Children's Home run by Stellakis Miltiadous in Haringey

Inspection report children’s home: SC039213 1 SC039213 Registered provider: Muswell Hill Children’s home Interim inspection Inspected under the social care common inspection framework

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Information about this children’s home

This privately run children’s home is registered to care for up to six young people who have emotional and/or behavioural difficulties.

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Information about this children’s home

Judgement at last inspection: Requires improvement to be good

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and young people since the most recent full inspection

The home was judged as requires improvement to be good at the last full inspection. At the interim inspection, Ofsted judges that it has improved effectiveness.

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and young people since the most recent full inspection

Five requirements and 11 recommendations resulted from the last inspection. The home has achieved full compliance with four requirements and partial compliance with one. The home has achieved compliance with nine recommendations with the remaining two recommendations and the addition of a further recommendation included in this inspection.

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and young people since the most recent full inspection

Feedback from placing social workers is positive. One social worker comments, ‘Staff are very calm, patient and consistent in enforcing the house rules. In addition, they are proactive around safeguarding.’

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and young people since the most recent full inspection

The home environment has been improved and is now safer. The home benefits from a new stairway carpet and kitchen window. There are two well-equipped living room areas Inspection report children’s home: SC039213 2 that allow young people to socialise and relax in comfort. In addition, the DVD library is now age-appropriate for all young people.

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and young people since the most recent full inspection

The staff team is more stable. No staff members have left since the last full inspection. A comprehensive workforce development plan aids staff retention. Staffing stability promotes greater consistency for young people and the development of improved relationships. The increased use of restorative sanctioning by staff has improved the behaviour of young people.

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and young people since the most recent full inspection

Managers’ monitoring is more effective. This approach is supported by the improved scrutiny and challenge offered by the independent visitor. Ofsted has received two monitoring reports since the last inspection which chart the progress and outcomes achieved by the home and plans for the future development of care practice. However, these reports fail to offer specific feedback from young people and their views on the care offered by the home.

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and young people since the most recent full inspection

Staff now regularly challenge local authorities to provide young people with the types of resources they need. For example, case files confirm that staff contact professionals to ensure the swift allocation of educational placements. At present, independent advocacy is not routinely available to young people.

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and young people since the most recent full inspection

Admissions to the home are improved. Managers have revised the ‘matching assessment’ to ensure that the needs of all existing young people resident in the home remain fully considered prior to considering new referrals. This supports the stability of the home.

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and young people since the most recent full inspection

The response to young people going missing from the home is mixed. Despite staff striving to access independent return to care interviews, these are not occurring regularly. This limits the support provided to young people at a vulnerable time. In addition, there is no evaluation of the occasions that young people go missing from the home. This limits the ability of leaders and managers to complete a full assessment of missing behaviour.

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Inspection date Inspection type Inspection judgement

06/06/2017 Full Requires improvement to be good 15/02/2017 Interim Sustained effectiveness 26/07/2016 Full Requires improvement 30/03/2016 Interim Sustained effectiveness Inspection report children’s home: SC039213 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, the 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

In order to complete a quality of care review, the registered person must establish and maintain a system of monitoring, reviewing and evaluating—

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Requirement Due date

the quality of care provided for children; the feedback and opinions of children about the children’s home, its facilities and the quality of care they receive in it; and

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Requirement Due date

any actions that the registered person considers necessary in order to improve or maintain the quality of care provided to children. (Regulation 45(2)(a)(b)(c)(d)) 30/06/2018

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Requirement Due date

* These requirements are subject to a compliance notice.

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Recommendations

 When a child returns to the home after being missing from care or away from home without permission, the responsible local authority must provide an opportunity for the child to have an independent return home interview. Homes should take account of information provided by such interviews when assessing risks and putting arrangements in place to protect each child. (‘Guide to the children’s homes regulations including the quality standards’, page 45, paragraph 9.30)  Records must be kept detailing all individual incidents when children go missing from the home (regulation 36 (schedule 3(14)). This information should be shared with the placing authority and, where appropriate, with the child’s parents. Evaluation of missing-from-home incidents should be undertaken to identify any gaps in training, skills or knowledge for staff or to record and retain evidence of what worked well. This evaluation should inform the review of the

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Recommendations

quality of care. (‘Guide to the children’s homes regulations including the quality standards’, pages 45 and 46, paragraph 9.31)  All children must have access to appropriate advocacy support and where possible this should be provided by a person that the child chooses. (‘Guide to the children’s homes regulations including the quality standards’, page 23, Inspection report children’s home: SC039213 4 paragraph 4.16)

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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 differences 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

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

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’.

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Children’s home details

Responsible individual: Mr Stellakis Miltiadous

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Inspector

Barnaby Dowell, social care inspector Inspection report children’s home: SC039213 5 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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