Children's Home run by Destiny House in Harrow

Inspection report children’s home: SC038906 1 SC038906 Registered provider:

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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 three young people. The home’s statement of purpose notes that the home can look after young people who have post-traumatic disorders, severe anxiety, attachment issues, emotional behavioural difficulties and/or challenging behaviour. The manager was registered on 19 May 2019.

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Overall experiences and progress of

children and young people, taking into account

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good

How well children and young people are helped and protected good

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good

The effectiveness of leaders and managers good

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good

The children’s home provides effective services that meet the requirements for good.

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good

Date of last inspection: 7 February 2019

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good

Overall judgement at last inspection: not judged

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good

Enforcement action since last inspection: none Inspection report children’s home: SC038906 2

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Inspection date Inspection type Inspection judgement

07/02/2019 Interim Not judged 12/06/2018 Full Requires improvement to be good 30/11/2017 Full Inadequate 22/08/2017 Full Inadequate Inspection report children’s home: SC038906 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

Monitoring and surveillance The registered person may only use devices for the monitoring or surveillance of children if— the monitoring or surveillance is no more intrusive than necessary, having regard to the child’s need for privacy. (24)(1)(d) 30/11/2019

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Recommendations

 Staff should continually and actively assess the risks to each child and the arrangements in place to protect them. Where there are safeguarding concerns for a child, their placement plan, agreed between the home and their placing authority, must include details of the steps the home will take to manage any assessed risks on a day to day basis. (‘Guide to the children’s home regulations, including quality standards’, page 42, paragraph 9.5)

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Staff provide good individualised care and support to children and young people. This makes a positive difference to them. A placing social worker commented that one young person has made a remarkable turnaround. The young person in question is making excellent progress in education and he has reduced behaviours that previously placed him at risk of harm. A young person reported that he feels that staff genuinely care about him and treat him with respect. This helps him manage his behaviour much better and he is co-operating with boundaries in a way that he struggled to in previous placements. The provider enables children and young people to engage in education. Home tutors are skilled and effective in helping young people to access learning. They work effectively in partnership with placing authorities and education providers to identify community education placements. This means that all children and young people make

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Inspection report children’s home: SC038906 4 excellent progress from their starting points. Children and young people access therapeutic services commissioned by the provider. The therapeutic practitioner provides direct support and drama therapy. Some children and young people who previously refused to engage with therapeutic services have been able to engage. This enables them to reflect on their circumstances in a way that helps them to make sense of the world around them and learn coping skills that are necessary to survive and thrive. Children and young people are supported to prepare for independence by developing emotional resilience and practical skills. One young person now has a much more positive outlook on his future in terms of his employment prospects. He is learning to build and sustain healthy relationships with the people that are most important to him. The provider works closely with parents and has been successful in helping children and

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

young people rebuild relationships and spend more time with their birth families. Children and young people are supported to make healthy lifestyle choices. Activities offered, such as the gym, promote exercise and good well-being. Children and young people are able to access local health services and support when they need it. The registered manager ensures that the needs of children and young people remain at the heart of decision-making. She leads a resilient team of staff who work through challenges and help children and young people to make progress in the home. This helps them to move on in a planned way in accordance with their care plans. In most respects, the living environment is very homely, clean and comfortable. However, the use of Closed-Circuit Television in communal areas of the house detracts from this homely feel. It is an unnecessary invasion of the privacy of children and young people and visitors to the home.

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

Staff have a good understanding of the needs and vulnerabilities of children and young people. They have clear safety plans to reduce risks and ensure that there are enough suitably experienced staff on duty. However, the written risk assessment for one young person who had high support needs did not clearly evidence what had changed to reduce the need for high staffing levels. Staff are effective at reducing the number of times that children and young people go missing from the home. This is in part due to the effective working relationships that staff have with local police and placing authorities. It is also because of the trusting relationships that staff build with children and young people. This helps children and young people confide in staff as to where they are going and to keep in touch when they are away from the home. Children and young people benefit from direct work through key-work and therapy

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

sessions that helps them to explore and learn how to keep safe. This includes how to stay safe in the community, how to build healthy relationships and how to manage conflict. Children and young people are also provided with appropriate information and Inspection report children’s home: SC038906 5 support in terms of sex and relationships. Staff are firm but fair in the way that they maintain boundaries and manage behaviour in the home. They manage incidents of challenging behaviour well without the need for sanctions or physical interventions. The registered manager is a qualified social worker and has a good knowledge of child protection and safeguarding. She maintains a good oversight of practice in this area. Staff recruitment practice is safe. Staff receive regular training in key areas of safeguarding practice. They know what to look for to ensure that they notice signs that children and young people may be

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

vulnerable to exploitation or radicalisation. They understand how to act on concerns and take prompt action in response to risk-taking behaviours.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

The registered manager is relatively new in post and has made a positive difference to the quality of care since she started. She is suitably experienced and has a good knowledge of the regulatory framework. The registered manager is currently undertaking the leadership and management qualification needed for the role. The previous registered manager is the responsible individual and proprietor of the home. She is visible in the home and undertakes direct work with staff and children and young people. The leadership and management team works effectively together and complement each other’s skills. They provide excellent support to staff and maintain a keen oversight of practice. They know the children and young people well and have an excellent insight into their experiences of care in the home. Leaders and managers use this understanding to improve practice. The registered manager works effectively in partnership with the professional network

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

and advocates strongly for children and young people. A range of professionals who gave feedback to the inspector gave a consistent message that the provider has made a significant difference to the lives of children and young people. A local police officer cited the home’s ability to get children to confide in them as being pivotal in helping find children and young people who go missing from the home. A placing social worker praised the work that staff had undertaken with families. The registered manager regularly monitors the quality of care in the home. She takes prompt remedial action in response to any shortfalls in practice. One example of this is that the provider has reduced the number of children and young people living in the home. This helps staff dedicate more time to children and young people. In addition, the registered manager has ensured that she carefully matches the needs of all children and

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

young people which has improved the group dynamics in the home. She is ambitious and has good plans in place to further improve the service. The registered manager supports a strong ethos in the home in relation to equality and diversity. Staff take time to help children and young people develop a sense of identity in terms of their culture, family background and faith. Staff challenge discrimination in all Inspection report children’s home: SC038906 6 forms and actively promote equality of opportunity. Since the last full inspection, the provider has made significant improvements to safeguarding practice, policies and procedures and the physical environment of the home. The home benefits from monthly visits by an independent visitor. The registered manager makes good use of these reports to inform service development.

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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

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 7

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Inspector

Lee Kirwin, social care inspector Inspection report children’s home: SC038906 8 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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