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

Inspection report for children’s home: 1226612 1 Registered provider: Harmony Residential Homes Ltd 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 who experience social and emotional difficulties.

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Information about this children’s home

The manager registered with Ofsted in September 2025.

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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

Overall judgement at last inspection: requires improvement to be good

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good

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

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Inspection date Inspection type Inspection judgement

12/08/2024 Full Requires improvement to be good 11/09/2023 Full Requires improvement to be good 09/06/2022 Full Good 19/10/2021 Full Good Inspection report for children’s home: 1226612 3

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Since the last inspection, no children moved in or out of the home. There were 3 children living in the home at the time of inspection. All 3 children spoke to the inspector.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Staff regularly seek the wishes and feelings of children. Children are given various opportunities to share feedback during day-to-day interactions and feedback meetings. Staff maintain clear records and identify actions which are reviewed by management. Staff are clear when children’s wishes are unachievable, but suggest alternatives to ensure that children feel listened to.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Staff advocate for children to ensure they have access to support from services. One child has been supported to make a complaint which empowered the child. This helps to ensure that children’s views are listened to.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Staff support children to develop knowledge on their health and wellbeing. One child has gained further independence and completes weekly shopping to support a healthy, balanced diet. Another child has an interest in health and fitness and has been supported to maintain a high protein diet to meet their fitness goals. Staff are encouraging of children’s interests and supportive of their progress.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Staff create memory journals for children to record significant events and celebrations at the home. Staff take account of children’s individual wishes and use creative approaches to ensure that all children have meaningful journaled memories. These records capture special moments in children’s lives which supports children to develop a sense of identity and belonging.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Staff recognise and celebrate children’s achievements, including personal milestones, anniversaries, and individual progress. Records show that staff consistently acknowledge children’s efforts and achievements through praise, encouragement and rewards. This helps children to feel valued and recognised which supports their self-esteem and confidence.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Children benefit from meaningful and supportive relationships with staff. One child expressed their feelings during an interaction with a member of staff, saying they were grateful for the care and support they had received. Staff provide appropriate support during significant events in children’s lives, which helps children to feel understood and supported.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Staff interact with children in a calm, respectful and consistent manner. These interactions reflect the home’s therapeutic model of care and help to create a predictable and emotionally safe environment. Children feel comfortable engaging with staff and are supported to develop positive relationships and emotional resilience. Inspection report for children’s home: 1226612 4

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

Children are making positive progress in relation to their safety and emotional wellbeing. Staff provide consistent and emotionally responsive support, enabling children to express their feelings and develop positive relationships. Children said that they feel able to share concerns with staff and are confident that they will be responded to appropriately. This contributes to children developing trust in staff and feeling emotionally secure. As a result, significant incidents, self-harming behaviours and substance misuse have reduced.

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

Risk assessments are detailed and consider both children’s historic and current risks. These provide staff with clear guidance on how to manage incidents and reduce risk. Records and staff debriefs show that this guidance is understood and used in practice. As a result, staff demonstrate a strong understanding of children’s individual needs and the factors that may influence their behaviour.

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

Staff respond to concerns about children’s safety with professional curiosity. They take time to explore inconsistencies in children’s accounts and provide opportunities for children to talk openly when they are ready. This helps children to disclose concerns and ensures that they receive the right support at the earliest opportunity.

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

Staff know the children well and take appropriate action during incidents to keep them safe. When there are concerns about self-harm or substance misuse, staff provide first aid , seek appropriate medical advice and maintain regular check-ins with children. This consistent support has contributed to positive outcomes for children, including increased engagement with external support services.

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

Children feel safe to express their emotions and are supported to regulate their feelings. Staff create an environment where children verbalise frustration and ask for space, rather than expressing their emotions through physical behaviour. This helps to reduce the escalation of incidents and supports children’s emotional development.

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

Incidents when children go missing from the home are managed appropriately. Staff take timely action to reduce risks, including searching for children, attempting to make contact and liaising with relevant professionals such as the police and the local authority. When children return, staff provide a welcoming response and undertake checks to ensure children’s immediate welfare needs are met.

