Children's Home run by Jurita Limited in Croydon

Inspection report for children’s home: 2671685 1 Registered provider: Jurita Limited 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 three children aged between eight and 17 years who may experience social and emotional difficulties.

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Information about this children’s home

The home and manager registered with Ofsted on 17 May 2022.

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Information about this children’s home

There were two children living at the home at the time of this inspection. The inspectors spoke to both children.

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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: not applicable Inspection report for children’s home: 2671685 2

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Inspection date Inspection type Inspection judgement

Not previously inspected Inspection report for children’s home: 2671685 3

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

The manager and staff understand that children need their carers to see beyond their presenting behaviours. Staff demonstrate resilience in the way they respond to challenges and significant incidents. They remain focused on understanding the children and supporting them rather than the behaviour, including damage to the property. Children described staff as ‘helpful, caring and dedicated’.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Children feel listened to and that their views are respected. They are encouraged to give their views during house meetings or directly to staff, who take time to listen to them. Furthermore, children have the opportunity to complete a feedback questionnaire.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

The manager and staff work tirelessly to promote children’s education. As a result, one child was able to return to full-time education after a long period of being out of school. When children are excluded, staff work well with education professionals to support their return to education, attending meetings and advocating on children’s behalf. Children who are out of school are provided with home learning and tuition.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Children’s health needs are well understood and met. Staff ensure that children receive specialist advice when necessary, including child and adolescent mental health services and the support of an inhouse therapist. As a result, children are enabled to engage in their healthcare plans and make positive progress.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Staff understand that it is important for children to maintain relationships with the people who are special to them. Staff support the children to repair fractured relationships with their families. Consequently, one child is able to spend quality time with their family.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Children’s bedrooms are personalised to their taste. The home is comfortably furnished and clean. However, the paintwork throughout the house looks tired and there are some maintenance issues that detract from the homely environment. The manager assured the inspectors that these works are scheduled to be carried out during the Easter break.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Children are treated with respect and dignity. However, the use of closed-circuit television (CCTV) in communal areas is not proportionate or necessary. The surveillance was initially installed for the purpose of safeguarding children who have now left the home, and its ongoing use has not been reviewed. During this inspection, the inspectors were informed that the use of CCTV will be reviewed.

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

The registered manager and staff demonstrate a good understanding of children’s needs and vulnerabilities. Staff work well with external professionals and children to Inspection report for children’s home: 2671685 4 explore risks and to help children to learn how to keep themselves safe. Children’s risk assessments are reviewed and updated regularly. However, the assessments could benefit from the children being more actively involved in creating them.

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

Children who go missing from the home experience a well-coordinated response. Staff take action to locate children and encourage their safe return home. Staff work collaboratively with families and key professionals and there is a clear plan of action in place to safeguard children. However, Ofsted was not notified of concerns around one child’s frequent missing-from-home behaviour. This compromised the regulator’s external oversight of the home.

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

Safeguarding practice is strong. Staff have access to safeguarding training. In addition, leaders and managers have facilitated staff training from the local authority designated officer. Consequently, staff have a good understanding of whistle-blowing procedures and what to do when an allegation is made. Allegations of harm are taken seriously and addressed promptly. This increases children’s safety in the home.

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

Staff are trained to restrain children safely when required. However, the records of incidents of restraint do not include debriefs with staff and children or management oversight. This does not enable leaders and managers to monitor the use of restraint effectively and identify any emerging themes and patterns.

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

Staff carry out room searches when necessary to safeguard children. However, room search records do not include the child’s views on the measure or management oversight. This compromises the management oversight of practice and the effectiveness of this measure.

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

Recruitment processes are not consistently safe. For example, the discrepancy between employment history and references was not explored for one staff member, employment history did not include months and years for two staff members, and one reference was provided by another staff member.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

The home is managed effectively and efficiently. The registered manager demonstrates a genuine commitment to the children in his care and creates a culture of high aspirations where staff strive to make a positive difference to children’s lives. There is a stable and passionate core staff team in place, providing children with a consistent level of care.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

Staff reported that they feel well supported by leaders and managers, who are available and approachable. Staff benefit from regular supervision and team meetings. Staff have access to regular training opportunities and a member of staff was able to identify how being offered training helped them to carry out their role.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

Leaders and managers ensure that pre-admission risk assessments are completed to prevent them from accepting children whose needs cannot be met in the home. Inspection report for children’s home: 2671685 5 However, some of the children previously admitted to the home presented with needs beyond staff’s experience and knowledge. Consequently, some children’s placements have ended abruptly, having a negative impact on the experience of the new children as well as those already living at the home.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

