Children's Home run by Jamores Limited in Bexley

Inspection report children’s home: 2562430 1 Registered provider: Jamores Limited Full inspection Inspected under the social care common inspection framework

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Information about this children’s home

This privately run children’s home provides care for up to three children who experience social and emotional difficulties.

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Information about this children’s home

There was one child living at the home at the time of this inspection. No other children have lived at the home since the last full inspection in February 2022.

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Information about this children’s home

The home registered on 18 February 2020. The registered manager post has been vacant since October 2022.

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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: 17 February 2022

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good

Overall judgement at last inspection: good

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good

Enforcement action since last inspection: none Inspection report children’s home: 2562430 2

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Inspection date Inspection type Inspection judgement

17/02/2022 Full Good Inspection report children’s home: 2562430 3

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

The child enjoys positive and trusting relationships with staff. Staff show care, compassion and warmth towards the child. This enables the child to talk to staff about things that worry them. This ensures that the child gets the right support and helps to reduce their anxieties.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

The voice of the child is important at the home. Their views and wishes are listened to, and they are actively encouraged to be part of their own care planning. This helps the child to develop a sense of ownership of their own life and helps them to make good progress.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

The child’s health needs are well understood and are met well. Staff work closely with health agencies to ensure that the child receives the appropriate support. As a result, the child is able to engage with their healthcare plans and make positive progress.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Staff support the child to maintain positive relationships with their family. Staff work closely with the child and their family to ensure that their time spent together is enjoyable. This helps the child to maintain important family relationships and has reduced the number of missing-from-home incidents for the child.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

The child enjoys a range of activities. Staff ensure that there are activities available at the home that are specific to the child’s wishes, needs and plans. Out of the home, the child enjoys trips to the cinema and theme parks. This gives them structured time at home as well as opportunities to have new experiences.

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

The child says that they feel safe. They can identify a trusted person to talk to if they have concerns. The stable and consistent home environment, together with the warmth and confidence of the staff, makes the child feel secure.

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

The known and potential risks to the child are well understood by managers and staff. Risk assessments are clear, detailed and regularly updated. The risk assessments are updated with information from other agencies to ensure that staff are aware of all risks and take the appropriate action to manage and reduce risk. However, staff do not always follow the missing-from-home protocol and missing risk assessment when the child goes missing. In addition, the child does not always receive an independent return home interview on return to the home. This does not help to keep the child safe.

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

Discussions with the child focus on their individual needs and are in line with their plans. Staff use information about the child to plan effective discussion sessions. Inspection report children’s home: 2562430 4 This helps the child to learn and develop important life skills as well as helping them to keep themselves safe.

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

Behaviour management strategies are effective. Staff recognise when the child is becoming unsettled and use alternative strategies to support the child. This helps to reduce the severity of incidents and has significantly reduced the need for physical intervention. This helps the child to settle and creates a calmer atmosphere at the home.

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

The home’s physical environment is well maintained and safe. The home is warm and welcoming and has a family atmosphere. The child is supported to decorate their bedroom. This helps the child to feel comfortable in their home.

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good

The registered manager post has been vacant since October 2022. The home is managed by an experienced deputy manager, who has high aspirations for the child and what they can achieve. Leaders and managers advocate for the child and challenge the placing authority when the child’s plan does not meet their needs. This ensures that the child receives individualised care and support.

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good

Leaders and managers work well with the child’s professional networks. The staff work alongside health professionals to support the child to engage with the specialist support. Feedback from professionals and the child’s mother is positive regarding the quality of care provided and communication from staff. This results in a shared approach to providing the child with good-quality care and support.

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good

Staff say that they feel well supported by leaders and managers. They are suitably qualified and receive regular appropriate training and development opportunities. Two new members of staff, however, have been on duty without having completed the appropriate restraint training. Consequently, this places the child and staff at risk.

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good

Staff benefit from individual and group supervision sessions, covering a broad agenda. Supervision sessions are reflective, offer staff support and guidance, and consider the needs and progress of the child. However, staff do not receive regular supervision, and supervision records are not always completed in a timely manner. This does not support effective management oversight of staff practice and development.

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good

Leaders and managers do not have effective monitoring systems to review the quality of care provided to the child and identify key themes. For example, reports from the independent person are consistently provided late. Furthermore, the reports do not always include the child’s views, and the visits are always announced. This compromises management oversight of the care given to the child. Inspection report children’s home: 2562430 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

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

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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; and

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Requirement Due date

are familiar with, and act in accordance with, the home’s child protection policies;

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Requirement Due date

that the effectiveness of the home’s child protection policies is monitored regularly. (Regulation 12 (1) (2)(a)(i)(iii)(v)(vi)(vii)(e))

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Requirement Due date

In particular, leaders and managers must ensure that the staff follow the child’s missing-from-home protocol and risk assessment at all times. 19 January 2023

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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— 17 February 2023 Inspection report children’s home: 2562430 6 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 have the experience, qualifications and skills to meet the needs of each child;

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Requirement Due date

use monitoring and review systems to make continuous improvements in the quality of care provided in the home. (Regulation 13 (1)(a)(b) (2)(a)(c)(h))

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Requirement Due date

In particular, leaders and managers must ensure that staff are suitably trained and receive supervision of their practice from a suitable professional, which allows them to reflect on their practice.

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Requirement Due date

Leaders and managers must ensure that supervision is recorded in a timely manner and have effective monitoring systems in place to monitor the child’s progress and staff practice.

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Recommendations

 The registered person should ensure that when a child returns to the home after being missing or away from home without permission, the responsible local authority provides an opportunity for the child to have an independent return home interview. The registered person should take account of information provided by such interviews when assessing risks and putting arrangements in place to protect each child. (‘Guide to the Children’s Homes Regulations, including the quality standards’, page 45, paragraph 9.30)  The registered person should ensure that any individual appointed to carry out visits to the home as an independent person makes a rigorous and impartial assessment of the home’s arrangements for safeguarding and promoting the welfare of the children in the home’s care. The registered person should ensure that visits are not always announced. (‘Guide to the Children’s Homes Regulations, including the quality standards’, page 65, paragraph 15.5)

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Information about this inspection

Inspection report children’s home: 2562430 7 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: 2562430 8

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Children’s home details

Registered provider address: 2 Thames Innovation Centre, Studio 52, Veridion Way, Erith DA18 4AL

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Inspectors

Dorothy Thompstone, Social Care Inspector Melvin Davies, Social Care Inspector Inspection report children’s home: 2562430 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 looked after children, safeguarding and child protection.

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Inspectors

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Inspectors

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Inspectors

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