Children's Home run by Benjamin UK Ltd in Milton Keynes

children and young people since the most recent full inspection

This home was judged Good at the full inspection. At this interim inspection Ofsted judge that it has sustained effectiveness .

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children and young people since the most recent full inspection

Since the last full inspection, there have been changes within the management team for the home. The deputy manager has recently been promoted to manager; she is suitably experienced and is in the process of applying for registration with Ofsted. She understands the strengths of the home and is aware of areas for development. The young people continue to thrive in a nurturing and supportive environment where they feel safe. One social worker commented, „for the first time in years my client feels safe to share information with staff.‟ Through observations and discussions with young people it was evident that they have formed solid and positive attachments with the staff team. This is an area some young people have previously struggled with. Through these open relationships and regular key work session‟s young people are able to reflect on behaviours and begin to make changes. There have been significant reductions in risky behaviours and instances of young

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children and young people since the most recent full inspection

people going missing. Those in placement are engaged in education and making good progress from their starting points. Staff are successful in helping young people to see setbacks as opportunities to effect change and therefore prevent recurrence. Young people in placement do exhibit risk taking behaviours such as self-harm and they are at risk of Child Sexual Exploitation. Staff fully recognise these risks and work effectively in partnership with external agencies such as health services, the local police and specialist services. Staff take the time to ensure young people are emotionally supported and therefore attachments are further enhanced. One young person said, 'they help me here, this is my home.' This work is underpinned by individualised behaviour management strategies with a focus on incentives. These are shared across shifts to ensure consistency. In addition, actions set in review meetings are now shared with staff when there has

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children and young people since the most recent full inspection

been a delay in receiving review paperwork. A report is written by the member of staff present to ensure staff are promptly made aware of the necessary support young people may require. Since the last inspection, staff have undertaken training in emergency first aid. There is now a qualified first aider on each shift. Young people‟s specific health needs are addressed and support plans implemented. Some young people‟s contact arrangements are supervised by staff. Although one young person‟s contact visits are now facilitated by an external agency, there has been the need for staff to also facilitate these visits. The home has attempted to obtain training in this area for staff to ensure these are carried out safely and appropriately, but to date this has not been forthcoming. The homes Statement of Purpose is still under review and has yet to be revised to ensure it is individual to the home and not the organisation. The Responsible

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children and young people since the most recent full inspection

Individual is currently undertaking this responsibility. When complete this will enable placing authorities and carers to be clear about what the home sets out to achieve. The service is monitored and subject to regular internal auditing by the management team and external scrutiny by other professionals. However, the external monitoring reports have limited evaluation of the quality of care provided or opinions if young people are effectively safeguarded. This hinders the ability of the manager to identify patterns and trends. The manager undertakes internal monitoring on a regular basis. Within these reports, it is evident how the managers intends to further improve the quality of care. Maintenance work has now been completed in the bathroom which previously posed health and safety risks. In addition, actions from the homes fire risk assessment have now been completed. The home is welcoming and has a homely

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children and young people since the most recent full inspection

and relaxed atmosphere. One young person has left the home since the last inspection. This was the young person‟s choice and was fully supported by the staff team; the transition was managed remarkably well by staff. There has been one admission to the home. Staff have worked with professionals and each other to support the young people and enable them to reflect on behaviours and adapt to group living. There is a real commitment from the management and staff team to continue to raise the standard of care provided to the young people living in the home. They have clear vision and realistic aspirations for the service and in achieving positive outcomes for the young people. They have risk assessed staffing levels to ensure young people are fully supported and are now proactive in recognising when the young people may require additional support and adjust staffing levels accordingly.

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Information about this children's home

This children's home is registered to take up to four young people with emotional or behaviour difficulties. The home is one of a group of homes owned and operated by a private organisation.

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Recent inspection history

Inspection date Inspection type Inspection judgement

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Recent inspection history

03/03/2015 CH - Interim sustained effectiveness

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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

13 The leadership and management standard

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Requirement Due date

In order to meet the leadership and management standard the registered person is required to:

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Requirement Due date

1(2)(c) ensure that staff have the experience, qualifications and skills to meet the needs of each child. This specifically relates to ensuring staff undertake appropriate training in facilitating supervised contact 18/01/2016

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Requirement Due date

The registered person must compile in relation to the children‟s home a statement (“the statement of purpose”) which covers the matters listed in Schedule 1, in particular ensure it is individual to the children‟s home.

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Recommendations

To improve the quality and standards of care further the service should take account of the following recommendation(s):  Ensure the individual appointed to carry out visits to the home as an independent person makes a rigorous and impartial assessments of the homes arrangements for safeguarding and promoting the welfare of the children in the home's care. (The Guide to the Quality Standards, page 65 paragraph 15.5)

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What the inspection judgements mean

At the interim inspection we make a judgement on whether the home has improved in effectiveness, sustained effectiveness, or declined in effectiveness since the previous full inspection. This is in line with the Inspection of children's homes: framework for inspection.

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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 focused on the effectiveness of the home and the progress and experiences of children and young people since the most recent full inspection.

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Information about this inspection

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 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

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Information about this inspection

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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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