Children's Home run by Benjamin UK Ltd in Buckinghamshire

Good

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

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The children's home provision is good because:

 Young people and staff are developing good relationships; they trust staff and are comfortable to talk them about things that are worrying them.  Young people’s views are respected, listened to and acted upon where appropriate.  Young people are making some progress in all areas of their lives.  Young people choose and take part in a wide range of activities; they enjoy these and benefit from developing new skills and from being gainfully occupied.  Young people’s education is supported well and young people’s attendance at, and engagement in school or college, is good  Young people get the support they need in relation to their emotional well-being through input from therapists from the organisation or externally.  Young people maintain, or develop, effective relationships with people who are significant in their lives.  The arrangements for managing risks, especially those relating to being missing, are well co-ordinated and underpinned by inter-agency working.

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The children's home provision is good because:

 Effective challenge is made to agencies which are not meeting the needs of the young people.  The manager is responsive to constructive criticism and uses this to develop practice in the home.  The manager is keen to improve practice and the outcomes for children, for example, through introducing a restorative justice approach to behaviour management.

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What does the children’s home need to improve?

 Make sure when recruiting staff that each applicant is of integrity and good character.  Further develop the Statement of Purpose to include all points in the regulations. Ensure it details what support the home will provide to young people who attend education or therapy with an external provider.  Make sure that staff only use restraint in appropriate circumstances and that records are made of each incident of restraint.  Make a record showing that that the registered person has spoken to the child within five days of a measure of control, discipline or restraint.

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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 (England) Regulations 2015 and the Guide to the children's homes regulations including the quality standards. The registered person(s) must comply with the given timescales.

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Requirement Due date

Ensure that staff recruitment procedures are designed to ensure children’s safety; with specific regard to ensuring the applicant is of integrity and good character and ensuring full and satisfactory information is available in relation to an individual in respect of each of the matters in Schedule 2. (Regulation (3) (a) and (d)) 12/06/2015

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Requirement Due date

Ensure the Statement of Purpose covers the matters listed in Schedule 1. (Regulation 16 (1)) 12/06/2015

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Requirement Due date

Ensure that restraint is only used for the purpose of preventing injury to any person, serious damage to the property of any person and is necessary and proportionate. (Regulation 20 (1) and (2)) 12/06/2015

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Requirement Due date

Ensure within 24 hours of a measure of control, discipline or restraint in relation to a child in the home, a record is made. (Regulation 35 (3) (a)) 12/06/2015

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Requirement Due date

Ensure within five days of the use of the use of a measure of 12/06/2015 control, discipline or restraint the registered person or the authorised person adds to the record confirmation that they have spoken to the child about the measure. (Regulation 35 (3) (c))

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Information about this children's home

This children’s home is privately owned, providing care and accommodation for up to four young people with emotional and behavioural difficulties.

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Recent inspection history

Inspection date Inspection type Inspection judgement

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Recent inspection history

10/02/2015 CH - Interim Sustained effectiveness

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Good

Young people have developed, or are developing, good relationships with staff and they are confident to approach staff about things that are worrying them. Staff take a child-centred approach to their practice. They take young people’s worries and fears seriously and ensure that issues are addressed. The relationships young people have developed with staff have led to them developing a more positive self- view because staff invest time with them and care for and about them.

p.7

Good

Young people’s views and wishes are seen as important and are acted upon when appropriate; this means that they feel their views are valued. Additionally, having people they can trust in their lives enables them to begin to deal with the impact past experiences have had on their emotional well-being. Young people who have lived in the home for a long period of time have developed a strong sense of permanence.

p.7

Good

All young people currently living in the home attend school or other educational placements and most receive at least 25 hours of education. Young people have achieved good levels of attendance. Staff support young’s people’s educational endeavours and support them to learn to value the opportunities a good education will give them. Their achievements are celebrated and this spurs them on to further achieve. There are good working relationships with young people’s educational facilities. There are links with the virtual school service that the manager is in the process of strengthening; this will benefit any young people who come to live in the home who are struggling with their educational attendance or achievement.

