Children's Home run by Destiny House in Harrow

Unique reference number SC038906 Inspection date 16/09/2011 Inspector Rossella Volpi Type of inspection Full Provision subtype Children's home

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Date of last inspection 14/02/2011 Website: www.ofsted.gov.uk

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This document may be reproduced in whole or in part for non-commercial educational purposes, provided that the information quoted is reproduced without adaptation and the source and date of publication are stated.

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About this inspection

The purpose of this inspection is to assure children and young people, parents, the public, local authorities and government of the quality and standard of the service provided. The inspection was carried out under the Care Standards Act 2000 to assess the effectiveness of the service and to consider how well it complies with the relevant regulations and meets the national minimum standards.

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About this inspection

The report details the main strengths, any areas for improvement, including any breaches of regulation, and any failure to meet national minimum standards. The judgements included in the report are made against the Inspections of children’s homes – framework for inspection (March 2011) and the evaluation schedule for children's homes.

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The inspection judgements and what they mean

Outstanding : a service that significantly exceeds minimum requirements Good : a service that exceeds minimum requirements Satisfactory : a service that only meets minimum requirements Inadequate : a service that does not meet minimum requirements

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Brief description of the service

This children's home is privately run by the provider, who also manages the service on the day-to-day basis. The home offers care and accommodation for children and young people who may have emotional and behavioural needs. It takes up to eight children and young people of either sex, aged 13 to 17 years.

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Overall effectiveness

The overall effectiveness is judged to be satisfactory .

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Overall effectiveness

Young people benefit from a staff team that uses its best endeavours to support them, to meet individual needs and to promote positive change.

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Overall effectiveness

The ability to establish good relationship with young people, making them feeling cared for and settled, are some of the strongest points of this home. Young people consider staff to be the best asset of the service; placing social workers consider that the quality of care is good.

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Overall effectiveness

Despite staff’s best efforts, the outcomes for young people are limited, with only partial success in areas, such as, education, health or preparation for independence. However, in relation to young people’s starting points and the obstacles they have to overcome, even such limited outcomes show some satisfactory progress.

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Overall effectiveness

Young people live in a house that is well furnished, that they find comfortable and that has appropriate space and facilities to support the aims and objectives of the home.

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Overall effectiveness

The manager has made a number of changes to the service provided, following issues raised at the previous inspection. As a result, the service is more robust and is now generally satisfactory.

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Overall effectiveness

The conduct of the home and the quality of care are periodically reviewed. The steps taken and the plans being made give some reassurance that now there is capacity for continuous improvement. There are some omissions in the areas monitored that would affect such capacity, if not addressed. Other areas for development relate to the way sanctions are recorded; analysis of effectiveness of care plans; of risk assessments and of the work done to promote equality and diversity in individual work with young people.

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Statutory Requirements

This section sets out the actions which must be taken so that the registered person/s meets the Care Standards Act 2000, Children's Homes Regulations 2001 and the National Minimum Standards. The registered person(s) must comply with the given timescales.

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Reg. Requirement Due date

(2001) ensure clear evidence that the home is conducted with due regard to the racial origin, cultural and linguistic background and gender of children accommodated there (Regulation 11 (2) (b)) 01/01/2012

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Reg. Requirement Due date

17B (2001) ensure that appropriate records are kept of the use of any measure of discipline (Regulation 17B (3)) 31/10/2011

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Reg. Requirement Due date

(2001) ensure that the Statement of Purpose and children's guide contain the relevant information and such information is clear and consistent with the service actually provided (Regulation 4 (1) (3) (6)) 01/01/2012

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Reg. Requirement Due date

(2001) maintain a system for reviewing the quality of care provided in the children's home. Specifically ensure that the review reports on the quality of care and provides for consultation with children accommodated, their parents and placing authorities. (Regulation 34) 01/01/2012

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Recommendations

To improve the quality and standards of care further the service should take account of the following recommendation(s):

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Recommendations

 ensure that records, pertaining to risks, outcomes and care plans, give evidence of the effectiveness of the action taken and of what is to change. (NMS 22).  review the vetting of staff to ensure that it is consistent with the provider's policy and good practice. (NMS 16 (1) (2))

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Outcomes for children and young people

Outcomes for children and young people are satisfactory .

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Outcomes for children and young people

Young people receive good care, aiming to support them to achieve consistently with their potential; to keep healthy; to contribute to the running of the home; and to enjoy themselves. However, despite staff’s best efforts, outcomes have been limited.

