Children's home run by JTA Health Care Limited

Inspection report for children’s home: 2744590 1 Registered provider: JTA Health Care Limited

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Full inspection Inspected under the social care common inspection framework

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Information about this children’s home

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

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Information about this children’s home

The home registered with Ofsted in December 2023. There has been no registered manager since 29 February 2024. The current manager has been in post since June 2024 and has not yet submitted an application to register with Ofsted.

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Information about this children’s home

Two children were living in 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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good

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

Date of last inspection: not previously inspected

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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: 2744590 2

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improvement to be good

Leadership and management of the home have been unstable, and this has impacted on the quality of care children receive. This has led to a judgement of requires improvement to be good.

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improvement to be good

Before children move into the home, leaders and managers do not thoroughly assess the individual risks and needs of the new children or consider the needs of the children already residing there. They fail to evaluate the necessary number of staff, their skills and abilities or the training required to meet the children’s needs. This oversight compromises the quality of care provided.

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improvement to be good

Children’s case records lack important information, including vital care plans. This gap reduces the staff’s understanding of children’s unique needs and hinders their ability to provide consistent care, as they do not have a complete picture of children’s history, needs and goals. Despite this, children are making progress from their individual starting points, developing good relationships with staff and beginning to reflect on their life choices and behaviours through staff support.

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improvement to be good

Children’s health needs are understood and met. Staff support children to attend routine and specialist health appointments. Staff supported one child who was in hospital for one week and brought them home-cooked meals.

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improvement to be good

Staff advocate for children’s return to education, which demonstrates their commitment to children’s academic success. They discuss the value of education with children and empower them to engage in their educational review meetings to voice their opinions and preferences about their education. Staff identify schools that are suitable to meet children’s specific needs to ensure that they are placed in environments where they can thrive academically. These efforts help children develop a positive attitude towards education, which can lead to better future opportunities.

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improvement to be good

Children are supported to maintain and strengthen relationships with family members. Staff travel with children to visit their families. This demonstrates that staff understand the importance of family connections while ensuring children’s safety in the community.

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improvement to be good

Overall, the home is nicely furnished. However, not all areas of the home are well maintained. One child’s bedroom has a hole in the wall, and the kitchen door is damaged. Repairs have not been made promptly to ensure that the home remains comfortable and homely, which affects children’s feelings of belonging in the home. Inspection report for children’s home: 2744590 3

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improvement to be good

Children’s risk assessments are poor. They do not contain information about the known risks to children and do not have effective strategies in place to reduce the risks. Consequently, staff have struggled to manage children’s complex behaviours and risks.

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improvement to be good

Children’s behaviour management plans do not provide clear guidance to staff about how to promote positive behaviour and de-escalate incidents. Consequently, incidents of negative behaviour are not managed well. Staff do not support children effectively, and they resort to calling the police to manage incidents. Furthermore, incidents are not always recorded. This undermines safeguarding practice in the home and does not help staff to reflect on their practice or identify patterns of behaviour, triggers or potential risks. Additionally, Ofsted has not been informed of some incidents as required.

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improvement to be good

There are no individual missing-from-home protocols in place for staff to follow. Consequently, when children go missing from the home, staff are not prompt in contacting safeguarding agencies to report the incident. Records lack sufficient information about the actions taken to locate children and details about when they have returned to the home. Poor communication during handovers between staff members has led to inconsistent practices. For example, one staff member was unaware that a child’s curfew time had changed. Positively, staff do contact children’s families to locate children and show care and professional curiosity when children return home, attempting to understand the reasons for their absence.

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improvement to be good

Children’s bedroom searches are conducted appropriately for children who have been in possession of substances. Children’s risks and needs are addressed through regular key-work sessions. The positive relationships between staff and children make these sessions meaningful and beneficial. This helps children to reflect on appropriate and safe behaviours to make positive changes in their lives.

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improvement to be good

Leaders and managers have not consulted with safeguarding partners to consider the risks in the local area. This does not equip leaders, managers and staff with the necessary information to respond effectively to risks relating to the location of the children’s home.

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good

The new manager of the home acknowledges that improvements are needed to ensure that good care is given to children. The manager is supported by a competent team leader who managed the home during the absence of a registered manager.

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good

Staff supervision is irregular and lacks meaningful discussion. For example, there is often a focus on tasks such as cleaning instead of discussing children’s risks, needs Inspection report for children’s home: 2744590 4 and plans or their feedback and progress. This oversight prevents leaders, managers and staff from reflecting and understanding children’s development and progress.

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good

Team meetings have been irregular and ineffective. They lack discussions on important topics such as children’s needs, staff practice and safeguarding issues. Effective support and constructive challenge through team and management meetings have only recently been implemented by the new manager.

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good

Staff complete a range of training online. However, specific training has not been provided to meet the specific needs of children, such as training on autism and attention deficit hyperactivity disorder. This impacts on the staff’s ability to help and support the children in their care effectively. Staff also have not received adequate training on the home’s software system for recording, which has impacted on their ability to record children’s information adequately.

