Children's Home run by Benjamin UK Ltd in Buckinghamshire

Unique reference number SC062317 Inspection date 19/09/2013 Inspector Maureen Hamer Type of inspection Full Provision subtype Children's home

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Date of last inspection 31/01/2013 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 is a private children's home providing care and accommodation for up to four young people with 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 good .

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Overall effectiveness

Young people develop respectful and trusting relationships with staff. As a result young people are making good progress.

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Overall effectiveness

Young people's attendance at school has improved and young people have sat their GCSE’s. Young people are attending further education. Staff are good and successful at motivating young people to attend school and to do well.

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Overall effectiveness

Young people’s individuality and needs are known and respected by staff. They are increasingly successful at reducing tensions and avoiding risk taking behaviours such as going absent without authority. Effective partnership working ensures that young people have effective support and access to specialist services. This ensures that there is good assessment and appropriate care and treatment to promote psychological well-being. Risk taking behaviours have reduced and this has promoted young people's safety.

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Overall effectiveness

Young people are effectively supported to develop a range of independence skills to prepare them for a successful transition to adulthood.

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Overall effectiveness

A new manager has been appointed and is effectively supported by a good staff group that demonstrates a commitment to continual improvement. The statement of purpose describes its aims and objectives well but it has some gaps in the information that should be made available to placing authorities and parents. In addition quality assurance monitoring is carried out on a regular basis but the manager's six monthly report is not always submitted to HMCI.

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Statutory Requirements

This section sets out the actions which must be taken so that the registered person/s meets the Care Standards Act 2000, Children's Homes Regulations 2001 and the National Minimum Standards. The registered person(s) must comply with the given timescales.

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Reg. Requirement Due date

(2001) compile in relation to the children's home a written statement (in the Regulations referred to as 'the statement of purpose') which shall consist of a statement as to the matters listed in schedule 1 (Regulation (4) (1)) 01/01/2014

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Reg. Requirement Due date

(2001) supply to the HMCI a report in respect of any review conducted by him for the purposes of paragraph (1), regarding the matters set pout in schedule 6. (Regulation (34) (2)) 01/01/2014

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Outcomes for children and young people

Young people develop respectful and trusting relationships with staff. As a result young people are growing in self-esteem and are making good progress.

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Outcomes for children and young people

Young people’s individuality and needs are known and respected by staff. Consequently young people’s well-being is positively promoted and they show increased self-confidence. Young people feel able to talk to staff about many of their anxieties and associated negative feelings. Staff act effectively to help young people to learn how to self-manage their anxieties. They are increasingly successful at reducing tensions and avoiding risk taking behaviours such as going absent without authority. Effective support and access to specialist services ensures that there is good assessment and appropriate care and treatment to promote psychological well- being.

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Outcomes for children and young people

Young people are provided with a range of information from staff and other partners, such as the looked after nurse, to enable them to choose healthy lifestyles. Other risk taking behaviours such as cannabis use and use of alcohol has greatly reduced and positive life choices are being made.

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Outcomes for children and young people

Young people are successfully encouraged and supported to return to school after periods of absences prior to living in the home. As a result attendance at school has improved and young people have sat their GCSE’s. Young people are attending further education and are motivated to attend and to do well. This promotes their self-esteem, maximises their educational potential and future employment prospects. Young people look after their own bedrooms. Young people state that their bedrooms are private and that staff do not enter their rooms without permission. Bedroom searches do occasionally take place as a result of smoking in their bedrooms. Young people are always told that a room search is to take place, their social worker is engaged in the decision making and whenever possible young people are present when the search takes place. This demonstrates respect for young people's rights for privacy as well as managing risk taking behaviours.

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Outcomes for children and young people

Young people show good progress in improving their personal hygiene. They are also effectively supported to do their own laundry, manage a food budget and to cook meals; use public transport and to apply for part-time work. This is developing a range of independence skills to prepare them for a successful transition to adulthood.

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Outcomes for children and young people

Young people enjoy appropriate and important contact with family and friends. Staff ensure that any necessary supervision arrangements are in place to enable a successful visit to take place. This helps to develop and maintain attachments that promote their sense of feeling part of significant communities outside of the home.

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Quality of care

Positive relationships are nurtured by staff in this home. Staff are good at getting to know young people and developing trusting relationships that promotes a positive home environment. Young people say they are aware of what is in their care plans and they feel involved in the development of plans for their future. Staff help young people to understand why some of their requests cannot be met and this successfully helps young people to manage their disappointment.

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Quality of care

Staff are good at engaging young people in all aspects of their care. Some young people have had long absences from education and staff are good at preparing them to manage their anxieties and enabling them to return to school. Young people show good progress in going to school and college.

