Children's Home run by We are Juno CIC in Wirral

Inspection report for children’s home: 2722941 1 Registered provider: We Are Juno CIC Full inspection Inspected under the social care common inspection framework

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Information about this children’s home

This home is privately owned and provides care for up to four children who may experience social and emotional difficulties.

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Information about this children’s home

The manager registered with Ofsted in May 2023.

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Information about this children’s home

One child was living in the home at the time of the 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: 26 September 2023

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good

Overall judgement at last inspection: inadequate

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good

Enforcement action since last inspection: none Inspection report for children’s home: 2722941 2

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Inspection date Inspection type Inspection judgement

26/09/2023 Full Inadequate Inspection report for children’s home: 2722941 3

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Two children were living at the home at the time of the last inspection. One child has since moved out and one child continues to live there.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Before living at the home, the child had been out of education for an extended period of time. Staff have worked with the child and local education provisions to secure a path back into education. While the child is waiting for this to be arranged, they are engaging well with in-house tutoring. Staff also plan a range of activities for the child to engage in outside educational sessions, to supplement and support their education.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

The child has regular contact with their family. The child’s parent said staff keep them regularly updated about their child’s progress, as well as any concerns that they may have. They said they feel involved in their child’s care. The child’s social worker also reported positively on the progress that the child is making at the home, and of the relationships that staff have formed with the child.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

The child spoke about the Christmas meal that staff held for the child and their extended family. This was a really positive event that allowed the child to hand out presents to all involved which was really enjoyed.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

The child does not have any specific health concerns, but staff promote their health by registering them with health professionals such as doctors, dentists and opticians and ensuring that they attend for regular appointments.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

The child is starting to enjoy a range of activities with staff, as well as spending time with friends in the local community.

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

Risks for the child have reduced since the last inspection. Staff have started to form relationships with the child and these are helping the child to make positive choices and keep safe.

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

Risk management plans are in place that address the child’s risks. The format for these plans has been reviewed since the last inspection, but these would benefit from additional proactive strategies for staff to follow to minimise risks for children.

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

The child uses a vape. Although staff have carried out direct-work sessions with the child to discuss the dangers associated with vaping, the child was seen vaping in front of staff without challenge. This does not promote their health or well-being. Inspection report for children’s home: 2722941 4 Room searches of the child’s bedroom have been carried out in line with their safety plan. However, the searches are not always recorded appropriately and do not therefore capture the reasons behind each search.

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

There have not been any episodes of the child going missing from the home since the last inspection. On one occasion, the child was absent for a short period of time, but staff knew that the child was at a friend’s house and the child maintained contact throughout this time. The child eventually requested a lift home from staff, which was provided. This demonstrates the positive relationships between staff and the child.

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

Although there have not been any incidents of physically holding the child, the manager is reviewing and developing individual debrief forms for children and staff should there be any incidents. This is to ensure that all relevant comments are collated to aid learning and improvement.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

The home was judged inadequate at the last full inspection. Since then, the organisation has changed the responsible individual for the home. The manager reports that this has made a positive change to understanding and clarifying the roles and responsibilities of individuals at the home.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

Five requirements were raised following the last inspection. Three of these have been met. Two require further time to be embedded in routines and systems in the home. These requirements have been raised again at this inspection.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

The manager and responsible individual have reflected extensively on the shortfalls that were identified at the last inspection. This included a review of serious incidents, at team meetings and in individual supervision sessions with staff, as well as how these incidents could have been managed differently to achieve more positive outcomes. The manager and responsible individual have also carried out visits to local services to learn from their good practice and effective monitoring systems.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

Additional monitoring systems have also been introduced and developed, including weekly safeguarding meetings. The manager also provides monthly reports to the responsible individual, and the responsible individual reports to the board of directors of the company. The intention of these reports is to monitor standards at the home and to ensure that any shortfalls are identified early and appropriate action is taken to address shortfalls. However, records at the home are still not always as clear as they should be and require further ongoing scrutiny to ensure improvement.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

Staffing remains stable at the home, which provides a consistent staff team for the child. This is helping the child to develop positive relationships and benefit from a consistent approach to achieving improvements in their behaviour. There are relaxed relationships between staff and the child. In addition, direct-work sessions reflect Inspection report for children’s home: 2722941 5 the quality of relationships between staff and the child and the impact that these sessions have on helping the child make positive choices in their life.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

There is a lack of qualified staff at the home, but all staff are now enrolled on a relevant childcare course and the manager is monitoring individuals’ progress with the qualification. In addition, reflection by staff on serious incidents since the home opened has resulted in the manager arranging further training for staff in subjects such as positive behaviour management.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

Staff report that they receive supervision regularly and find this beneficial in developing their roles. Records of these sessions show that the manager uses supervision to reflect on an individual’s role and performance and to test their competence in subjects such as their individual and team safeguarding roles and responsibilities. Inspection report for children’s home: 2722941 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

The leadership and management standard is that the registered person enables, inspires and leads a culture in relation to the children’s home that—

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Requirement Due date

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;

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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)(c)(h))

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Requirement Due date

In particular, the registered person must ensure that staff are skilled and experienced to meet the needs of the children.

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Requirement Due date

The registered person must ensure that staff receive training to be able to provide consistent boundaries and safe care for children.

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Requirement Due date

The registered person must ensure that there are effective monitoring systems in place so that there is oversight of all aspects of the day-to-day running of the home. 31 May 2024

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Requirement Due date

The care planning standard is that children—

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Requirement Due date

receive effectively planned care in or through the children’s home; and

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Requirement Due date

have a positive experience of arriving at or moving on from the home. 31 March 2024 Inspection report for children’s home: 2722941 7 In particular, the standard in paragraph (1) requires the registered person to ensure—

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Requirement Due date

that children are admitted to the home only if their needs are within the range of needs of children for whom it is intended that the home is to provide care and accommodation, as set out in the home’s statement of purpose;

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Requirement Due date

ensure the effective induction of each child into the home;

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Requirement Due date

manage and review the placement of each child in the home; and

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Requirement Due date

plan for, and help, each child to prepare to leave the home or to move into adult care in a way that is consistent with arrangements agreed with the child’s placing authority. (Regulation 14 (1)(a)(b) (2)(a)(b)(i)(ii)(iii))

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Requirement Due date

In particular, the registered person must ensure that children’s individual needs are assessed before they move into the home and that staff have the relevant skills and experience to meet children’s needs.

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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

that the home’s day-to-day care is arranged and delivered so as to keep each child safe and to protect each child effectively from harm. (Regulation 12 (1) (2)(a)(i)(b))

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Requirement Due date

In particular, the registered person must ensure that risk management plans are accurate and that staff are aware of the identified risks and the strategies to manage them.

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Requirement Due date

Staff must address the issue of children using vapes. 31 March 2024 Inspection report for children’s home: 2722941 8

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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: 2722941 9

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Children’s home details

Registered provider address: 3A Queen Insurance Building, 24 Queen Avenue, Liverpool, Merseyside L2 4TZ

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Inspector

Julia Toller, Social Care Inspector Inspection report for children’s home: 2722941 10 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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