Children's home run by Curam Domi Solutions Ltd

Inspection report for children's home: 2505172 1 Registered provider: Curam Domi Solutions Ltd Full inspection Inspected under the social care common inspection framework

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Information about this children’s home

This privately run home provides care for up to two children. The provider’s statement of purpose states that care is provided to children who present with challenging behaviours and are in need of additional support.

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Information about this children’s home

There is an acting manager in post who is not yet registered.

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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 requires improvement to be 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: 10 February 2022

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good

Overall judgement at last inspection: declined in effectiveness

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good

Enforcement action since last inspection: none Inspection report for children's home: 2505172 2

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Inspection date Inspection type Inspection judgement

10/02/2022 Interim Declined in effectiveness 09/11/2021 Full Requires improvement to be good 07/01/2020 Full Requires improvement to be good Inspection report for children's home: 2505172 3

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Staff build positive relationships with children, which enables children to begin to trust adults. Managers and staff know the children well and talk positively of their achievements, however small. One child said that they enjoy the ‘banter’, like in a big family home, and that they felt that staff saw the home as their ‘second home’, not a place of work. The child also said that the female staff were ‘like big sisters’. This demonstrates that children develop an appropriate sense of belonging.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Children’s records show that they are encouraged to have a say in decisions about day-to-day life in the home, such as food menus and activities, as well as longer- term decisions. One child who feels ready to move on from the home is being supported to develop their independence skills, for this move to happen at the right time for them.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Managers and staff successfully advocate for children so that they can progress educationally. One child has been reintroduced into education after a significant period of being out of school. Managers and leaders have strived to encourage the other child at the home to attend an alternative education provision, by offering transport, alongside making enquiries for the child to access an apprenticeship. This demonstrates that staff explore all avenues to support children to do as well as they can in education. This helps children to feel valued.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Children make good progress from their starting points and staff and managers celebrate this progress with children. Staff report that getting one child to acknowledge the presence of others in the home is a significant success. This child has also developed their self-care and communication skills. The other child in the home reported that they had made good progress and put this down to staff who ‘make sure that I am top of things’. Children are further motivated to make progress through the use of incentive charts, which enhance their sense of achievement and self-worth.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Children have opportunities to participate in activities in the home such as playing video games, baking and watching films with staff. Children also go on trips, such as to London Zoo, to play tennis or go bowling, or on shopping trips with support from staff. Children’s involvement in these activities helps to develop their self-esteem.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Managers and staff support children to maintain good health. Children are supported to take prescribed medication and staff promote healthy eating and maintaining a balanced diet. Staff and managers ensure that children keep essential health appointments, despite one child continuously missing appointments previously. Consequently, children’s health needs continue to be met.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Staff and managers take the time to understand the experiences of children and this is evident in the way that staff talk about the children. Case records show that Inspection report for children's home: 2505172 4 children are helped to express their views about their past experiences to staff they trust. However, leaders and managers should ensure that staff have opportunities to receive training and support to inform the care they provide to children who have experienced trauma.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Managers and staff understand the importance of children maintaining links with their family and friends and understand that relationships between parents and children can be changeable. Staff and managers ensure that communication between children and parents remains positive. They ensure that appropriate information is shared and that parents receive regular updates on their children’s progress and plans.

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

Managers and staff work hard to protect children, in line with their individual risk assessments and safety plans. This includes maintaining specific staff-to-child ratios and undertaking room searches. Staff consistently communicate with children to allow them to express any concerns that they may have.

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

Managers and staff respond promptly to episodes of children going missing from home. Staff follow children when they leave the home without permission to encourage them to return. For one child, going missing from home is a regular occurrence and staff and managers have worked with the local authority to implement strategies to keep him safe. These include extending the child’s curfew time, risk assessing for child criminal exploitation and exploring the reasons for going missing with the child. This has helped to reduce the number of missing-from- home episodes for the child, although this continues to be a concern.

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

Staff support children to develop appropriate independence skills. One child is allowed a short period of free time in the community unsupervised before returning home, as part of their independence plan. This is a great achievement for the child and has helped them to build their self-esteem and confidence.

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

Staff and managers use behaviour support plans effectively to help children to manage their emotions. Staff help children to recognise the triggers that lead to aggressive and destructive behaviour or self-harm. There have been no serious incidents recorded since the last inspection and no incidents requiring the use of restraint. Sanctions are used to help children to understand that there are consequences for negative behaviour. One child said, ‘A year ago, I would have behaved differently, but staff have helped me to calm down.’

