Children's Home run by Highview Care Ltd in Haringey

Inspection report children’s home: 2709800 1 Registered provider: Highview Care Ltd Full inspection Inspected under the social care common inspection framework

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Information about this children’s home

This privately owned home cares for up to six children with emotional and social difficulties.

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Information about this children’s home

The home and manager registered with Ofsted in January 2023.

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Information about this children’s home

In July 2023, due to promotion within the organisation, the registered manager submitted an application to voluntarily cancel his registration. The new manager has submitted an application to register with Ofsted.

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Information about this children’s home

At the time of this inspection, four children were living at the home.

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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: not previously inspected

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good

Overall judgement at last inspection: not applicable

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good

Enforcement action since last inspection: not applicable Inspection report for children’s home: 2709800 2

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Inspection date Inspection type Inspection judgement

Not previously inspected Inspection report for children’s home: 2709800 3

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

The committed staff team know children well and staff are passionate about supporting them. Staff speak positively about children, and can identify the progress that children make. Monthly update reports, shared with social workers, ensure good communication around children’s needs and development.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Staff promote children’s relationships with their families. Children are supported to spend time with their families, and staff make the effort to get to know the important people in children’s lives. Staff understand that having positive contact with family is important for children’s identity and well-being.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

The diverse staff team place a strong emphasis on helping children to understand their heritage and ethnic backgrounds. Children are supported to practise their religion, and staff cook a variety of meals ensuring that cultural practices, such as a halal diet, are upheld. Children’s beliefs are respected, allowing children to maintain their cultural identity. One child has made good progress in his English skills with staff’s help and encouragement.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Weekly children’s meetings offer children the opportunity to share their feelings and make decisions around meal planning and house activities. Staff respond quickly to children’s views and wishes, and this results in children feeling listened to within the home.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Children are encouraged to participate in activities that are of interest to them. For example, one child has access to a go-karting membership. One child swims regularly at a local gym, and boxing lessons are being sought for another child. A punch bag and basketball hoop have been added to the back garden, following children’s requests. Managers and staff understand that participating in extracurricular activities is an important component for building resilience in children.

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

Children say that they feel safe. They can identify a trusted person to talk to when they have any worries or concerns. Staff place children’s well-being at the centre of their practice and ensure that they are meeting children’s day-to-day needs. A parent spoken with stated that she had no concerns about her child’s safety or well- being.

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

There is a strong emphasis on creating a family atmosphere and giving children a sense of belonging. Staff prioritise helping children, and staff will change their shifts to be present at important events for children. Staff’s dedicated and open approach means that children have opportunities to create positive relationships in the home. Inspection report for children’s home: 2709800 4 Missing from home incidents, which are infrequent, are managed well. Staff follow appropriate procedures and work collaboratively with other professionals when children go missing. Staff take proactive steps to contact children and gather information about their whereabouts and to ensure their safety. Missing from home interviews are prioritised in key working sessions, as a way of preventing further missing from home incidents in the future.

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

The known and potential risks to the children are well understood by managers and staff. Risk assessments are clear and detailed. Weekly key working sessions are an effective way of speaking with children about their risks. Regular health and safety checks are undertaken, and room searches are only conducted when there is a suspicion that there might be an item that poses a risk. However, room search logs do not demonstrate if children have been informed of the search.

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

Children benefit from living in a home that is comfortable, spacious and nicely decorated. One child said, ‘The staff are nice and my bedroom looks amazing, bigger to what I’m used to’.

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

However, in one child’s bedroom, there was evidence of smoking as there was cigarette ash and a lighter. There is no clear guidance for staff and children about children having lighters in their bedroom. Furthermore, there has been an incident of one child setting a fire in the home. Managers are in contact with their local fire brigade for support but need a comprehensive plan around smoking and fire risks.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

Leaders and managers ensure that safer recruitment policies are followed by carrying out all relevant checks. Children have an opportunity to participate in staff interviews. Leaders and managers do not utilise agency staff; all staff are employed by the provider. This ensures that there is a stable staff team that is able to provide consistency of care for children. Children benefit from knowing the staff who will be caring for them.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

Staff morale is positive. Staff report feeling well supported by managers and describe a culture of team working. Staff receive regular and effective supervision which considers and prioritises children’s needs, as well as their own personal development. Staff have opportunities to discuss and debrief after incidents, to help manage any potential stress they might be feeling.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

Staff members spoken to demonstrate a strong understanding of whistle-blowing policies and safeguarding procedures. Concerns are shared with the relevant agencies. Team meetings demonstrate that staff are able to reflect on practice and the needs of children. Staff receive a comprehensive induction and ongoing training to strengthen their knowledge and skills.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

Leaders and managers have a clear vision for the home. A new management structure allows for quality assurance to be prioritised. Leaders and managers value Inspection report for children’s home: 2709800 5 feedback from other professionals, including an outside consultant and the independent person. This joined up approach ensures that children’s needs are paramount. However, the use of language on some records, such as ‘resident’ and ‘unit’ is ‘institutionalised’. Therefore, the language used needs to be more child- focused. Inspection report for children’s home: 2709800 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, The 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;

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Requirement Due date

help each child to understand how to keep safe;

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Requirement Due date

that the premises used for the purposes of the home are designed, furnished and maintained so as to protect each child from avoidable hazards to the child’s health. (Regulation 12 (2)(a)(i)(ii)(d)) 30 September 2023

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Recommendations

 The registered person should ensure that children’s bedroom should only be searched if the child has been informed or asked for their permission. Immediate searching may be necessary where there are reasonable grounds for believing that there is a risk to the child’s or another person’s safety or well-being. When this occurs, it should be clearly noted on file. (‘Guide to the Children’s Homes Regulations, including the quality standards’, page 16, paragraph 3.20)

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Recommendations

 The registered person should ensure that Children’s homes should seek as far as possible to maintain a domestic rather than ‘institutional’ impression; use of language on forms and in the home should reflect this and make references to ‘children’ and ‘home’. (‘Guide to the Children’s Homes Regulations, including the quality standards’, page 15, paragraph 3.9) Inspection report for children’s home: 2709800 7

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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 for children’s home: 2709800 8

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Children’s home details

Registered provider address: 54 Bluebridge Road, Brookmans Park, Hatfield AL9 7SA

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Children’s home details

Responsible individual: Stellakis Miltiadous

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Inspectors

Julie Cresswell, Social Care Inspector Lisa Mulcahy, Regulatory Inspection Manager Inspection report for children’s home: 2709800 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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Inspectors

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Inspectors

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Inspectors

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