage and support children to attend activities and groups in the community that reflect their hobbies and interests. This improves children’s social skills and confidence, and helps them to develop friendships.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Children make good progress in education. Staff work closely with schools, the virtual headteacher and other relevant professionals to ensure each placement is right for each child. Staff provide schools with techniques to prevent and manage children’s complex behaviours. This means that children’s schools or education placements are better able to support the children; therefore, the children are more likely to achieve and succeed. Inspection report for children’s home: 2483718 4 Staff support children to attend health appointments. This means their health needs are met, sometimes, for the first time. Staff provide care which is consistent and sensitive to medical issues. For one child, this means that the effects of their medical conditional are reducing, and this has improved the child’s quality of life.

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

The manager completes a comprehensive impact risk assessment prior to any child moving in. This means that children only move in when it would not increase their risks or risks to the children already living in the home. If a gap is identified in staff training, this is arranged so that a child’s needs can be better met.

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

Risk assessments are clear and comprehensive, and they are reviewed and updated at least monthly and whenever an incident takes place. The in-house therapist contributes to provide a more in-depth understanding of triggers, signs and strategies to use to de-escalate and reduce serious incidents. She also attends team meetings to advise staff on more immediate issues. This means children’s needs are better understood and responded to more consistently.

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

Staff know what to do when children go missing. The Philomena Protocol is followed, and there are individualised procedures in place for each child based on their vulnerabilities. Staff are proactive in looking for children and returning them safely to the home. This safeguards children and helps them to feel cared for.

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

Direct work takes place regularly with children in both a planned way and when an issue arises. This enables children to talk about, reflect, learn and raise any concerns. They will also set themselves targets in their ‘Keeping Myself Safe Plan’. Children’s meetings take place where children learn about a range of issues such as the effects of bullying and the risks linked to social media use. This helps children empathise and protect themselves.

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

Restraints take place as a last resort. Each child has their own assessment and plan so that restraints are undertaken appropriately and safely. All incidents are recorded and reviewed by the manager. The manager undertakes debriefs with the child and any staff involved. Children’s views are sought, and children are reminded how much they are cared for and that staff are there to support them at any time of the day.

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

Most staff have completed all mandatory safeguarding training. Additional safeguarding training has not been attended consistently. This means that staff do not have a shared knowledge of some issues which are important in the home. This could result in a child being harmed.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

The registered manager, who has taken up his post since the last inspection, is suitably qualified and experienced. He has implemented a number of changes to improve the care and well-being of the children, such as streamlining risk assessments. In addition, staff members spoke about the improved routines and the Inspection report for children’s home: 2483718 5 boundaries that are now in place that give the children the stability that they need and recognise how these better support children’s progress.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

The manager is supported by an increasingly stable staff team. This helps the children to experience consistency and familiarity. The staff team is diverse. They bring a wealth of experience, knowledge and skills to the children. Staff like working in this home and feel supported by each other and by the manager.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

While staff are routinely praised by the management team, action is taken quickly and thoroughly to address any areas of concern. This safeguards children and promotes their well-being. Staff are supported with issues at work and in their personal lives. This helps them feel important and valued.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

The manager has developed a positive, child-centred culture in the home. The staff know the children well and are committed to caring for them to a high standard. They believe that every child can progress and succeed. This gives the children confidence that they can achieve.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

The management team has good monitoring systems in place so that it knows what takes place in the home involving the children and staff. It has a clear understanding of the progress children are making. This can be seen in children’s personal plans, which are updated monthly or as and when required.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

Team meetings and supervision take place regularly. The children and any safeguarding concerns are discussed in detail. Staff are encouraged to contribute and share their ideas. This practice helps to involve the whole team in raising the standard of care that children receive. Inspection report for children’s home: 2483718 6

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Recommendation

 The registered person should have a workforce plan which details any further training required for staff, to enable the delivery of the home’s statement of purpose. It should also detail the processes and agreed timescales for staff to achieve identified training. (‘Guide to the children’s home regulations, including the quality standards’, page 53, paragraph 10.8)

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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 for children’s home: 2483718 7

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Children’s home details

Registered provider: Josh’s Place Limited

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Children’s home details

Registered provider address: Beaumont Accountancy Services, 1st Floor Enterprise House, 202-206 Linthorpe Road, Middlesbrough, Cleveland TS1 3QW

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Inspector

Emma Ridley, Social Care Inspector Inspection report for children’s home: 2483718 8 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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