Children's Home run by Momentum Residential Care Home Ltd in Essex

Inspection report for children’s home: 2621215 1 Registered provider: Momentum Residential Care Home Limited

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Full inspection 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 three children with complex needs who require specialist support.

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Information about this children’s home

The registered manager left in July 2024.

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Information about this children’s home

Two children were living at the home at the time of the inspection. Both spoke with the inspector.

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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 requires improvement to be good

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good

The children’s home provides effective services that meet the requirements for good.

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good

Overall judgement at last inspection: requires improvement to be good

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good

Enforcement action since last inspection: none Inspection report for children’s home: 2621215 2

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Inspection date Inspection type Inspection judgement

16/04/2024 Full Requires improvement to be good 31/07/2023 Full Requires improvement to be good 16/05/2023 Full Inadequate 12/07/2022 Full Requires improvement to be good Inspection report for children’s home: 2621215 3

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Since the last full inspection, two children have moved in, and one child has moved out. The child moved to accommodation that better suited their needs. The child was supported to visit their new home with staff before moving. The child’s time at the home was thoughtfully remembered by staff.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Staff talk about children with warmth and care. Interactions observed between staff and children were filled with positive regard. Meaningful conversation and regular children’s meetings take place. Children are supported with discussions about their emotions, health and personal safety. The children regularly share their views and staff respond to these. Staff understand the children’s needs well. The children are settled at the home and are making progress from their starting points.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Staff support children to maintain relationships with people who are important to them. For one child, their connection with family members has resulted in them going on a family holiday for the first time and having regular overnight stays. This has supported children to benefit from increased time with their families.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Children take part in a range of leisure experiences, including visits to the seaside and theme parks, and trampolining. Staff mark special occasions for the children, including their birthdays. These help children to celebrate occasions with others and this helps them to feel valued.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

One child regularly attends education and is making progress with their learning. Another child has been out of education for a significant period. Leaders and managers have advocated strongly to find the child suitable educational arrangements. Staff have supported the child to apply for a place at a local college for the next academic year. However, there is no educational routine in place for the child. The child lacks a structure to their day, which does not help to prepare the child to return to education.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Overall, the house is homely and spacious. However, there is a build-up of excessive limescale in the children’s bathrooms. Children have contributed to personalising their bedrooms to reflect their individual tastes. However, staff do not ensure that the children are helped to keep their bedrooms clean and hygienic. This does not provide a good example to children of how to maintain and clean areas of a home.

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

Staff are trained in the use of physical intervention and on occasion use this to keep children and themselves safe. After physical interventions, staff offer children medical attention and check on their emotional well-being. Leaders and managers review each incident and spend time with children talking to them about what happened. Learning Inspection report for children’s home: 2621215 4 from conversations with children is shared and used to inform the children’s plans. As a result of this learning, behavioural incidents have reduced.

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

When children have struggled with their emotional well-being, staff have taken effective action to ensure their safety. Children are supported to talk through their thoughts and develop alternative strategies to manage their frustration. Leaders and managers have communicated well with external agencies and advocated for children to receive additional support.

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

Missing-from-home incidents are low in number. However, when incidents have occurred, the staff have followed the home’s protocols and supported children to return home safely.

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

Risk assessments and behaviour support plans for children are detailed, regularly reviewed and followed by staff. Children are supported to take age-appropriate risks to develop their understanding of risk. This has helped the children to understand how to keep themselves safe in the home and the community.

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

Children understand how to raise concerns and complaints. When children have raised concerns, leaders and managers have responded effectively. Children are given an outcome to their concerns. Advice given by the local authority designated officer has been followed by managers, and internal investigations regarding staff practice have taken place.

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

The home has not had a registered manager since July 2024. Attempts to recruit to this post were unsuccessful. The responsible individual, an interim manager and experienced deputy manager have overseen the home during this time. A permanent manager has now been appointed, and has applied to register with Ofsted.

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

Leaders and managers acknowledge that here has been some instability since the previous registered manager left. This is reflected in professionals’ feedback. Some professionals said that children have made notable progress with their independence skills and have developed supportive relationships with staff. Others said that the changes in managers have led to inconsistency for the children and poor communication.

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

Leaders and managers’ six-monthly review of the quality of care lacks feedback from children, families, staff and professionals. This reduces leaders and managers’ capacity to fully understand the strengths and weaknesses of the home.

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

Notifications are sent to Ofsted when notifiable incidents occur. However, the manager failed to send a safeguarding notification within required timescales. This oversight meant that Ofsted was unable to monitor the effectiveness of safeguarding measures taken to keep the child safe. Inspection report for children’s home: 2621215 5 The acting manager and deputy manager feel supported by the responsible individual and colleagues. Both have ambitions for the home, and are looking forward to the next stages of the home’s development.

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

There have been several changes to the staff team since the last inspection. Safer recruitment checks ensure that appointed staff are appropriate. New staff have been supported to undergo a thorough induction and the home’s mandatory training.

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

Staff benefit from meaningful monthly supervision sessions and annual appraisals. Team meetings are child centred and support practice discussions. This gives staff the support to reflect and develop their practice.

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

Staff are either enrolled on their level 3 qualification courses or have gained this qualification. Two staff members are working towards their level 5 qualification.

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

Leaders and managers have met one requirement from the last inspection. One requirement has been restated. Inspection report for children’s home: 2621215 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 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

use this understanding to deliver care that meets children’s needs and supports them to fulfil their potential.

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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

understand and apply the home’s statement of purpose;

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Requirement Due date

help each child to develop resilience and skills that prepare the child to return home, to live in a new placement or to live independently as an adult;

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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

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. (Regulation 6 (1)(a)(b) (2)(a)(b)(vi)(c)(f))

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Requirement Due date

In particular, ensure that children’s bathrooms are in good condition and children are supported to keep their bedrooms clean. 16 June 2025

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Requirement Due date

The registered person must complete a review of the quality of care provided for children (“a quality of care review”) at least once every 6 months. 16 June 2025 Inspection report for children’s home: 2621215 7 In order to complete a quality of care review the registered person must establish and maintain a system for monitoring, reviewing and evaluating—

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Requirement Due date

the quality of care provided for children;

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Requirement Due date

the feedback and opinions of children about the children’s home, its facilities and the quality of care they receive in it; and

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Requirement Due date

any actions that the registered person considers necessary in order to improve or maintain the quality of care provided for children.

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Requirement Due date

The system referred to in paragraph (2) must provide for ascertaining and considering the opinions of children, their parents, placing authorities and staff.

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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

there is an allegation of abuse against the home or a person working there.

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Requirement Due date

This requirement has been restated. 16 June 2025

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Recommendation

 The registered person should ensure that when a child placed in the home is not participating in education, the child is supported to sustain or regain their confidence in education and be engaged in suitable activities. In particular, create a structured educational offer for the child each day. (‘Guide to the Children’s Homes Regulations, including the quality standards’, page 28, paragraph 5.15) Inspection report for children’s home: 2621215 8

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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: 2621215 9

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Children’s home details

Registered provider: Momentum Residential Care Home Limited

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Inspector

Syvanna Matthew, Social Care Inspector Inspection report for children’s home: 2621215 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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Inspector

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Inspector

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Inspector

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Inspector

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