Children's home run by Ja Nailah Limited in Waltham Forest

Inspection report for children's home: SC028598 1 SC028598 Registered provider: Ja Nailah Limited

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Inspected under the social care common inspection framework

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Information about this children’s home

This is a privately owned home that can care for up to five girls with social and emotional difficulties. The home can also provide care for up to two young mothers and their babies for a specific time, with babies sharing a bedroom with their mother.

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Information about this children’s home

The home and the manager registered with Ofsted in May 2002.

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Information about this children’s home

There were four children living in the home at the time of this inspection.

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Information about this children’s home

The inspection started on 14 August 2024. It was paused in line with Ofsted inspections and visits: deferring, pausing and gathering additional evidence policy. The inspectors returned on 19 August 2024 to complete the inspection.

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Overall experiences and progress of

children and young people, taking into account

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inadequate

How well children and young people are helped and protected inadequate

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inadequate

The effectiveness of leaders and managers inadequate

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inadequate

There are serious and widespread failures that mean children and young people are not protected, and their welfare is not promoted or safeguarded. The care and experiences of children and young people are poor, and they are not making progress.

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inadequate

Overall judgement at last inspection: good

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inadequate

Enforcement action since last inspection: none Inspection report for children's home: SC028598 2

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Inspection date Inspection type Inspection judgement

04/03/2024 Full Good 16/05/2022 Full Requires improvement to be good 02/02/2022 Full Inadequate 03/12/2019 Interim Sustained effectiveness Inspection report for children's home: SC028598 3

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: inadequate

Leaders and managers fail to recognise how a new child moving into the home can have an impact on the children already living there. For example, children can influence each other when incidents happen. This has been allowed to happen despite managers having access to information from a child’s placing authority about their risks of being influenced by others. Furthermore, staff are unable to manage situations effectively to de-escalate incidents. This has led to the police being called to manage incidents. Due to children’s needs not being met, children have needed to move out of the home in an unplanned way. This creates further disruption in their lives.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: inadequate

Leaders and managers do not have access to all relevant information to inform them about children’s needs. For example, minutes from care reviews and education, health and care (EHC) plans are not all up to date. Children’s care plans do not include their views or information about their religious requirements.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: inadequate

Staff do not always follow children’s care plans. For example, one child’s care plan instructed staff to check whether the child had their asthma pump. Despite this information being available to staff, no contact was made with health professionals to determine how the child’s asthma must be managed.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: inadequate

Children’s meetings do not always take place as children either do not want to engage or are away from the home. Discussions with children do not always help them to understand how to keep safe. Staff are unable to challenge children’s behaviour effectively and put in place the necessary boundaries.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: inadequate

Children are given opportunities to participate in activities such as going swimming, shopping and going out to eat. However, staff do not consistently record the variety of activities that children enjoy.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: inadequate

The home is not furnished or maintained to ensure that children are able to live in a clean and homely environment. Children’s bedrooms are messy. Some children have furniture in their bedrooms that has been broken for some time. One child said that the water temperature in their shower is inconsistent. Despite telling staff about this, the shower has not been fixed.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: inadequate

Two children are enrolled in education and senior leaders are working with the local authority to make sure that the other two children have a school place for the autumn term.

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

When children move into the home, senior leaders do not fully understand their vulnerabilities. Children’s risk assessments lack detail and are not regularly updated. Inspection report for children's home: SC028598 4 Leaders and managers do not ensure that there are clear instructions for staff to follow to reduce the risks to children. For example, bedroom checks are not conducted thoroughly or regularly, despite knowing that children may have items in their bedroom that cause them harm.

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

When children are missing from the home, the police are not always notified in a timely manner. When children return from episodes of going missing, staff lack professional curiosity. Return home debriefs do not discuss where the child has been or what occurred while they were out of the home. Plans to reduce children’s episodes of going missing are not regularly reviewed to see if the strategies are working to keep the children safe.

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

When safeguarding concerns are raised, these are not always appropriately managed. For example, when one child was missing from the home, the child contacted the staff to tell them that they felt they were being followed. The staff response was to ask the child to stay on the phone until they got home.

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

Incidents that involve several of the children in the home are not reflected in all their files. This distorts the level of incidents being recorded for each child and makes it appear that there are fewer incidents happening in the home than is the case. Leaders and managers have failed to recognise this. Staff do not have a consistent understanding about the number of incidents that take place in the home. Not all serious incidents are notified to the regulator.

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

Staff use consequences as a way of managing children’s behaviour. However, records do not detail whether the consequence is effective in helping children to understand how to improve their behaviour.

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

Senior leaders have completed a risk assessment of the local area. However, it lacks consultation with external professionals who can give insight into the local risks. A fire risk assessment has been carried out. However, not all the actions set have been completed to ensure that the physical environment is safe for children.

