The Right Placement, at the Right Time in the Right Place

Posted by Mark Raw in Childcare Industry Harmony Childrens Services Ofsted News

Below are a few recent articles referencing to the unfunded statements made by some MP’s in recent weeks which from a very non bias stance, are unfounded from “over inflated weekly fee’s”, statements of “No child shall be placed out of authority when our party get in” and “how can we have a system where perpetrators know where Childrens homes are and we don’t” and further distortions of the truth all to continue the current scaremongering of Childrens Homes.

Ofsted have again published there Data Sets for Childrens Homes and summery documents within based on fact, not fiction.  These documents show the collated information from the governments own watchdog and regulator about distance placements, overall judgement grades and the amount of GOOD and OUTSTANDING children homes there are out there and range of services available.   http://media.education.gov.uk/assets/files/pdf/c/childrens%20homes%20data%20pack%202013.PDF

 Jonathan Stanley, the CEO of ICHA the Independent Childrens Homes Association has given a good response to these documents within the Huffington Post and shows that a just a little bit more understanding of what Childrens home are, can achieve and where we should really fit into the social care system should be reviewed and views updated and practices changed to put the child first.    http://www.huffingtonpost.co.uk/jonathan-stanley/government-data-telling-n_b_4012055.html

This is by no means to the benefit of the private provider, in my opinion it makes it harder for ourselves but if you provide, operate and maintain a good solid ethical service and operate for the right reasons then these reports are not a cause for concern but only aid you to aim higher.

If interpreted properly then it is all for the benefit for the child and allows everyone involved, commissioners, placement officers, social workers and providers to provide a placement that is the Right Placement, at the Right Time in their life and in the Right geographical location for their needs.

The Inspector from Ofsted, they say YES to The Hollies

Posted by Mark Raw in Harmony Childrens Services

Great and exciting news today, we have been granted approval for our second home to formally open and offer our exceptional care service to more children.

Though there is still some work to do before I’m ready to open the doors.  The whole staff team, regardless of past experiences have a 1 ½  week induction course to complete, inducted in to the home’s processes, paperwork, further training in First Aid, Health and Safety, Safeguarding inc CSE awareness, Behaviour management, ASD behavioural needs and understand and many others before I’m happy we can open our doors.

It’s frustrating for all but I want things right as i don’t think our first residents will want us learning on the job, they will have high expectations of us too and I’m not prepared to let them down at all in any way

Accelerated reports on CSE, Hollies update

Posted by Mark Raw in Childcare Industry Harmony Childrens Services Ofsted News

There’s been a tremendous amount happening within the Residential Childcare, further convictions of CSE perpetrators, reports of the investigations in to the Rochdale events and others being accelerated and rumours of what changes that will bring the Childrens homes, OfSTED and the DoEMNSand regulations for Childrens homes having further revisions & a general unease within the sector.

From my perspective and how Harmony strives to keep it residents, staff and home safe from abuse in and out of the homes I feel that we are in a good position to take on board and embrace any changes for the better as a result of these developments and it makes a for a better safe life for the children not just in our care, but any care anywhere in the country then that’s no bad thing.

Closer to home, I have been advised OfSTED plan to conduct their registration inspection of The Hollies later on in the month, bit like a driving test, keeping schtum on the date.

Confident as always in what we offer and can offer,  as we have taken the practice of Harmony House, added some further one pertinent to The Hollies and hopefully developed a better home that continues the path of continuous progression we started back in 2011.

Recuitment is going well, we have identified our registered manager and confident in their appointment that they will absorb, embrace and continually promote the Harmony ethos of nurturing, understanding and life long learning and embed this in all their staff and the resident we will care for.

Well its back to the last bits of painting, finishing the homely decorating off, checking paperwork is all in place and some therapeutic gardening for me still to do before the visit mid May.

