Children's home run by Jamores Limited in Bexley

Inspection report for children’s home: 1234166 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 home is owned and managed by a private provider. It provides care for up to three children who may experience social and/or emotional difficulties.

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Information about this children’s home

Three children currently live in the home. The inspector spoke to all the children during this inspection.

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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

Date of last inspection: 17 January 2023

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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: 1234166 2

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Inspection date Inspection type Inspection judgement

17/01/2023 Full Good 17/08/2021 Full Good 08/05/2019 Full Requires improvement to be good 25/02/2019 Interim Declined in effectiveness Inspection report for children’s home: 1234166 3

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Children have positive, trusting relationships with their caring adults.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

The manager ensures that the staff understand each child’s cultural needs before the child moves into the home. Staff demonstrate their commitment to seeing children as unique individuals and they believe that respecting children’s identity is important. This includes ensuring that each child is provided with their culturally preferred foods.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Children settle in well at the home as they experience clear and consistent boundaries. Staff explain the rules to the children and maintain consistent expectations. One child said, ‘I might not agree with all of the rules, but I do think that they are fair.’

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Children are encouraged to make choices that support improved health. Staff have helped one child to steadily progress towards, then reach and maintain, a healthy weight. Staff praise and celebrate the progress that the children make and show the children that they are proud of them.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Children attend education and are making progress. Staff maintain regular communication with education professionals and share pertinent information. This makes overcoming barriers to education a shared priority. One education professional said, ‘A strength of the staff team is their collaborative approach.’

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

The lounge and kitchen have benefited from being modernised. Staff involved the children in a gardening project following a request by the children for the garden to be updated. The addition of plants and artificial grass has created a space that the children enjoy while playing and dining outside.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

There are some broken or worn household items in communal areas. A sign on the door of the office includes institutional language to request that children do not enter this area of the home. These issues detract from the otherwise welcoming atmosphere in the home.

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

Staff promote and prioritise the safety of the children and hold regular discussions to help them understand that their safety is important.

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

Risk assessments include detailed information about the risks that the children face and the actions that staff should take to keep the children safe. Staff demonstrate that they understand and closely follow risk assessments. Staff respond effectively when new risks emerge. Staff acted immediately when two children were exposed to Inspection report for children’s home: 1234166 4 danger posed by a stranger online, and they quickly implemented additional safety measures to protect the children from harm.

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

Staff proactively support children to live harmoniously together. Children’s targets include promoting kindness towards each other. Staff recognise when tension occurs between children and quickly intervene to maintain the children’s safety. Staffing is arranged so that children can spend time away from each other with continued support from staff.

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

Staff know the children well and are attuned to their behavioural cues. Staff quickly implement strategies to support children who experience crisis behaviour. Staff hold children as a last resort when it is an appropriate measure to help to keep children safe. Senior leaders provide scrutiny of this practice, in addition to the manager, as an extra measure to help to ensure that this practice is safe and proportionate.

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

Staff impose consequences to help children to learn that they are responsible for their actions. However, while a range of consequences are given, only those that include financial reparation are sufficiently scrutinised by the manager. Any other consequences received by children are not monitored effectively to help to ensure that they are effective and fair.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

The manager, who is suitably qualified and experienced for the position held, spends quality time with the children as well as maintaining managerial responsibilities. The manager joined the children during a summer caravanning holiday with staff, to provide the children with a shared positive and memorable experience.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

A challenging period of being short-staffed was efficiently managed so that a small number of agency staff provided support alongside staff who know the children well. The home is now fully staffed. Recruitment procedures follow safer recruitment guidelines, which provides assurance that the adults who are caring for the children are suitably vetted.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

Staff benefit from a comprehensive induction programme, which includes a high level of support and being closely monitored during the probationary period. There are a broad and diverse range of additional training courses which all staff complete in addition to the organisation’s mandatory training. Courses include learning about criminal exploitation, LGBTQIA+ and equality, diversity and cultural competence.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

The manager welcomes internal and external scrutiny and uses feedback to make improvements to the care that the children receive.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

The manager provides the staff with thought-provoking group activities to help them to extend their understanding of their roles and responsibilities. Staff say that this approach helps to improve their practice, including developing better communication. Professionals and parents gave consistently positive feedback that communication has improved. Inspection report for children’s home: 1234166 5 The manager ensures that care planning documents are kept under review and are updated by staff when children’s needs change. Staff do not always record information in language that is helpful to children, including the language in books created for children to keep when they move out of the home. This limits how useful these records are to children.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

The requirements and recommendations that were issued at the last inspection are met. Inspection report for children’s home: 1234166 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, The 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

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 12 November Inspection report for children’s home: 1234166 7 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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Recommendations

 The registered person should ensure that any broken or worn household items are replaced so that the home is a nurturing and supportive environment. Additionally, the registered manager should ensure that, as far as possible, the home maintains a domestic rather than an ‘institutional’ impression. This specifically relates to ensuring that the sign on the office door about privacy is child friendly. (‘Guide to the Children’s Homes Regulations, including the quality standards’, page 15, paragraph 3.9)  The registered person should ensure that staff record information about individual children in a non-stigmatising way that will be helpful to the child. (‘Guide to the Children’s Homes Regulations, including the quality standards’, page 62, paragraph 14.4)

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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: 1234166 8

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Children’s home details

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

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Inspector

Paula Kelly, Social Care Inspector Inspection report for children’s home: 1234166 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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Inspector

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Inspector

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