Children's home run by Harmony Children’s Services

Outstanding

The children's home provides highly effective services that consistently exceeds the standards of good. The actions of the home contribute to significantly improved outcomes for children and young people who need help, protection and care.

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The children's home provision is outstanding because:

 Young people make significant progress across all areas of their development including health, emotional resilience, educational attendance and recreational activities. The staff establish strong and positive relationships which underpin and maintain these improvements.

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The children's home provision is outstanding because:

 Young people experience a stable and trusting environment. They benefit from high quality care that is individualised and supported with good routines and clear boundaries. Welfare of young people is a high priority and young people have a strong sense of well-being and safety.

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The children's home provision is outstanding because:

 The staff and manager are highly motivated and committed to provide care that improves the life chances and experiences of young people. Staff use the expertise of other agencies to improve the care they provide. Strong leadership ensures that young people receive the services they require.

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The children's home provision is outstanding because:

 Young people are listened to and their needs are central to the running of the home. Their commitment to the home is strong and they feel valued as individuals.

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The children's home provision is outstanding because:

 One area is identified for further improvement. This does not currently have any direct impact upon 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 (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

In order to complete a quality of care review the registered person must establish and maintain a system for monitoring, reviewing and evaluating the quality of care provided for children; (Regulation 45 (2) (a)). In particular, that provision is made for the maintenance of this system in the absence of the Registered Manager. 01/07/2015

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Information about this children's home

This is a privately-run children's home for young people with emotional and behavioural difficulties or a learning disability. It can accommodate up to three young people of either sex at any one time.

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Recent inspection history

Inspection date Inspection type Inspection judgement

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Recent inspection history

02/12/2014 CH - Interim Sustained effectiveness

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outstanding

Young people receive an excellent and dedicated level of care. From their starting points they make considerable improvement in health, education and social development. The care is purposeful and enthusiastically delivered by dedicated staff. Staff offer care which not only responds to those young people new to the home, but for some extends over years and achieves excellent long term outcomes.

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outstanding

Young people make excellent progress in their educational attendance from their starting points. Young people new to the home whose school attendance was extremely low are now attending on a daily basis. Other young people whose educational outcomes were previously viewed by schools pessimistically, are now projected to achieve good GCSE results. This supports their social confidence and better prepares them for further study or work into adulthood. Communication with schools is firmly established and ensures that any difficulties experienced by the young people are quickly identified and resolved.

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outstanding

A particular strength of the home is the high level of emotional support which young people receive. Young people develop a strong and positive sense of their identity. Through appropriate consultation with family and professionals involved, the staff ensure young people’s cultural needs are responded to with understanding and sensitivity. Young people enjoy contact with people who are important to them through the practical and emotional support that is offered. They experience a sense of belonging due to the secure relationships they establish with staff and their identity needs being met.

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outstanding

Young people are offered positive role models and through these learn how to manage conflict in a safe and acceptable way. They respond to the advice as they value highly their relationships with staff. The staff have genuine interest in the young people’s day to day experiences and the running of the home is firmly established around the young people. This contributes to the significant and positive difference which living at the home has made to young people’s outcomes.

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outstanding

Young people enjoy and benefit from the time and attention which staff give and they speak with enthusiasm about the staff. One young person commented, ‘I love my keyworker, she does everything in her power to sort out what needs to be sorted’ and, ‘best things are that carer’s don’t act like carers, they act as family.’ The home is fulfilling its Statement of Purpose to provide ‘a holistic and family approach with a view to providing a warm, nurturing and stable environment for the young people.’

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outstanding

Young people live in a home which gives them predictable and consistent care which is based upon their individual needs. Routines are well established and boundaries are reinforced through positive means. As a result restraint is rarely required and sanctions infrequently applied. The home is fulfilling its Statement of Purpose in providing an ‘inclusive environment of giving rather than taking away.’

p.7

outstanding

Young people are introduced to new and challenging leisure activities. Through these safe and varied experiences they develop and maintain emotional confidence and esteem. For some young people this is represents significant and positive change from previous harmful and risk-taking behaviour. Activities now include, indoor skydiving, cinema, care of pets, beauty treatments, attendance at local youth clubs and church and after school exercise classes. One social worker commented, ‘I judge a placement by a child knowing what to expect when they wake in a morning, that they are busy and they are enjoying their time and I think ‘X’ has this’.

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outstanding

All aspects of young people’s health significantly improves. Where drug use was a feature of their daily lives, this has been replaced with rewarding leisure time. Dependency upon smoking has also significantly reduced. They are actively encouraged to lead healthy lifestyles and take regular exercise. Young people experience a high level of encouragement which enables them to make and sustain positive alternative choices. Their emotional health is a priority for the staff and access to specialist agencies and support is vigorously pursued when not offered in a timely manner. One social worker spoke highly of the timely and proactive measures taken by staff to ensure that a young person’s emotional needs were met by a specialist agency.

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outstanding

Young people feel listened to and their views respected. They are increasingly able to positively engage with the complex decisions about their lives. One Independent Reviewing Officer (IRO) commented, ‘In ‘X’s review, X was very much engaged and there was an enabling atmosphere. They (the staff) didn’t talk over, interrupt or interpret what X was saying.’