The Hollies, Accelerated CSE reports, keeping kids safer

Posted by Mark Raw in Childcare Industry Harmony Childrens Services Ofsted News

There’s been a tremendous amount happening within the Residential Childcare, further convictions of CSE perpetrators, reports of the investigations in to the Rochdale events and others being accelerated and rumours of what changes that will bring the Childrens homes, OfSTED and the DoE MNSand regulations for Childrens homes having further revisions & a general unease within the sector.

From my perspective and how Harmony strives to keep it residents, staff and home safe from abuse in and out of the homes I feel that we are in a good position to take on board and embrace any changes for the better as a result of these developments and it makes a for a better safe life for the children not just in our care, but any care anywhere in the country then that’s no bad thing.

Closer to home, I have been advised OfSTED plan to conduct their registration inspection of The Hollies later on in the month, bit like a driving test, keeping schtum on the date.

Confident as always in what we offer and can offer,  as we have taken the practice of Harmony House, added some further one pertinent to The Hollies and hopefully developed a better home that continues the path of continuous progression we started back in 2011.

Recuitment is going well, we have identified our registered manager and confident in their appointment that they will absorb, embrace and continually promote the Harmony ethos of nurturing, understanding and life long learning and embed this in all their staff and the resident we will care for.

Well its back to the last bits of painting, finishing the homely decorating off, checking paperwork is all in place and some therapeutic gardening for me still to do before the visit mid May.

The Hollies is near opening

Posted by Mark Raw in Harmony Childrens Services

What a busy month it’s been for Harmony.

We have secured and in the process of fully renovating our new 3 bed home, The Hollies in Huddersfield up to our usual high standards authorities have come to expect from Harmony.

The dated duck egg blue bathroom suit has gone, bedrooms redesigned, en-suites plumbed in, full redecoration and a big thank you to furniture suppliers at InStore inLeeds.  Simon has always been able to provide the sturdy, robust furniture for all our rooms and provide bespoke if needed.

That said I’m getting tired of seeing the inside of IKEA with names you can not pronounce, but when the home comes together for the Ofsted Inspection it will look a lovely, homely environment I expect from all our homes.

Now to get the photographer in for shots for the website, get more paint and best get back to varnishing all our internal doors before my brush dries out.

The Needless Criminalisation of Childrens in Care

Posted by Mark Raw in Childcare Industry Harmony Childrens Services

My attention was drawn to something this week that has been an ongoing concern of mine since starting as a support worker 15 years ago.   I have often come across children in my care who have records of assault, battery, racial abuse or other violent and anti social convictions.

The article I read on the BBC web site( http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-politics-21773742 ) put me at ease that my approach as been right for some time that far too many of these convictions were unjustified and more down to heavy handed tactics from the support worker and at times encouraged by the organisation as sanction / consequence of the young persons actions.

The BBC article discuss the use of Restorative Justice as a tool and I am proud to say we have been using this method within Harmony since opening, use this methodology as basis of our ethos and myself and Julie have been using this approach for a number of years before Harmony.

That is not to say that it is inappropriate to use the police for criminal activities but I personally would like to see real criminality, e.g street robbery, offensive weapons, GBH etc most of which are pre meditated and use of the powers of the police is justified.

Having read various reports and referral information I have at time had to re-read and seek further information from professionals on what the mitigating circumstances must have been in order to get these convictions. Some of them have bee laughable but have potentially ruined the prospects and life’s of the young person.

Their card is marked so speak when ever a DBS check (CRB in old money) is carried out if they wish to work in a shop with money perhaps and /or even turn their life around and like some wish to give something back by become a support worker to help others.

It is important to understand where the young person has come from in their life, what has made them who they are and what their understanding of their behaviours is after you have considered all that and the reasoning behind their actions you are more than likely to have much more progress after clear reflective discussion on their actions, advising of alternative options and only after that , discuss the criminal aspects of their actions and that continued repletion will result in a course of actions.

This approach and what has become the “Harmony Way” then allows them to start making changes to their behaviours and then allows our staff to see, praise ad reward their progression.

