Children's home run by Beaufort Care Group Ltd in Barnet

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:

 The children and young people benefit from a high standard of care from an experienced, dedicated and well-qualified staff team. This promotes strong and stable relationships between the staff and the children and young people.  The registered manager matches prospective admissions well. He conducts robust risk assessments on the potential impact of a new child or young person on existing residents. Transition planning is effective and helps children and young people to settle quickly in their new home.  The registered manager and his staff work hard to help children and young people to achieve positive outcomes. Most of the children and young people for whom the home has cared since the previous full inspection have made good progress.  When there are barriers to progress, the manager challenges other agencies assertively to obtain services and to advocate for children and young people.  The registered manager manages risk very effectively, making this a safe

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The children's home provision is good because:

home in which to live. He responds very quickly to changing levels of risk and understands when it is necessary to bring together other professionals to reconsider the risks to the children and young people.  When a child’s or young person’s needs cannot be met within the home, this is quickly identified. The manager is good at driving the process of engaging with and meeting fellow professionals to identify and manage changing levels of risk.  The home’s location, within a short walk of the beach, provides an unusual and valuable benefit to the children and young people who enjoy the sea and open-air activities.

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Statutory requirements

This section sets out the actions which must be taken so that the registered person 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 must comply with the given timescales.

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Requirement Due date

23.—(1) The registered person must make arrangements for the handling, recording, safekeeping, safe administration and disposal of medicines received into the children's home. (2) In particular the registered person must ensure that— (a) medicines kept in the home are stored in a secure place so as to prevent any child from having unsupervised access to them; (b) medicine which is prescribed for a child is administered as prescribed to the child for whom it is prescribed and to no other child; and (c) a record is kept of the administration of medicine to each child.

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Requirement Due date

In particular, ensure that staff understand how to store, handle and administer medicines safely (Regulation 23). 31 May 2016

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Requirement Due date

(4) The registered person must notify HMCI and each other relevant person without delay if— (a) a child is involved in or subject to, or is suspected of being involved in or subject to, sexual exploitation; (b) an incident requiring police involvement occurs in relation to a child which the registered person considers to be serious; (c) there is an allegation of abuse against the home or a person working there; (d) a child protection enquiry involving a child — (i) is instigated; or (ii) concludes (in which case, the notification must include the outcome of the child protection enquiry); or (e) there is any other incident relating to a child which the registered person considers to be serious.

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Requirement Due date

In particular, notify Ofsted of any serious matters that have the potential to affect children's safety, for example medication errors (Regulation 40(4)(e)). 31 May 2016

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Recommendations

To improve the quality and standards of care further the service should take account of the following recommendations:

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Recommendations

 Ensure that the home seeks as far as possible to maintain a domestic rather than institutional impression. In particular, ensure that the first floor bathroom arrangements provide attractive and domestic-style facilities (‘Guide to the Children’s Homes Regulations, including the quality standards’, April 2015, paragraph 3.9).

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Recommendations

 Ensure that the use of monitoring equipment is supported by a written policy describing how this will support the safeguarding and well-being of those living and working in the home in accordance with Regulation 24. In particular, ensure that the statement of purpose does not contain misleading information about the use of door alarms (‘Guide to the Children’s Homes Regulations, including the quality standards’, April 2015, paragraph 3.16).

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Recommendations

 Local authorities have a duty under section 22(3A) of the Children Act 1989 to promote the educational achievement of their children looked after, which includes, as set out in guidance, seeking a school or other education setting that is best suited to the child’s needs. The local authorities’ responsibilities as corporate parent apply wherever the child is placed. ‘Promoting the Education of Looked-After Children’ describes how local authorities are expected to comply with their duties to promote the education of children looked after.

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Recommendations

 When commissioning a placement in a children’s home the placing authority must establish how the home will support the child’s educational needs. In accordance with Regulation 5 (engaging with the wider system to ensure that children’s needs are met), homes must have proactive relationships with appropriate schools and educational support services. The home should have processes that enable staff to share their experience and understanding of the child’s educational needs and progress with other services (‘Guide to the Children’s Homes Regulations, including the quality standards’, April 2015, paragraphs 5.5 to 5.7 and ‘Promoting the Education of Looked-After Children’, (Statutory Guidance, Ju ly 2014)).

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Recommendations

 Staff should be familiar with the home’s policies on record keeping and understand the importance of careful, objective, and clear recording (‘Guide to the Children’s Homes Regulations, including the quality standards’, April 2015, paragraph 14.4).

