Children's Home run by Shalamar Children Limited in Essex

Inspection report for children’s home: SC475088 1 SC475088 Registered provider: Shalamar Children Limited Full inspection Inspected under the social care common inspection framework

p.1

Information about this children’s home

This home provides care for up to four children who experience social and emotional difficulties. Four children were living at the home at the time of this inspection.

p.1

Information about this children’s home

The manager registered with Ofsted in March 2024.

p.1

Overall experiences and progress of

children and young people, taking into account

p.1

good

How well children and young people are helped and protected good

p.1

good

The effectiveness of leaders and managers good

p.1

good

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

p.1

good

Date of last inspection: 21 January 2025

p.1

good

Overall judgement at last inspection: good

p.1

good

Enforcement action since last inspection: none Inspection report for children’s home: SC475088 2

p.1

Inspection date Inspection type Inspection judgement

21/01/2025 Full Good 19/09/2023 Full Good 05/01/2023 Full Good 05/10/2021 Full Good Inspection report for children’s home: SC475088 3

p.2

Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Since the last inspection, two children have moved into the home, and two children have moved out. Four children were living at the home at the time of this inspection. All of the children spoke with inspectors.

p.3

Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Staff know the children well and show positive, caring interactions. Staff spend time with children playing games, styling their hair and chatting together. This helps to build positive relationships. Staff respond warmly to children. Children speak highly of the staff.

p.3

Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Staff celebrate children’s achievements. This helps to build children’s self-esteem. Staff encourage children to share their thoughts and feelings. Staff respond appropriately to this, which helps children to feel valued.

p.3

Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Children are supported to develop independence through daily living tasks and learning to manage a budget. They also take responsibility for caring for animals in the home, as well as pets they have individually chosen for their rooms. This helps children to develop a sense of responsibility, helping to prepare them for adulthood.

p.3

Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Children are supported to pursue individual interests. Children benefit from an array of experiences. These include camping trips, visits to London and local outings. One parent said that the home ‘provides opportunities for [name of child] and places [their] interests at the centre of their practice’.

p.3

Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Staff are proactive in helping children maintain relationships with their families. One parent said, ‘We work together as a partnership. We feel that we are still able to be involved in our child’s upbringing. The managers and staff explained things really well to help us understand what is going on for our child.’

p.3

Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Staff place a strong emphasis on education. All children attend an appropriate provision, and staff advocate effectively on their behalf. There is regular communication with schools and colleges to monitor progress and address concerns. Staff celebrate achievements and provide tailored support, including home learning during transitions. One child who had been out of education for a significant time was supported to attend college and is making significant progress.

p.3

Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Professionals working with the children are highly complimentary about how well children are cared for. One professional said that the home is ‘really positive for [name of child]. They do amazing work and go above and beyond to support the them.’

p.3

Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

The home environment is welcoming and homely, with laughter, music and a positive atmosphere. However, areas of the home show wear and tear, including cracks, marks Inspection report for children’s home: SC475088 4 and dated decor, which detract from the homely feel. Leaders recognise the need for ongoing maintenance to ensure a safe and welcoming environment.

p.3

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

Staff demonstrate a thorough understanding of the children’s needs and know them well. When children experience difficulties in social situations or with managing their emotions, staff help children to understand what went wrong and support them to repair relationships.

p.4

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

Staff work closely with external professional agencies to ensure that children’s needs are clearly understood. Staff take effective action to share concerns and act quickly on advice. This helps to secure the right future care for children.

p.4

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

When children struggle with their emotional well-being, staff try hard to help them to feel safe and calm. Incidents of self-harm are managed sensitively and responded to effectively. Staff make appropriate referrals to relevant agencies and use key-work sessions to help children understand risks and develop strategies to keep themselves safe.

p.4

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

When children go missing from home, staff respond promptly and follow agreed protocols, including searching for them and notifying the police. On return, staff are warm and curious, respecting the child’s needs and showing care for their well-being. Return interviews are offered, although not always accepted.

