Children's Home run by Curam Domi Solutions Ltd in Barnet

Inspection report for children’s home: 1257182 1 Registered provider: Curam Domi Solutions Ltd 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 two children with social and/or emotional difficulties.

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Information about this children’s home

The home registered with Ofsted in August 2017. The post for a registered manager has been vacant since July 2023. The current manager has not yet submitted a full application to register.

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Information about this children’s home

There was one child living at the home at the time of this inspection.

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Overall experiences and progress of

children and young people, taking into account

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requires improvement to be good

How well children and young people are helped and protected requires improvement to be good

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requires improvement to be good

The effectiveness of leaders and managers requires improvement to be good

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requires improvement to be good

The children’s home is not yet delivering good help and care for children and young people. However, there are no serious or widespread failures that result in their welfare not being safeguarded or promoted.

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requires improvement to be good

Date of last inspection: 7 December 2022

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requires improvement to be good

Overall judgement at last inspection: good

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requires improvement to be good

Enforcement action since last inspection: none Inspection report for children’s home: 1257182 2

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Inspection date Inspection type Inspection judgement

07/12/2022 Full Good 09/03/2020 Interim Declined in effectiveness 11/11/2019 Full Requires improvement to be good 11/02/2019 Full Requires improvement to be good Inspection report for children’s home: 1257182 3

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improvement to be good

Children do not always make good progress while living at the home. There is currently one child living at the home. However, since the last inspection, another child moved from the home in an unplanned manner, despite staff’s efforts to help children do well.

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improvement to be good

There are concerns about the child not always returning to the home at agreed times. The child says they enjoy spending time with their friends, and they sometimes lose track of time. The child, who is in their late teens, said they will try to follow staff’s advice to return on time. Staff said that they get concerned about the child’s welfare when they are not at the home. They try to maintain contact with the child, but this is not always possible. A professional supports the child to understand how to remain safe while they are away from the home.

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improvement to be good

The child has not been engaging in education since finishing their GCSEs last year. An agreement with the child to attend school was only effective for a short time. Managers are working with professionals to support the child with this. The child does not always enjoy taking part in activities with staff. The child has enjoyed go-karting trips with staff, but they prefer to be with their friends more. Staff speak with the child to check what else they would like to do with their leisure time.

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improvement to be good

The child is supported to maintain regular contact with family members. A family member said that their child gets good care from staff. They are aware of the child’s support needs, and the family member praised staff for their efforts in making sure the child is safe while away from the home.

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improvement to be good

This home has been decorated since the last inspection, and the child now lives in a comfortable home. There are some furnishings that are not consistent with the newly decorated home. For example, some staff members agreed that the sofa in the home was not the right style for children in their teens, and a staff workstation in a corner of the living room does not make the area feel homely. The child may spend a lot of time in their bedroom to avoid using the room.

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improvement to be good

The child has good relationships and gets support from kind and caring staff. The child talks to staff about their views and feelings. The child is supported to share their views about aspects of their care, including in relation to their food. The child says they are a fussy eater, and they do not like many foods. Staff said they are worried about the child losing weight. They have been encouraging the child to eat enough and to eat healthy meals. Managers recognised this support need and referred the child to relevant professionals who can help. Inspection report for children’s home: 1257182 4

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improvement to be good

Leaders and managers have not ensured that the home has safe recruitment practices. Managers did not assess application forms in line with their recruitment policy. For example, there are two application forms for one member of staff, including one the member of staff signed after their interview date. Another member of staff signed their application form on the day of their interview. Records are not clear about the dates staff started working at the home, because staff had no formal contracts of employment until recently. Additionally, managers had not checked the validity of work visas for two members of staff. This meant that a member of staff is not working according to the conditions of their work visa. These practices could lead to unsuitable people working at the home and expose children to a potential risk of harm.

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improvement to be good

There are sufficient staff to look after the child living in the home. Staff recruitment is ongoing so that there are enough staff when another child moves to the home. Staff spoke with managers about their concerns about working long hours. Managers have now changed the shift patterns to support staff to have enough time off. However, there are concerns about a member of staff who works 24-hour shifts. Children may be at risk of harm if the member of staff is not alert enough to support them or to deal with emergencies.

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improvement to be good

Managers work with other professionals to ensure that children get support to reduce risks. A professional is teaching the child how to recognise and avoid associating with people who may pose a risk of harm. There is an effective system to record and review incidents that happen at the home. Managers update risk assessments, and they plan the right support to help in the reduction of risks.