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outstanding

Safeguarding within the home is of a high priority and there are very clear responses to safety and welfare . As a result of living at the home, drug use, incidents of missing from home and risk of sexual exploitation has significantly reduced. Staff at the home understand the young people as individuals and tailor their care in light of those needs and strengths. The consistent nurturing and attention given to their emotional needs is such that young people trust the adults who care for them and young people increasingly make safer choices. The home are fulfilling their Statement of Purpose to ‘provide maximum opportunities for each young person to mature as an individual, to develop their own personal identity and accept responsibility for their own actions.’

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outstanding

The young people are helped to understand any decisions which are made on their behalf, especially with regards to safety. The investment of this time and consistency across all the staff ensures that they develop their understanding of risk. Young people’s positive relationships with staff underpins their willingness to take on board advice that is given and respond positively to boundaries. One social worker, commenting on the significant progress one young person had made, said ‘For the first time X appreciates the boundaries and structure,’ whereas formally they had rejected all attempts to keep them safe.

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outstanding

Young people feel safe and live in a safe environment. Risks are well understood and identified by staff and young people new to the home are kept safe by thorough and robust planning. There is close and regular liaison between the home and other agencies which ensures that risk is managed in a holistic and comprehensive manner.

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outstanding

Young people know how to make a complaint should they wish to and any complaints, allegations or suspicions of harm are quickly and effectively managed. Young people are further protected by careful staff vetting and recruitment processes that ensure that their welfare is protected.

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good

The Registered Manager is suitably qualified and experienced. She is social work qualified and is soon to complete the Level 5 Diploma in Leadership and Management.

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good

The manager leads by example and sets high expectations of care to be offered to the young people. She demonstrates a detailed insight into the needs of the young people. Their needs are central to the organisation and running of the home.

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good

Staff are well supported through regular supervision, well planned induction and targeted training. This ensures that staff have the skills and abilities to meet the young people’s complex needs. A particular strength of the home is the team approach taken to the care of young people. One social worker commented, ‘I think the staff work as a unit. If one member of staff says something at handover then they all do it. There are no weaker members of staff which you find in a lot of homes.’

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good

The manager and staff are clear about their roles. They have very good insight into the impact the care they offer has for the young people. The progress of all aspects of the young people’s development is central to their aims. The manager effectively and appropriately challenges other agencies to ensure that young people receive the services they require. Reflecting on the proactive response of the staff towards the needs of the young people, one social worker commented, ‘I feel the placement were in control from the beginning.’

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good

The manager has addressed the recommendation made at the previous inspection in producing a development plan for the home. She is in the process of improving this plan in order to more clearly identify outcomes and achievements.

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good

The home provides a comfortable and welcoming environment which is well maintained. A relaxed atmosphere is created by the staff and through this young people feel settled and safe. Young people do not feel a need to close or lock their bedroom doors when out of the home and their rooms reflect their personalities and interests.

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good

There are good systems in place for monitoring the progress and achievements of young people. However, due to the temporary absence of the manager some monthly monitoring has not been achieved. There is an absence of a system in place to ensure that these responsibilities are covered by other suitable staff or managers.

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What the inspection judgements mean

The experiences and progress of children and young people are at the centre of the inspection. Inspectors will use their professional judgement to determine the weight and significance of their findings in this respect. The judgements included in the report are made against Inspection of children's homes: framework for inspection.

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What the inspection judgements mean

An outstanding children's home provides highly effective services that contribute to significantly improved outcomes for children and young people who need help and protection and care. Their progress exceeds expectations and is sustained over time. A good children's home provides effective services that help, protect and care for children and young people and have their welfare safeguarded and promoted. In a children's home that requires improvement , there are no widespread or serious failures that create or leave children being harmed or at risk of harm. The welfare of looked after children is safeguarded and promoted. Minimum requirements are in place, however, the children's home is not yet delivering good protection, help and care for children and young people. A children's home that is inadequate is providing services where there are widespread or serious failures that create or leave children and young people being

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What the inspection judgements mean

harmed or at risk of harm or result in children looked after not having their welfare safeguarded and promoted.

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Information about this inspection

Inspectors have looked closely at the experiences and progress of children and young people living in the children's home. Inspectors considered the quality of work and the difference adults make to the lives of children and young people. They read case files, watched how professional staff work with children, young people and each other and discussed the effectiveness of help and care given to children and young people. Wherever possible, they talked to children, young people and their families. In addition the inspectors have tried to understand what the children's home knows about how well it is performing, how well it is doing and what difference it is making for the children and young people who it is trying to help, protect and look after. This 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 Children's

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Information about this inspection

Homes (England) Regulations 2015 and the Guide to the children's homes regulations including the quality standards. the guidance raising concerns and making complaints about Ofsted, which is available from Ofsted's website: www.gov.uk/government/organisations/ofsted . If you would like Ofsted to send you a copy of the guidance, please telephone 0300123 4234, or email enquiries@ofsted.gov.uk .

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Information about this inspection

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, workbased learning and skills training, adult and community learning, and education and training in prisons and other secure establishments. It inspects services for looked after children and child protection. If you would like a copy of this document in a different format, such as large print or Braille, please telephone 0300 123 4234, or email enquiries@ofsted.gov.uk . 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,

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Information about this inspection

The National Archives, Kew, London TW9 4DU, or email: psi@nationalarchives.gsi.gov.uk .

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Information about this inspection

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Information about this inspection

Store Street Manchester M1 2WD T: 0300 123 1231 Textphone: 0161 618 8524 E: enquiries@ofsted.gov.uk W: www.gov.uk/government/organisations/ofsted

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