Children's Home run by JN Healthcare Group Limited in Sandwell

Inspection report for children’s home - monitoring visit: 2672241 1 Registered provider: JN Healthcare Group Limited

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Inspected under the social care common inspection framework

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Information about this children’s home

The home is privately owned and is registered to provide care for up to three children with social and emotional difficulties and/or learning disabilities.

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Information about this children’s home

There has been no registered manager since November 2024. A new manager has been appointed. They have not yet applied to register with Ofsted.

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Information about this children’s home

At the time of this inspection, three children were living in the home. No children had moved into or out of the home since the last inspection. All of the children were spoken with during the inspection.

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This monitoring visit

On 11 and 12 December 2024 and 23 January 2025, a full inspection of the home was undertaken. Significant shortfalls were found in the leadership and management of the home and safeguarding practice. Due to the seriousness of the concerns, Ofsted made the decision to restrict the admission of children into the home. In addition, two compliance notices were issued under regulation 12, the protection of children standard and regulation 13, the leadership and management standard.

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This monitoring visit

This monitoring visit was carried out to assess the provider’s adherence to the restriction of accommodation and the progress made by managers in meeting the steps in the compliance notices.

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This monitoring visit

Two children said that they feel safe and that nothing has happened to make them feel upset or worried since the last inspection. Inspection report for children’s home - monitoring visit: 2672241 2 Leaders and managers have taken action to ensure that staff understand the expectations in respect of acceptable conduct with children. All staff and managers have engaged in a professional supervision session since the last inspection. Conduct has also been discussed with some staff during a team meeting. Further weekly team meetings are planned to make sure that expectations are discussed and understood by all staff looking after children.

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This monitoring visit

Staff and managers have read safeguarding and whistle-blowing policies and have access to these electronically. This has helped them to understand their roles and responsibilities to protect children, including how to identify, raise and escalate safeguarding concerns internally and externally. Staff and managers are in the process of completing further safeguarding training, and knowledge is being tested during safeguarding workshops.

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This monitoring visit

Monitoring and oversight of children’s care and experiences are strengthened. An operations manager is now working alongside managers and staff to role model good practice. This has included him demonstrating appropriate curiosity with children following incidents and ensuring that records are complete and children’s views are captured. A nurturing approach has helped children to reflect on their behaviour and manage their feelings and emotions.

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This monitoring visit

Some quality assurance processes, including the on-call procedure for staff, have been enhanced to ensure that staff have clear guidance about the actions required to keep children safe when incidents occur.

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This monitoring visit

The responsible individual has contacted another children’s home provider to gain external support and guidance to make improvements. This shows a willingness to learn.

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This monitoring visit

The steps in the compliance notices under regulation 12 and regulation 13 have been met. The restriction on admissions has been lifted.

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This monitoring visit

The other requirements raised, and the recommendations made at the last inspection, were not reviewed during this visit and will be considered at the next inspection. Inspection report for children’s home - monitoring visit: 2672241 3

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Inspection date Inspection type Inspection judgement

11/12/2024 Full Inadequate Inspection report for children’s home - monitoring visit: 2672241 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 with 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

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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

protect and promote each child’s welfare;

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Requirement Due date

treat each child with dignity and respect;

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Requirement Due date

provide to children living in the home the physical necessities they need in order to live there comfortably;

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Requirement Due date

provide to children personal items that are appropriate for their age and understanding; and

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Requirement Due date

make decisions about the day-to-day arrangements for each child, in accordance with the child’s relevant plans, which give the child an appropriate degree of freedom and choice;

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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

enable each child to participate in the daily life of the home. 31 January 2025 Inspection report for children’s home - monitoring visit: 2672241 5 (Regulation 6 (1)(a)(b) (2)(a)(b)(i)(ii)(iii)(vii)(viii)(ix) (c)(i))

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Requirement Due date

In particular, the registered person must ensure that all areas of the home are clean, namely children’s shower rooms and their bedroom windows. Plugs must be available for children to use in their shower room sinks, and towel radiators must be free from rust.

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Requirement Due date

The registered person must also ensure that information written about children is always respectful, considering children’s backgrounds and lived experiences to develop positive relationships.

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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. (Regulation 40 (4)(c)) 31 January 2025

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Requirement Due date

An individual may only carry on a children’s home if the individual satisfies the requirements in paragraph (5).

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Requirement Due date

the individual is of integrity and good character.

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Requirement Due date

satisfy the requirements in paragraph (5)(a) to (c); and

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Requirement Due date

have the capacity, experience and skills to supervise the management of the home, or the homes, in respect of which the responsible individual is nominated. (Regulation 26 (1) (5)(a) (7)(a)(b))

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Requirement Due date

In particular, that the responsible individual understands the responsible individual role in acting to ensure that children have the opportunity to independently express their views about their care, and that action is taken to improve their care following feedback. 31 March 2025 Inspection report for children’s home - monitoring visit: 2672241 6

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Recommendations

 The registered person should ensure that the home is a nurturing and supportive environment that meets the needs of the children and it should be a homely, domestic environment. The home 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 should ensure that children are supported to sustain or regain their confidence in education and be engaged in suitable structured activities while they are supported to resume full-time education. (‘Guide to the Children’s Homes Regulations, including the quality standards’, page 28, paragraph 5.15)  The registered person should have a workforce plan which can fulfil the workforce related requirements of regulation 16, schedule 1 (paragraphs 19 and 20). The plan should include the experience and qualifications of staff

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Recommendations

currently working within the staffing structure and any further training required for those staff, to enable the delivery of the home’s statement of purpose. (‘Guide to the Children’s Homes Regulations, including the quality standards’, page 53, paragraph 10.8)  The registered person should ensure that staff are familiar with the home’s policies on record-keeping and understand the importance of careful, objective and clear recording. Staff should record information on individual children in a non-stigmatising way. 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 62, paragraph 14.4)  The registered person should ensure that children have access to a telephone that they can use privately. Namely, when they want to talk to their social worker when they are distressed or upset. (‘Guide to the Children’s Homes

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Recommendations

Regulations, including the quality standards’, page 58, paragraph 11.17)

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Information about this inspection

The purpose of this visit was to monitor the action taken and the progress made by the children’s home since its last Ofsted inspection.

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Information about this inspection

This inspection was carried out under the Care Standards Act 2000. Inspection report for children’s home - monitoring visit: 2672241 7

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Children’s home details

Registered provider: JN Healthcare Group Limited

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Children’s home details

Registered provider address: 36 Navigation Street, Art Court Building, Walsall, West Midlands WS2 9LT

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Inspectors

Amy Richards, Social Care Inspector Nurul Kabir, Social Care Inspector Kevin Brammer, Social Care Inspector Inspection report for children’s home - monitoring visit: 2672241 8 and inspects 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 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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