Children's home run by Harmony Residential Homes Limited in Barnet

Inspection report children’s home: 1226612 1 Registered provider: Harmony Residential Homes Limited Full inspection Inspected under the social care common inspection framework

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Information about this children’s home

The home is owned and managed by a private organisation. It provides care for up to four children with social and emotional difficulties.

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Information about this children’s home

The manager registered with Ofsted in April 2018.

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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: 19 October 2021

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good

Overall judgement at last inspection: good

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good

Enforcement action since last inspection: none Inspection report children’s home: 1226612 2

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Inspection date Inspection type Inspection judgement

19/10/2021 Full Good 20/08/2019 Full Good 20/02/2019 Interim Improved effectiveness 13/08/2018 Full Good Inspection report children’s home: 1226612 3

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

At the time of this inspection, three children were living at the home. The manager understands the needs of the children prior to children moving in. This ensures that children are suitably matched. Children living at the home are told when new children are moving in. As a result, the children living together are settled.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Staff know the children well. They organise meetings in environments in which children will feel relaxed and able to talk. Children talk to staff about any worries or concerns that they have. Staff listen to children. This helps children to talk with staff, who understand how trauma and past experiences affect them. One social worker said, ‘The staff helped the child emotionally without putting too much pressure on her, which is amazing.’

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Staff follow detailed care plans to ensure that children receive consistent care and support. Care plans have recently changed to include the children’s views. People who are important to the child also comment on how staff will work with children. Targets and progress that children make are incorporated into care plans. This helps staff to provide individual and tailored support to children.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Two out of the three children are in education and their attendance is good. Both children are currently undertaking their GCSEs. The staff help children to revise and have sourced old exam papers to help them to prepare for their exams. A teacher said, ‘The staff are strong advocates for children’s education.’ One child moved into the home recently. The manager has organised online tutoring, which had not started at the time of the inspection. Staff are helping the child to overcome her anxieties about engaging with education again. Staff understand the importance of learning and help children who may feel worried about attending school.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Staff help children to spend time with people who are important to them. Staff understand that relationships may be complex. Staff help to strengthen and repair family relationships. At times, staff have also provided support directly to families, in the best interests of the child.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Staff spend time with children doing activities that children enjoy. Children have experienced new activities, such as quad biking, trips to theme parks and holidays. One child said, ‘I went to London and took a ride on a red bus, it was the best day.’ Staff help children to develop their interests and hobbies. One member of staff is helping a child to play the piano and sing. Staff organise leisure activities in the local community, including swimming, visiting nail bars and trips to the cinema. Staff encourage children to develop their confidence and self-esteem.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Children have access to a games and music room. Communal areas encourage socialisation. However, the walls are blank and sparse and paint in communal areas Inspection report children’s home: 1226612 4 is worn. One of the skirting boards in the games room has broken and the wood has been left on the floor. This means that the environment lacks a homely feel.

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

Since living at the home, children’s emotional well-being has improved. Children speak with staff when they are feeling angry or upset. Children trust staff and feel able to speak to them about past experiences. Staff focus on building positive relationships with children. As a result, there have been no physical restraints since the last inspection.

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

Staff are focused on encouraging positive behaviour. Rewards are used when children have made significant progress, such good school attendance, receiving good grades and developing independent living skills. Children are encouraged by staff to develop through set and agreed targets which children receive praise for achieving. Since the last inspection, there have been no sanctions used.

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

Children are continuously encouraged to make positive choices. Staff discuss any concerning issues with children and the possible consequences of their actions. Staff have helped one child to stop smoking. Children benefit from meeting with staff when incidents have occurred. Staff provide choices for children so that they can consider other ways of behaving when they feel overwhelmed.

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

Since the last inspection, one child has been missing from home for a short time. Staff followed the missing-from-care procedures. When the child returned to the home, staff met with them to listen to their experience. Staff helped the child to understand the risks and learn about how to keep safe. Consequently, the child has not been missing since.

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

There have been no instances of bullying at the home. Children’s relationships with each other are positive. Nevertheless, staff speak with children about bullying to make certain that they understand the signs and effects of this type of behaviour. This helps children to develop healthy relationships with each other.

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

Staff follow behaviour plans which incorporate known risks for children. These plans are written to a good standard and highlight both proactive and reactive strategies for staff to follow. However, the risk of a child’s personal grooming items in regard to self-harm has not been identified or reviewed as a known risk.