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

Staff and managers understand the procedures that need to be followed in response to safeguarding concerns. Managers request strategy meetings when the level of concern is such that the local authority needs to consider further action. The social worker for one child stated, ‘In respect to safeguarding and child protection, in fairness, they do everything they can for the child.’ Inspection report for children's home: 2505172 5 Leaders and managers are proactive in responding to known or new risks for children and update local authorities regularly. Staff work hard with children to address risk-taking behaviours with them through key work or informal one-to-one discussion. However, some notifications have not been sent in this inspection period and leaders and managers should review how decisions are made to notify Ofsted.

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

Leaders and managers ensure that the home is safe and secure for children and protects them from the risk of harm. Scheduled maintenance work is planned, to repair a small number of damaged areas in the home, but these do not pose an immediate risk to children. However, leaders and managers have not completed a risk assessment to consider whether the area to the back of home poses a risk to children.

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good

There has been no registered manager in post since August 2020. The home has been managed during this period by a combination of the responsible individual, the director and a temporary manager. This has not provided consistent and effective management of the home. Staff have at times found the management structure confusing. A permanent manager is now in post and plans to submit an application to register with Ofsted shortly.

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good

Children benefit from enthusiastic staff who are committed to helping them to develop positive relationships and a feeling of self-worth and achievement, however small. One staff member said, ‘You do go through the emotions in working with children, but I come to work to make a difference, seeing them come from so far, and getting to achieve their potential.’ However, staff do not receive a comprehensive induction when they start working at the home and do not receive regular supervision in line with the home’s supervision policy.

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good

In the absence of a registered manager, the home has benefited from the external monitoring provided by the independent visitor. However, leaders and managers do not always respond effectively to recommendations made by the independent person or respond promptly to address any shortfalls in the delivery of services to children. This does not demonstrate leaders and managers’ ability to keep children safe and promote their well-being.

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good

Children can share their views through the complaints, compliments and suggestion box at the home. One child has used the complaints procedure and the responsible individual responded promptly to address the concern raised. However, the children’s guide does not include the relevant information to help children understand what happens when they use the newly created complaints, compliments and suggestions box.

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good

Care plans for children are clear and detailed and outline how managers and staff are working to meet the needs of children. Daily and weekly records show the work being undertaken with children to address and meet their social, educational, health Inspection report for children's home: 2505172 6 and emotional needs. The independent reviewing officer for one child wrote, ‘They communicate well with professionals and make themselves available for meetings. Staff are able to provide accurate accounts and updates of [the child’s] progress and will always pass on messages to the child.’

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good

Leaders and managers develop effective relationships with other professionals that benefit the children living at the home. A specialist mental health resource was identified for one child when urgent intervention was required to support them.

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good

Despite the absence of a consistent registered manager and the confusion this has caused for staff, staff report that they feel supported by those who have been managing the home. The deputy manager is a knowledgeable and experienced individual and staff say that they have benefited greatly from her support. Inspection report for children's home: 2505172 7

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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

A person may only manage a children’s home if—

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Requirement Due date

the person is of integrity and good character;

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Requirement Due date

having regard to the size of the home, its statement of purpose, and the number and needs (including any needs arising from any disability) of the children—

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Requirement Due date

the person has the appropriate experience, qualification and skills to manage the home effectively and lead the care of children;

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Requirement Due date

the person is physically and mentally fit to manage the home;

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Requirement Due date

full and satisfactory information is available in relation to the person in respect of each of the matters in Schedule 2.

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Requirement Due date

For the purposes of paragraph (1)(b)(i), a person has the appropriate experience and qualification if the person has—

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Requirement Due date

within the last 5 years, worked for at least 2 years in a position relevant to the residential care of children.

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Requirement Due date

worked for at least one year in a role requiring the supervision and management of staff working in a care role and by the relevant date, attained—

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Requirement Due date

the Level 5 Diploma in Leadership and Management for Residential Childcare (England) ("the Level 5 Diploma"); or a qualification which the registered provider considers to be equivalent to the Level 5 Diploma. (Regulation 28 (1)(a)(b)(i)(ii)(c) (2)(a)(b)(c)(i)(ii))

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Requirement Due date

In particular, the manager must submit a completed application to register with Ofsted. 30 June 2022 Inspection report for children's home: 2505172 8 This requirement was made at the last inspection, was subject to a provider requirement letter and is restated.

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Requirement Due date

After consultation with the fire and rescue authority, the registered person must—

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Requirement Due date

After consultation with the fire and rescue authority, the registered person must—

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Requirement Due date

ensure, by means of fire drills and practices at suitable intervals, that persons working at the home and, so far as reasonably practicable, children are aware of the procedure to be followed in case of fire. (Regulation 25 (1)(d))

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Requirement Due date

Specifically, this relates to carrying out fire evacuation drills at night. 30 June 2022

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Requirement Due date

The registered person must complete a review of the quality of care provided for children ("a quality of care review") at least once every 6 months.

