Children's Home run by Stellakis Miltiadous in Haringey

children and young people since the most recent full inspection

This home was judged as requires improvement at the full inspection. At this interim inspection, Ofsted judges that it has sustained effectiveness . The registered manager has ensured that some of the requirements and recommendations made at the last inspection have been met and has actioned the others. The computer room has been appropriately furnished and decorated. The kitchen and upstairs bathroom floor surfaces have been replaced with new tiling. Most of the repairs have been completed, which has helped to make the premises fit for purpose and to meet the needs of the young people. However, the front and back garden needs maintenance, and the carpet on the staircase still needs to be replaced. The children’s guide, which was updated in January 2017, is child friendly and includes information on filing complaints. The home’s complaints policy is also clearly written and contains information about how to and where to file complaints.

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children and young people since the most recent full inspection

The home’s statement of purpose, revised in August 2016, now helps young people, families and placing authorities to gain a better understanding of what they can expect of the home. There have been no complaints since the last inspection. The home has notified the regulator without delay of some of the serious incidents that have taken place, while other notifications, although submitted, were sent after a considerable time lapse. While some notifications contain a good level of detail of the incident, others have gaps: in particular the actions that the staff have taken as a result of the matter. Since the last inspection, two young people have left the home for residential placements out of London. Another young person has left to return to her family. One young person’s placement was terminated due to their assaultive behaviour. The registered manager conducts pre-placement visits with the young person to

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children and young people since the most recent full inspection

assess the appropriateness of matching. Although the home allows young people appropriate leeway in light of their difficult starting points, there is a lack of robust impact assessment of risks to the residents and staff in the home. The home follows its missing person procedure. Reports are made to the police, local authorities and families, and return home interviews are offered. The missing persons’ coordinator stated that the home has accommodated young people who display challenging behaviour and expressed concerns about the high rate of missing person incidents. One social worker stated that the staff liaise with her frequently when there are concerns, and they update any changes, such as reporting missing persons incidents. One parent stated that the young person has been ‘calmer’ since living in the home and that the staff are ‘helpful and polite’. They noted that staff are doing what they can to engage the young person. However, the parent expressed

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children and young people since the most recent full inspection

concern about the young person’s missing incidents and about their not engaging in any education provision. Professionals’ meetings have been convened in line with the young people’s care plan and the behavioural management policy to help to manage the risks associated with going missing and the added risk of child sexual exploitation. Strategies to tackle the issue have been discussed, resulting in an action plan. Although the home follows its procedures on missing persons and participates in action plans, there is a lack of effective action taken to mitigate the persistent pattern of high-risk behaviour of the identified young people in the home. This does not concur with the home’s behavioural management policy, which states, ‘Staff should know the whereabouts of the young people at all times… When young people are away from the home, staff should know where they should be expected to be found.’ For the young people who do not attend school, the home offers tuition in maths,

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children and young people since the most recent full inspection

English and science. However, this is not currently being taken up by the young people. In addition, there is a lack of robust challenge to local authorities when their education provision delivery is poor or slow. A rewards system is in place to reinforce positive behaviour. Sanctions used have been appropriate, although the opportunity to implement restorative justice approaches has been limited. The registered manager has ensured that safe recruitment is in place. Supervision and training are offered to staff regularly. The home has a reasonably stable workforce. The registered manager has not needed to recruit any new staff since the last inspection. The home’s workforce appraisal plan does not include details of the process of managing and improving poor performance beyond the performance improvement plan. A senior support worker who has been working at the home for seven years described the home as ‘homely’, with a good team of staff and managers. The

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children and young people since the most recent full inspection

support worker stated that she knows whether she is making a difference by seeing the progress made by the young people. For example, one young person who was not in education at the time of placement is now on track to attend a vocational college. The young person made progress not just in education but in her behaviour. The support worker said, ‘This is not a children’s home. To me, it’s like my own home and you’re their mum.’

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Information about this children’s home

This privately run children’s home provides care for up to six young people, irrespective of gender, who have emotional and/or behavioural difficulties.

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Recent inspection history

Inspection date Inspection type Inspection judgement

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Recent inspection history

24/11/2014 Interim Sustained effectiveness

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Statutory requirements

This section sets out the actions which must be taken so that the registered person(s) meet(s) 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 within the given timescales.