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

Staff plan regular fire drills to help children understand what to do in the event of a fire. However, one child consistently refuses to evacuate during drills. The personal evacuation plan for the same child does not state that this is a known risk and has not been reviewed with his refusal to leave. Inspection report children’s home: 1226612 5

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

The registered manager and senior management team have employed an acting manager since November 2021 to manage this home. This arrangement allowed the registered manager to have oversight of another children’s home in the same organisation. The acting manager leaves in June 2022 and the registered manager will return to manage the home. The registered manager and acting manager have substantial experience managing children’s homes. However, the registered manager has not achieved the required level 5 diploma.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

The experienced and stable staff team benefits from regular team meetings, which are well attended. The home’s therapy team joins team meetings where they discuss progress in children’s emotional and mental health. This helps children to receive consistent and evidence-based support from staff.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

Staff receive regular supervision which helps them to reflect on their practice with children. Professional development is discussed. The manager focuses on staff’s well-being and the impact that the work has on them. Staff say that they feel supported by the management team.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

The acting manager and registered manager use effective monitoring tools to drive improvements. The managers are aware of the home’s strengths and areas for development.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

Recruitment and retention of staff are good. New staff move through a detailed induction which is signed off by a manager as part of the competency checks before they work with children. Children are helped by staff who have been thoroughly considered for their role.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

Staff are trained to meet the children’s needs. Additional training is provided to ensure that staff can support children with mild disabilities. The manager is keen to support the career development of those who work at the home. However, not all staff have achieved a relevant level 3 diploma within the agreed time frame. This was raised at the last inspection and has been restated.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

The independent person visits the home regularly but does not consult children on their views. This requirement was raised at the last inspection and has been restated.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

Since the last inspection, the manager has met three out of five requirements. Two requirements have been restated, in respect of the level 3 diploma and the independent person visits. All recommendations from the last inspection have been met. Inspection report children’s home: 1226612 6

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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 protection of children standard is that children are protected from harm and enabled to keep themselves safe.

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Requirement Due date

In particular, the standard in paragraph (1) requires the registered person to ensure—

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Requirement Due date

assess whether each child is at risk of harm, taking into account information in the child’s relevant plans, and, if necessary, make arrangements to reduce the risk of any harm to the child. (Regulation 12 (1) (2)(a)(i))

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Requirement Due date

In particular, assess the risk of children using personal grooming items. 8 July 2022

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Requirement Due date

The protection of children standard is that children are protected from harm and enabled to keep themselves safe.

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Requirement Due date

In particular, the standard in paragraph (1) requires the registered person to ensure—

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Requirement Due date

help each child to understand how to keep safe. (Regulation 12 (1) (2)(a)(ii))

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Requirement Due date

In particular, each child’s personal evacuation plan must include strategies which ensure that they leave the building when evacuation drills take place. 8 July 2022

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Requirement Due date

A person may only manage a children’s home if—

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Requirement Due date

the person has the appropriate experience, qualification and skills to manage the home effectively and lead the care of children. 12 December Inspection report children’s home: 1226612 7 For the purposes of paragraph (1)(b)(i), a person has the appropriate experience and qualification if the person has—

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Requirement Due date

the Level 5 Diploma in Leadership and Management for Residential Childcare (England) (“the Level 5 Diploma”); or

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Requirement Due date

a qualification which the registered provider considers to be equivalent to the Level 5 Diploma.

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Requirement Due date

in the case of a person who was managing a home on 1st April 2014, 1st April 2017. (Regulation 28 (1)(i) (2)(c)(i)(ii) (3)(b))

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Requirement Due date

For the purposes of paragraph (3)(b), an individual who works in the home in a care role has the appropriate qualification if, by the relevant date, the individual has attained—

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Requirement Due date

the Level 3 Diploma for Residential Childcare (England) (“the Level 3 Diploma”); or

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Requirement Due date

a qualification which the registered person considers to be equivalent to the Level 3 Diploma.

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Requirement Due date

in the case of an individual who starts working in a care role in a home after 1st April 2014, the date which falls 2 years after the date on which the individual started working in a care role in a home; or

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Requirement Due date

in the case of an individual who was working in a care role in a home on 1st April 2014, 1st April 2016. (Regulation 32 (4)(a)(b) (5)(a)(b))

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Requirement Due date

This requirement was raised at the last inspection and is restated. 12 December

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Requirement Due date

When the independent person is carrying out a visit, the registered person must help the independent person—

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Requirement Due date

if they consent, to interview in private such of the children, their parents, relatives and persons working at the home as the independent person requires. (Regulation 44 (2)(a)) 8 July 2022 Inspection report children’s home: 1226612 8 This specifically relates to the independent person seeking feedback from children, parents and social workers to form a view about how well children are safeguarded.

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Requirement Due date

This requirement was raised at the last inspection and is restated.

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Recommendation

 The registered person should ensure that children live in a homely environment. In particular, ensure that the walls are painted to a good standard and that rooms and walls are personalised to reflect the children living in the home. (‘Guide to the Children’s Homes Regulations, including the quality standards’, page 15, paragraph 3.9)

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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: 1226612 9

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Children’s home details

Registered provider: Harmony Residential Homes Limited

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Children’s home details

Registered provider address: 155 Cross Road, Mawneys, Romford RM7 8EA

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Inspector

Mandy Start, Social Care Inspector Inspection report children’s home: 1226612 10 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 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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