Children's Home run by Benjamin UK Ltd in Bedford

Unique reference number SC412953 Inspection date 27/06/2012 Inspector Pete Hylton Type of inspection Full Provision subtype Children's home

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Date of last inspection 08/03/2012 Website: www.ofsted.gov.uk

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This document may be reproduced in whole or in part for non-commercial educational purposes, provided that the information quoted is reproduced without adaptation and the source and date of publication are stated.

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Brief description of the service

This home is privately owned and accommodates up to four young people who have emotional and behavioural difficulties.

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The inspection judgements and what they mean

Outstanding : a service of exceptional quality that significantly exceeds minimum requirements Good : a service of high quality that exceeds minimum requirements Adequate : a service that only meets minimum requirements Inadequate : a service that does not meet minimum requirements

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Overall effectiveness

The overall effectiveness is judged to be outstanding .

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Overall effectiveness

The home has made a significant difference to the lives of young people. From their starting points, young people have increased their confidence, academic achievement, independence skills and emotional resilience. The recording systems used in the home ensure that young people, staff and social workers are clearly informed about progress and any concerns are swiftly and appropriately shared and resolved.

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Overall effectiveness

The home ensures that the views of young people are central to how the home operates. Regular discussions with young people, across a variety of formats, ensure that all young people have their views listened to and acted upon. Young people enjoy living in the home and the physical environment is of an exceptionally high standard. Young people enjoy spending time with each other and staff.

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Overall effectiveness

The safety of young people is well managed in the home. Highly individualised care plans and risk assessments clearly identify all risks and protective factors. Furthermore, the home uses a bespoke behaviour management system which fully involves the young people. Complaints from young people are rare and all young people are encouraged to voice their concerns. However, the home's young person's guide does not include the telephone number for Ofsted or the Children's Rights Director.

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Overall effectiveness

The management of the home is of an exceptionally high standard. Rigorous monitoring of the home ensures that the outcomes for young people and the quality of care are regularly scrutinised. The manager is passionate about further developing the service and has ambitious yet realistic plans for the home. The physical environment is appropriately safe and secure for young people. Regular fire drills take place to ensure that all young people know how to safely evacuate in the event of fire. However, these drills take place during the day. This means that the ability of young people to evacuate during evening times is untested.

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Recommendations

To improve the quality and standards of care further the service should take account of the following recommendation(s):

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Recommendations

 ensure that there is an emergency escape plan that all staff and children are familiar with and have practised so they know what to do in an emergency. This specifically relates to evening fire drills (NMS 10.9)  ensure that the guide includes a summary of what the home sets out to do for children, how they can find out their rights, how a child can contact their Independent Reviewing Officer, the Children's Rights Director, Ofsted if they wish to raise a concern with inspectors, and how to secure access to an independent advocate. (NMS 13.5)

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Outcomes for children and young people

Outcomes for children and young people are outstanding .

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Outcomes for children and young people

The educational achievement of young people is excellent. All young people are actively engaged in educational activities and make very good progress. Furthermore, the individual needs of young people in relation to career choices are fully explored. Where necessary, the home seeks support from external services. For example, where young people are unsure of their options or choices, they attend planned appointments with careers advisers. Young people have been supported by the home in accessing purposeful and relevant voluntary work opportunities. This ensures that young people are developing a broader understanding of their career choices and abilities. This also ensures that young people are actively and positively involved in activities within the local community.

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Outcomes for children and young people

Young people make excellent progress in developing and maintaining their relationships with peers. All young people enjoy spending time together and enjoy a range of activities both inside and outside of the home. A dedicated outside space is well used by young people in playing various sports. Young people make very good progress with regards to their health needs. All young people in the home are encouraged to pursue a healthy lifestyle and are fully aware of the dangers of smoking, drinking and drug use. Young people regularly discuss areas of concern in key working sessions and are provided with relevant and age appropriate information to help educate them with regards to their health needs. For example, young people discuss sexual health matters with staff. This is further enhanced from the direct input of the organisation's therapist who liaises with staff and young people around planned interventions and emotional health needs.

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Outcomes for children and young people

Young people make excellent progress in developing their independence skills. They are fully supported in accessing individual programmes to meet their developing needs. This ensures that young people are prepared for adult life at an appropriate pace and their progress is carefully monitored and reviewed. Young people are now able to plan, purchase and prepare their own meals. Young people are given responsibility for planning their own time and are supported in making sure that all appointments are met.

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Outcomes for children and young people

All young people in the home complete life story work and this supports their emotional resilience and understanding of their background. The cultural needs of young people are fully promoted by the staff. This means that young people continue to follow their chosen religions and maintain their faith and beliefs. Where young people choose to attend places of worship, they are fully encouraged and enabled to do so. This means that young people are fully encouraged to maintain their identity. Furthermore, young people are able to maintain and in some cases, improve their relationships with family and friends. The home ensures that young people are freely able, where appropriate to do so, to remain in contact with those people who are important to them. This means that young people sustain positive relationships both inside and outside of the home.

