Children's home run by Beaufort Care Group Ltd

Inspection report children's home: 1246831 1 Registered provider: Beaufort Care Group

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Full inspection Inspected under the social care common inspection framework

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Information about this children’s home

This home is one of five children’s services operated by a private provider which is based in the south of England. The home is registered for up to four children and young people who may have emotional and/or behavioural difficulties.

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Overall experiences and progress of

children and young people, taking into account

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Good

How well children and young people are helped and protected Good

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Good

The effectiveness of leaders and managers Good

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Good

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

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Good

Date of last inspection: Not applicable.

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Good

Overall judgement at last inspection: Not applicable.

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Key findings from this inspection

This children’s home is good because: Inspection report children's home: 1246831 2  The young people arrived with very complex difficulties. All have made good progress, although this varies between them.  The key to the home’s success is that the staff provide high quality, personalised care to meet each young person’s individual needs. This has helped the young people to begin to trust and to build positive relationships with the staff.  The manager and staff have high aspirations for the young people. All of the young people are supported to attend education, even though some find this very difficult to manage.  The young people enjoy a wide variety of interesting activities. They are encouraged to participate in the local community. Some have participated in sporting events for charity.  The home is very well managed. The staff team is well qualified and supervised. The team is led by an experienced registered manager who has a detailed

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Key findings from this inspection

knowledge of every aspect of the home’s operation.

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Key findings from this inspection

The children’s home’s areas for development:

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Key findings from this inspection

 Return home interviews have not always been carried out within 72 hours, as specified in the statutory guidance.  Occasionally, the police’s ‘safe and well’ checks have been mistakenly recorded as ‘return home’ interviews.

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Inspection date Inspection type Inspection judgement

12 December 2016 Registration Not applicable Inspection report children's home: 1246831 3

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Recommendations

 Ensure that when a child is found, they are offered an independent return home interview. The interview should be carried out within 72 hours of their return to their home or care setting. (‘Statutory guidance on children who run away or go missing from home or care’, January 2014, page 14, paragraphs 31 and 32)

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Recommendations

 Ensure that safe and well checks and independent return interviews provide an opportunity to inform case planning, for wider strategic planning and for professionals to take into account children’s views. The outcome of checks and interviews should therefore be recorded on case files so that they can be shared with professionals. In particular, ensure that the police ‘safe and well’ checks are not confused with or recorded as return home interviews. Ensure that the outcome of return home interviews is recorded on the case files. (‘Statutory Guidance on Children who run away or go missing from home or care’, January 2014, page 16, paragraph 37)

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

The home was closed for refurbishment and was re-registered on 12 December 2016. The registered manager, three of the four young people and the staff team moved into the home as an established group from one of the company’s other homes in the same town. A fourth young person came to live in the home in January 2017.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

This is the home’s first full inspection. The registered manager and staff have a clear understanding of the young people’s needs. The staff build trusting relationships with the young people through high quality care. As a result, the young people have all made progress since admission.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Several of the young people have enjoyed placement stability for the first time since they came into local authority care. Most have gained self-confidence and, for all, the number of serious incidents has reduced.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

The young people enjoy cycling, ice skating, walking on the beach and dance classes. Two young people have taken part in a five-kilometre run for charity. Others have participated in the local authority’s ‘Celebrating Success’ award ceremony. Some young people have formed stable and rewarding relationships with boyfriends and girlfriends. Others have managed to re-establish relationships with their families.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Most of the young people are enrolled in school or college, but some are struggling to Inspection report children's home: 1246831 4 attend. The staff provide excellent support to help them to overcome their anxieties. Some of the young people are very able, but have missed a great deal of school. This makes it very hard to return and engage with learning.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

One young person, who had been excluded from college, turned his situation around by enrolling himself on another course. He has also obtained a job through his own efforts. This is an excellent achievement.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Other young people have difficulty in overcoming their habit of smoking cannabis. The registered manager describes this as ‘work in progress’. It is encouraging that the same young people are very keen on healthy eating. They prepare nutritious, home-cooked meals for themselves using good quality ingredients. This helps to promote their general health and reduce the impact of smoking.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

The most recently admitted young person is unhappy about being ‘looked after’. When he first arrived, he was missing most of the time and would not stay in the home. This young person is beginning to trust the staff and to communicate with them when he is out and about at night. This is really good progress for him. Family friends acknowledge that the early days of his time at this home were difficult. They are full of praise for the home, saying that ‘the staff have been amazing and can’t do enough for him’.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

