Children's home run by James Kids Home Ltd

Inspection report for children’s home: 2547637 1 Registered provider: James Kids Home Ltd

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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 privately run children’s home provides medium to long-term care for up to three children with learning disabilities.

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Information about this children’s home

The manager registered with Ofsted in November 2019. At the time of the inspection, there were three children living at the home.

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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: 3 December 2024

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good

Overall judgement at last inspection: good

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good

Enforcement action since last inspection: none Inspection report for children’s home: 2547637 2

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Inspection date Inspection type Inspection judgement

03/12/2024 Full Good 09/05/2023 Full Good 20/07/2022 Full Good 10/05/2021 Full Good Inspection report for children’s home: 2547637 3

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Children’s physical and emotional health, education, confidence and independence have improved since living in the home. Children are more able to engage in education and have made measurable progress towards achieving their educational potential in line with expected outcomes. Children actively participate in activities in the home and in their community. Skilled staff work in partnership with professionals to ensure that children can achieve and make progress.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Children are supported by committed, compassionate and caring staff who have a range of experience and skills. This is helping children to develop and sustain trusting relationships. Children’s care plans reflect their needs. However, the quality of recording in plans is not always consistent. Children’s targets are also not explicit enough about what they want to achieve, who will support them and by when.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Children are supported by having appropriate boundaries and routines that are relevant to their individual needs. Children have been helped to reduce behaviour that challenges through purposeful conversations and receiving nurturing and reliable care. Children are in good physical health and are supported to access routine medical appointments and therapeutic services.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Children have been helped to make good progress in safely accessing their community. They can take part in social and recreational activities that reflect their individual interests. One child is learning to ride a bike. Children actively participate in the daily life of the home. As a result, children have become much more confident in shopping, cooking, baking and in participating in household tasks.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Children participate in weekly house meetings, where they share their views about their preferred social activities and menu choices. Children who are non-verbal communicate using their body language and cues to indicate their preferences. This is helping children to influence their plans and develop their independence in the home. Children use pictorial planners so that they understand their activities for the day.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Although the home environment is welcoming and comfortably furnished, there are some areas that require maintenance and repairs to ensure that children are living in a home that is homely and well presented.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Family time is supported and supervised by staff so that children can enjoy time with people who are important to them. Inspection report for children’s home: 2547637 4

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

Children receive help and protection from compassionate staff who understand their needs. Children have individual risk assessments that describe children’s needs effectively, triggers to behaviours that challenge, and strategies to de-escalate and reduce harmful behaviour.

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

Children are protected in the home by staff, who ensure that there are appropriate safeguards in place to reduce potential hazards and harmful episodes. As a result, incidents and accidents in the home are rare. There have been no safeguarding incidents or physical interventions since the last inspection due to the effective safe care in the home and when children are in the community.

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

Staff encourage positive behaviour through praising and celebrating children’s achievements and by providing rewards. Staff know how to engage children to reduce behaviours through effective and appropriate intervention strategies.

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

Children’s plans have a ‘What you need to know about me’ section, which provides helpful information about the child’s presentation when happy, sad or anxious, and describes what the child finds helpful when they are feeling frustrated or distressed.

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

Staff understand child protection and whistle blowing and who they need to speak with should they have concerns.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

Since the last inspection in December 2024, leaders and managers have continued to provide consistent and effective services for children. The quality of care has led to sustained improvements to the lives of children living in the home.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

Effective communication with key stakeholders has enabled managers to develop and sustain positive working relationships with parents, health and education professionals and social workers. This ensures that all professionals are working collaboratively so that children receive the best possible care and experience. The impact is evident in the progress the children are making.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

Managers and leaders are ambitious for children and have created an empowering and effective culture in the home. This has supported the retention of staff and ensured that children receive consistent, good-quality and continuous care by trusted child-centred adults. There is appropriate professional challenge and scrutiny from the responsible individual and independent visitor. However, the monthly reports do not include sufficient feedback from external stakeholders and parents. This could limit the home’s assurances about the quality of care provided to children.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

The staff induction programme and learning opportunities are comprehensive and ensure that staff are equipped with the knowledge and skills needed to care effectively for Inspection report for children’s home: 2547637 5 children with special education and disability needs. Staff benefit from continuous learning to develop their skills to meet the needs of children through practice discussions in team meetings.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

Career progression opportunities are available to staff within the children’s home. This ensures that children continue to be cared for by adults who know them well. Leaders celebrate staff achievements. This ensures that the workforce contribution to improving the lives of children is recognised and valued. Inspection report for children’s home: 2547637 6

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What does the children’s home need to do to improve?

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

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)(d)) 31 October 2025

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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—

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Requirement Due Date

Provide personalised care that meets each child’s needs as recorded in the child’s relevant plans, taking account of the child’s background. (Regulation 6 (1)(a)(b) (2)(b)(iv))

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Requirement Due Date

In particular, to ensure that the home’s internal care plan is explicit about children’s targets, specifically about what the children need to achieve and who will support them to achieve these targets and by when. 31 October 2025 Inspection report for children’s home: 2547637 7

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Recommendation

 The registered person should ensure that the independent person is supported to secure external stakeholder feedback to include in the independent person’s report. This should inform the independent person’s opinion as to whether children are effectively safeguarded, and if the conduct of the home promotes children’s well- being. (‘Guide to the Children’s Homes Regulations, including the quality standards’, page 55, paragraph 10.24) Inspection report for children’s home: 2547637 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: 2547637 9

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Children’s home details

Registered provider: James Kids Home Ltd

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Inspector

Nicki Shaw, His Majesty’s Inspector Inspection report for children’s home: 2547637 10 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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Inspector

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Inspector

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Inspector

T: 0300 123 1231 Textphone: 0161 618 8524 E: enquiries@ofsted.gov.uk W: www.gov.uk/ofsted Inspection report for children’s home: 2547637 11

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