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Quality of care

The quality of the care is outstanding .

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Quality of care

A highly trained and motivated staff team provide excellent levels of care to young people. Young people are encouraged to achieve their potential and are fully supported in making progress in all area of their lives. The staff team are ambitious for young people. Detailed yet realistic individual behaviour plans ensure that young people are supported in maintaining positive behaviour. The staff team ensure that all young people are treated as individuals and their own specific needs are identified and met.

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Quality of care

Care plans for young people are effectively monitored and reviewed by staff in the home. This is underpinned by excellent monitoring from the manager. The views of young people are embedded into care plans. This means that young people receive highly personalised care that meets their needs, preferences and wishes. Furthermore, these plans are regularly reviewed to ensure that the wishes of the placing authority, and where applicable, parents are fully met. All young people benefit from bespoke behaviour management plans. These plans clearly identify the emotional, social and educational needs of young people. Young people's progress is thoroughly assessed and accurately recorded. This means that young people, placing authorities and parents are kept informed of progress.

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Quality of care

All young people are engaged in educational activity. Where young people are newly placed in the home, staff work closely with educational providers to identify suitable placements. Young people are fully encouraged to attend their placements and are supported in doing so. Where young people are resistant to education, the home uses clearly defined incentive programmes to encourage attendance. A member of staff commented that, 'we want to help the young people wherever we can'.

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Quality of care

Relationships between the home and partner agencies are exceptionally good. A social worker commented that the home, 'is good at keeping me updated and they keep in regular contact.' Where the staff team identify issues in the working arrangements between the home and other agencies, they are swift to resolve these for the benefit of young people. This means that the staff team are comfortable and confident in addressing shortfalls in partner organisations' delivery. This further enhances the standard of care in the home.

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Quality of care

There have been no complaints from young people since the last inspection. Where complaints from other parties are received, they are swiftly and appropriately acted upon and a mutually acceptable outcome is resolved. There is a clear complaints policy for young people in the home and all young people are encouraged to complain if they wish to do so.

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Quality of care

Young people and staff have excellent relationships. The staff team are sympathetic, caring and committed to supporting young people make progress. Young people are cared for by a staff team who listen to their views and feelings. This means that young people are able to discuss their concerns, anxieties and feelings in a safe, supportive and caring environment.

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Quality of care

Young people benefit from freely available access to a telephone. Furthermore, young people are regularly given mobile telephone credit which can be enhanced through positive behaviour. This means that young people are able to contact services of support and also maintain contact with friends and family. The young person's guide is well presented and contains a range of services that young people may wish to contact. However, the telephone number for Ofsted is out of date and the telephone number for the Children's Rights Director is missing from this document.

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Quality of care

The individual cultural needs of young people are carefully considered and incorporated into care plans. All young people are encouraged to explore and maintain their faith and beliefs. For example, the staff support young people in regularly attending local places of worship. Furthermore, where young people have specific religious needs relating to foods, areas for prayer or specialist equipment, the home provides for these. The staff team is culturally diverse. Members of staff are skilled in providing cultural foods and the menu for the home incorporates a wide selection of world dishes. This means that young people eat a wide and varied diet which is nutritious, healthy and meets their individual and cultural needs.

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Quality of care

Young people are regularly consulted with about all issues affecting their lives. For example, regular house meetings provide a forum for young people to collectively discuss their views, choose menus and activities. In addition to these meetings, young people regularly discuss their views and feelings with key workers. These meetings are carefully recorded with the young people. Where young people express concerns or issues, they are swiftly yet sympathetically resolved. Young people feel respected by the staff team and know that their views influence the running of the home.

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Quality of care

The physical environment is spacious, exceptionally well presented and furnished. Young people benefit from a large garden with dedicated areas for different activities. For example, a large grassed area is used for football matches and there is a dedicated area of the garden where chickens are kept. Furthermore, there is a large separate games room where young people enjoy playing snooker and relaxing with staff. This area is fully heated and lit and is well used by young people.

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Safeguarding children and young people

The service is good at keeping children and young people safe and feeling safe.

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Safeguarding children and young people

Young people are safe in the home. Clear and detailed risk assessments are in place for all young people. This means that identified risks and preventative strategies are identified. Furthermore, the staff team regularly review these assessments to ensure that they are suitable for the needs of the young people. Young people benefit from individual behaviour management plans and are fully involved in the process of reviewing their behaviour, goals and progress. This means that young people are encouraged to reflect on their actions.

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Safeguarding children and young people

Restraint is only used where necessary and all events are fully recorded in line with regulations. The home ensures that young people and staff are thoroughly debriefed after any incidents. The views of young people are central to the planning of care. The manager discusses incidents of restraint in supervision with staff. Proactive and diversionary interventions are used with young people. Where sanctions are used, they are effectively recorded in systems used by the home. Sanctions link to the behaviour management plans and are clearly understood by young people and staff. Furthermore, the views of young people are sought where sanctions are given. This further adds to the culture of openness, transparency and safe practices used in the home. Young people are fully supported in discussing their feelings, concerns and views at all times.

