Children's home run by Jamores Limited

Inspection report for children's home: 2566238 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 home is registered to care for up to three children with emotional and social difficulties.

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Information about this children’s home

The registered manager post has been vacant since October 2022.

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Information about this children’s home

At the time of this inspection, two children were living at the home.

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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: 12 October 2021

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good

Overall judgement at last inspection: good

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good

Enforcement action since last inspection: none Inspection report for children's home: 2566238 2

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Inspection date Inspection type Inspection judgement

12/10/2021 Full Good Inspection report for children's home: 2566238 3

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

With staff’s nurturing care and support, children settle at the home and make good progress. This is reflected in a child’s comment that, ‘Staff spend time with me and I like it when they let me have pizza. I score the home 9.99 out of 10.’

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Staff support children to attend school and work closely with education professionals to provide additional support when needed. Children who move to the home are helped to maintain their school placement, which prevents any further disruption to their daily routine. Staff are ambitious for children and education is clearly a priority at this home. Children are encouraged and supported to learn informally, for example, staff and children regularly spend time reading books together.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Children develop meaningful relationships with staff, who understand their needs and are skilled at establishing mutual respect and trust. Warm interactions between a child and staff were observed during the inspection.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Children are supported to maintain positive relationships with the people who are important to them. Staff work closely with children and their families to improve the quality of the time they spend together. As a result, family relationships are strengthened.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

In the main, staff seek children’s views and act on them. Complaints made about the home are managed fairly and appropriately. Children are listened to and informed of the actions and outcomes of their complaint. However, children could be better supported when they are unhappy with the decisions made by the placing authority. This includes ensuring that children have access to independent advocacy when they want to challenge important decisions about how and when they move on from the home.

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

Children are safeguarded and they feel safe at this home. They receive effective care, protection and support from a caring and committed staff team. The trusting relationships that children develop with staff are enhancing children’s safety and experiences.

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

Staff set unwavering boundaries and routines for children, which promote and encourage positive behaviour. This consistent approach to behaviour management is reducing the number of incidents in the home, including physical restraints.

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

Children’s known and potential risks are well understood by staff. Staff are proactive and curious about children’s changing behaviours. Room searches are conducted sensitively when there is cause for concern. There is well-coordinated communication with other agencies when concerns are raised about children’s Inspection report for children's home: 2566238 4 welfare. Safeguarding practice could be further strengthened by ensuring that all risk assessments are kept up to date and accurately reflect the level of risk to children.

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

Incidents of children going missing from the home are significantly reducing. When children go missing from home, staff actively look for them and work collaboratively with all relevant professionals, as well as the children’s family and friends when appropriate. On a number of occasions, independent return home interviews with children were not arranged on their return. Consequently, opportunities to gain insight into the children’s experiences and reasons why they went missing from home were overlooked.

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good

The leadership and management of this home are undermined by the absence of a permanent registered manager. The home has not had a registered manager since October 2022. The responsible individual, an experienced company director and three deputy managers oversee the day-to-day management of the home. Interviews for the registered manager post were being conducted on the day of this inspection.

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good

Not all unqualified staff are enrolled on the required residential childcare course in a timely way. This causes delay in getting staff the qualification that they need to work at the home. Additionally, not all new staff receive fortnightly supervision as set out in the home’s induction programme.

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good

Although most staff are new to the role and unqualified, they are enthusiastic to learn and demonstrate a commitment to their role. They are caring, child-focused and have a good understanding of the children’s needs, interests and talents.

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good

Staff say that they feel valued and well supported. Strong team working was observed during the inspection. Despite this, there are gaps in staff’s training, such as in first aid, physical intervention and medication.

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good

A social worker and independent reviewing officer spoke positively about the care provided to children and communication from staff. In the main, partnership working with professionals and parents is good. However, leaders, managers and staff do not consistently challenge placing authorities when they do not fulfil their statutory obligations, for example, arranging return home interviews when children have been missing from home, and updating children’s care plans. Inspection report for children's home: 2566238 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

In meeting the quality standards, the registered person must, and must ensure that staff—

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Requirement Due date

seek to involve each child’s placing authority effectively in

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Requirement Due date

if the registered person considers, or staff consider, a placing authority’s or a relevant person’s performance or response to be inadequate in relation to their role, challenge the placing authority or the relevant person to seek to ensure that each child’s needs are met in accordance with the child’s relevant plans. (Regulation 5 (a)(c))

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Requirement Due date

In particular, chase and challenge placing authorities when they do not arrange return home interviews for children who have been missing from home, and when they do not update and provide children’s documents as required. 2 June 2023

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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

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

is given appropriate advocacy support. (Regulation 7 (1)(c) (2)(b)(iii))

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Requirement Due date

In particular, ensure that children have access to independent advocacy when needed. 2 June 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— 2 June 2023 Inspection report for children's home: 2566238 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

ensure that staff have the experience, qualifications and skills to meet the needs of each child. (Regulation 13 (1)(a)(b) (2)(c))

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Requirement Due date

In particular, ensure that staff are enrolled on the relevant children’s residential care qualification and undertake all essential training in a timely way.

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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.

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Requirement Due date

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) (2)(b)) 2 July 2023

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Recommendations

 The registered person should ensure that staff continually and actively assess all potential risks to children and keep children’s risk assessments updated. (‘Guide to the Children’s Homes Regulations, including the quality standards’, page 42, paragraph 9.5)  The registered person should ensure that new staff receive regular individual supervision, at the frequency set out in the home’s staff induction programme. (‘Guide to the Children’s Homes Regulations, including the quality standards’, page 53, paragraph 10.11) Inspection report for children's home: 2566238 7

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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: 2566238 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

Marina Tully, Social Care Inspector Lisa Mulcahy, Social Care Inspector Inspection report for children's home: 2566238 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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