Children's home run by Ja Nailah Limited in Waltham Forest

Inspection report for children’s home – monitoring visit: SC028598 1 SC028598

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Information about this children’s home

The provider states in its statement of purpose that it provides ‘a home for five young women aged 14 upwards. The home extends to offer placements to young mothers and their babies’.

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Information about this children’s home

The home and manager registered with Ofsted in 2002.

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Information about this children’s home

The provider states in its statement of purpose that the registered manager has ‘delegated the operational role and function of the home to the care manager and the assistant manager. This includes the responsibility for the day-to-day management of the home’.

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This monitoring visit

This home was judged as inadequate at the full inspection on 2 and 3 February 2022. As a result, a compliance notice was issued under Regulation 12: The protection of children standard of The Children’s Homes Regulations (England) 2015. A monitoring visit was carried out on the 8 March 2022 to monitor the progress made against the compliance notice. The inspector found that there has been limited progress made in response to the compliance notice and requirements made at the full inspection.

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This monitoring visit

At the time of this monitoring visit, there were three children living at the home. One child spoke to the inspector of her experiences in the home. The child reported that she feels well cared for and feels like this is ‘her second home’.

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This monitoring visit

Leaders and managers have focused their attentions on improving the quality of recording. Staff continue to report children missing from care and keep in touch with children when they are missing. However, missing-from-care records continue to be inconsistent and some records inaccurate. Inspection report for children’s home – monitoring visit: SC028598 2 Systems in place to safeguard children by the use of safe words continue to be inconsistent. For example, one child’s ‘safe word’ is not consistent with staff and managers’ ‘safe word’ for the child or with records such as risk assessments. This misunderstanding does not help to keep children safe.

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This monitoring visit

Children’s case records continue to contain limited information and do not give a clear insight into children’s daily lives. The recording of direct work sessions and conversations with children continues to be poorly recorded. This poor recording does not help staff to direct their interventions in a way that is helpful for children. This also compromises management oversight of safeguarding and progress for children.

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This monitoring visit

Room searches take place three times per week. However, the recordings of these searches are poor. They do not make clear which staff have conducted the search, whether children were present or consented to the room search, and they are not signed by staff or children.

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This monitoring visit

Managers have undertaken a review of the training matrix. This is incomplete and does not provide an up-to-date picture of the training that staff have undertaken. Not all staff have completed all core training or training specific to meet the needs of children living in the home, such as safeguarding training, managing challenging behaviour, restraint, substance misuse, children missing from care, child sexual exploitation, bullying and child criminal exploitation. The lack of training for staff has an impact on the quality of their interaction with children.

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This monitoring visit

Leaders and managers have improved their collaborative working with police colleagues. Police colleagues have agreed to conduct briefings on child sexual exploitation and criminal exploitation for staff at the children’s home. This is yet to take place.

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This monitoring visit

One child spoken to during the monitoring visit said that she knew how to make a complaint. However, staff are yet to revisit the complaints procedure with all the children living in the home.

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This monitoring visit

Managers have fully explored the concerns raised at the full inspection in relation to bullying. All children were spoken with and were offered support and reparations. There have been no further concerns raised regarding bullying. Managers are yet to arrange training for staff on managing bullying effectively in order to help strengthen safeguarding processes. There have been three serious incidents since the full inspection in February 2022. These were all reported in line with regulations to the regulator. One allegation was reported to the designated officer and is under internal investigation.

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This monitoring visit

Staff and managers lock away sharp items, such as knives and scissors. These items are subject to twice daily audits. The inspectors checks of the safe storage and monitoring systems for sharp items did not identify any concerns. Inspection report for children’s home – monitoring visit: SC028598 3 The statement of purpose has been updated to clarify that the home does not provide a therapeutic approach or therapeutic environment, but instead a nurturing environment for children.

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This monitoring visit

Managers are focusing their efforts on ‘making things better’. They have identified an online recording system, and are planning to develop training videos and helpful templates to support staff with better recording. They are reviewing staff recruitment and shift rotas to help to build a positive and cohesive team. Managers plan to book training for staff and, in some cases, have increased the frequency of supervision for staff. A programme of redecoration in the home is now in place. These plans are a ‘work in progress’ and are not yet implemented, embedded or tested.

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This monitoring visit

Due to the limited progress made in relation to the compliance notice, the compliance notice has been reissued, and the requirements raised at the full inspection are repeated.

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This monitoring visit

The home will be subject to a further monitoring visit. Inspection report for children’s home – monitoring visit: SC028598 4

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Recent inspection history

Inspection date Inspection type Inspection judgement

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Recent inspection history

02/02/2022 Full Inadequate 03/12/2019 Interim Sustained effectiveness 30/05/2019 Full Good 31/01/2019 Interim Improved effectiveness Inspection report for children’s home – monitoring visit: SC028598 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;

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Requirement Due date

help each child to understand how to keep safe;

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Requirement Due date

have the skills to identify and act upon signs that a child is at risk of harm;

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Requirement Due date

manage relationships between children to prevent them from harming each other;

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Requirement Due date

understand the roles and responsibilities in relation to protecting children that are assigned to them by the registered person;

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Requirement Due date

take effective action whenever there is a serious concern about a child’s welfare. (Regulation 12 (1) (2)(a)(i)(ii)(iii)(iv)(v)(vi))

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Requirement Due date

This requirement was made at the last inspection and is restated. 22 April 2022

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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; 22 April 2022 Inspection report for children’s home – monitoring visit: SC028598 6 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;

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Requirement Due date

understand and apply the home’s statement of purpose;

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Requirement Due date

protect and promote each child’s welfare;

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Requirement Due date

treat each child with dignity and respect. (Regulation 6 (1)(a)(b) (2)(a)(b)(i)(ii)(iii))

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Requirement Due date

This requirement was made at the last inspection and is restated.

