Children's Home run by Destiny House in Harrow

Inspection report children‘s home: SC038906 1 SC038906 Registered provider: Destiny House

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Full inspection Inspected under the social care common inspection framework

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Information about this children’s home

This private home provides care and accommodation for up to eight young people who may have emotional and/or behavioural difficulties.

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Overall experiences and progress of

children and young people, taking into account

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inadequate

How well children and young people are helped and protected inadequate

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inadequate

The effectiveness of leaders and managers inadequate

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inadequate

There are serious and widespread failures that mean children and young people are not protected or is their welfare is not promoted or safeguarded.

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inadequate

Overall judgement at last inspection: Improved effectiveness

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Enforcement action since last inspection:

None Inspection report children‘s home: SC038906 2

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Key findings from this inspection

This children‘s home is inadequate because  Leadership and management of the home are inadequate.  The registered person‘s/manager‘s approach toward safeguarding children is poor, and this fails to promote their welfare.  Leaders and managers fail to comply with statutory child protection procedures, and they minimise the significance of allegations made by children against staff who work in the home.  Records are not kept of allegations against people who work in the home.  The registered person/manager fails to notify Ofsted of significant events.  Record-keeping is poor.  A register of children is not maintained appropriately.  The staff duty roster is inaccurate.  The home‘s statement of purpose fails to provide accurate, consistent and up- to-date information on staff who work at the home.  Recruitment records do not demonstrate that the registered person follows a robust procedure when employing staff.

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Key findings from this inspection

 Staff do not receive individual supervision or appraisals of their performance on a regular basis.  Important policies and procedures, in particular those that relate to child protection and safeguarding, fail to provide clear and up-to-date guidance to staff.  The complaints procedure does not provide clear information about how to deal with complaints against managers in the home.  Monitoring of the quality of care provided to children is weak.  Eighteen breaches of the Children‘s Homes Regulations 2015 have been identified at this inspection.

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Key findings from this inspection

The children‘s home‘s strengths  Staff establish some positive relationships with children, including those who have complex needs.  Some children receive individualised care and support that is in line with their needs, culture and faith.  Staff ensure that children‘s health is monitored and their health needs met.  Staff work well in close relationships with children‘s social workers and the police to minimise risk to children who go missing from the home.  Staff work positively with parents. Inspection report children‘s home: SC038906 3

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Inspection date Inspection type Inspection judgement

27/03/2017 Interim Improved effectiveness 28/09/2016 Full Requires improvement 25/01/2016 Interim Sustained effectiveness 24/09/2015 Full Good Inspection report children‘s home: SC038906 4

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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 registered person enables, inspires and leads a culture in relation to the children‘s home that—

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Requirement Due date

helps children aspire to fulfil their potential; and promotes their welfare.

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Requirement Due date

The registered person must demonstrate that practice in the home is informed and improved by taking into account and acting on— (i) developments in relation to the ways in which the needs of children are best met. (Regulation 13 (1) (a) (b) (2) (g))

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Requirement Due date

In particular, the registered person must ensure that the home‘s policies, procedures, documents and practices are in line with current legislation and good practice guidance. 01/10/2017

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Requirement Due date

In particular, the leadership and management standard requires the registered person to—

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Requirement Due date

use monitoring and review systems to make continuous improvements in the quality of care provided in the home. (Regulation 13 (2) (h)) 01/10/2017

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Requirement Due date

The registered person must compile in relation to the children‘s home a statement (―the statement of purpose‖) which covers the matters listed in Schedule 1. (Regulation 16 (1) Schedule 1.19))

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Requirement Due date

In particular, details of the experience and qualifications of staff, including any staff commissioned to provide education or health care must be correct. 01/10/2017 Inspection report children‘s home: SC038906 5 Fitness of workers

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Requirement Due date

The registered person must recruit staff using recruitment procedures that are designed to ensure children‘s safety. The requirements are that—

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Requirement Due date

full and satisfactory information is available in relation to the individual in respect of each of the matters in Schedule 2. (Regulation 32 (3) (d) Schedule 2.3))

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Requirement Due date

In particular, two written references, including a reference from the person‘s most recent employer, if any, must be available. 01/10/2017

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Requirement Due date

The registered person must recruit staff using recruitment procedures that are designed to ensure children‘s safety. The requirements are that—