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

Physical intervention is used only as a last resort to keep children safe. Records are detailed and include conversations with staff and children. Managers evaluate the use of these interventions and take action when learning is identified. Where practice issues have been noted, refresher training has been provided to staff to help ensure that practice remains safe and consistent.

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

Children take part in regular key-work sessions, which help them to understand risk and reflect on how to make safer choices. This preventative work supports children to develop insight into their behaviour and contributes to improved safety over time. Inspection report for children’s home: 1226612 5 Concerns regarding staff practice are generally reported the local authority designated officer (LADO) and investigated appropriately. However, on one occasion where a child raised a complaint about staff practice, this information was not shared with LADO. This limits the opportunity for independent oversight and consideration of whether staff practice may have resulted in harm. This reduces the effectiveness of safeguarding oversight in this instance.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

The home is led by a suitably experienced manager who is working towards their level 5 diploma. The manager is supported by the responsible individual and a deputy manager. The management team works well together. Together they provide effective and consistent oversight of the home. The management team works cohesively and role models good practice to staff. Managers know the children well and take pride in their achievements. They identify the progress being made by children and staff, particularly in the context of organisational changes.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

Management oversight of the home is effective. Managers regularly review key areas practice and complete reflective reviews to identify areas for improvement. This oversight is used to strengthen guidance for staff and improve day-to-day practice. Where practice issues are identified, these are followed up appropriately through supervision sessions and team meetings. As a result, staff practice is consistent and continues to improve which supports positive experiences for children.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

Staff receive regular supervision sessions. These sessions include reflective discussions that support staff wellbeing and provide opportunities to review practice. Leaders and managers use supervision sessions to offer guidance and advice, revisit training and use scenario-based discussions to check staff understanding. Significant incidents are reflected on to identify learning and consider what could be done differently in future. Managers also support staff with their qualifications and provide constructive feedback about their performance. Staff receive regular positive feedback through team meetings and records of recognition to formally acknowledge and celebrate staff achievements. This supports reflective practice and helps to maintain consistent and effective standards of care.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

Leaders and managers invest in staff training and development. Staff have access to a range of mandatory training, alongside training that reflects children’s individual needs. Leaders and managers also support staff to develop their skills and gain relevant qualifications. This helps to ensure staff are skilled, knowledgeable and able to meet children’s needs effectively.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

Staff provided positive feedback about the progress made since the current management team came into post. They said that children’s views are listened to and that they feel well supported in their roles. Staff described a positive and inclusive culture at the home and said it has a family feel. They also spoke positively about manager’s open-door approach which helps them to feel listened to and contributes to high morale. Staff Inspection report for children’s home: 1226612 6 shared they feel supported by managers when facing challenges in their personal lives and that this helps them to maintain a healthy work-life balance.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

Feedback from external professionals has been positive. Professionals have commented on the improvements made since the change in management and the positive impact this has had on multi-agency working relationships. One professional said that leaders and managers advocate effectively for children in all forums and take an active role in contributing to support plans. This supports coordinated and child-centred planning for children.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

Managers review and evaluate the use of consequences to help ensure they are proportionate and effective. However, records do not consistently show which staff members have issued consequences or that debriefs with staff have taken place. This limits the manager’s ability to fully evaluate the consistency of practice and to understand how staff decisions are made. As a result, opportunities to learn from practice and to consider whether less intrusive approaches could be used in similar situations may be missed. Inspection report for children’s home: 1226612 7

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Recommendations

 The registered person should ensure that any complaints or allegations made about staff practice are shared promptly with the local authority designated officer. (‘Guide to the Children’s Homes Regulations, including the quality standards’, page 44, paragraph 9.18)  The registered person should ensure that all incidents of control and discipline are subject to systems of regular scrutiny. In particular, debriefs with staff should take place following the use of consequences used with children, within 48 hours. (‘Guide to the Children’s Homes Regulations, including the quality standards’, page 46, paragraph 9.36)

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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: 1226612 8

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Children’s home details

Registered provider: Harmony Residential Homes Ltd

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Children’s home details

Registered provider address: 33a Portsmouth Road, Southampton SO19 9BA

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Inspectors

Emilja Myers, Social Care Inspector Sophie Levy, Social Care Inspector Inspection report for children’s home: 1226612 9 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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