Children's home run by M.J. Children’s Services Limited

Inspection report for children’s home: SC068991 1 SC068991 Registered provider: M.J. Childrens Services Limited Full inspection Inspected under the social care common inspection framework

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Information about this children’s home

This is a privately run home that can care for up to 5 children with social and emotional needs.

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Information about this children’s home

The home is led by a registered manager.

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Information about this children’s home

Since the last inspection, 2 children have moved into the home. At the time of inspection, 5 children were living at the home. The inspector spoke with 4 of the 5 children.

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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

Overall judgement at last inspection: good

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good

Enforcement action since last inspection: none Inspection report for children’s home: SC068991 2

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Inspection date Inspection type Inspection judgement

04/03/2025 Full Good 25/04/2023 Full Good 17/05/2022 Full Requires improvement to be good 10/05/2021 Full Good Inspection report for children’s home: SC068991 3

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Children receive bespoke and individualised care. Staff create a family atmosphere where children receive emotional nurture and physical affection. Children’s photos and awards are proudly displayed throughout the home. Staff and children share regular mealtimes together, as a family. This helps children develop a sense of belonging, and they benefit from long-term and stable placements.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Staff support children to do well in education considering their starting points when moving to the home. Two of the children have successfully reintegrated back into mainstream schools. Children enjoy going to school and have good attendance. For one child who is currently unable to attend school, staff are creative in their approach to home education, helping the child to engage and enjoy learning.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Children’s health needs are well met by staff. Staff ensure children receive appropriate assessments and interventions. One child is currently being assessed by an educational psychologist, and other children are being assessed by a psychiatrist. This helps to ensure children get the support they need and improves overall health and wellbeing.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Staff support children to maintain relationships with those who are important to them. Two siblings have been supported to re-engage with seeing their mum. Staff are also supporting one child to see their girlfriend in a safe and positive manner. When family dynamics have been difficult, the manager and staff support children with these relationships. For example, one child has had the support of an advocate to ensure his wishes and feelings around contact with his family are considered.

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

Staff sometimes use physical intervention as a last resort to keep children and staff safe. The least force is used by staff in these situations. Debriefs for children and staff take place after each event, enabling reflection and emotional processing. The manager has oversight of all incidents, and learning is used to improve care practice.

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

Staff keep children safe. Risk management plans assess relevant risks to children and direct staff how to respond. However, not all children’s plans contain enough detail about the physical affection children receive and safer caring practices. Additionally, not all information about children is recorded in a non-stigmatising way.

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

Staff have regular and meaningful discussions with children about how to keep themselves safe, including how to be safe online. Children are supported to understand and process their feelings and experiences. Staff help children to develop effective strategies that help them to manage strong emotions. For some children, this has contributed to a reduction in behaviours that are difficult to manage. Inspection report for children’s home: SC068991 4 Medication is safely stored and administered. Staff help children to understand why they take their medication and how it helps them. However, there are gaps in the recording of medication administration, including occasions when children have refused to take their medication. This is an area for development.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

The manager is committed to providing children with a natural, nurturing family environment where children feel cherished and loved. She knows children well and has a deep understanding of their needs. Staff feel well supported by her and admire her leadership. There is a stable staff team in place. Staff have positive relationships with each other and work well as a team.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

Staff receive regular supervision from the manager. This includes pertinent topics such as the care of children, safeguarding and staff wellbeing. This also provides meaningful opportunities for staff to reflect on their practice, promoting their development and resilience.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

Staff are well trained. They receive training in relation to children’s individual needs, including autism and attention deficit hyperactivity disorder. All staff have the relevant qualification or are in the process of completing this within the required timeframes. This ensures staff are competent in their role.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

The manager has effective oversight and quality assurance systems in place. She has a good understanding of daily practice and the experiences of children. Internal and external audits are undertaken and any shortfalls are addressed. External feedback is also sought and used to develop the service. Inspection report for children’s home: SC068991 5

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Recommendations

 The registered person should ensure that information about the child is always 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 staff continually and actively assess the risks to each child and the arrangements in place to protect them. Where there are safeguarding concerns for a child, their placement plan, agreed between the home and their placing authority, must include details of the steps the home will take to manage any assessed risks on a day-to-day basis. (‘Guide to the Children’s Homes Regulations, including the quality standards’, page 42, paragraph 9.5)  The registered person should ensure that medicines are administered in line with a medically approved protocol. Records must be kept of the administration of all medication, which includes occasions when prescribed medication is refused. (‘Guide

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Recommendations

to the Children’s Homes Regulations, including the quality standards’, page 35, paragraph 7.15)

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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: SC068991 6

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Children’s home details

Registered provider: M.J. Childrens Services Limited

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Children’s home details

Registered provider address: Arbutus House, 4 Loddington Lane, Belton in Rutland LE15 9LA

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Inspector

Emma Dacres, Social Care Inspector Inspection report for children’s home: SC068991 7 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

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