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

The registered manager does not ensure that staff are safely recruited. Staff files are not complete and there is a lack of evidence to show that all staff have been securely recruited.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: inadequate

The registered manager does not have sufficient overview of the home. She often relies on updates and decisions from the home’s care manager and other senior members of staff.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: inadequate

There is poor recording of information and shortfalls in staff practice are not always identified. The registered manager does not have effective oversight of children’s files. Inspection report for children's home: SC028598 5 For example, staff do not always provide detail in children’s records to explain what has been done to support a child. Children’s files are not always stored properly.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: inadequate

Oversight of staff training and knowledge is poor. Not all staff have up-to-date training to meet the needs of the children. Leaders and managers have not actioned this to ensure that all staff have updated their knowledge.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: inadequate

Staff receive supervision. These discussions provide staff with the opportunity to discuss their practice and their personal development. However, not all staff know how often their supervision should be happening. The registered manager does not receive supervision.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: inadequate

Leaders and managers do not always ensure that there are enough staff to meet the needs of the children. There is also no formal record to show the hours that staff are working.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: inadequate

External monitoring of the home is ineffective. The manager recognises that reports from independent visitors do not always accurately highlight what is happening in the home.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: inadequate

As a result of the concerns identified at this inspection, Ofsted has issued two compliance notices, under regulations 12 and 13 of The Children’s Homes (England) Regulations 2015. Inspection report for children's home: SC028598 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 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 (4)(a)(b))

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Requirement Due date

In particular, the registered person must ensure that the regulation 44 reports are accurate in providing detail about what has happened in the home that month. The report should be useful in helping the provider to improve their practice. 13 October 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.

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Requirement Due date

A notification made under this regulation—

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Requirement Due date

the other persons, bodies or organisations (if any) who or which have been notified; and

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Requirement Due date

any actions taken by the registered person as a result of the matter;

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Requirement Due date

must be made or confirmed in writing. (Regulation 40 (4)(b)(e) (5)) 13 October 2024 Inspection report for children's home: SC028598 7 In particular the registered person must ensure that serious incidents are notified to the regulator in a timely manner.

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Requirement Due date

The registered person must maintain records ("case records") for each child which—

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Requirement Due date

include the information and documents listed in Schedule 3 in relation to each child;

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Requirement Due date

are signed and dated by the author of each entry. (Regulation 36 (1)(a)(b)(c))

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Requirement Due date

In particular, the registered person must ensure that all children’s case records are available on inspection and are accurate, include the necessary information and are completed in a timely manner. 13 October 2024

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Requirement Due date

Schedule 4 sets out the other information that the registered person must keep in relation to a children’s home.

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Requirement Due date

maintain in the home the records in Schedule 4;

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Requirement Due date

ensure that the records are kept up to date; and

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Requirement Due date

retain the records for at least 15 years from the date of the last entry. (Regulation 37 (1) (2)(a)(b))

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Requirement Due date

In particular, the registered person must ensure that there is an official record of the actual hours that staff have worked. The registered person must ensure that staff are working a suitable shift pattern. 13 October 2024

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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

that staff— 13 October 2024 Inspection report for children's home: SC028598 8 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; and

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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, the registered person must ensure that there are robust safety plans in place that staff follow to address children’s risks and concerns.

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Requirement Due date

The registered person must ensure that staff are skilled and able to safely manage situations in the home. Effective action must be taken to support staff and children when incidents occur.

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Requirement Due date

Staff must understand their role in protecting children from harm, especially in relation to gathering and analysing information following missing-from-home incidents.

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Requirement Due date

The registered person must ensure that the home is well maintained and that any damage is fixed quickly. Also, that any health and safety risks in children’s bedrooms are considered and action is taken to address the concerns.

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Requirement Due date

The registered person must ensure that staff take appropriate action to reduce and limit risks identified by children . Inspection report for children's home: SC028598 9 *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 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

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. (Regulation 13 (1)(a)(b) (2)(a)(c)(f))

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Requirement Due date

In particular, the registered person must ensure that there is effective assessment of children’s needs in the admissions process.

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Requirement Due date

The registered person must ensure that there is effective management oversight of children’s records and plans.

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Requirement Due date

The registered person must ensure that all staff have appropriate training to understand and meet the needs of children in their care. 13 October 2024

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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 (2))

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Requirement Due date

In particular, the registered person must ensure that the review of the location of the home includes consultation with relevant local agencies, to obtain a full understanding of the risks in the community and how this can affect the children in their care. 13 October 2024

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Requirement Due date

In meeting the quality standards, the registered person must, and must ensure that staff— 13 October 2024 Inspection report for children's home: SC028598 10 seek to involve each child’s placing authority effectively in the child’s care, in accordance with the child’s relevant plans;

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Requirement Due date

if the registered person considers, or staff consider, a placing authority’s or a relevant person’s performance or response to be inadequate in relation to their role, challenge the placing authority or the relevant person to seek to ensure that each child’s needs are met in accordance with the child’s relevant plans. (Regulation 5 (a)(c))

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Requirement Due date

In particular, the registered person must ensure that they have all necessary information from the placing authorities, including meeting minutes and care plans.

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Requirement Due date

*These requirements are subject to a compliance notice.

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Recommendations

 The registered person should ensure that any consequences used to address poor behaviour are restorative in nature and help children to recognise the impact of their behaviour on themselves and others. (‘Guide to the Children’s Homes Regulations, including the quality standards’, page 46, paragraph 9.38)  The registered person should ensure that when a child has an EHC plan, the contents of this plan are taken into consideration. (‘Guide to the Children’s Homes Regulations, including the quality standards’, page 33, paragraph 7.6)  The registered person should ensure that additional checks are completed for staff who have recently arrived from outside the UK. They should also ensure that references from the most recent employers are sought and that reasons for leaving employment are clearly recorded. (‘Guide to the Children’s Homes Regulations, including the quality standards’, page 61, paragraph 13.1)

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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: SC028598 11

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Children’s home details

Registered provider address: 19 Pentire Road, London E17 4BY

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Inspectors

Chelsea Agyeman, Social Care Inspector Josephine Onwubiko, Social Care Inspector Inspection report for children's home: SC028598 12 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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