Children's Home run by Destiny House in Harrow

Assurance inspection report for children’s home: SC038906 1 SC038906

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Inspected under the social care common inspection framework

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Information about this children’s home

This privately run children’s home provides care for up to three children with social and emotional difficulties.

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Information about this children’s home

The home registered with Ofsted in October 2002.

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Information about this children’s home

The registered manager post has been vacant since August 2022.

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Information about this children’s home

Judgement at last inspection: requires improvement to be good

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Information about this children’s home

Enforcement action since last inspection: none

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Information about this inspection

At this inspection, the inspector evaluated:

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Information about this inspection

 the care of children  the safety of children  the effectiveness of leaders and managers. The inspector looked closely at the experiences and progress of children, using the social care common inspection framework. This assurance 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’. Assurance inspection report for children’s home: SC038906 2

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Findings from the inspection

We did not identify any serious or widespread concerns in relation to the care or protection of children at this assurance inspection.

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The care of children

At the time of this inspection, three children were living at the home. Staff work hard to form supportive and trusting relationships with the children.

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The care of children

All children attend school or college. Staff work well with children’s schools and colleges to ensure that any barriers to children’s learning are quickly addressed. This partnership has helped one child to successfully achieve their GCSE’s. This is an outstanding achievement for the child, who had previously missed a significant amount of education due to poor school attendance.

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The care of children

Staff provide children with opportunities to take part in a range of fun activities. This includes playing basketball, going swimming, and playing board games.

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The care of children

Staff understand that it is important for children to maintain relationships with the people who are important to them. Staff support and arrange for children to spend quality time with their family when it is safe for them to do so.

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The care of children

Staff understand children’s health needs well and make sure that children attend all of their health-related appointments. Staff encourage children to think about their own health, such as sustaining a healthy diet and actively participating in physical activities that promote their physical well-being.

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The safety of children

Staff understand children’s vulnerabilities and work to agreed safety plans to ensure that risks to children are reduced. Consequently, incidents of children going missing from the home and children engaging in challenging behaviour have reduced.

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The safety of children

When staff identify new vulnerabilities for children, they quickly engage with the relevant agencies to identify strategies to safeguard the child and others. Safety plans are updated to ensure that staff have up-to-date information relating to children’s risks and vulnerabilities.

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The safety of children

Children confirmed that they know who they can talk to if they have any worries or concerns. Staff talk to children about their individual risks and help them to identify strategies to help to keep themselves safe.

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The safety of children

Leaders generally take appropriate action to safeguard children when concerns are brought to their attention in respect of staff. However, leaders did not progress Assurance inspection report for children’s home: SC038906 3 matters to resolve historical accusations made about a staff member from when they worked at another setting.

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The safety of children

One child’s bedroom window does not have window restrictors in place. This presents a risk to the child. Leaders have identified this as a shortfall and are taking appropriate action to address this and safeguard the child.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers

Leaders have made progress in addressing the requirements and recommendations raised at the last inspection. Progress has been made in relation to the recording of staff supervision and incidents, consultation about fire safety, and notifications to Ofsted.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers

The responsible individual is currently in day-to-day charge of the home. However, an experienced member of staff is in the process of applying to Ofsted to be registered as the manager of the home.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers

Leaders play a significant role in supporting staff to achieve positive outcomes for children. Nevertheless, the continued absence of a registered manager has led to a lack of oversight and scrutiny of practice through continuous monitoring and review to drive improvement in the quality of care provided to children.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers

Leaders have still not obtained up-to-date care plans for some of the children from their placing authorities. This compromises the ability of staff to fully understand and meet the needs of the children in their care.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers

Leaders have not given sufficient consideration to the impact of the use of CCTV in the communal areas of the home. Furthermore, the impact on children’s rights and privacy is not considered in children’s safety plans.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers

The statement of purpose was updated following the last inspection. Nevertheless, the statement of purpose still does not accurately reflect the current staff team and details of the care provided to achieve the outcomes that they seek for children. Assurance inspection report for children’s home: SC038906 4

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Inspection date Inspection type Inspection judgement