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Recommendations

 Ensure that the interview should be carried out within 72 hours of the child returning to their home or care setting. This should be an in-depth interview and is normally best carried out by an independent person (that is someone not involved in caring for the child) who is trained to carry out these interviews and is able to follow up any actions that emerge. (Department for Education: ‘Statutory guidance on children who run away or go missing from home or care’, paragraph 32, January 2014).

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Recommendations

 In order to give a controlled drug, staff should follow all the steps involved in giving any other medicine. In residential settings, it is good practice if a second appropriately trained member of staff witnesses this process (The Royal Pharmaceutical Society of Great Britain: ‘The Handling of Medicines in Social Care’, March 2014, page 18).

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Information about this children's home

The home is one of five owned by a private company based on the south coast of England. This home is registered for up to four children and young people, irrespective of gender, who may have emotional or behavioural difficulties. The home may, on occasion, continue to accommodate a young person beyond their 18 th birthday.

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Recent inspection history

Inspection date Inspection type Inspection judgement

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Recent inspection history

20 November 2015 CH - Interim Improved effectiveness

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Recent inspection history

12 March 2015 CH - Interim Sustained effectiveness

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Good

The children and young people receive good quality care from a dedicated, well- trained staff team. They settle in the home quickly and develop relationships with their key workers and other staff. The children and young people are well matched, so that they get along with each other and enjoy each other’s company. On occasions when there have been difficulties in relationships between the children and young people, the staff have intervened effectively to help resolve the problems.

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Good

The children and young people have access to well-written and accessible information about their rights. They are frequently consulted about their day-to- day care through key-worker sessions, children’s and young people’s meetings and monthly feedback surveys. Children and young people have access to advocacy, and are regularly consulted about their daily care and long-term plans.

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Good

The home has an effective complaints procedure, which enables the children and young people to raise any concerns if they wish to do so. There have been nine concerns and complaints since the previous inspection, all of which have been investigated and resolved.

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Good

The staff are very child-focused and devote considerable time to taking the children and young people out on activities and finding shared interests. Both the home’s current residents play football and are very active. They enjoy a range of sports and community-based activities. One young person attends a local youth club regularly. The children and young people are able to welcome friends to the home.

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Good

The home has cared for several children and young people since the interim inspection, some of whom have now moved on. They have had variable outcomes in terms of education, but this is not due to any shortfall on the part of the home.

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Good

One young person was not in education, employment or training when she first came to the home, and maintained a risky lifestyle. With staff support, the young person obtained an apprenticeship with a major retail company. She sustained this job for many months, ceased offending and using legal highs and turned her life around. When her situation became more difficult recently, the registered manager intervened to support her. The home has therefore had a very positive impact on this young person’s life.

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Good

One newly admitted child has previously had difficulties remaining in education, but has been given a place at his previous school. He said that he is looking forward to going back there.

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Good

A third young person has now been out of full-time education for a year, a situation which the home inherited. The registered manager insisted that he be provided with home tuition, and, as a result, the young person receives two hours’ education every day. This falls well short of the government’s recommended minimum of 25 hours per week. The manager and staff continue to challenge the local authority concerned and have made positive links with the virtual head teacher. The inspector was told that the main barrier is obtaining local authority agreement for funding for a specific educational provision for children and young people with special needs. Recommendations have been made to support the manager’s efforts in resolving this problem.

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Good

Children and young people have ready access to the necessary equipment and resources to help them with their education. The home has a computer available for the residents to use. Internet access is monitored, and children and young people are taught how to conduct themselves safely online.

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Good

When young people reach an age when they are ready to learn independence skills, the staff support them well to develop the confidence that they need to live on their own. The home works with the local authority to help young people to access a training flat in the area, which provides a realistic experience of what it may be like to live independently.

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Good

Some previous residents keep in touch with the staff and benefit from continuing phone support. The home recently accommodated a young person beyond her 18th birthday for a short period, to provide safety and security while plans were made for her move to an independence flat.

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Good

Children and young people receive very good healthcare. They are all registered with healthcare professionals and may be referred to specialist services when required. Recently, the manager and social worker have secured funding so that one child can access an equine-based learning centre, where children and young people are helped to gain trust and confidence through their contact with horses.