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good

Ofsted has not received an independent person’s report for the month of March 2024. The independent person was unable to access the home’s recordings to assess children’s care and progress during the months of May and June 2024. The quality of care review has not been received by Ofsted. This limits Ofsted’s external oversight of the home and is in breach of regulation.

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good

Feedback from social workers and parents is positive. They said that the staff work closely with children’s personal and professional networks and are dedicated. Inspection report for children’s home: 2744590 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, 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 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

have the skills to identify and act upon signs that a child is at risk of harm;

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Requirement Due date

understand the roles and responsibilities in relation to protecting children that are assigned to them by the registered person;

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Requirement Due date

take effective action whenever there is a serious concern about a child’s welfare;

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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;

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Requirement Due date

that the premises used for the purposes of the home are designed, furnished and maintained so as to protect each child from avoidable hazards to the child’s health. (Regulation 12 (1) (2)(a)(i)(iii)(v)(vi)(b)(d))

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Requirement Due date

In particular, leaders and managers must ensure that children’s risk assessments are regularly reviewed and updated. Risk assessments should be robust and correctly identify risk levels and include strategies to help staff to manage and reduce children’s individual risks. 9 August 2024 Inspection report for children’s home: 2744590 6 Leaders and managers must ensure that missing-from-home protocols are followed and that they have clear oversight of missing-from-home episodes. They must also ensure that missing-from-home records include all relevant information.

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Requirement Due date

Leaders and managers must ensure that repairs in the home, including in children’s bedrooms, are undertaken promptly.

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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

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

ensure that staff have the experience, qualifications and skills to meet the needs of each child;

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Requirement Due date

understand the impact that the quality of care provided in the home is having on the progress and experiences of each child and use this understanding to inform the development of the quality of care provided in the home;

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Requirement Due date

demonstrate that practice in the home is informed and improved by taking into account and acting on—

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Requirement Due date

research and developments in relation to the ways in which the needs of children are best met; and

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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)(c)(f)(g)(i)(h))

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Requirement Due date

In particular, leaders and managers must ensure that staff receive the appropriate support, challenge and relevant training specific to children’s needs and risks to provide a good quality of care. 9 August 2024 Inspection report for children’s home: 2744590 7 Leaders and managers must ensure that the behaviour management strategy is understood and applied at all times by staff.

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Requirement Due date

Leaders and managers must monitor and improve the quality of records.

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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.

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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

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. (Regulation 14 (1)(a)(b) (2)(a))

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Requirement Due date

In particular, leaders and managers must ensure that they have a copy of all children’s local authority care plans and develop clear placement plans.

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Requirement Due date

Leaders and managers must fully consider the needs of children moving into the home as well as the children already living there. They must also consider whether the staff have the skills and training to meet the needs of all children in their care. 9 August 2024

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Requirement Due date

The registered person must notify HMCI and each other relevant person without delay if—

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Requirement Due date

an incident requiring police involvement occurs in relation to a child which the registered person considers to be serious;

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Requirement Due date

there is any other incident relating to a child which the registered person considers to be serious. (Regulation 40 (4)(b)(e))

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Requirement Due date

In particular, leaders and managers must ensure that notifications of serious incidents are made to the regulator without delay. 9 August 2024 Inspection report for children’s home: 2744590 8 When the independent person is carrying out a visit, the registered person must help the independent person—

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Requirement Due date

to inspect the premises of the home and such of the home’s records (except for a child’s case records, unless the child and the child’s placing authority consent) as the independent person requires.

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Requirement Due date

The independent person must produce a report about a visit (“the independent person’s report”) which sets out, in particular, the independent person’s opinion as to whether—

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Requirement Due date

children are effectively safeguarded; and

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Requirement Due date

the conduct of the home promotes children’s well-being. (Regulation 44 (2)(b) (4)(a)(b))

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Requirement Due date

In particular, leaders and managers must ensure that the independent person has access to the home’s and children’s records to adequately develop a view and provide a detailed analysis of whether children are safeguarded effectively and their welfare is promoted. 9 August 2024

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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

The registered person must— 9 August 2024 Inspection report for children’s home: 2744590 9 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))

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Requirement Due date

The registered person must review the appropriateness and suitability of the location of the premises used for the purposes of the children’s home at least once in each calendar year taking into account the requirement in regulation 12(2)(c) (the protection of children standard).

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Requirement Due date

When conducting the review, the registered person must consult, and take into account the views of, each relevant person. (Regulation 46 (1) (2)) 9 August 2024

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Requirement Due date

The registered person must ensure that all employees—

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Requirement Due date

receive practice-related supervision by a person with appropriate experience. (Regulation 33 (4)(b))

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Requirement Due date

In particular, leaders and managers must ensure that all staff receive regular and effective supervision. 9 August 2024

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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: 2744590 10

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Children’s home details

Registered provider: JTA Health Care Limited

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Children’s home details

Registered provider address: 68 Highgate Road, Walsall WS1 3JB

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Children’s home details

Responsible individual: Billyamin Adedayo

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Inspector

Amena Begum, Social Care Inspector Inspection report for children’s home: 2744590 11 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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