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Outcomes for children and young people

For example, there has been some good engagement of young people with educational activities and positive results. However, there has not been success in engaging interest and cooperation except for in the very short term. This impinges on the plans for the young people’s future, their opportunities and chances of success.

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Outcomes for children and young people

Young people are enjoying good health. They receive advice from staff on keeping healthy, following a healthy lifestyle and eating a balanced diet, which is being effective. However, attempts to ensure access to the routine and specialist health professional have mainly being unsuccessful. This, therefore, means that some young people are not benefiting from their services they need to maintain health and address particular needs.

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Outcomes for children and young people

Efforts to engage young people in purposeful leisure activities have also been mixed. There is a well-considered programme for preparation for independence. There has been success in supporting some young people well in such transition. However, in other cases, young people’s engagement is very limited.

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Outcomes for children and young people

Young people benefit from a staff team which is not giving up on their aim to enable them to engage with the range of services in the community and promote positive change. There has been some success in laying the foundations for establishing trusting relationships. This enables the continuing work to have potential to effectively support young people to develop a positive self-view, a better understanding of their background and emotional resilience.

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Outcomes for children and young people

Considering the starting points and the issues that young people have to overcome, in relation to the time staff have had to promote change, the steps forward are generally satisfactory.

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Quality of care

Young people benefit from a staff team that is concerned about their welfare. Young people consider that staff are good at caring for them. For example, they said: ‘Staff are really nice’; ‘Staff are the best thing in this place’ ‘It is like a family’.

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Quality of care

Placing social workers are satisfied with the quality of care offered in this home. They acknowledge that staff are supporting well young people with complex needs and challenging behaviour. They say that the care offered is appropriately individualised and consistent with the placing authority’s plans. They say that, despite difficulties encountered and set-backs, staff do not give up on the young people.

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Quality of care

The manager has acted on previous requirements to ensure that the essential information is in place before a young person comes to live at the home. This has made both care planning and safeguarding more robust. Staff contribute well to the placement plans with written reports. They monitor progress periodically and make good efforts to involve the young people in this. Such documents address important aspects of how to promote individual needs.

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Quality of care

However, the work that staff have been doing on supporting the promotion of a positive self-identity is not well evidenced, for example, in relation to race, gender or self-esteem. Therefore, how all aspects of equality and diversity are effectively addressed in both daily living and care planning, is not demonstrated sufficiently.

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Quality of care

Risk assessments that are part of the care plans are in place and, following a previous requirement, are now updated regularly. This is a positive development as it ensures that important information is less likely to be overlooked. There is no clear evidence that all reviews give proper consideration to the actions taken. For example, it is not sufficiently clear what has been effective in supporting the young person and what should change. This is partly a result of the action plans being quite general and, therefore, vague at times. They do not always specify the particular steps that should be taken and by whom. This relates to the action plans both for risk assessments and the whole care plans.

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Quality of care

Young people know how to complain both to staff and to external agencies and are satisfied with the means of consultation. Young people’s views, wishes and feelings are actively sought and influence the running of the home. For example, following issues raised by young people, some changes that have been made. These include daily living choices, furniture, resources, redeployment of staff, activities, and the allocation of money for personal allowances.

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Quality of care

Young people live in spacious premises and say that they like their bedrooms and can personalise them. The use of surveillance cameras in the communal areas is not consistent with the promotion of a homely environment. However, the use of cameras and the reasons are discussed with the young people and their social workers before a young person comes to live at the home.

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Safeguarding children and young people

The service is satisfactory at keeping children and young people safe and feeling safe.

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Safeguarding children and young people

The manager has taken action to comply with previous issues raised that had compromised young people’s safety. As a result, this service is now making a sound contribution to safeguarding young people and promoting their welfare.

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Safeguarding children and young people

Young people feel safe and protected in their home and report very positively on the way staff interact with them. They feel that staff respond to unacceptable behaviour well. They say that staff are particularly good at understanding when they need time for themselves and when they need to discuss matters. They report that bullying is not an issue.

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Safeguarding children and young people

Placing social workers are satisfied with the way staff safeguard young people. In particular, they appreciate the open and full communication with the placing authority on any relevant issues. This contributes to safeguarding as it is conducive to accountable practice. Placing social workers acknowledge that staff are effective at managing behaviour. They also say that there has been success in working with families to minimise risk when young people are away from care without authority. Overall there has been some success in supporting young people in taking more responsibility for their behaviour. This has been achieved consistently with the home’s ethos of behaviour management, based on role modelling, praise and establishing trusting relationships.

