Children's Home run by T-Junction Children’s Services in Leicestershire

Inspection report for children’s home: 2769134 1 Registered provider: T-Junction Children’s Services 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. It provides care for up to three children who have social and emotional needs.

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Information about this children’s home

At the time of the inspection, three children were living in the home and were spoken to.

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Information about this children’s home

The manager registered with Ofsted in April 2024.

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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: 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: 2769134 2

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Children are cared for by staff who are attuned to their needs and have developed positive relationships with them. Children talk to and play with staff, who are responsive and playful in their approach. Children and staff enjoy spending time together and there is fun and laughter in the home.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Children are supported by staff when preparing to move into the home. Staff are creative in how they make this work for children. Staff visit children, their parents and external professionals, they share photos and videos with children. This helps them children to settle.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Children are helped by staff to maintain relationships and spend time with the people who are important to them. Staff are active in building respectful relationships with families and ensuring that family time is positive for children. Staff advocate for children about when, where, and how family time happens.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Children are supported by staff to achieve in education. Staff and managers advocate for children to have access to the most suitable education. One child said it is the staff who have helped them to go back to school. One child who does not yet have a school place has a full day of activities every day to support learning.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Children are supported to access a wide range of activities in the local area. This helps their self-esteem and allows them to develop relationships with their peers. If children do not want to continue with an activity, they are supported and helped to access other opportunities they are interested in.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Door alarms on children’s bedroom doors have been used without a clear rationale. The manager is reviewing this. Similarly, the soap from the bathroom had been removed to prevent a child from throwing it, however following the incident the soap was not reintroduced. Some damage to the home was not repaired or replaced in a timely way. Similarly, damaged items were left in communal spaces. This is not good practice.

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

There are well coordinated responses when children go missing. One child who is vulnerable to criminal exploitation is safer since moving into the home, this is because they have had no missing episodes or further involvement with the police. This is significant progress. Staff support children to work with external agencies.

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

When staff have used physical intervention, this has been appropriate and proportionate. Children are spoken to afterwards and there is reflection by the staff and manager to understand what is happening for the child. When there have been incidents, there is Inspection report for children’s home: 2769134 3 good communication with family and external agencies. Risk assessments and behaviour plans are updated.

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

Doors to some areas of the home such as the living room and playroom have been locked at times when children are present. There was no rationale for this other than to help manage children’s behaviours. It is not proportionate to restrict children’s access to areas of the home without clear rationale that relates to safety. The manager has plans to review this with all staff.

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

Some of the language used in children’s records is not sensitive and does not always reflect the child’s involvement in their care planning.

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

Staff are trained in first aid and the administration of medication. However, for one child they have an inhaler that was not carried with them, instead the inhaler was kept in the office when the child was at school. This should not happen unless directed by a doctor.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

Staff speak highly of the manager, deputy manager and responsible individual. Staff are positive about the support they receive, and the morale of the team is positive. Staff aspire for the children that they care for.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

Staff receive regular and reflective one-to-one supervision with managers and participate in team meetings which include the input of a clinical psychologist. The manager and staff feel supported by the responsible individual, who is visible in the home and takes part in team meetings and training.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

Social workers for two of the children described the managers’ support for children as ‘proactive’. Both commented on the good communication, positive relationships built with children and their families and the progress the children have made.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

The manager understands the importance of safer recruitment and vetting procedures for new staff, and these are in place. However, when a staff member covered from another home the manager did not have access or oversight of this staff member’s safer recruitment files.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

The manager is motivated and aspirational for the children and is supported by an equally committed deputy manager. The manager is aware of the home’s areas for development and has plans to continue to strengthen the staff team to drive this forward. Inspection report for children’s home: 2769134 4

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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 ensure that— children can access all appropriate areas of the children’s home’s premises; and any limitation placed on a child’s privacy or access to any area of the home’s premises— is intended to safeguard each child accommodated in the home; is necessary and proportionate. is kept under review and, if necessary, revised; and allows children as much freedom as is possible when balanced against the need to protect them and keep them safe.

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Requirement Due date

Regulation 21 (1)(b)(c)(i)(ii)(iii)(iv)) 10 January 2025

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Recommendations

 The registered person should ensure that children’s homes are nurturing and supportive environments that meet the needs of their children, they will, in most cases, be homely, domestic environments. Children’s homes must comply with relevant health and safety legislation (alarms, food hygiene, etc.); however, in doing so, homes should seek as far as possible to maintain a domestic rather than institutional impression. (‘Guide to the Children’s Homes Regulations, including the quality standards’, page 15, paragraph 3.9)  The registered person is responsible for maintaining good employment practice. (‘Guide to the Children’s Homes Regulations, including the quality standards’, page 61, paragraph 13.1)  The registered person should ensure that children who wish to keep and take their own medication should be supported to, if they are able to do so safely. Staff should be mindful that children holding their own prescribed medication must only use it for

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Recommendations

themselves in accordance with the prescription. (‘Guide to the Children’s Homes Regulations, including the quality standards’, page 35, paragraph 7.16)  The registered person should ensure that information about the child must always be recorded in a way that will be helpful to the child. (‘Guide to the Children’s Homes Regulations, including the quality standards’, page 61, paragraph 14.4) Inspection report for children’s home: 2769134 5  The registered person should monitor and review the patterns and trends of turnover of staff, whether agency or directly employed, and be able to understand and, where possible, address any negative trends. (‘Guide to the Children’s Homes Regulations, including the quality standards’, page 54, paragraph 10.19)

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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: 2769134 6

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Children’s home details

Registered provider: T-Junction Children’s Services Ltd

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Children’s home details

Registered provider address: 27 The Pastures, Narborough, Leicester LE19 3DS

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Inspectors

Caroline Hose, Social Care Inspector Andi Lilley-Tams, Regional Inspection Manager Inspection report for children’s home: 2769134 7 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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