Children's Home run by Mon Ami Limited in Lancashire

Inspection report for children’s home: 2798154 1 Registered provider: Mon Ami Limited Full inspection Inspected under the social care common inspection framework

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Information about this children’s home

This home is managed and run by a private company. It provides care for up to three children who may experience social and emotional difficulties.

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Information about this children’s home

At the time of this inspection, two children were living at the home.

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Information about this children’s home

The manager registered with Ofsted in August 2024.

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Overall experiences and progress of

children and young people, taking into account

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requires improvement to be good

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

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requires improvement to be good

The effectiveness of leaders and managers requires improvement to be good

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requires improvement to be 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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requires improvement to be good

Date of last inspection: not previously inspected

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requires improvement to be good

Overall judgement at last inspection: not applicable

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requires improvement to be good

Enforcement action since last inspection: not applicable Inspection report for children’s home: 2798154 2

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improvement to be good

Both children living at the home were spoken to as part of the inspection.

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improvement to be good

Since the home’s registration, three children have moved in and one child has left. Despite children moving in at short notice, they have received good support. Leaders ensure that children are greeted warmly and that they have everything they need on arrival.

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improvement to be good

Children are not provided with routine and structure to help them adjust to a full educational timetable. One child does not have an identified education plan, and key educational documents are not in place to support the child. One child has made some progress with tutoring. An education coordinator said, ‘[Name of child] is starting to build relationships, and there have been some positive steps.’

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improvement to be good

Children’s health needs are not fully met. Staff failed to identify or treat a minor injury that one child sustained. Furthermore, children are not having adequate follow-up discussions regarding missed health appointments and personal hygiene. This is a lost opportunity to ensure that children understand the importance of taking care of their health.

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improvement to be good

Children are developing relationships with staff. One child said, ‘They’re sound; I like them.’ To support children in spending time with staff out of the home, staff have been creative. For one child, staff have arranged studio time and off-road motorcycle racing experience days.

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improvement to be good

Children have opportunities to express their views and wishes. Staff support children in expressing their views with their social workers and other professionals involved in their care. This has involved children’s views around their care plans and how they wish to spend time with their family.

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improvement to be good

Children are supported to see their family in line with their care plans. When required, staff are present to ensure that children are safe and that their time with family is enjoyable. Staff try to make this experience as natural as possible for children.

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improvement to be good

Children have moved into the home with identified risks. These risks are not always considered when ensuring that the home environment is safe. For example, even after identifying a risk of ligatures, cords were still present on blinds. Inspection report for children’s home: 2798154 3 Staff routinely check local areas and follow the correct protocols when a child leaves the home and cannot be contacted. However, there is not always management oversight of these incident records. This limits the manager’s ability to monitor staff practice and children’s well-being.

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improvement to be good

Staff carry out room searches when there is an identified need. Staff maintain clear documentation detailing the reasons for carrying out the searches. However, there is a lack of management oversight to ensure that searches are appropriate.

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improvement to be good

Children can identify someone to speak to if they have concerns. Children have developed relationships with key staff members. There are detailed behaviour management plans, which children co-produce with staff. The plans are individualised and detail key triggers and signs of distress. One social worker said that staff provide clear and consistent boundaries.

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improvement to be good

The management team actively works with professionals from placing authorities to discuss children’s care plans. For one child, the management team has appropriately challenged decisions and has coordinated a joined-up response to support the child. A nurse said that staff are responsive.