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Safeguarding children and young people

Sanctions are at times imposed, as a means of behaviour management. The written record in the dedicated book does not fulfil its purpose. The records do not give a clear indication of why any particular sanction was deemed necessary or of the effectiveness and consequences of the use of the measure. It is not always clear what the sanction was; young people’s comments are not recorded; some entries do not give evidence that monetary sanctions are appropriately imposed. Therefore, the record is not useful in demonstrating that staff always apply measures of discipline that are consistent with the law and good practice guidelines. The record is not useful, also, as a tool for managerial review.

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Safeguarding children and young people

Following a previous requirement staff have taken refresher courses in safeguarding and physical intervention, thus strengthening their knowledge on recognition of issues and responses. This enables sounder protection of young people as staff are now suitably trained.

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Safeguarding children and young people

Staff are aware of their responsibilities regarding health and safety and take appropriate steps to keep the premises secure. Young people’s safety has been improved because the manager has acted on a previous requirement regarding checks for the gas boiler.

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Safeguarding children and young people

The vetting procedure for staff is sound and as such it contributes to protecting young people from the risk of unsuitable staff being employed. However, there is no evidence that references are always verified by telephone call. There is good practice in renewing criminal bureau checks periodically, but this is not always done well. In particular, not all required information to assess suitability is requested in all cases. Although the renewal of such checks is not a requirement, the shortfall shows that the home’s own procedure is not consistently followed. Therefore, this weakens what the provider has put in place as part of their safeguarding practice. Additionally, it does not demonstrate that all personnel involved in vetting understand and operate these good practices. However, the management team plans to address this imminently.

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Leadership and management

The leadership and management of the children's home are satisfactory .

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Leadership and management

Young people benefit from managers who are well qualified and experienced and have improved the service. Managers and other staff have been effective in creating an atmosphere where young people feel safe and cared for.

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Leadership and management

The manager regularly supervises and appraises staff’s performance formally, to ensure that they remain competent, focused on meeting the needs and well supported. Young people benefit from this as staff feel confident in their tasks and want to make a difference. The staff and management group has been stable and, therefore, has offered continuity of care.

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Leadership and management

Due to the protracted low occupancy, the home has been operating with reduced staffing levels, evaluated by the manager to meet the needs of the young people in residence and agreed with the placing authority. There are contingency plans in place that enable managers to respond quickly should the young people’s behaviour require additional staff at very short notice.

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Leadership and management

The manager evaluates the conduct of the home periodically and takes remedial action. There has not been a track record of sustained improvement. Previous inspections during recent years show that the service has followed a pattern of raising quality and then not maintaining it. However, the manager has demonstrated on this occasion that she has considered strengths and weaknesses. For example, she has taken steps to address the issues identified at the last inspection. The manager has identified that her needs for support and critical review of her performance are not well met and is taking action to address this via an external professional.

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Leadership and management

There are some omissions in the areas monitored that would impinge on capacity for continuous improvement, if not addressed. In particular, the periodic evaluations of the conduct of the home do not comply with all the expectations of the relevant regulation and, as such, are limited in their scope. For example, they lack evidence of proper consultation with children, parents and placing authorities. They lack a clear link between the review and how it impacts on improving the quality of care provided in the children’s home. The manager realises that the keeping of records continues to be a weak area, despite some monitoring. She intends to involve external expertise to address this and to re-draft some important documents.

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Leadership and management

Staff are sensitive to diversity issues. There is an ethos of supporting young people to develop a positive self-identity, respect for themselves and others. However, the actual work done to promote equality and diversity is not well documented. Thus it is not open to proper scrutiny and review. This is also discussed above in the report, in relation to care planning.

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Leadership and management

Young people, their parents and social workers are informed of what the home can offer. There is a range of documents giving information on aspects of care and there is good communication about the service from managers and staff.

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Leadership and management

However, shortfalls in some important documents have potential to undermine the consistent understanding about all aspects of the service. In particular, not all copies of the children’s guide in circulation are up to date and not all contain all the expected information. For example, this relates to access to advocates, to the Children’s Rights Director or about the information concerning the registration authority. The Statement of Purpose has some useful information, but much of it is confused, inconsistent and inaccurate. However, the provider started to act on these issues during the inspection and plans to have improved versions in the near future. Equality and diversity practice is satisfactory .

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