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Requirement Due date

full and satisfactory information is available in relation to the individual in respect of each of the matters in Schedule 2. (Regulation 32 (3) (d) Schedule 2.6))

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Requirement Due date

In particular, a full employment history, together with a satisfactory explanation of any gaps in employment, must be available in writing. 01/10/2017

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Requirement Due date

The registered person must ensure that an individual who works in the home in a care role has the appropriate qualification the Level 3 Diploma for Residential Childcare (England) (―the Level 3 Diploma‖). (Regulation 32 (4) (a))

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Requirement Due date

In particular, the registered person must ensure that evidence of staff qualifications is available. 01/10/2017

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Requirement Due date

ensure that each permanent appointment of an employee is subject to the satisfactory completion of a period of probation. (Regulation 33 (1) (b)) 01/10/2017

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Requirement Due date

The registered person must ensure that all employees—

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Requirement Due date

receive practice-related supervision by a person with appropriate experience. (Regulation 33(4)(b)) 01/10/2017 Inspection report children‘s home: SC038906 6 In particular, staff must receive individual supervision. Employment of staff

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Requirement Due date

The registered person must ensure that all employees—

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Requirement Due date

have their performance and fitness to perform their roles appraised at least once every year. (Regulation 33 (4) (c)) 01/10/2017

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Requirement Due date

The registered person must prepare and implement a policy which—

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Requirement Due date

is intended to safeguard children accommodated in the children‘s home from abuse or neglect; and (b) sets out the procedure to be followed in the event of an allegation of abuse or neglect. (Regulation 34 (1) (a) (b))

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Requirement Due date

In particular, the registered person must ensure that there are a clear policy and procedure that refer to the up-to-date legislation and statutory guidance and provide clear guidance for staff to follow. 01/10/2017

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Requirement Due date

The registered person must ensure that the procedure to be followed in the event of an allegation of abuse or neglect must, in particular—

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Requirement Due date

provide for the prompt referral of an allegation about current or ongoing abuse or neglect in relation to a child to the placing authority and, if different, the local authority in whose area the home is located;

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Requirement Due date

provide for the prompt referral of an allegation about past abuse or neglect in relation to a child to the placing authority and, if different, the local authority in whose area the alleged abuse or neglect occurred;

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Requirement Due date

describe how and to whom staff are to report, without delay, any concern about abuse or neglect of a child. (Regulation 34 (2) (b) (c) (f))

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Requirement Due date

In particular, the registered person must ensure that correct contact details are provided in the written policy, so that staff are clear about to whom to report any safeguarding concerns outside the children‘s home. 01/10/2017

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Requirement Due date

Policies for the protection of children 01/10/2017 Inspection report children‘s home: SC038906 7 The registered person must make sure that the procedure to be followed in the event of an allegation of abuse or neglect must, in particular—

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Requirement Due date

provide for records to be kept of an allegation of abuse or neglect, and the action taken in response. (Regulation 34(2)(d)) Children‘s case records

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Requirement Due date

The registered person must maintain records (―case records‖) for each child which—

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Requirement Due date

include the information and documents listed in Schedule 3 in relation to each child;

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Requirement Due date

are signed and dated by the author of each entry. (Regulation 36 (1) (a) (b) (c) Schedule 3.23))

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Requirement Due date

In particular, the health information regarding any allergies must be clear. 01/10/2017

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Requirement Due date

maintain in the home the records in Schedule 4;

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Requirement Due date

ensure that the records are kept up to date. (Regulation 37 (2) (a) (b) Schedule 4.1)

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Requirement Due date

In particular, the registered person must keep a register of children. 01/10/2017

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Requirement Due date

maintain in the home the records in Schedule 4;

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Requirement Due date

ensure that the records are kept up to date. Regulation 37 (2) (a) (b) Schedule 4.3))

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Requirement Due date

In particular, the registered person must keep a copy of the staff duty roster of persons working at the home, and a record of the actual rosters worked. 01/10/2017

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Requirement Due date

Complaints and representations 01/10/2017 Inspection report children‘s home: SC038906 8 The registered person must establish a procedure for considering complaints made by or on behalf of children.