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Good

Young people enjoy access to a good range of social, educational and recreational opportunities, of their choosing, in and outside the home. Young people are seen as individuals and are enabled to pursue their own interests such as going fishing or taking part in a boxing club; these activities keep them occupied, help them to grow and develop their skills in many areas and allow them ample opportunities to have fun with staff and with peers.

p.7

Good

Young people currently living in the home were welcomed into the home by staff and helped to settle in. Since the last inspection the admissions procedures have been tightened. This was following some young people experiencing placement disruptions. Placing authorities had provided incorrect or missing information about young people’s needs and this led to these placements ending in an unplanned way. It was recognised that this was disruptive to both the young people involved and the young people who were already living in the home. The newly implemented procedures have not yet been tested.

p.7

Good

Young people are developing their independent living skills. For example, they do their own washing, are expected to keep their rooms tidy and are guided about spending their money wisely. The home has been involved in a successful challenge to a placing authority that planned to move a young person into independence before he was ready to make this transition.

p.8

Good

Young people are in good physical health. Arrangements for medication are safe and there has been a successful challenge to external prescribing services that ensured that a young person was prescribed the medication they he needed. Staff who provide therapy sessions are suitably trained, experienced, qualified and supervised. For young people who attend external therapeutic services the organisation has good links to these services and this allows a joined up approach to be taken to the care provided. The therapeutic input young people receive from the organisation or external providers will be key to them developing the emotional resilience needed to cope with independent living effectively.

p.8

Good

The majority of staff and young people are relatively new to the home but staff are developing a good understanding about how a young person’s past experiences impacts on their behaviour and overall emotional well-being. From this understanding staff support young people to begin to develop a more positive sense of self and an enhanced understanding about the reasons they are in care.

p.8

Good

Young people are well supported to have appropriate, carefully assessed and supported contact with people significant to them; this has led to improvements in family relationships.

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Requires improvement

Young people talk to staff, who they trust, about their problems and their fears. Staff are proactive in finding out how safe young people feel and in developing strategies to help them with their fears.

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Requires improvement

Risks that young people take are understood and managed well. The flexible approach to risk assessment ensures that as young people’s needs and vulnerabilities change, or become clearer, strategies are put in place to help to protect them. Staff provide young people with information to allow them to make choices about the risks they take; through key work sessions and the therapy they receive they learn that there are consequences to their actions.

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Requires improvement

There is a good understanding about why children may go missing and about the risks to them when they are away from home. There are strong working relationships with the police and other agencies and good attempts to minimise the incidences of missing from home. Responses to young people who are absent or go missing are well-coordinated. When young people return home from being missing routine ‘return home’ interviews are undertaken by the police, staff and an independent person from an external agency. This provides young people with good opportunities to discuss their reasons for them going missing and any issues that arose when there were missing. Levels of engagement with the independent service have been variable. As a result of this the visitor and the home are setting up a more informal approach to these visits to better facilitate young people’s engagement.

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Requires improvement

Behaviour management is grounded in positive reinforcement. It is underpinned by positive behaviour management plans. These are developed with young people’s input and clearly identify triggers for disruptive behaviours and strategies to deal with incidents. Boundaries are clear and understood by young people who are also aware of the consequences for poor behaviour. Since young people have moved into the home they are in the process of developing skills and strategies to manage their difficulties more effectively. Some young people recognise the progress they have made in this area and see themselves as far more grown up and self-aware.

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Requires improvement

When sanctions are used they are consistently applied, appropriate and fair. Records made of sanctions do not always record if the young person has had an opportunity to discuss the incident and put their views across about the sanction. The home has recently started using restorative practice techniques to help young people develop their sense of responsibility for their actions and to avoid the use of sanctions; this is in the early stages of implementation.

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Requires improvement

Physical interventions are generally only used in appropriate circumstances. However, one example, of a low level physical intervention, was noted that was aimed at forcing compliance with the instructions of staff. This is not a good example to show to young people to help them in developing their skills in negotiation; it is also a misuse of staffs’ powers. A physical intervention that took place had not been recorded in the restraints log. Additionally, there was no evidence in the restraints log that young people had an opportunity to discuss the incident and put their views across about the intervention.

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Requires improvement

Safeguarding practice is sound and safeguarding incidents are effectively managed. Staff know what to do if a safeguarding issue arises. Detailed records are made and maintained of allegations and the resulting investigations. Investigations are notified to, and shared with, the appropriate agencies. This ensures that a multi-agency approach to safeguarding is taken. The home has effective links to bodies responsible for safeguarding young people.

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Requires improvement

Incidents of, and the potential for, bullying are identified. Staff challenge bullying and any other discriminatory action and work to help the perpetrator understand the effects their actions have on the victim. Ongoing bullying risks are closely monitored and the impact on the victim is fully recognised and minimised.

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Requires improvement

The environment of the home is pleasant and well maintained. Health and safety checks are carried out to ensure that a safe place is provided to young people live in and staff to work in.