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Requirement Due date

The children’s views, wishes and feelings standard is that children receive care from staff who—

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Requirement Due date

develop positive relationships with them;

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Requirement Due date

take their views, wishes and feelings into account in relation to matters affecting the children’s care and welfare and their lives.

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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

ascertain and consider each child’s views, wishes and feelings, and balance these against what they judge to be in the child’s best interests when making decisions about the child’s care and welfare;

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Requirement Due date

help each child to express views, wishes and feelings;

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Requirement Due date

help each child to understand how the child’s views, wishes and feelings have been taken into account and give the child reasons for decisions in relation to the child; 22 April 2022 Inspection report for children’s home – monitoring visit: SC028598 7 regularly consult children, and seek their feedback, about the quality of the home’s care;

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Requirement Due date

help each child to understand how the child’s privacy will be respected and the circumstances when it may have to be limited;

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Requirement Due date

is enabled to provide feedback to, and raise issues with, a relevant person about the support and services that the child receives; and

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Requirement Due date

has access to the home’s children’s guide, and the home’s complaints procedure, when the child’s placement in the home is agreed and throughout the child’s stay in the home. (Regulation 7 (1)(a)(b)(c) (2)(a)(i)(ii)(iii)(iv)(v)(b)(i)(ii))

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Requirement Due date

This requirement was made at the last inspection and is restated. The positive relationships standard is that children are helped to develop, and to benefit from, relationships based on—

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Requirement Due date

an understanding about acceptable behaviour; and

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Requirement Due date

positive responses to other children and adults.

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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 recognise incidents or indications of bullying and how to deal with them. (Regulation 11 (1)(a)(b)(c) (2)(a)(xiii))

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Requirement Due date

In particular, the registered person must ensure that staff undertake training on managing bullying effectively in order to help strengthen safeguarding processes.

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Requirement Due date

This requirement was made at the last inspection and is restated. 22 April 2022 Inspection report for children’s home – monitoring visit: SC028598 8 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

ensure that staff work as a team where appropriate;

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Requirement Due date

ensure that staff have the experience, qualifications and skills to meet the needs of each child;

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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)(a)(b)(c)(d)(e))

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Requirement Due date

This requirement was made at the last inspection and is restated. 22 April 2022

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Requirement Due date

No measure of control or discipline which is excessive, unreasonable or contrary to paragraph (2) may be used in relation to any child.

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Requirement Due date

The following measures may not be used to discipline any child—

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Requirement Due date

any restriction, other than one imposed by a court or in accordance with regulation 22 (contact and access to communications), on—

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Requirement Due date

a child’s contact with parents, relatives or friends;

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Requirement Due date

visits to the child by the child’s parents, relatives or friends;

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Requirement Due date

a child’s communications with any persons listed in regulation 22(1) (contact and access to communications). 22 April 2022 Inspection report for children’s home – monitoring visit: SC028598 9 (Regulation 19 (1) (2)(c)(i)(ii)(iii))

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Requirement Due date

This requirement was made at the last inspection and is restated.

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Requirement Due date

The registered person must ensure that all employees—

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Requirement Due date

undertake appropriate continuing professional development;

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Requirement Due date

receive practice-related supervision by a person with appropriate experience; and

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Requirement Due date

have their performance and fitness to perform their roles appraised at least once every year. (Regulation 33 (4)(a)(b))

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Requirement Due date

This requirement was made at the last inspection and is restated. 22 April 2022

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Requirement Due date

The registered person must maintain records (“case records”) for each child which—

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Requirement Due date

include the information and documents listed in Schedule 3 in relation to each child;

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Requirement Due date

are signed and dated by the author of each entry. (Regulation 36 (1)(a)(b)(c))

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Requirement Due date

This requirement was made at the last inspection and is restated.

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Requirement Due date

The registered provider must appoint a person to manage the children’s home if—

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Requirement Due date

there is no registered manager in respect of the home; and

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Requirement Due date

is not, or does not intend to be, in day-to-day charge of the home. 22 April 2022 Inspection report for children’s home – monitoring visit: SC028598 10 If the registered provider appoints a person to manage the home, the registered provider must, without delay, give HMCI notice of—

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Requirement Due date

the name of the person so appointed; and

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Requirement Due date

the date on which the appointment takes effect. (Regulation 27 (1)(a)(b)(i)(ii)(iii) (2)(a)(b))

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Requirement Due date

This requirement was made at the last inspection and is restated.

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Requirement Due date

*These requirements are subject to a compliance notice.

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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 children’s home since its last Ofsted inspection.

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Information about this inspection

This inspection was carried out under the Care Standards Act 2000. Inspection report for children’s home – monitoring visit: SC028598 11

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Children’s home details

Registered provider address: Nailah House, 19 Pentire Road, London E17 4BY

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Children’s home details

Responsible individual: Jennifer Lapompe

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Inspector

Jayshree Pillay, Social Care Inspector Inspection report for children’s home – monitoring visit: SC028598 12 regulates and inspects 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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