04/05/2022 Full Requires improvement to be good 24/05/2021 Full Good 20/01/2020 Interim Sustained effectiveness 17/07/2019 Full Good Assurance inspection report for children’s home: SC038906 5

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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 leadership and management standard is that the registered person enables, inspires and leads a culture in relation to the children’s home that—

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Requirement Due date

helps children aspire to fulfil their potential; and

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Requirement Due date

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

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Requirement Due date

lead and manage the home in a way that is consistent with the approach and ethos, and delivers the outcomes, set out in the home’s statement of purpose;

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Requirement Due date

understand the impact that the quality of care provided in the home is having on the progress and experiences of each child and use this understanding to inform the development of the quality of care provided in the home;

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Requirement Due date

demonstrate that practice in the home is informed and improved by taking into account and acting on—

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Requirement Due date

research and developments in relation to the ways in which the needs of children are best met; and

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Requirement Due date

feedback on the experiences of children, including complaints received; and

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Requirement Due date

use monitoring and review systems to make continuous improvements in the quality of care provided in the home. (Regulation 13 (1)(a)(b) (2)(a)(f)(g)(i)(ii)(h))

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Requirement Due date

In particular, the registered person must ensure that there is effective oversight of the monitoring and review of the quality of care. 1 May 2023 Assurance inspection report for children’s home: SC038906 6 The registered person may only use devices for the monitoring or surveillance of children if—

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Requirement Due date

the monitoring or surveillance is for the purpose of safeguarding and promoting the welfare of the child concerned, or other children;

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Requirement Due date

the monitoring or surveillance is no more intrusive than necessary, having regard to the child’s need for privacy. (Regulation 24 (1)(a)(d))

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Requirement Due date

In particular, the registered person must ensure that the use of CCTV within the home is necessary to meet the needs of individual children and is justified. 1 March 2023

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Requirement Due date

The registered provider must appoint a person to manage the children’s home if—

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Requirement Due date

there is no registered manager in respect of the home; and

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Requirement Due date

is not, or does not intend to be, in day-to-day charge of the home.

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Requirement Due date

If the registered provider appoints a person to manage the home, the registered provider must, without delay, give HMCI notice of—

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Requirement Due date

the name of the person so appointed; and

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Requirement Due date

the date on which the appointment takes effect. (Regulation 27 (1)(a)(b)(i)(ii)(iii) (2)(a)(b)) 1 May 2023

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Requirement Due date

The registered person must recruit staff using recruitment procedures that are designed to ensure children’s safety.

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Requirement Due date

employ an individual to work at the children’s home; or

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Requirement Due date

if an individual is employed by a person other than the registered person to work at the home in a position in which 1 March 2023 Assurance inspection report for children’s home: SC038906 7 the individual may have regular contact with children, allow that individual to work at the home,

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Requirement Due date

if the individual satisfies the requirements in paragraph (3).

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Requirement Due date

the individual is of integrity and good character. (Regulation 32 (1) (2)(a)(b) (3)(a))

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Requirement Due date

In particular, the registered person must ensure that all allegations against staff are addressed promptly and appropriately.

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Requirement Due date

The registered person must maintain records ("case records") for each child which—

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Requirement Due date

include the information and documents listed in Schedule 3 in relation to each child;

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Requirement Due date

are kept up to date. (Regulation 36 (1)(a)(b) and Schedule 19)

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Requirement Due date

In particular, the registered person must ensure that they have up-to-date care plans from the placing authorities of all children. 1 March 2023

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Recommendations

 The registered person should ensure that the statement of purpose accurately reflects the current staff team and details of the care provided to achieve the outcomes they seek to achieve for children. (‘Guide to the Children’s Home Regulations, including the quality standards,’ page 14, paragraph 3.5)

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Recommendations

 The registered person should ensure that appropriate safeguards are in place to ensure children’s safety where there are risks from high windows. (‘Guide to the Children’s Home Regulations, including the quality standards,’ page 15, paragraph 3.9) Assurance inspection report for children’s home: SC038906 8

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Inspector

Colin Bent, Social Care Inspector Assurance inspection report for children’s home: SC038906 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 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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Inspector

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