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Requirement Due date

In particular, the procedure must provide that no person who is the subject of a complaint takes any part in its consideration or investigation, except at the informal resolution stage if the registered person considers it appropriate. (Regulation 39 (2))

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Requirement Due date

In particular, the complaints procedure must make clear whom to contact with any complaints about the registered person. Notification of a serious event*

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Requirement Due date

The registered person must notify HMCI and each other relevant person without delay if—

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Requirement Due date

there is an allegation of abuse against the home or a person working there. (Regulation 40 (4) (c)) 01/10/2017

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Requirement Due date

The registered person must help the independent person—

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Requirement Due date

to inspect the premises of the home and such of the home‘s records (except for a child‘s case records, unless the child and the child‘s placing authority consent) as the independent person requires. (Regulation 44 (2) (b))

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Requirement Due date

In particular, the registered person must make sure that any significant safeguarding information, such as allegations being made against a staff member is shared with the independent visitor. 01/10/2017

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Requirement Due date

* These requirements are subject of a compliance notice.

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Recommendations

 Children‘s homes must meet children‘s basic day to day needs and physical necessities. Staff should seek to meet the child‘s basic needs in the way that a good parent would, recognising that many children in residential care have experienced environments where these needs have not been consistently met – doing so is an important aspect of demonstrating that the staff care for the child and value them as an individual (‗Guide to the children‘s homes regulations including the quality standards‘, page 15, paragraph 3.7). In particular, make sure that the mattresses on children‘s beds are checked regularly and replaced when necessary. Inspection report children‘s home: SC038906 9

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: inadequate

Children are living in a children‘s home that leaders and managers fail to run in line with statutory and good practice guidance. The registered person‘s/manager‘s non- compliance with regulation has led to the identification of 18 requirements and three compliance notices. The compliance notices relate to shortfalls in leadership and management, record-keeping and the failure to notify Ofsted of significant events as required.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: inadequate

Weaknesses in the home are widespread. Shortfalls relate to safeguarding policies and practice, particularly in relation to dealing with allegations against staff who work there. Some children who used to live in the home have made allegations against the staff who work there. The way in which the registered person/manager responded to these allegations raises serious concerns. The registered person/manager does not demonstrate that she took allegations seriously. She failed to make any records relating to the allegations and did not share the information with Ofsted.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: inadequate

The registered person/manager is unable to demonstrate that she promotes good safeguarding practices effectively. Furthermore, inadequate record-keeping and a failure to share significant events with Ofsted and the independent visitors to the home undermine the quality of external scrutiny and oversight of the home. As result, the registered person‘s/manager‘s lack of transparency undermines safeguarding practice.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: inadequate

The approach to ensuring that children have their health needs met is inconsistent. Children have easy access to health services. Staff ensure that children‘s health is monitored and that they receive specialist health support when they need it. However, the registered person/manager and staff expressed differing views about one child having a particular food allergy or food sensitivity, or simply not liking this food. It is important that any allergies are established and that all staff are clear about this, to ensure that children are not placed at risk of harm.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: inadequate

The home‘s physical environment is not always suitably maintained. Children‘s toys, books, games and artwork give the environment a homely feel. Staff encourage children to personalise their bedrooms. However, a mattress in one of the bedrooms has lost its shape. A staff member was unsure when it was last changed.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: inadequate

The home has some strengths. Staff establish positive relationships with some children, including those who have complex needs. Children who currently live in the home reported having positive experiences. Their parents reported that they are satisfied with the care provided by the staff. Some children have made good progress in many areas of their lives. One child described the staff at the home as her ‗family‘. This child has developed a sense of belonging and positive attachments. Inspection report children‘s home: SC038906 10 Education is important in the home. Staff are effective at promoting children‘s engagement and learning attainments. For example, one child, who has a history of refusing to engage in any learning activity prior to coming to live in this home, engaged well with a personal tutor on a daily basis. This child‘s learning attainments in the last term included being able to tell the time, and know the alphabet and how to play chess.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: inadequate

The other child has had high school attendance. This child was looking forward to receiving their exam results and was anticipating that they would be good.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: inadequate

Staff encourage children to develop healthy lifestyles and look after their health. Staff provide healthy and nutritious meals to children. Staff introduce children to a wide range of healthy foods and encourage them to try fruit that they have not had before. One child said that the food in the home is ‗delicious‘. Children have good opportunities to learn about food preparation and gain cooking skills.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: inadequate

Children receive individualised care and support that meets their needs, cultures and faiths. Staff organise special cultural events to celebrate diversity and promote equality, such as learning about Black people‘s history and achievements.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: inadequate

Staff help children to choose from a range of recreational and fun activities. One child said how much she enjoyed spending a day on a trampoline and going on day trips during summer holidays.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: inadequate

Staff support children when they want to make a complaint against their local authority. Staff make sure that children receive advocacy services that they are entitled to. Children have not made any complaints about the home since the last inspection. One child said that the staff could not do ‗anything better‘.