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Good

The home’s managers have identified three shortfalls in the management of medication, which they raised with the staff team prior to this inspection. Because of the nature of the errors, two of which had the potential to have serious consequences, the inspector said that it would have been advisable to notify Ofsted. The registered manager has identified a pharmaceutical company that will conduct additional medication audits, provide staff training and supply prescribed medication on a monitored dose system. This will prove an additional safeguard for the children and young people. Two requirements and a recommendation have been made. Since the previous inspection, one child has been admitted to the home and two young people have left. The newly admitted child has been in the home for one week. He said that it was good to meet the manager and staff before he arrived, and that he was welcomed. He likes spending time with the staff and the other

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Good

young person. The children and young people are at the centre of the home’s ethos and all its activities. They are valued as individuals, and their unique needs are prioritised at all times. The staff are justifiably proud of their children’s and young people’s achievements and respond warmly and positively to any progress made, however small. This helps to provide a family environment in the home, to which the children and young people respond. As part of this family environment, the staff ensure that the children and young people receive a varied, balanced diet which meets their nutritional needs.

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Good

The staff support children and young people to enjoy good-quality, planned contact with family members, when this is part of the local authority’s care plan. The staff check carefully with social workers before agreeing to any additional contact arrangements. Parents report very good relationships with the staff team, with regular, positive communication.

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Good

This is a well-managed home which has recently faced some difficult challenges with a very vulnerable young person, whose placement has now ended. This young person required considerable staff time to keep her safe, and this has had an impact on the practice manager’s and registered manager’s time in terms of monitoring records.

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Good

In addition to the two requirements mentioned above, two recommendations from the previous inspection have been repeated. Although some progress has been made with regard to return home interviews and refurbishing the bathrooms, the work has not been completed.

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Good

New recommendations have been made in relation to educational provision, recording administration of controlled medication, achieving consistency in records and the explanation of the purpose of door alarms in the home’s statement of purpose.

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Good

The home produces clear, detailed risk assessments on individual children and young people, and on every aspect of their care. These provide easily understandable guidance to help the staff to look after the children and young people safely.

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Good

The home is nicely decorated, clean, safe and secure from outside intrusion. Health and safety checks are managed well. The company has imminent plans to continue with the refurbishment of the home, including the two bathrooms on the first floor, which the inspector identified at the previous two inspections as requiring improvement.

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Good

The children and young people in the home have complex needs, which means that sometimes they do take risks with their personal safety. When this occurs, the manager and staff respond swiftly and appropriately to reduce the risks. For most children and young people, this has been effective.

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Good

For one young person, recently, the risks continued to increase, despite the home’s efforts. The registered manager worked closely with the social worker and other external agencies to help to safeguard the young person. When it became apparent that they could not be kept safe in this locality, the manager took steps to bring the placement to a planned conclusion.

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Good

The children and young people generally have harmonious relationships. There were some recent difficulties between two residents, one of whom has now moved on. The registered manager is very assertive in his management of any disputes. This has been effective, because by speaking with both the young people the matter was resolved. This avoided an escalation into bullying. The staff are up to date with safeguarding training, which means that they have a good understanding of internet safety. The children and young people have access to the internet on their own computer in the dining area. This computer is well protected and the children and young people are encouraged to read information about keeping safe online. The home has had no allegations made in relation to child protection matters since the previous inspection. The registered manager is well aware of how to manage any allegations, should they occur in future.

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Good

The inspector has previously raised a recommendation at another home in the group, in relation to verification of references on staff recruitment files. Attempts were made to check the recruitment files for this home, but no new staff have been appointed since the recommendation was made. Discussion took place with the human resources manager, who explained that the company has implemented a new audit system to ensure that references are properly verified.

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Good

There have been a large number of incidents of children and young people being reported as missing since the previous inspection, but the majority involve one young person. There is a requirement to report his absence to the police if the home consider him missing but he is almost always with a family member or friends, sometimes for several days at a time. The professionals involved in his care stated that, overall, his frequency of going missing has reduced since the start of the placement.

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Good

The staff work closely with the local authority social worker to agree a realistic plan for family contact and overnight stays, which has helped to reduce these incidents. This has enabled the young person to take age-appropriate risks and to develop an increasing sense of personal responsibility.

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Good

Two other young people who have lived in the home since the previous inspection have not gone missing so frequently. One young person significantly reduced the times when she was absent without authority during the course of her placement, which represents an improvement. The registered manager ensures that the staff respond very quickly when a child or young person goes missing. There is very effective communication with the police and other professionals to help to keep children and young people safe.

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Good

The staff encourage children and young people to learn to regulate their own behaviour, through a clear and consistent programme of rewards and restorative measures. Social workers commented on how effective this had been in helping to change one young person’s responses and to bring about significant improvement in their ability to relate to peers. Children and young people understand what is expected of them, and examples were seen during the inspection when they sought the staff’s consent and attempted to negotiate for activities and contact that had not been planned.