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improvement to be good

There has been one incident that has involved the use of physical restraint. Following the incident, the manager ensured that the child was spoken to. Staff have also been supported to reflect on staff practice to determine if anything could have been done differently.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: requires improvement to be good

The registered manager is currently on maternity leave. The responsible individual is providing support to the staff team while a new manager is recruited. A manager from another home in the company is also offering support in the interim. However, leaders have not ensured that there are robust systems in place to oversee the day-to-day practices in the home.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: requires improvement to be good

Staff say that they feel supported by leaders. One staff member said, ‘They are all fantastic.’ However, staff also say that communication is not always effective and that they do not always work as a team. This affects the level of consistency and quality of care children receive.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: requires improvement to be good

Staff receive regular supervision in line with the home’s statement of purpose. Leaders use these sessions as opportunities to ensure that staff are aware of safeguarding procedures. Staff are asked scenario-based questions in relation to the identified risks in children’s lives. As a result, staff know who to contact if they have concerns and what action to take during incidents.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: requires improvement to be good

There is a comprehensive induction and training programme to support staff in their roles. However, not all staff have received specific training that relates to one child’s needs. Inspection report for children’s home: 2798154 4 Team meetings are held regularly. Leaders identify any shortfalls and seek to address these with the staff team. Leaders have identified the shortfalls in the home and are taking steps to address them. Inspection report for children’s home: 2798154 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

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; 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)(b)(d))

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Requirement Due date

This relates specifically to the provider ensuring that: the home is free of hazards in line with individualised risk assessments; children’s bedrooms are free of hazards; and all records of incidents and room searches have management oversight. 25 April 2025

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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— 25 April 2025 Inspection report for children’s home: 2798154 6 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 work as a team where appropriate;

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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

ensure that the home has sufficient staff to provide care for each child;

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Requirement Due date

ensure that the home’s workforce provides continuity of care to each child; 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)(b)(c)(d)(e)(h))

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Requirement Due date

This relates specifically to the provider ensuring that: communication is effective between the staff and that they work as a team; and all staff have identified additional training relevant to the children in their care.

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Requirement Due date

The health and well-being standard is that—

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Requirement Due date

the health and well-being needs of children are met;

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Requirement Due date

children receive advice, services and support in relation to their health and well-being; and

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Requirement Due date

children are helped to lead healthy lifestyles.

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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

achieve the health and well-being outcomes that are recorded in the child’s relevant plans;

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Requirement Due date

understand the child’s health and well-being needs and the options that are available in relation to the child’s health and well-being, in a way that is appropriate to the child’s age and understanding; 25 April 2025 Inspection report for children’s home: 2798154 7 take part in activities, and attend any appointments, for the purpose of meeting the child’s health and well-being needs; and

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Requirement Due date

understand and develop skills to promote the child’s well-being. (Regulation 10 (1)(a)(b)(c) (2)(a)(i)(ii)(iii)(iv))

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Requirement Due date

This relates specifically to the provider ensuring that: staff provide children with appropriate support in respect of any injuries they sustain; children are supported with their personal hygiene; and staff have follow-up conversations with children when they miss health appointments.

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Requirement Due date

The education standard is that children make measurable progress towards achieving their educational potential and are helped to do so.

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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

understand the barriers to learning that each child may face and take appropriate action to help the child to overcome any such barriers;

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Requirement Due date

help each child to understand the importance and value of education, learning, training and employment;

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Requirement Due date

promote opportunities for each child to learn informally;

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Requirement Due date

maintain regular contact with each child’s education and training provider, including engaging with the provider and the placing authority to support the child’s education and training and to maximise the child’s achievement;

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Requirement Due date

help a child who is excluded from school, or who is of compulsory school age but not attending school, to access educational and training support throughout the period of exclusion or non-attendance and to return to school as soon as possible; and

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Requirement Due date

help each child to attend education or training in accordance with the expectations in the child’s relevant plans. (Regulation 8 (1) (2)(a)(iii)(iv)(v)(vi)(viii)(x)) 25 April 2025 Inspection report for children’s home: 2798154 8 This relates specifically to the provider ensuring that children are supported to adjust to a full educational timetable and that key documents are held in respect of children’s education.

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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: 2798154 9

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Children’s home details

Registered provider address: 149 Albion Road, London N16 9JU

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Children’s home details

Responsible individual: Suzanne Grocott-Waters

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Inspector

Kitty Wiper, Social Care Inspector Inspection report for children’s home: 2798154 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 children looked after, safeguarding and child protection.

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Inspector

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Inspector

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Inspector

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