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improvement to be good

Managers and staff check the home to ensure that it is safe for the child, staff and visitors. The home is clean and well maintained.

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good

The leadership of the home has not been effective in reducing management turnover, and the home has had three managers since the last inspection. The current manager started in September 2023. The manager has not yet submitted a full application to register with Ofsted.

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good

Managers failed to complete reviews of the quality of care provided to children. Leaders were not aware of this omission, highlighting the lack of oversight of the home. The quality of care report has subsequently been completed by the current manager. However, this was a concern at the last inspection, and it remains an issue following this inspection. A failure to monitor and review the care provided by staff can have a direct and negative impact on children’s experiences and outcomes.

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good

The deputy manager continues to encourage staff to provide good care for children. The deputy manager understands the needs of the children well and recognises the Inspection report for children’s home: 1257182 5 importance of supporting staff. Staff said that they receive good support from the manager, which allows them to put children’s needs at the centre of what they do.

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good

Staff said that they receive the right training and information for their roles. Staff said that they have regular, formal support in the form of supervision and team meetings, and managers are approachable and very supportive of all staff. Managers said the quality of staff training and development is the area they believe they have done well in. The continued training and development of staff will aid them in improving the standard of care provided to children in the home.

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good

Managers have developed different ways of motivating and rewarding staff, including arranging social activities for staff. They also introduced a ‘staff of the quarter’ award. This means that the nominated member of staff gets praise, a certificate of recognition and a monetary reward. This has helped to further motivate staff in their work.

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good

Managers have made some improvements since the last inspection, including the renovation of the home. There are plans for staff to help the child to choose more artwork to decorate the home. The aim of making changes to the home environment is to create a homely feel and to take into consideration the views of the children. Inspection report for children’s home: 1257182 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 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;

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Requirement Due date

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

In particular, leaders and managers must ensure that safe employment processes include checking that work visas are valid and that there are no restrictions that could lead to staff working unlawfully. 31 May 2024

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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 31 May 2024 Inspection report for children’s home: 1257182 7 promotes their welfare.

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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

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)(h))

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Requirement Due date

In particular, leaders and managers must ensure that there is effective quality monitoring oversight at the home. This is essential to enable managers to continually assess and improve the quality of the home.

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Requirement Due date

A person may only manage a children’s home if—

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Requirement Due date

the person is of integrity and good character;

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Requirement Due date

having regard to the size of the home, its statement of purpose, and the number and needs (including any needs arising from any disability) of the children—

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Requirement Due date

the person has the appropriate experience, qualification and skills to manage the home effectively and lead the care of children; and

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Requirement Due date

the person is physically and mentally fit to manage the home; and

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Requirement Due date

full and satisfactory information is available in relation to the person in respect of each of the matters in Schedule 2. (Regulation 28 (1)(a)(b)(i)(ii)(c))

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Requirement Due date

In particular, the manager must apply to register with Ofsted and submit a full application in a timely manner. 31 May 2024

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Recommendations

 The registered person should ensure that they actively seek independent scrutiny of the home and make best use of information from independent and internal monitoring, including under regulations 44 and 45, to ensure continuous Inspection report for children’s home: 1257182 8 improvement. There must be a review of the quality of care provided for children at least once every six months, in accordance with regulation 45. (‘Guide to the Children’s Homes Regulations, including the quality standards’, page 55, paragraph 10.24)  The registered person should ensure that the home provides a nurturing and supportive environment that meets the needs of the children. In particular, furniture at the home should be age-appropriate and suitable for the needs of the children. A separate area should be available for staff to work from so that children can freely use the living room. (‘Guide to the Children’s Homes

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Recommendations

Regulations, including the quality standards’, page 15, paragraph 3.9)  The registered person should ensure that there are sufficient staff on duty to meet the assessed needs of all children in the home and that those staff are able to respond to unexpected events. In particular, staff should not work long hours that might reduce their alertness to deal with children’s changing needs. (‘Guide to the Children’s Homes Regulations, including the quality standards’, page 54, paragraph 10.15)

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Information about this inspection

The inspector has 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: 1257182 9

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Children’s home details

Registered provider: Curam Domi Solutions Ltd

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Children’s home details

Registered provider address: 86-90 Paul Street, London, Greater London EC2A 4NE

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Inspector

Thobekile Bandama, Social Care Inspector Inspection report for children’s home: 1257182 10 regulates and inspects 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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Inspector

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