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

The registered person‘s/manager‘s approach to safeguarding in the home places all children who live there at some risk of harm. The registered person/manager fails to promote good safeguarding practices.

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

The registered person/manager fails in her duty to safeguard children. The registered person/manager stated that there have been no child protection referrals and no concerns regarding child sexual exploitation, radicalisation or extremism since the last inspection. According to the home‘s written records, there have been no allegations made of abuse against the home and people who work in it since the last inspection. However, Ofsted was informed by safeguarding agencies that this is not correct. When initially challenged on this matter, the registered person/manager continued to deny that any allegations had been made against staff. Only after a prolonged period during the inspection, did the registered person/manager accept that there had been allegations made against staff.

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

The registered person‘s/manager‘s failure to acknowledge that allegations had been Inspection report children‘s home: SC038906 11 made, and subsequent failure to maintain records of allegations raised by children against people who work in the home, are serious failings. In addition, no risk assessment was completed that assessed whether the staff member was suitable to continue to work with children while the allegations were being investigated. These shortfalls undermine the credibility of the home‘s recording practice and raise concerns about the integrity of leaders and managers, as this practice does not ensure that children are safe.

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

The home‘s safeguarding policies and practices are poor. The policies provide confusing and incorrect information, such as advising staff to make safeguarding referrals to the designated officers in an area which is not where the home is situated. In addition, the policy to address allegations against staff members does not provide them with clear and up-to-date guidance on how best to respond to concerns or allegations. Furthermore, staff members do not know whom to turn to if there are concerns about the home‘s managers. For example, a staff member did not know whom to report safeguarding concerns to, other than Ofsted. These shortfalls further increase the risk of children not being protected effectively.

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

The staff recruitment procedure is poor. The registered person/manager cannot demonstrate that all the required checks are completed for each staff member. For example, there is only one reference on one staff member‘s file, instead of the required two. According to the job application form, this person worked at a previous workplace for the previous six years. However, no reference is available to corroborate this and to ascertain the previous employer‘s views on the applicant‘s suitability to work with children. The only reference that is available does not match the work history that is declared on the application form, and it is written by the deputy manager for this home. Another staff member‘s recruitment file does not contain a written explanation of a two- year gap in their employment. Thus, it appears that there are no robust safeguards to ensure that all adults who are employed in the home are suitable to work with children.

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

The behaviour management practices in the home are not effective at promoting good behaviour for all children. While some children make good progress, others fail to respond positively to staff intervention and support. Incidents of challenging behaviours inside the home are rare. There have been no incidents that involved a physical intervention since the last inspection. Taking into account children‘s past behaviours, this is a sign of progress. There is evidence that some children have developed better self-control and regulation of their behaviours. One child pointed out that having many cameras inside the home stopped children from misbehaving. The placing authorities have agreed in writing to the use of cameras and high levels of surveillance. Staff use praise and rewards effectively to promote and celebrate children‘s positive behaviours. However, when they are not being supervised by staff, some children continue to

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

engage in challenging and negative behaviours. Children have been banned from a choir, a youth club and a Sunday school at the church, due to their inappropriate behaviours.

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

Some children regularly go missing from the home. Staff coordinate actions with children‘s social workers and the police to minimise risks to children who go missing Inspection report children‘s home: SC038906 12 from the home. When children go missing from the home, staff follow clear and individually tailored protocols to share information, locate the child and help the child to return to the home. Staff display a good understanding of the vulnerabilities of children in care to exploitation by unscrupulous individuals and/or groups. One of the two children who currently live in the home has never gone missing. However, the other child continues to go missing from the home frequently. There are tentative signs that this child‘s behaviours are becoming safer. For example, the child comes back home before midnight more frequently and stays in touch with staff on the phone more when missing. However, such risky behaviour continues to place them at risk of harm.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: inadequate

