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

Assurance inspection report for children’s home: 1257182 1 Registered provider: Curam Domi Solutions Ltd

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Inspected under the social care common inspection framework

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Information about this children’s home

This home registered with Ofsted in August 2017 and is privately owned. It provides care for up to two children who experience social and emotional difficulties.

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Information about this children’s home

The post for a registered manager has been vacant since July 2023. The current manager was appointed in November 2024 and has applied to register with Ofsted.

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Information about this children’s home

At the time of this inspection, two children were living at the home. One child was missing at the time of this inspection.

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Inspection date: 21 January 2025

Judgement at last inspection: requires improvement to be good

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Inspection date: 21 January 2025

Enforcement action since last inspection: none

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Information about this inspection

At this inspection, the inspector evaluated:

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Information about this inspection

 the care of children  the safety of children  the effectiveness of leaders and managers. The inspector has looked closely at the experiences and progress of children, using the social care common inspection framework. This assurance 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’. Assurance inspection report for children’s home: 1257182 2

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Findings from the inspection

We did not identify any serious or widespread concerns in relation to the care or protection of children at this assurance inspection.

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Findings from the inspection

Leaders and managers have satisfactorily addressed concerns raised at the last inspection. All three requirements and one recommendation have been met.

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Findings from the inspection

Management oversight of the home has significantly improved. Leaders and managers show appropriate understanding of the home’s strengths and areas for improvement. They carry out regular audits to evaluate the quality of care and children’s outcomes. They respond appropriately to the independent person’s reports and recommendations from their visits.

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Findings from the inspection

Children are now offered more activities. Staff provide a range of activities in the home that are specific to the children’s needs and interests. Outside of the home, staff arrange trips that the children enjoy and provide opportunities for children to have new experiences. Staff are creative and encourage children to engage in activities, which includes inviting their friends to attend where appropriate.

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Findings from the inspection

Staff are warm and sensitive in their interactions with children. They show appropriate understanding of children’s life experiences and how these affect their behaviour. Children are supported to manage difficult feelings, which helps them to develop coping strategies, build their resilience and enhance their growth and development.

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Findings from the inspection

The manager and staff take effective action when children are not in school. They work with education professionals and provide children with educational activities at the home. Managers challenge schools and placing authorities to provide appropriate support. Staff support children with home tuition and talk to them in individual sessions to understand the barriers to attending school, and they share information with placing authorities.

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Findings from the inspection

Children’s health needs are met well. They attend routine health appointments. Specialist support is sought when necessary. Staff work closely with health professionals to ensure that children receive the appropriate support and they help children to understand the impact of their lifestyles on their health.

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Findings from the inspection

Children are supported to develop their independence skills. Staff help children to learn how to budget and cook their own meals. However, children are not always supported to keep their bedrooms clean and tidy. This was evident at the time of this inspection, as the condition of one child’s bedroom was a cause for concern. The bedroom was unclean and there was evidence that the child had been smoking in the bedroom. The manager and staff do not consistently take action to address the poor and potentially unsafe condition of children’s bedrooms. Assurance inspection report for children’s home: 1257182 3 The manager and staff work effectively with other professionals when children go missing. They speak to children on return and ensure that they receive independent return home interviews to gather important information to help to manage and reduce risk. However, staff do not always follow one child’s missing-from-home

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Findings from the inspection

protocol and make telephone contact with them every half an hour as required.

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Findings from the inspection

One child spoken to said they feel safe and would speak to staff if they are worried. Focused key-work sessions with children help staff to gain a better understanding of what is happening in children’s lives. These sessions help to inform the children’s safety plans and risk assessments. Despite staff’s creative approaches to meaningfully engage children in these sessions, some children’s engagement is limited.

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Findings from the inspection

Staff spoken to show appropriate understanding of safeguarding procedures. They benefit from a variety of training that is relevant to the children’s needs. Leaders and managers work well with relevant agencies when allegations against staff are raised. They take appropriate actions following internal investigations to improve staff practice. However, not all discussions with children and staff following investigations are recorded. This makes it unclear what children and staff have been told about the outcome of the investigation and actions taken.

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Findings from the inspection

Leaders and managers work well with children’s professional networks. Feedback from placing authorities is very positive regarding the quality of care provided and communication from staff. There is a shared approach to providing children with good-quality care and support.

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Findings from the inspection

Leaders and managers ensure that repair work in the communal areas of the home is carried out promptly. However, repair work in the children’s bedrooms is not always carried out as quickly. One child’s bedroom needs decorating, their bed is damaged, and their cupboard and drawers are broken. . Assurance inspection report for children’s home: 1257182 4

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Inspection date Inspection type Inspection judgement

11/06/2024 Full Requires improvement to be good 19/03/2024 Full Requires improvement to be good 07/12/2022 Full Good 09/03/2020 Interim Declined in effectiveness Assurance inspection report for children’s home: 1257182 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

help each child to understand how to keep safe;

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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

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

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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)(ii)(iii)(vi)(d))

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Requirement Due date

In particular, leaders and managers must ensure that missing-from-home protocols are consistently followed by staff. Leaders and managers must ensure that all areas of the home, including children’s bedrooms, are maintained to a high and safe standard and hazards are removed promptly.

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Requirement Due date

Leaders and managers must ensure that all conversations with children and staff following internal investigations are recorded. 28 February 2025 Assurance inspection report for children’s home: 1257182 6

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Recommendation

 The registered person should ensure that they provide a homely, domestic environment and repair or replace the broken furniture in children’s bedrooms. (‘Guide to the Children’s Homes Regulations, including the quality standards’, page 15, paragraph 3.9) Assurance inspection report for children’s home: 1257182 7

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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 to 90 Paul Street, London, Greater London EC2A 4NE

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Inspector

Dorothy Thompstone, Social Care Inspector Assurance inspection report for children’s home: 1257182 8 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 children looked after, safeguarding and child protection.

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Inspector

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Inspector

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