Children's home run by Harmony Residential Homes Limited in Barnet

Inspection report for children’s home - monitoring visit: 1226612 1

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Information about this children’s home

This is a privately owned children’s home. It is registered to provide care and accommodation for up to three children up to the age of 18 who have emotional and/or behavioural difficulties.

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This monitoring visit

A monitoring visit was undertaken by a social care regulatory inspector on 5 July 2017, following a breach of conditions. The provider, who is registered to provide care and accommodation for three children, admitted a fourth child for a period of two days. Ofsted is currently investigating this. The visit was to evaluate the management decision-making in the home. The visit found that the responsible individual has not consistently permitted the registered manager to be in charge of the day-to-day running of the home. The level of telephone calls made by the responsible individual to the home resulted in the manager feeling, at times, undermined, unable to consistently implement her informed decisions, and not able to fully complete the work required. In addition, the responsible individual made decisions to accept a placement that was not in line with the home’s statement of purpose. This is because the child has a history of

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This monitoring visit

challenging, aggressive behaviour, and drug misuse. This placement resulted in a notice being served within a few days of the placement being accepted. A further decision made to accept another placement resulted in four children being placed in the home for a period of two days, resulting in a breach of the conditions of the home. While the responsible individual has now significantly reduced the level of management oversight, this needs to continue to a level where both the registered individual and the registered manager are satisfied within their own delegated roles in the home. Inspection report for children’s home - monitoring visit: 1226612 2 The decisions made have impacted on the staff and the children living at the home. Additional staffing was required, and the staff are not skilled to fully meet the needs of all the children admitted to the home. The responsible individual and registered manager have since taken some

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This monitoring visit

action to address this shortfall. There is clear responsibility of the registered manager to make decisions regarding admissions to the home, and to implement the amended admissions policy to ensure that they do not breach their conditions of registration in the future. The visit found a lack of recording of the communication between the responsible individual and the registered manager, in particular about decision-making in the home. This fails to ensure that there are clear and detailed records held in the home regarding decisions made. The visit found that the registered manager has not received supervision in line with the home’s policy. This fails to ensure that the manager receives supervision to enable her to formally discuss any concerns, her personal development, and to reflect on practice in the home, with an experienced professional. Ofsted will continue to monitor.

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Recent inspection history

Inspection date Inspection type Inspection judgement 20/12/2016 Full Good Inspection report for children’s home - monitoring visit: 1226612 3

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Statutory Requirements

This section sets out the actions that the registered person(s) must take to meet 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

The leadership and management standard is that the management enables, inspires and leads a culture that helps children aspire to fulfil their potential and promotes their welfare. In particular, the standard in paragraph (1) requires the registered person to— lead and manage the home in a way that is consistent with the approach and ethos, and delivers the outcomes, set out in the home’s statement of purpose. (Regulation 13(1)(2)(a)) This is with particular regard to allowing the registered manager to be in day-to-day charge of the home. 28/07/2017

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Requirement Due date

The leadership and management standard is that the management enables, inspires and leads a culture that helps children aspire to fulfil their potential and promotes their welfare. In particular, the standard in paragraph (1) requires the registered person to— ensure that staff work as a team where appropriate. (Regulation 13(1)(2)(b)) This is with particular regard to recording the decision- making between the responsible individual and the registered manager. 28/07/2017

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Requirement Due date

The care planning standard is that children are admitted to the home only of their needs are within the range of needs of children for whom it is intended that the home is to provide care and accommodation, as set out in the home’s statement of purpose. (Regulation 14(2)(a)) 28/07/2017

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Requirement Due date

The registered person must ensure that all employees receive practice-related supervision by a person with appropriate experience. (Regulation 33(4)(b)) This is with particular regard to the registered manager. 28/07/2017 Inspection report for children’s home - monitoring visit: 1226612 4

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Information about this inspection

The purpose of this visit was to monitor the action taken and the progress made by the children’s home since its last Ofsted inspection.

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Information about this inspection

This inspection was carried out under the Care Standards Act 2000. Inspection report for children’s home - monitoring visit: 1226612 5

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Children’s home details

Registered provider: Harmony Residential Homes Ltd

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Children’s home details

Registered provider address: Flat 3,Robinson Court, 5 Magdalene Gardens, London N20 0AF

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Children’s home details

Registered Manager: Cindy Burt Inspector: Natalie Burton, social care inspector Inspection report for children’s home - monitoring visit: 1226612 6 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 children looked after, safeguarding and child protection.

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Children’s home details

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Children’s home details

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Children’s home details

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

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