Children's Home run by Harmony Childcare Residential Homes Ltd in Staffordshire

Inspection report children's home: 2495967 1 Registered provider: Harmony Childcare Residential Homes Limited Full inspection Inspected under the social care common inspection framework

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Information about this children's home

This home provides care and accommodation for up to three young people with a variety of complex needs. A private provider operates the home. The registered manager is suitably experienced and is undertaking a level 5 qualification in leadership and management.

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Overall experiences and progress of

children and young people, taking into account

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outstanding

How well children and young people are helped and protected outstanding

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outstanding

The effectiveness of leaders and managers outstanding

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outstanding

The children's home provides highly effective services that consistently exceed the standards of good. The actions of the children's home contribute to significantly improved outcomes and positive experiences for children who need help, protection and care.

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outstanding

Overall judgement at last inspection: good

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outstanding

Enforcement action since last inspection: none Inspection report children's home: 2495967 2

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Inspection date Inspection type Inspection judgement

02/10/2019 Full Good 01/07/2019 Full Inadequate Inspection report children's home: 2495967 3

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outstanding

Children make exceptional progress from their starting points. Children who have experienced significant trauma now feel safe and reassured. They progress due to receiving high levels of nurture and having trusting relationships with staff. A child told the inspector that the home and staff had saved their life, enabling them to stop misusing alcohol and doing risky things. The child attributed this to the stability and support they have received.

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outstanding

Staff go above and beyond to help children to move into and on from the home positively. Staff arranged for a young person who has experience of being in care to produce an audio Hip Hop style recording of the children’s guide to the home. This is a creative way of helping children to learn about the home and what to expect. Another child is preparing to move on to a Shared Lives project as part of her step towards independence. Staff have made sure she has the furniture she needs, supported her with visits and there is a leaving celebration planned with staff before she moves.

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outstanding

Children develop excellent relationships with the staff and each other. Staff are patient, caring and understanding of children’s individual needs. As a result, children experience a sense of belonging, feel loved, safe and are happy.

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outstanding

The voice of every child is heard and valued. This is achieved through informal conversations with staff, house meetings, key work sessions and consultation questionnaires. Staff show great insight into how best to get children to open up and talk. Children told the inspector that they feel listened to and that they know that staff care for them. One child has completed a beautiful piece of artwork reflecting their journey through the home. This illustrates the excellent progress they have made and shows that the child can appreciate this too.

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outstanding

Staff identify the barriers that negatively impact on children’s progress and find creative ways to help children to overcome these. For example, staff worked closely with a local college to support a child who had been home tutored. Through a sensitively planned induction and ongoing support and guidance, the child is now engaging with the course and speaks passionately about their future career plans.

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outstanding

Children are helped to develop independence skills. When the time is right children receive encouragement and support to seek part-time employment. This gives children confidence in their abilities and a sense of pride in their achievements. It also enables children to learn important life skills which prepare them for adulthood.

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outstanding

Children who have suffered significant adverse childhood experiences are well supported by staff. The manager undertook some research and sourced extra training for staff to help them understand more about bereavement. This enabled Inspection report children's home: 2495967 4 staff to hold key conversations with a child around their emotions and experiences of loss. In addition, the manager and staff team undertook research to inform their learning about racial prejudice so they could support a child to learn about tolerance, be accepting of difference and to celebrate diversity.

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outstanding

The manager and staff take their safeguarding responsibilities very seriously. Staff clearly know the children very well. They are aware of their strengths and vulnerabilities, and the areas in which they need to develop. As a result, they comprehensively assess and plan for managing children’s behaviours and put measures in place to protect them. The risk assessments completed by staff are comprehensive, regularly reviewed and consistently implemented. Highly effective risk management practice protects children from harm.

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outstanding

Children have made tremendous progress from their starting points. One child’s progress is such that they a deprivation of liberty order has been discharged by the court and they no longer need support from two staff at all times. A parent described the support their child receives as ‘amazing’ and is reassured that they are safe. She describes staff as having ‘turned [the child’s] life around’.