How safeguarding has changed in the years – Savile and Co would never get close to kids now

Posted by Mark Raw in Childcare Industry Harmony Childrens Services

I am trying to keep a healthy distance from the whole Jimmy Savile, and no doubt others, scandal as there has been so much on it already and no doubt more to be said in later weeks as hopefully all of it comes out in to the open. 

It was, it seems, somewhat a quietly acknowledged fact that this behaviour occurs/ed at this level of unquestioned celebrity status and more so was allowed to continue without checks.  All except the ill feeling he caused to the Children in Need producers, who have saved numerous children, from this county and maybe others from his evil actions and life long damage caused.

 A good I read shows the time line of how child protection and what is now know as Safeguarding has developed, but it should have shown its real roots in the first prosecution though the Cruelty to Animals Act where it all started.  http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/magazine-20093812

 It discusses the effects of post mortems of different events, the most significant was the Ian Huntley murders where he was able to play a very week system to his advantage by just moving to a different region and even when questioned but not charged several times it was never flagged up.  Thankfully we now have the soft evidence section on the enhanced CRB’s we receive where this type of information is flagged up that helps us now look further past the person at interview and what their references have to see.  

 At Harmony we carry out CRB’s on everyone who may come into contact with the young people placed in our care, this goes from myself as MD through to our maintenance team.  I have also no issue with checking out external visitor from Reg 33’s even though they can provide extensive evidence themselves.

 My major concern still remains, like any national check, it is only as good as the day the check was made.  However, recently, I have learnt though some communications with senior staff within West Yorkshire Police that they have the ability to inform myself if any staff member is questioned arrested or charged, thus making our own reliance on staff informing ourselves as part of our routine supervision system more robust.  We can inform them, before they inform us.  Not a bad belt and braces approach.  It is about finding out all the information you need without becoming too paranoid and over questioning everything to the point of losing the whole reason of why you were looking in the first place.

4 in a row for Harmony House

Posted by Mark Raw in Childcare Industry Harmony Childrens Services Ofsted News

I am very proud to be able to say that Ofsted carried out an unannounced interim inspection on the morning of Monday 22nd October and came to a conclusion that we still deserve our “GOOD” rating and that we were demonstrating “good progression” with the home and with the children in our care.

Once again a big thank you to our Home Manager Julie and to all the staff and young people for helping achieve this recent praising endorsement by Ofsted.

Once the formal letter has been published I will share the link to it with you all in our Ofsted Section.

I’ve just read on Children and Young people Now web site about the Directors of Children’s Services have launched an inquiry into the purpose of the care system, as part of plans to radically improve provision for looked-after children across the country.  http://www.cypnow.co.uk/cyp/news/1075093/adcs-launch-inquiry-care?utm_content=&utm_campaign=241012_Daily&utm_source=Children%20%26%20Young%20People%20Now&utm_medium=adestra_email&utm_term=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.cypnow.co.uk%2Fcyp%2Fnews%2F1075093%2Fadcs-launch-inquiry-care

That looks like an interesting read.

Mark

How quiet, think i prefer the sounds of kids around the house

Posted by Mark Raw in Harmony Childrens Services

Just a quick note to say how strangely quite the house is with all young people out for the day to school or college after the summer break.  A good achievement for young people,  staff and professionals like.

Comming soon – The Hollies

Posted by Mark Raw in Harmony Childrens Services

It has been a little later than originally planned but now is the right time given that Harmony House is running well, stable and going in the right direction that it is the right time to be looking to open “The Hollies”. 

We are actively looking in the Kirklees, Calderdale,Wakefieldarea for a suitable house to make a home for 2-3 young people with all the space and quality that Harmony House offers.

The aim in to have the home identified, registered and running by late December, or January depending on finding the right property and Ofsted registration. 

You will no doubt be kept to date via the blogs and web site,  but now I best get back to looking.

Mark