Children's Home run by Little Feet LTD in Harrow

Inspection report for children's home: 2807577 1 Registered provider: Little Feet Ltd

p.1

Inspected under the social care common inspection framework

p.1

Information about this children’s home

This home registered with Ofsted in November 2024 and is owned and managed by a private provider. It offers care for up to four children who may experience social and/or emotional difficulties.

p.1

Information about this children’s home

This was the home’s first inspection. At the time of this inspection, four children were living at the home.

p.1

Overall experiences and progress of

children and young people, taking into account

p.1

good

How well children and young people are helped and protected good

p.1

good

The effectiveness of leaders and managers good

p.1

good

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

p.1

good

Date of last inspection: not previously inspected

p.1

good

Overall judgement at last inspection: not applicable

p.1

good

Enforcement action since last inspection: not applicable Inspection report for children's home: 2807577 2

p.1

Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Children live in a warm and welcoming home. Staff maintain the home to a high standard and it is peaceful and comfortable. Communal areas are nicely decorated and bedrooms are personalised. Personal touches such as welcome packs show staff’s commitment to ensuring all children feel valued from the moment they arrive. Children like their bedrooms and one child said they are ‘very happy’ with theirs.

p.2

Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Children are settled living in the home. They have good day-to-day experiences and have built positive relationships. Staff are child focused and are consistent in how they offer support and advice. This is recognised by external professionals and has contributed to children having a sense of belonging; they want to stay at the home. One professional said staff offer the children ‘fun, warmth and love’.

p.2

Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Children make good progress in their education. Leaders and managers work in partnership with relevant agencies to promote children’s attendance and achievements. When children experience barriers to education, staff provide support. This has successfully encouraged engagement. In some cases, alternative provisions have been found that give children a more suitable environment to learn in.

p.2

Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Children’s voices are heard and respected. They regularly attend child-focused house meetings. Children’s views and opinions are taken into account when leaders consider the quality of care children receive from staff. Children are encouraged to have a say in choosing activities and the weekly food menu, which includes meeting cultural preferences.

p.2

Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Children enjoy a wide range of activities in the home and local community. Staff encourage and support their personal interests, such as dancing and playing football. Staff recently organised a barbecue where they all brought a different dish from their culture. This provoked discussions and helped children to learn more about different cultures and religions.

p.2

Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Children remain in contact with family members. They spend quality time with their families outside of the home, with the support of staff.

p.2

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

Staff manage risks for children effectively. They are curious and vigilant when assessing potential risks to children. Incidents are managed effectively and in a timely manner. Risk assessments are kept up to date and include clear advice for staff to help them to manage and mitigate risk.

p.2

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

Staff follow the correct protocols when children go missing from the home. They report children’s absence to the relevant agencies and work in partnership to safeguard Inspection report for children's home: 2807577 3 children. One professional said staff communication is thorough and regular. When children return home, they are welcomed and encouraged to engage in discussions about their safety. This approach has contributed to a reduction in the number of times children go missing from the home.

p.2

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

Staff advocate on behalf of children and source additional specialist services to promote and support their well-being as needed. The in-house therapeutic support is available for children to use when they need to talk about their well-being.

p.3

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

Children are in good health. They are registered with universal services and have up-to- date healthcare plans. Staff support children to attend appointments to ensure that their medical needs are met. Staff work proactively with relevant agencies to support the physical and emotional well-being of children.

p.3

The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

Leaders and managers have good oversight of the home. They have effective monitoring and quality assurance systems in place. The in-house therapist supports managers to address any shortfalls in practice, which improves the care children receive.

p.3

The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

Team meetings are well attended by staff. Meetings are regular and include workshops to encourage reflective practice. The in-house therapist has recently started attending these meetings. This is supporting the staff team to focus on the children, the quality of care they provide and their own development.

p.3

The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

Staff receive specialised training. They have access to a wide range of learning opportunities to enhance their understanding and confidence to meet children’s needs. One staff member said their induction was positive and training was informative.

p.3

The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

Staff receive regular supervision and speak positively about the manager’s support. Discussions are wide ranging, and children and their progress are considered. However, supervision records lack attention to detail, do not consistently capture the depth of the discussions and actions lack detail. This does not support staff to fully understand and fulfil their responsibilities.

p.3

The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

Managers’ oversight of conflict in the staff team has not always been robust. This has led to some conflict which has not been addressed quickly and has therefore escalated. Managers are increasingly aware of this and are taking action to address staff performance when needed. Inspection report for children's home: 2807577 4

p.3

Recommendations

 The registered person should ensure that records of supervision fully reflect the discussions taking place and actions are measurable and clear. (‘Guide to the Children’s Homes Regulations, including the quality standards’, page 61, paragraph 13.4)  The registered person should ensure that conflict in the staff team and performance concerns are addressed without delay. (‘Guide to the Children’s Homes Regulations, including the quality standards’, page 61, paragraph 13.1)

p.4

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: 2807577 5

p.4

Children’s home details

Registered provider address: Office 101, 46 Station Road, North Harrow, Harrow HA2 7SE

p.5

Inspector

Natalie Mitchell, Social Care Inspector Inspection report for children's home: 2807577 6 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.

p.5

Inspector

If you would like a copy of this document in a different format, such as large print or Braille, please telephone 0300 123 1231, or email enquiries@ofsted.gov.uk . You may reuse this information (not including logos) free of charge in any format or medium, under the terms of the Open Government Licence. To view this licence, visit www.nationalarchives.gov.uk/doc/open-government-licence , write to the Information Policy Team, The National Archives, Kew, London TW9 4DU, or email: psi@nationalarchives.gsi.gov.uk .

p.6

Inspector

Interested in our work? You can subscribe to our monthly newsletter for more information and updates: http://eepurl.com/iTrDn .

p.6

Inspector

T: 0300 123 1231 Textphone: 0161 618 8524 E: enquiries@ofsted.gov.uk W: www.gov.uk/ofsted

p.6