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outstanding

Ongoing discussions with staff and good use of online resources ensure that children develop a clear understanding about their own personal safety. For example, one child has recently started independent travel to college. Careful planning, route familiarisation and age-appropriate learning around risk has promoted this child’s independence. Children receive support to learn more about healthy relationships and have access to specialist support to reduce risks relating to alcohol and drug misuse.

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outstanding

Children receive highly effective care and consistent boundaries from staff that enable them to feel safe. As a result, they are very settled in the home. Because of the excellent relationships with staff and each other, children enjoy spending time in their home and challenging incidents are very low.

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outstanding

Staff understand children well and have exceptional understanding of the triggers for children’s behaviour. Staff only use physical intervention as a last resort to keep children and others safe. Timely intervention, sensitive discussions and positive reinforcement support the children to manage their own behaviour and develop the tools for self-regulation.

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outstanding

Children do not to go missing from home. However, staff remain vigilant to the possibility of such incidents occurring. Staff have worked with the police to implement trigger plans to ensure that a coordinated approach is in place should it be needed.

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outstanding

Staff regularly discuss new and presenting risks with children and help them develop an understanding of how to keep safe and promote positive behaviour. When a Inspection report children's home: 2495967 5 concern is identified prompt and targeted responses help to minimise any risk and identify any learning. For example, when there were significant concerns about a child self-harming the manager acted swiftly. She engaged professionals involved in the child’s life, increased staffing levels and implemented a safety plan. This was effective as it reduced risks to the child and meant that they got the support that they needed.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: outstanding

The registered manager is an exceptionally child-focused practitioner. She makes excellent use of monitoring and review systems to help her to understand each child’s progress from their starting point as well as the strengths and needs of the home. For example, the registered manager produces a six-monthly progress and achievement report that maps and celebrates children’s progress and she uses this to plan how to promote even further positive outcomes for them. Any issues that the registered manager identifies she responds to swiftly. This exceptional leadership enables the staff to continually evolve and improve the already high-quality care children receive.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: outstanding

The manager knows the children extremely well. She spends time with them and talks proudly of the progress they have made. She listens to children’s views and is a strong advocate for them.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: outstanding

Highly effective partnership working means that children receive well-coordinated care that promotes their safety, well-being and progress. The manager shares information with relevant people about children’s progress and any concerns. Feedback gathered from professionals and parents during the inspection was exemplary. Many described the home, manager and staff as ‘amazing’. An independent reviewing officer praised the staff and described his child’s care and levels of progress as being ‘best possible outcome’ for them. A parent also said that staff had brought their child on ‘in leaps and bounds’.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: outstanding

Staff are very well supported by the registered manager who shows that she has a real commitment to the professional development of her team. Staff benefit from quality team meetings and supervision. Supervision records are reflective, detailed and show that staff receive clear direction and support to progress their practice. New staff are supported through a clear, effective induction process. This ensures that children receive high-quality care. Children and staff speak highly about the support they receive, for example one child said he loves it at the home and a member of staff described working at the home as brilliant!

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: outstanding

The registered manager uses independent scrutiny of the service well and uses this information to improve the quality of care. The registered manager addresses any recommendations raised by the independent visitor who monitors the home each month. Independent visitor reports are detailed and there is evidence of consultation with children and professionals. Although key stakeholder feedback is sought and actioned, this is not always referenced in the quality-of-care review report. In addition, due to a misunderstanding about who was sending in the independent Inspection report children's home: 2495967 6 visitor’s report to Ofsted, this has not always been received by the regulator in a timely way. This has not impacted on children and a recommendation has been raised to address it. Inspection report children's home: 2495967 7

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Recommendations

 The registered person should ensure that feedback from professionals is included in the quality-of-care review report and that monthly reports by the external visitor are sent to Ofsted promptly. ('Guide to the Children's Homes Regulations including the quality standards' page 55, paragraph 10.24)

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Information about this inspection

Inspectors have looked closely at the experiences and progress of children and young people, 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: 2495967 8

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Children's home details

Registered provider: Harmony Childcare Residential Homes Limited

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Children's home details

Registered provider address: 9 Elstree Close, Shrewsbury, Shropshire SY3 9QF

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Inspector

James Tallis, Social Care Inspector Inspection report children's home: 2495967 9 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 looked after children, safeguarding and child protection.

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Inspector

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Inspector

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Inspector

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