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Requirement Due date

12: The protection of children standard (1) The protection of children standard is that children are protected from harm and enabled to keep themselves safe. (2) In particular, the standard in paragraph (1) requires the registered person to ensure— (a) that staff— (i) assess whether each child is at risk of harm, taking into account information in the child’s relevant plans, and, if necessary, make arrangements to reduce the risk of any harm to the child; and (vi) take effective action whenever there is a serious concern about a child’s welfare. 31/05/2017

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Requirement Due date

6: The quality and purpose of care standard (1) The quality and purpose of care standard is that children receive care from staff who— (2)(c) Ensure that the premise used for the purposes of the home are designed and furnished so as to— (i) meet the needs of each child, with particular reference to ensuring that the home seeks as far as possible to maintain a domestic rather than institutional impression. In relation to this, the registered person should ensure the maintenance of the front and rear garden, and replace the carpet on the stairs. 31/05/2017

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Requirement Due date

40: Notifications of a serious event (4) The registered person must notify HMCI and each other relevant person without delay if— (b) an incident requiring police involvement occurs in relation to a 31/05/2017 child which the registered person considers to be serious; or (e) there is any other incident relating to a child which the registered person considers to be serious. (5) A notification made under this regulation— (a) must include details of— (i) the matter; and (iii) any action taken by the registered person as a result of the matter.

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Recommendations

To improve the quality and standards of care further, the service should take account of the following recommendations:  Devise a workforce plan which can fulfil the workforce-related requirements of regulation 16, schedule 1 (paragraphs 19 and 20). The plan should − detail the necessary management and staffing structure (including any staff commissioned to provide health and education), the experience and qualifications of staff currently working within the staffing structure and any further training required for those staff, to enable the delivery of the home’s statement of purpose; − detail the processes and agreed timescales for staff to achieve induction, probation and any core training (such as safeguarding, health and safety and mandatory qualifications); and − detail of the process for managing and improving poor performance. The plan should be updated to include any new training and qualifications

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Recommendations

completed by staff while working at the home, and used to record the ongoing training and continuing professional development needs of staff, including the home’s manager. (Guide to the children’s homes regulations including the quality standards’, page 53, paragraph 10.8)  Ensure that the registered person only accepts placements for children where they are satisfied that the home can respond effectively to the child’s assessed needs as recorded in the child’s relevant plans and where they have fully considered the impact that the placement will have on the existing group of children. (‘Guide to the children’s homes regulations including the quality standards’, page 56, paragraph 11.4)  Make sure that any sanctions used to address poor behaviour are restorative in nature, to help children recognise the impact of their behaviour on themselves, other children, staff caring for them and the wider community. In some cases, it

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Recommendations

will be important for children to make reparation in some form to anyone hurt by their behaviour, and the staff in the home should be skilled to support the child to understand this and carry it out. (‘Guide to the children’s homes regulations including the quality standards’, page 46, paragraph 9.38)  Challenge the child’s education provider if the child does not receive sufficient support to progress as outlined in their relevant plans. Act as effective advocates for or on behalf of a child who may be experiencing difficulties with education as a good parent would do. (‘Guide to the children’s homes regulations including the quality standards’, pages 27−28, paragraphs 5.11−5.12)  Consider the frequency of incidents and judge whether their cumulative effect makes notification appropriate even if, in isolation, each event would not warrant this. Ensure that there is a system in place so that all serious events are notified,

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Recommendations

within 24 hours, to the appropriate people. The system should cover the action that should be followed if the event arises at the weekend or on a public holiday. Notifications must include details of the action taken by the home’s staff in response to the event. (‘Guide to the children’s homes regulations including the quality standards’, page 63, paragraphs 14.11, 14.13)

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What the inspection judgements mean

At the interim inspection, we make a judgement on whether the home has improved in effectiveness, sustained effectiveness, or declined in effectiveness since the previous full inspection. This is in line with the ‘Inspection of children’s homes: framework for inspection’.

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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 that 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 whom it is trying to help, protect and look after. This inspection focused on the effectiveness of the home and the progress and experiences of children and young people since the most recent full inspection.

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Information about this inspection

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 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

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

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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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