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Requirement Due date

In order to complete a quality of care review the registered person must establish and maintain a system for monitoring, reviewing and evaluating—

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Requirement Due date

the quality of care provided for children;

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Requirement Due date

the feedback and opinions of children about the children’s home, its facilities and the quality of care they receive in it; and

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Requirement Due date

any actions that the registered person considers necessary in order to improve or maintain the quality of care provided for children.

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Requirement Due date

After completing a quality of care review, the registered person must produce a written report about the quality of care review and the actions which the registered person intends to take as a result of the quality of care review ("the quality of care review report").

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Requirement Due date

supply to HMCI a copy of the quality of care review report within 28 days of the date on which the quality of care review is completed; and 1 September 2022 Inspection report for children's home: 2505172 9 make a copy of the quality of care review report available on request to a placing authority, if the placing authority is not the parent of a child accommodated in the home.

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Requirement Due date

The system referred to in paragraph (2) must provide for ascertaining and considering the opinions of children, their parents, placing authorities and staff. (Regulation 45 (1) (2)(a)(b)(c) (3) (4)(a)(b) (5))

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Requirement Due date

Specifically, review of quality of care reports should be sent to Ofsted within timescales.

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Requirement Due date

The registered person must compile in relation to the children’s home a statement ("the statement of purpose") which covers the matters listed in Schedule 1.

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Requirement Due date

The registered person must provide a copy of the statement of purpose to HMCI and make a copy of it available upon request to—

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Requirement Due date

a child, or a child for whom accommodation in the home is being considered;

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Requirement Due date

a parent of a child, or a parent of a child for whom accommodation in the home is being considered;

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Requirement Due date

a child’s placing authority; and in the case of a qualifying school, the Secretary of State.

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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

If a home has a website, the registered person must ensure that a copy of the statement of purpose is published on that website unless the registered person considers that such publication would prejudice the welfare of children in the home.

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Requirement Due date

Subject to paragraph (6), the registered person must ensure that the home is at all times conducted in a manner which is consistent with its statement of purpose. 30 June 2022 Inspection report for children's home: 2505172 10 Nothing in paragraph (5) or regulation 46 (review of premises) requires or authorises the registered person to contravene or not comply with any other provision of these Regulations; or

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Requirement Due date

any conditions in relation to the registration of the registered person under Part 2 of the Care Standards Act 2000. (Regulation 16 (1) (2)(a)(b)(c)(d)(e) (3)(a)(b) (4) (5) (6)(a)(b))

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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

a child is involved in or subject to, or is suspected of being involved in or subject to, sexual exploitation;

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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; a child protection enquiry involving a child is instigated; or

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Requirement Due date

concludes (in which case, the notification must include the outcome of the child protection enquiry); 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. (Regulation 40(a)(b)(c)(d)(d)(i)(ii)(e)) 31 May 2022

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Requirement Due date

ensure that each employee completes an appropriate induction;

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Requirement Due date

ensure that each permanent appointment of an employee is subject to the satisfactory completion of a period of probation; and

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Requirement Due date

provide each employee with a job description outlining the employee’s responsibilities.

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Requirement Due date

The registered person must ensure that all employees— undertake appropriate continuing professional development;

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Requirement Due date

receive practice-related supervision by a person with appropriate experience; and 31 May 2022 Inspection report for children's home: 2505172 11 have their performance and fitness to perform their roles appraised at least once every year. (Regulation 33 (1)(a)(b)(c) (4)(a)(b)(c))

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Requirement Due date

This relates specifically to induction of staff and regular supervision.

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Recommendations

 The registered person should have a workforce plan which can fulfil the workforce-related requirements. Staff should have the opportunity to benefit from training based on trauma-informed practice. (‘Guide to the Children’s Homes Regulations, including the quality standards’, page 53, paragraph 10.8)  The registered person should review and update the children’s guide and ensure information on making complaints is clear and the information for contacting the Children’s Commissioner is correct. (‘Guide to the Children’s Homes Regulations, including the quality standards’, page 24, paragraph 4.23)  The registered person should make best use of information from independent monitoring and liaise with the independent person to ensure recommended actions are completed to agreed timescales. (‘Guide to the Children’s Homes Regulations, including the quality standards’, page 65, paragraph 15.5)  The registered person should ensure that repairs to the home are completed in a

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Recommendations

timely manner and a risk assessment is completed of the space at the back of the garden area. (‘Guide to the Children’s Homes Regulations, including the quality standards’, page 15, paragraph 3.9)

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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: 2505172 12

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Children’s home details

Registered provider: Curam Domi Solutions Ltd

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Children’s home details

Registered provider address: 86-90 Paul Street, London EC2A 4NE

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Inspector

Colin Bent, Social Care Inspector Inspection report for children's home: 2505172 13 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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