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Requires improvement

Recent staff recruitment activity has highlighted shortfalls in the home’s staff recruitment procedures. There is no documented guidance for decision making when there is incomplete information to carry out a sound assessment of an applicant’s integrity and good character. For example, there had been a failure to follow up with a referee why they had not provided a reference and a further failure to establish, with a previous employer, the reasons for employment having been ended. As the Registered Manager was not aware of these gaps in the vetting process she was not able to effectively oversee staff through the induction process.

p.10

Good

The manager is registered with Ofsted, has managed the home for two years and is suitably experienced. She has a National Vocational Qualification at level three and is currently studying for a level five qualification. She provides good challenge to other services that are not effectively supporting young people. She learns from and develops practice in the home by using recommendations from the independent monitoring visits; she addresses shortfalls and improves practice. There is a development plan in place. It is grounded in findings from Ofsted inspections. The plan would be enhanced through including findings from her own monitoring and the views of other interested parties.

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Good

The manager has met requirements from the previous inspection and the home now provides a pleasant environment for the young people. The log book was available for inspection on this occasion; previously it could not be located.

p.10

Good

The manager and her staff work closely and effectively with local partners and agencies and use their advice to improve the quality of care and the safety of the young people. Notifications about significant issues are made appropriately and this ensures that a multi-agency approach is taken to issues of concern. Complaints made to the home are taken seriously and addressed and the manager strives to improve and maintain relationships with the local community.

p.10

Good

The Statement of Purpose for the home has a strong focus on the therapeutic ethos of the organisation and the therapeutic services that can be provided through the organisation. It does not provide a clear view about what this home offers to young people who do not access therapy from the organisation or do not attend the organisation’s college. Additionally, it does not include some of the detail required by regulations.

p.11

Good

The staff working in the home are a relatively new team and they are developing well. They receive regular, good quality supervision and are supported through team meetings and ad hoc discussions with the manager or her deputy. Appropriate challenge is given to individual staff when they are performing below par and this is done in a respectful and appropriate way; this helps staff to develop their practice. The young people were seen to have forged some good relationships with individual members of staff and, in the main, interactions between staff and young people were respectful, warm and friendly.

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Good

Case records contain information that will be useful to young people to help them understand their time in the home; some of this information is directly from young people. The manager acknowledged that some of the filing systems need reorganising so that information can be more easily found.

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What the inspection judgements mean

The experiences and progress of children and young people are at the centre of the inspection. Inspectors will use their professional judgement to determine the weight and significance of their findings in this respect. The judgements included in the report are made against Inspection of children's homes: framework for inspection.

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What the inspection judgements mean

An outstanding children's home provides highly effective services that contribute to significantly improved outcomes for children and young people who need help and protection and care. Their progress exceeds expectations and is sustained over time. A good children's home provides effective services that help, protect and care for children and young people and have their welfare safeguarded and promoted. In a children's home that requires improvement , there are no widespread or serious failures that create or leave children being harmed or at risk of harm. The welfare of looked after children is safeguarded and promoted. Minimum requirements are in place, however, the children's home is not yet delivering good protection, help and care for children and young people. A children's home that is inadequate is providing services where there are widespread or serious failures that create or leave children and young people being

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What the inspection judgements mean

harmed or at risk of harm or result in children looked after not having their welfare safeguarded and promoted.

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Information about this inspection

Inspectors have looked closely at the experiences and progress of children and young people living in the children's home. Inspectors considered the quality of work and the difference adults make to the lives of children and young people. They read case files, watched how professional staff work with children, young people and each other and discussed the effectiveness of help and care given to children and young people. Wherever possible, they talked to children, young people and their families. In addition the inspectors have tried to understand what the children's home knows about how well it is performing, how well it is doing and what difference it is making for the children and young people who it is trying to help, protect and look after. This 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 Children's

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Information about this inspection

Homes (England) Regulations 2015 and the Guide to the children's homes regulations including the quality standards. the guidance raising concerns and making complaints about Ofsted, which is available from Ofsted's website: www.gov.uk/government/organisations/ofsted . If you would like Ofsted to send you a copy of the guidance, please telephone 0300123 4234, or email enquiries@ofsted.gov.uk .

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Information about this inspection

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, workbased learning and skills training, adult and community learning, and education and training in prisons and other secure establishments. It inspects services for looked after children and child protection. If you would like a copy of this document in a different format, such as large print or Braille, please telephone 0300 123 4234, 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,

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Information about this inspection

The National Archives, Kew, London TW9 4DU, or email: psi@nationalarchives.gsi.gov.uk .

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Information about this inspection

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

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Information about this inspection

Store Street Manchester M1 2WD T: 0300 123 1231 Textphone: 0161 618 8524 E: enquiries@ofsted.gov.uk W: www.gov.uk/government/organisations/ofsted

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