There are serious concerns regarding the integrity of the registered person/manager. The registered person/manager failed to notify Ofsted of the allegations of abuse by staff against children. Not sharing information or notifying Ofsted of significant events seriously undermines the function of Ofsted to oversee and monitor the children‘s home. As a result of this breach, a compliance notice has been issued under section 22A of the Care Standards Act 2000.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: inadequate

The registered person/manager has appropriate qualifications and levels of experience. However, she fails to demonstrate this in practice. In particular, this applies to the requirement for the registered person to ensure that the home‘s written policies and procedures reflect up-to-date legislation and good practice guidance. As a result of this breach, a compliance notice is issued under section 22A of the Care Standards Act 2000.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: inadequate

Record-keeping is poor. The home‘s register of children is not maintained appropriately. For example, no information about a child who came to live in this home in April 2017 has been entered into the home‘s register of children. Furthermore, the records on the staff duty roster do not provide correct information about the staff who are on duty on particular days. As a result of this breach, a compliance notice has been issued under section 22A of the Care Standards Act 2000.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: inadequate

Policies and procedures are inadequate. The registered person/manager fails to provide clear written guidance to staff in respect of a range of aspects of care. The home‘s complaints procedure advises staff that any complaints about the manager should be referred to ‗the regulation 33 visitor‘. In addition, the home‘s policy on notifying Ofsted of significant events is unclear. It refers to regulation 30 and notes that managers must follow schedule 6 of the regulations. These sets of the home‘s own guidance are incorrect and misleading.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: inadequate

The home‘s statement of purpose is misleading. The document was updated in March 2017. However, it provides inconsistent information about the people who work at this children‘s home. The information does not match the names of the staff on the staff duty roster. When the inspector asked to see the recruitment file for one staff member from the list of staff that was included in the statement of purpose, the registered Inspection report children‘s home: SC038906 13 person/manager said that this staff member did not work in the home any longer. Earlier in the inspection, the registered person/manager completed an Ofsted form, on which she stated that no staff member had left since the last full inspection. When the inspector asked to see a qualification certificate for another staff member, the registered person/manager said that this staff member had not completed the qualification. The statement of purpose shows this staff member as qualified.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: inadequate

Documentary evidence of staff qualifications is not kept as required. A certificate of qualification for a staff member was not available for inspection. According to the registered person/manager, this person qualified over a year ago, in July 2016.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: inadequate

Staff do not receive appropriate formal supervision or appraisal of their individual performance. The registered person/manager holds group supervision meetings on a regular basis. However, the registered person/manager does not provide individual supervision to staff members, unless they specifically request it. For example, one staff member has not received a one-to-one meeting for over a year. This is not appropriate, particularly taking into account the lack of a suitable system for reviewing individual staff members‘ performance on a regular basis. One staff member had not had an appraisal since December 2014. In addition, the registered person/manager does not conduct probationary appraisals before confirming a new staff member‘s employment in the home.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: inadequate

Children‘s case files are inconsistently maintained. In general, the files contain clear and up-to-date information in respect of children‘s care plans and their day-to-day lives. The registered person/manager knows children well and monitors their progress and outcomes closely. The home‘s monthly monitoring reports demonstrate the progress that children have made in many areas of their lives. However, on one occasion, the monthly monitoring report provided misleading information. It states that a child‘s missing episodes have reduced significantly. The registered person/manager confirmed that this is the case. However, the home‘s records contradict this and demonstrate that the child is going missing more often as time progresses.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: inadequate

The registered person‘s/manager‘s lack of transparency in her communication with professionals extends to the independent visitors to the home. This means that when the independent visitors provide an opinion as to whether children are safeguarded effectively, they do not have access to information they need in order to make a sound judgement. Not sharing information with the independent persons decreases the quality of their monitoring of the home and places children at further risk. One placing authority commented that it continues to have concerns about the registered person‘s/manager‘s ability to work in effective partnership with the local authority. Inspection report children‘s home: SC038906 14

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Information about this inspection

Inspectors have looked closely at the experiences and progress of children and young people. Inspectors considered the quality of work and the difference made to the lives of children and young people. They watched how professional staff work with children and young people and each other and discussed the effectiveness of help and care provided. Wherever possible, they talked to children and 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.

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Information about this inspection

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 children‘s home: SC038906 15

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Inspector

Seka Graovac, social care inspector Inspection report children‘s home: SC038906 16 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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Inspector

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Inspector

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Inspector

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