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Quality of care

Staff have regular and positive communication with a range of relevant partners to ensure that young people receive good support. For example there is regular contact with psychologist and psychiatrist and both visit the home to provide support to young people and to staff. Staff provide young people with encouragement and practical support to enable them to attend school exams and to prepare them for college. The home’s staff and teachers praise young people for the progress that they are making and provide support to help them to catch up with their peer group. This helps young people to catch up on missed education and enables them to reach their potential.

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Quality of care

Staff are consistent in applying young people’s individualised positive behaviour strategies. There is good communication between staff and this promotes continuity of care that encourages positive behaviour from young people. Young people are successfully developing self-management skills that have successfully reduced physically aggressive behaviour.

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Quality of care

The children’s guide is discussed at the regular keyworker sessions. Staff take time to ensure that young people understand the guide and are aware of how it applies to them for example regarding pocket money. As a result young people have a clear understanding of the home’s routine. Young people are aware of how to make a complaint and when they do issues are managed effectively.

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Quality of care

Care plans are comprehensive and reflect the needs of young people and the actions to meet those needs. Keyworkers ensure that the care plan is met. Young people’s views are gained on an on-going basis and regular keyworker sessions state their progress and their concerns.

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Quality of care

Staff provide good quality keyworker sessions that engage young people and are focused on key objectives such as ensuring that they are keeping themselves safe. As a result staff are successful at enabling young people to access drug and sexual health related services as well as psychological service that they have previously declined. These specialist services are providing additional support including up-to- date information to promote their well-being and reduce their risk taking behaviours.

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Quality of care

Staff are good at evaluating progress and this information is shared with relevant partners such as parents and placing authorities. A social worker states that they are very helpful and always keep me informed.

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Quality of care

The home is well maintained. The kitchen is well used with young people engaged in food preparation and cleaning up. It is a social environment where meals are shared and is a centre for conversations between young people and staff. This is a positive environment for 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 feel safe and are safe in this nurturing home environment. Staff act to promote young people’s welfare.

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Safeguarding children and young people

Young people’s behaviour and risk assessments identify risks and protective factors for individual young people. Triggers and antecedents to anxiety that lead to challenging behaviour are well understood. Staff develop trusting relationships with young people using praise as an important part of their approach to promote positive behaviours. Staff take effective and consistent action to de-escalate negative situations and as a result there has been no use of physical restraint since the last inspection and verbal aggression has reduced.

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Safeguarding children and young people

Young people have greatly reduced the episodes that they go missing or are absent without authority. Staff ensure all necessary partners are informed of such events and effective action is taken to help young people to return safely. On return they are listened to and the reasons for going missing are effectively addressed. An effective protocol is put in to practice when a young person goes missing. Police report good working relationships with staff that has helped to improve young people’s safety.

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Safeguarding children and young people

Staff provide young people with appropriate supervision to ensure their safety. There are no reports of bullying. The home is a very respectful environment for young people to live in and staff address any disrespectfulness in a positive manner that helps young people reflect on their behaviour.

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Safeguarding children and young people

New staff have been recruited through a safe recruitment process to ensure that young people are cared for by suitably qualified staff.

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Leadership and management

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

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Leadership and management

The management of this home is effective. The manager is new in post and is supported by a good staff group. The staff team demonstrate a strong commitment to young people and to continual improvement.

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Leadership and management

The Statement of purpose provides a good account of the aims of the service however there are gaps in the information, for example the supervision and training of staff. This hinders the ability of stakeholders such as parents and social workers to have a clear access to information about a range of issues in the home that impacts on the quality of care provided to young people.

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Leadership and management

Staff are encouraged to appreciate and respect young people as individuals. Staff receive regular supervision that is centred on the quality of care that is provided to young people. There has been staff changes but now the home has a stable staff group. Staff say that they are provided with good support to enable them to provide effective care for young people. Staff report that training is of a good quality and enables them to reflect on and improve the care that they provide.

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Leadership and management

Regular team meetings are in place and demonstrate staff reflecting on progress and actions for the future to promote good quality care to young people. There is good staff engagement in the home and in its improvement programme. This supports the home’s capacity to improve.

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Leadership and management

There is good monitoring of quality of care undertaken by the independent visitor. The manager also completes a monthly review of quality of care in addition to a six monthly review. However this has not been submitted to Ofsted. This has not impacted on young people but does reduce objective scrutiny of the home. The manager is active in seeking input from placing authorities about how the home can improve.

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Leadership and management

Management demonstrates good reflective evaluation of quality of care and a development plan is in place. This promotes the home’s progress against priorities. Health and safety in the home is monitored and appropriate and prompt action is taken when there are any shortfalls. This ensures that young people are safe in the home.

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Leadership and management

Staff inform the relevant people and agencies about all significant events relating to young people. This ensures that appropriate partners are engaged in ensuring young people are safe.

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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 and the evaluation schedule for the inspection of children's homes.

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