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Good

The home manages incidents well. Most of the recent incidents concern one young person, who has now moved on. The six restraints that have taken place since the previous inspection also involve this young person, who was in need of protection on those occasions. This means that staff intervention was entirely appropriate. The staff receive regularly updated training on physical intervention to help to ensure that they restrain safely when the need arises. The staff make fair and proportionate decisions about allocating rewards and consequences, with an emphasis on reinforcing positive behaviour. One child received a reward of a football captain’s armband and a flag, for managing well during a family contact meeting. Rewards may also be financial. For example, the home may make a financial contribution towards an item of clothing or a DVD that the young person would like. Consequences are relevant to the incident; for example, one young person was not

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Good

able to ask the staff for lifts in the car when he left the home after his curfew time. The weekly takeaway can also be withdrawn as a consequence, if necessary. Judgement grade

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Good

The registered manager and staff team are very child-focused and constantly prioritise the children’s and young people’s needs. They are creative and assertive in promoting the children’s and young people’s best interests. The children and young people who have lived at the home since the previous full inspection have all made some progress. In some instances, progress has been considerable. The registered manager shows skill in assessing which children and young people will do well in the home, and understands the strengths and weaknesses of his staff team. This helps to ensure that the children and young people are suitably matched. The home has a skilled and experienced staff team. All but one of the staff members holds a level 3 award in the care of children and young people. The remaining team member is working towards this qualification.

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Good

The company provides a good-quality induction programme, and ongoing training needs are carefully monitored by staff at the head office, which sends reminders to the registered manager when training is due.

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Good

The staff’s day-to-day work with the children and young people is well supported by regular, in-depth supervision and annual appraisals. The home has a very able practice manager who helps to ensure that the staff follow the required procedures. Recently, she has had to work on shift full time, to support a highly vulnerable young person who has now moved on from the home. Now that this situation is resolved, the practice manager can return to her main role in the home. The registered manager and practice manager monitor the staff’s work effectively by observing practice and reviewing the home’s records. This is well supported by monthly visits from the independent visitor, who has recently changed. The registered manager was writing his latest Regulation 45 report during the inspection. A small number of incidents of inconsistent recording were found during the inspection, so a recommendation has been made. All were resolved while the

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Good

inspector was still on site. The staff team has access to consultation from a qualified and experienced child psychotherapist who specialises in attachment difficulties. The psychotherapist works with an organisation that provides staff training on attachment. This training and individual consultancy provides additional knowledge and insight into the challenges that children and young people face. The responsible individual explained that she values this service highly, because it provides direct, practical support for the children and young people, and specialist knowledge to promote staff development and to inform management decision making. The home has an effective statement of purpose which provides a sound structure and basis for practice. The document does state, in line with regulatory requirements, that door alarms will be used. The language used to describe the reasons for the alarms, and which refers to the alarms allegedly reducing the need

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Good

for waking night staff, is misleading. A recommendation has been made. The registered manager has worked hard to achieve very positive relationships with other professionals from a variety of different agencies, including the police, local safeguarding specialists, educationalists and placing authority commissioners. He has good relationships with the placing social workers, who value his enthusiasm and ability to grasp relevant care requirements quickly and to take decisive action when necessary. Some progress has been made with both recommendations made at the interim inspection, but neither is fully resolved. One recommendation was to ensure that children and young people who go missing receive return home interviews conducted by an independent person. Although the manager and staff have tried to ensure that this happens, the placing authorities have not always been in a position to carry out these visits. For example, one young person went missing on

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Good

19 occasions and received only four return interviews from their local authority. This local authority is now considering funding an external organisation to carry out the interviews, but has not yet made a decision. Another young person went missing seven times and was not visited at all by their distant placing authority for the purpose of a return interview. A third young person was visited by a voluntary organisation, but refused to engage with it. Although the manager has been extremely assertive in trying to ensure that return interviews take place, the local authorities’ failure to do so is contrary to Department for Education guidance, so the recommendation has been repeated. The second recommendation concerns the refurbishment of the two bathrooms on the first floor of the house. These bathrooms are cramped and require repair in places. They do not reflect the quality of the rest of the house, or provide a homely

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Good

environment for the children and young people. The responsible individual has incorporated this work into the development plan for the home, along with other significant works to redevelop the rear extension of the property, but it has not yet started. The registered manager said that there is now a firm plan to undertake the bathroom refurbishment, but, until this work begins, the recommendation will be repeated.

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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 children looked after 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 that 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 whom 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

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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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