Leaders and managers know the home’s strengths and areas for development. However, the quality of care review has not been completed since the home opened. This compromises management oversight and the continuous improvement of the home.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

Leaders and managers use learning from practice and feedback to improve the experiences and care of children. For example, the manager continually reviews the recording processes to help staff to report better on the work they carry out with children.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

Leaders and managers work well with children’s networks. Feedback from professionals and families is positive regarding the quality of care provided and the communication with staff. This results in a shared approach to providing the children with the required support. Inspection report for children’s home: 2671685 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 privacy of children is appropriately protected;

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Requirement Due date

any limitation placed on a child’s privacy or access to any area of the home’s premises—

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Requirement Due date

is intended to safeguard each child accommodated in the home;

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Requirement Due date

is kept under review and, if necessary, revised. (Regulation 21 (a)(c)(i)(ii)(iii))

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Requirement Due date

In particular, leaders and managers should regularly review the use of internal CCTV to ensure that it is only used when necessary and only for the purpose of safeguarding the children living in the home. 31 March 2023

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Requirement Due date

The registered person must recruit staff using recruitment procedures that are designed to ensure children’s safety.

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Requirement Due date

employ an individual to work at the children’s home; or

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Requirement Due date

if an individual is employed by a person other than the registered person to work at the home in a position in which the individual may have regular contact with children, allow that individual to work at the home,

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Requirement Due date

if the individual satisfies the requirements in paragraph (3).

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Requirement Due date

the individual is of integrity and good character; 28 April 2023 Inspection report for children’s home: 2671685 7 the individual has the appropriate experience, qualification and skills for the work that the individual is to perform;

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Requirement Due date

the individual is mentally and physically fit for the purposes of the work that the individual is to perform; and

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Requirement Due date

full and satisfactory information is available in relation to the individual in respect of each of the matters in Schedule 2. (Regulation 32 (1) (2)(a)(b) (3)(a)(b)(c)(d))

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Requirement Due date

within 24 hours of the use of a measure of control, discipline or restraint in relation to a child in the home, a record is made which includes—

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Requirement Due date

details of the child’s behaviour leading to the use of the measure;

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Requirement Due date

the date, time and location of the use of the measure;

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Requirement Due date

a description of the measure and its duration;

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Requirement Due date

details of any methods used or steps taken to avoid the need to use the measure;

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Requirement Due date

the name of the person who used the measure ("the user"), and of any other person present when the measure was used;

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Requirement Due date

the effectiveness and any consequences of the use of the measure; and

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Requirement Due date

a description of any injury to the child or any other person, and any medical treatment administered, as a result of the measure;

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Requirement Due date

within 48 hours of the use of the measure, 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; and 28 April 2023 Inspection report for children’s home: 2671685 8 within 5 days of the use of the measure, the registered person or the authorised person adds to the record confirmation that they have spoken to the child about the measure. (Regulation 35 (3)(a)(i)(ii)(iii)(iv)(v)(vi)(vii)(viii) (b)(i)(ii)(c))

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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

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Requirement Due date

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)) 31 March 2023 Inspection report for children’s home: 2671685 9

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Recommendations

 The registered person should give more consideration to what constitutes a serious incident and should be notified to Ofsted. In particular, this relates to incidents when there are serious concerns over a child’s missing-from-home behaviour. (‘Guide to the Children’s Homes Regulations, including the quality standards’, page 63, paragraph 14.11)  The registered person should ensure that the home can respond to the child’s assessed needs effectively before the placement is agreed. (‘Guide to the Children’s Homes Regulations, including the quality standards’, page 15, paragraph 3.6)  The registered person should ensure that records of room searches reflect whether, when possible, the child was informed and asked for their permission. (‘Guide to the Children’s Homes Regulations, including the quality standards’, page 16, paragraph 3.20)  The registered person should ensure that staff regularly consult with children to

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Recommendations

obtain their views and ensure that children have a clear understanding of the plans for them and the actions staff will take to keep them safe. (‘Guide to the Children’s Homes Regulations, including the quality standards’, page 22, paragraph 4.11)

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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: 2671685 10

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Children’s home details

Registered provider address: Kemp House, 160 City Road, London EC1V 2NX

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Inspectors

Aneta Wasilewska, Social Care Inspector Zara Salim, Social Care Inspector Inspection report for children’s home: 2671685 11 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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