Children's Home run by Destiny House in Harrow

Inspection report children’s home: SC038906 1 SC038906 Registered provider: Destiny House Interim 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 children. The home’s statement of purpose states that the home looks after children who have emotional and/or behavioural difficulties.

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Information about this children’s home

The home does not currently have a registered manager in post. A new acting manager has been appointed and they have applied to Ofsted to be registered.

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Information about this children’s home

Judgement at last inspection: requires improvement to be good

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Enforcement action since last inspection:

Ofsted issued two compliance notices on 14 August 2018.

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and young people since the most recent full inspection

This home was judged requires improvement to be good at the last full inspection. At this interim inspection the home was ‘not judged’.

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and young people since the most recent full inspection

At the time of this inspection, there were no children in placement. Therefore, this inspection focuses on whether the children’s home meets its statutory requirements to maintain its registration and is ready to accept placements. As a result, no judgement is made. The home has a newly appointed acting manager.

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and young people since the most recent full inspection

Ofsted conducted a monitoring visit at the home on 14 August 2018. The visit resulted in two compliance notices being issued. These highlighted a failure to comply with the leadership and management standard and a failure to produce appropriate key records. Inspection report children’s home: SC038906 2 There is now a full and complete register of children who were recently admitted and discharged from the home. Therefore, all required information is available.

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and young people since the most recent full inspection

The monitoring visit highlighted discrepancies in the home’s staffing roster. In particular, information on the roster did not record accurately the shifts and hours that staff members worked at the home. In recent months, as there have been no children in placement at the home, the only staff members present on site have been the registered individual and the acting manager. The working hours of both the responsible individual and the acting manager are clearly documented on the staffing rota.

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and young people since the most recent full inspection

On request, the acting manager produced staff rosters of a week when children were in placement. The roster was clear in identifying the days and shifts worked by the staff team throughout that week. This information corresponded accurately with the staff sign-in sheet seen for that same week. This confirms the accuracy of the staff roster.

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and young people since the most recent full inspection

The home’s visitor’s book now contains the names of visitors to the home, and the reason for their visit. This practice was not the case at the previous monitoring visit.

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and young people since the most recent full inspection

A second compliance notice was raised at the monitoring visit. This was due to the provider’s failure to ensure that risk management practices in the home safeguarded and promoted children’s welfare.

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and young people since the most recent full inspection

Previously, no risk assessments were produced for planned maintenance work at the home and for contractors being in the building. During this inspection, the acting manager produced risk assessments and management strategies which minimise risks to children and others while building work is being undertaken.

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and young people since the most recent full inspection

These strategies include, for example, scheduling building work as far as possible during school hours, so that children were away from the building; for tools to be kept locked away; employing handypersons known to the service and ensuring that maintenance personnel have current Disclosure and Barring Service (DBS) checks.

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and young people since the most recent full inspection

Staff now ensure that they complete individualised risk assessments for children. Risk assessments outline known and anticipated risks to children. Risk management strategies include, for example, staff escorting children within the community, keeping in contact with children when they are absent from the home and communicating with children using language they understand. This was not the case at the previous inspection. These strategies help to keep children safe from harm.

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and young people since the most recent full inspection

The provider has supplied Ofsted with a recent quality of care review report. This was not the case at the previous inspection. The report provides an overview of placement activity for the identified period, noting key events and issues for action.

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and young people since the most recent full inspection

The home has reviewed and revised important safeguarding policies and procedures. These include child protection protocols, behaviour management policies and the home’s complaints policy. These procedures are appropriately detailed, and some have been Inspection report children’s home: SC038906 3 shared with the local authority’s designated officer for comment.

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and young people since the most recent full inspection

The home’s environment remains modestly decorated and furnished. The building adequately meets the accommodation needs of children.

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Inspection date Inspection type Inspection judgement

12/06/2018 Full Requires improvement to be good 30/11/2017 Full Inadequate 22/08/2017 Full Inadequate 27/03/2017 Interim Improved effectiveness

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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

Registered provider: Destiny House Inspection report children’s home: SC038906 4 Responsible individual: Eleanor Johnson

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Inspector

Sandra Jacobs-Walls, social care inspector Inspection report children’s home: SC038906 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 looked after children, safeguarding and child protection.

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Inspector

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