Children's home run by Jamores Limited in Bexley

Inspection report for children's home: 1237027 1 Registered provider: Jamores Limited

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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/or emotional difficulties and learning disabilities.

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Information about this children’s home

The home and manager registered with Ofsted in May 2016.

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Information about this children’s home

At the time of the 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 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: 29 November 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: 1237027 2

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Inspection date Inspection type Inspection judgement

29/11/2023 Full Good 22/11/2022 Full Good 28/04/2021 Full Good 03/02/2020 Interim Improved effectiveness Inspection report for children's home: 1237027 3

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Children at this home make good progress considering their starting points. The registered manager and staff have high aspirations for the children to achieve positive outcomes.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Children make educational progress, although this is variable. Two children are engaging with their education, have completed their exams and have secured places for further education. One child is not in education, however, staff liaise with the headteacher of the virtual school to engage the child in tutoring.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Children’s health needs are prioritised, and staff ensure children have access to appropriate health services. Children are registered with local health services and attend routine appointments. Staff communicate promptly with health professionals if concerns arise, to ensure that children are receiving the appropriate support. Staff manage children’s medication well and record administration appropriately. This promotes the health and well-being of the children.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Children are supported to maintain relationships with important people in their lives. Staff promote family time and take children to see their friends and family.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Children are supported to engage in various activities in the community, for example, trampolining, boxing, going to the gym, rugby, and attending church and the local youth club. Staff promote children’s spiritual, social, emotional and cultural development. Children’s individualised needs are considered and acted on.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Managers work with professionals to plan for when children move into the home. However, some plans for children arriving at the home have not fully aligned with the home’s statement of purpose.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

The registered manager and staff work to promote positive endings when children are moving out. Older children who have left the home keep in touch with staff and share their positive experiences with other children. One child has asked to return to the home. Feedback provided by external professionals highlights the commitment, passion and positivity of staff towards children.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Children understand boundaries in the home. Staff support children to stay safe and hold regular house meetings to encourage children to discuss their care.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

The upkeep of the home is not always consistently maintained, to provide a nurturing and homely living space and to consider children’s preferences and choices.

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

Inspection report for children's home: 1237027 4 Children do not regularly go missing from the home. When children are missing, staff are very clear on the protocols to be followed for each child. The risk assessments on children’s files contain details of incidents when children have gone missing, and staff use the information to reduce potential risks.

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

Allegations are managed well. Leaders and managers ensure that allegations are recorded, and consult with the local authority designated officer (LADO) when required. The registered manager carefully investigates allegations made by children. This helps children to know that their views and experiences are important and are considered.

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

The manager and staff work closely with the children’s professional network, and professionals said that they have effective and consistent communication with staff.

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

Key-worker sessions are regular, and staff cover a wide range of topics with children, including savings, budgeting, managing their finances, personal safety and cooking. Staff are flexible and provide children with the opportunity to have informal discussions to explore areas of interest.

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

There are a high number of incidents involving the use of restraint in the home. Records do not consistently reflect the management oversight of incidents. However, staff regularly review their practices and explore strategies to calmly de-escalate challenging situations. The registered manager and an independent consultant review the use of restraint to consider recurring issues and how to improve practice.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

The manager has a clear vision for the home and works with staff to ensure that children receive good care.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

Leaders and managers are forward thinking in the development of staff and have introduced a new academy to give staff the opportunity to enhance their skills in caring for children. Leaders and managers ensure that staff have opportunities to learn and reflect on their practice as part of team meetings. The manager has agreed specific training and support for staff with the LADO and an experienced training facilitator. This ensures that staff are able to respond appropriately to children’s individual support needs.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

Leaders and managers ensure that there is a consistent staff team, and this enables children to develop positive relationships with staff they know and trust. Staff feel supported by their managers. This has led to a motivated and committed staff team.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

Leaders and managers ensure that staff receive regular supervision that covers a wide range of topics. Staff discuss the needs of children to ensure that children are safe, and to better understand the impact of their own behaviour on the children. Inspection report for children's home: 1237027 5 Staff understand whistle-blowing procedures and are confident to raise concerns about poor performance or practice. Leaders and managers have provided staff with support to understand the impact of whistle-blowing in ensuring that children are kept safe. Inspection report for children's home: 1237027 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

Restraint in relation to a child is only permitted for the purpose of preventing—

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Requirement Due date

injury to any person (including the child);

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Requirement Due date

serious damage to the property of any person (including the child);

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Requirement Due date

Restraint in relation to a child must be necessary and proportionate. (Regulation 20 (1)(a)(b) (2))

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Requirement Due date

In particular, the registered manager and staff must ensure the regular review of the use of restraint and consider alternative de-escalation techniques that can be used. 27 September 2024

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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 ensure that staff—

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Requirement Due date

ascertain and consider each child’s views, wishes and feelings, and balance these against what they judge to be in the child’s best interests when making decisions about the child’s care and welfare;

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Requirement Due date

help each child to understand how the child’s views, wishes and feelings have been taken into account and give the child reasons for decisions in relation to the child;

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Requirement Due date

regularly consult children, and seek their feedback, about the quality of the home’s care; 27 September 2024 Inspection report for children's home: 1237027 7 keep the children’s guide and the home’s complaints procedure under review and seek children’s comments before revising either document. (Regulation 7 (1)(c) (2)(a)(i)(iii)(iv)(c))

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Requirement Due date

In particular, the registered manager must improve how children’s views, wishes and feelings are obtained and to consistently review children’s feedback.

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Requirement Due date

The quality and purpose of care standard is that children receive care from staff who—

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Requirement Due date

understand the children’s home’s overall aims and the outcomes it seeks to achieve for children;

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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

provide to children living in the home the physical necessities they need in order to live there comfortably;

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Requirement Due date

ensure that the premises used for the purposes of the home are designed and furnished so as to—

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Requirement Due date

meet the needs of each child; enable each child to participate in the daily life of the home. (Regulation 6 (1)(a) (2)(b)(vii) (c)(i)(ii))

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Requirement Due date

In particular, the registered person must ensure the premises is well maintained and provides a safe and homely environment. 11 October 2024

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Recommendation

 The registered person should ensure that they accept emergency placements in line with the home’s statement of purpose, and that staff are sufficiently trained and skilled to provide care to the children moving into the home. (‘Guide to the Children’s Homes Regulations, including the quality standards’, page 57, paragraph 11.6)

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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 Inspection report for children's home: 1237027 8 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: 1237027 9

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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

Jade Nelson, Social Care Inspector Natalie Marshall, Social Care Inspector Inspection report for children's home: 1237027 10 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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