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Safeguarding children and young people

The manager is extremely proactive in monitoring the behaviour of young people and the interventions from the staff team. Detailed analysis of behavioural incidents is compiled and monitored. This is examined by the staff team and discussed with young people. This allows all parties to review incidents, identify patterns and plan interventions to further promote positive behaviour and relationships within the home.

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Safeguarding children and young people

Young people do not express bullying as a problem in the home. Young people present with challenging behaviours and this is well managed by the staff team. Where tensions occur in the peer group, the home is swift to intervene. Effective mediation between the young people ensures that positive relationships are fully promoted. There has been no new staff since the last inspection. However, rigorous and thorough recruitment processes remain in place. All staff employed in the home are carefully selected, vetted and have all required checks completed prior to starting employment. This further adds to the safe environment within the home. The physical environment is safe and ensures that young people are kept safe. All required checks on gas and electrical equipment are up to date. Furthermore, the staff team regularly check the physical environment to ensure that there are no hazards or risks to health and safety. Regular testing of the fire alarms and smoke

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Safeguarding children and young people

detectors ensures that the young people are protected from the risk of fire. Regular fire drills, involving all young people and staff ensure that everybody knows how to safely evacuate in the event of fire. However, these drills take place during the day. This means that the ability of young people and staff to evacuate the home in evening times is untested. A recommendation has therefore been made.

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Safeguarding children and young people

There has been a reduction in the frequency of young people going missing from the home. All young people benefit from specific plans in the event of them going missing. The home has built effective links with the local police and safeguarding board. Regular discussions regarding the risks posed by young people ensure that the home offers a protective atmosphere. Young people are encouraged to take reasonable risks as part of their normal development. Risk assessments are in place for all activities and young people are fully encouraged, where applicable to do so, to develop their independence skills.

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Leadership and management

The leadership and management of the children's home are outstanding .

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Leadership and management

Young people benefit from a home that is exceptionally well managed. An experienced and highly skilled manager ensures that the home is robustly and regularly quality assured. A capable and experienced deputy manager supports the manager. Furthermore, a recently promoted member of the care staff team has been promoted and has strengthened the management team.

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Leadership and management

The home is regularly visited by senior staff from within the organisation. These visits are conducted regularly and the report from these visits is used to further improve the standards of care in the home. The manager also regularly undertakes monitoring visits to other homes in the organisation. This means that the manager is able to share good practice from other homes with the staff team.

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Leadership and management

Members of staff have high expectations of themselves and of each other. The manager has encouraged staff to review their own practices and share these findings as part of a wider group. This means that the staff are constantly reviewing their own skills and abilities. This is effectively underpinned by the manager who communicates high expectations to the staff team through regular supervision, informal practice discussions with staff and regular team meetings. The staff team are exceptionally well motivated and passionate about their roles. This is reflected in the high standard of care in the home and the progress that young people make. The home has continued to make very good progress since the last inspection in March 2012. The one recommendation has been fully addressed. The local safeguarding board have received and reviewed the home's child protection procedures. These procedures are robust, effective and embedded into daily

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Leadership and management

practice. The manager has also improved the physical environment. Recent redecoration of all areas of the home has ensured that the home environment is well maintained and is warm, comfortable and relaxing for young people. Effective monitoring of all matters relating to health and safety further enhances the standard of the physical environment.

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Leadership and management

The manager continues to have ambitious yet realistic plans for the home. The home's development plan clearly identifies the strengths and weaknesses of the service. Furthermore, the plan identifies improvements needed and resources and timescales in order to achieve these. The views of young people, parents and placing authorities are actively sought in developing the home. This ensures that the manager is able to identify areas of concern and development and ensure that these are remedied. Evidence of the home's performance is recorded and informs the planning. For example, where young people have expressed an interest in playing more outside games, the home has ensured that appropriate areas and equipment have been provided.

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Leadership and management

The staff team are well trained and supported. Regular supervision is given to all staff, including the Registered Manager. This supervision ensures that all relevant issues regarding the progress of young people are discussed. Furthermore, the supervision also focuses on the developmental needs of the staff team. The manager is passionate about developing his staff team and encourages staff to progress and develop their skills. Training needs are identified and fully addressed. Where staff members need specific training, the organisation ensures that staff are able to access this. This has meant that the home benefits from a highly stable staff team. Staff feel valued, supported and rewarded. This in turn, further adds to the continuity of care for young people and creates a stable and consistent home environment.

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About this inspection

The purpose of this inspection is to assure children and young people, parents, the public, local authorities and government of the quality and standard of the service provided. The inspection was carried out under the Care Standards Act 2000 to assess the effectiveness of the service and to consider how well it complies with the relevant regulations and meets the national minimum standards.

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About this inspection

The report details the main strengths, any areas for improvement, including any breaches of regulation, and any failure to meet national minimum standards. The judgements included in the report are made against the Inspections of children’s homes – framework for inspection (March 2011) and the evaluation schedule for children's homes.

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