p.4

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

Children receive praise and encouragement for positive behaviour. However, on occasion, consequences have not always been restorative in their approach. This does not consistently promote learning for children or align with the home’s therapeutic approach.

p.4

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

Several fire doors were found propped open during the inspection. The kitchen fire door does not close properly, and parts of the intermittent strip are missing. These issues were not identified during routine health and safety checks.

p.4

The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

The home is managed by a suitably qualified and permanent registered manager. An enthusiastic deputy manager supports the manager. Both have a strong desire to achieve positive outcomes for children. Managers have a clear understanding of children’s needs and the dynamics in the home. They manage these relationships effectively to promote a positive and safe environment. Managers use creative approaches to engage children in sensitive topics, presenting information in ways that are fun and accessible.

p.4

The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

Leaders and managers work closely with families and professionals. They communicate effectively and respond promptly to incidents. One professional commented, Inspection report for children’s home: SC475088 5 ‘Communication is timely, incident reports are detailed and managers are highly responsive, always keeping the child’s needs at the centre.’

p.4

The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

Staff said leaders and managers are supportive and approachable. One staff member said that the manager ‘has been incredibly supportive and encouraging from day one’. Staff receive regular, good-quality supervision. This helps them to explore important topics and reflect on their everyday practice.

p.5

The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

Staff access a range of training to help them to understand children’s needs and how to support those needs. New staff benefit from a detailed induction. The team is well trained to meet children’s complex needs. Bespoke training is offered to all staff based on the children’s individual needs.

p.5

The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

The manager uses internal and external systems to monitor and record children’s behaviour, progress and overall experiences. Leaders and managers regularly review the strengths and weaknesses in the home to identify areas for continuous development for sustained high-quality care. Inspection report for children’s home: SC475088 6

p.5

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.

p.6

Requirement Due date

If the Regulatory Reform (Fire Safety) Order 2005(1) applies to the home—

p.6

Requirement Due date

the registered person must ensure that the requirements of that Order and any regulations made under it, except for article 23 (duties of employees), are complied with in respect of the home. (Regulation 25 (2) (b) 2 February 2026

p.6

Recommendations

 The registered person should ensure that all incidents of control, discipline and restraint are subject to systems of regular scrutiny to ensure that their use is fair. (‘Guide to the Children’s Homes Regulations, including the quality standards’, page 46, paragraph 9.36)  The registered person should ensure children’s homes to be nurturing and supportive environments that meet the needs of their children, they will, in most cases, be homely, domestic environments. Children’s homes must comply with relevant health and safety legislations however in doing so, homes 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)

p.6

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: SC475088 7

p.6

Children’s home details

Registered provider: Shalamar Children Limited

p.7

Children’s home details

Registered provider address: Unit 63a, Thames Industrial Estate, Princess Margaret Road, East Tilbury, Essex RM18 8RH

p.7

Inspectors

Naomi Starbuck, Social Care Inspector Sallie Bloomfield, Social Care Inspector Inspection report for children’s home: SC475088 8 regulates 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.

p.7

Inspectors

If you would like a copy of this document in a different format, such as large print or Braille, please telephone 0300 123 1231, or email enquiries@ofsted.gov.uk .

p.8

Inspectors

You may reuse this information (not including logos) free of charge in any format or medium, under the terms of the Open Government Licence. To view this licence, visit www.nationalarchives.gov.uk/doc/open-government-licence , write to the Information Policy Team, The National Archives, Kew, London TW9 4DU, or email: psi@nationalarchives.gsi.gov.uk .

p.8

Inspectors

Interested in our work? You can subscribe to our monthly newsletter for more information and updates: http://eepurl.com/iTrDn .

p.8

Inspectors

T: 0300 123 1231 Textphone: 0161 618 8524 E: enquiries@ofsted.gov.uk W: www.gov.uk/ofsted

p.8