The young people receive excellent health care. Their medication is well managed and they receive specialist support when required. This may include advice from the looked- after children’s nurse, or support from the child and adolescent mental health service. Some young people, who used to injure themselves, now do so infrequently.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

The young people are consulted about all aspects of their daily lives. They are not keen on house meetings, but are happy to chat informally around the dinner table. Some young people have access to an advocate to help ensure that their views are heard. The young people’s guide provides useful information about contacting agencies which provide support.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

All of the young people have developed useful life skills. This will help them when they eventually move on from the home. For example, one young person has bought himself a motorbike. With help from the staff, he made it roadworthy and learned to ride it. He gained his motorcycle licence and can now ride his bike on the road. This young man now travels by himself to visit family members and friends.

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How well children and young people are helped and protected: good

The registered manager and staff are aware of the risks that the young people face in their daily lives. Detailed risk assessments with clear strategies help the staff respond to specific situations.

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How well children and young people are helped and protected: good

There have been a large number of incidents when some young people have gone Inspection report children's home: 1246831 5 missing. The staff always respond appropriately, according to each young person’s risk assessment. They search for the young person and keep the police, parents and the local authority informed. The frequency of these missing-from-home incidents is decreasing.

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How well children and young people are helped and protected: good

Return-home interviews are usually completed, although not always within the 72-hour timeframe. The local authority has said that young people do not need a return-home interview if they have been missing for less than six hours. This does not reflect the statutory guidance, so a recommendation has been made.

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How well children and young people are helped and protected: good

The police’s ‘safe and well’ checks are not the same as official ‘return-home’ interviews. The staff sometimes record them as return-home interviews. A second recommendation has been made.

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How well children and young people are helped and protected: good

If the young people make an allegation, this receives an appropriate response. Allegations are immediately referred to the designated officer for child protection. The small number of allegations to date have all been unsubstantiated.

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How well children and young people are helped and protected: good

The home’s health and safety and fire safety checks take place at recommended intervals. No hazards to safety were observed during the inspection.

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How well children and young people are helped and protected: good

The company manages staff recruitment well. On 22 May 2017, the inspector examined a sample of staff files. The minor shortfalls found were resolved before this inspection took place.

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How well children and young people are helped and protected: good

The staff work together as a team to make sure that they provide the young people with clear boundaries. This helps them to manage their behaviour. As a result, the staff have only had to carry out two restraints since the home was registered. Both involved the same young person and were of short duration.

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How well children and young people are helped and protected: good

The staff use rewards to help the young people to learn from their behaviour. These are specific to each young person’s interests. For example, one young person received money so that she could enjoy a meal out with her boyfriend. This reward reflects her increasing maturity and ability to keep herself safe.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

The registered manager is an experienced, qualified childcare professional. She is well supported by the home’s practice manager. The manager monitors the young people’s progress and staff performance well. The home receives monthly visits from an independent visitor. He prepares detailed reports which help the registered manager to make improvements.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

The staff receive regular supervision in line with the company’s policy. Team meetings support the staff and help to promote consistent practice. The staff also receive regular consultation from a clinical psychologist. This helps the team to manage the young Inspection report children's home: 1246831 6 people’s behaviour in an informed and sensitive manner.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

The manager meets regularly with commissioners to discuss the young people’s developing needs. When there are risks to the young people, their placements are under constant review. Multi-agency meetings track risks to the young people and help to keep them safe.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

The home has a full staff team which includes men and women and a range of ages. Some team members are from other European countries. This offers the young people a wide range of life experiences.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

The company practices safer recruitment. New staff receive an effective induction and good quality training. The majority of staff hold a qualification at level 3. Some hold social work qualifications. The staff receive any extra training needed to support individual young people. The company has invested in its practice managers by enrolling them on the level 5 award in leadership and management.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

The home operates in line with its statement of purpose. This detailed document reflects the current legislation and guidance. The young people’s guide is bright and welcoming. It helps the prospective residents to know what to expect when they come to live in the home.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

The home has been fully refurbished and provides very high quality accommodation. The large kitchen is well equipped and provides a focal point for the home. There is a comfortable lounge and a pleasant garden. The garage has been converted into a studio for the young people to use. This nurturing, homely environment values the young people and supports their development. One family member commented, ‘I think the home is lovely’.

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Information about this inspection

Inspectors have looked closely at the experiences and progress of children and young people. Inspectors considered the quality of work and the differences made to the lives of children and young people. They watched how professional staff work with children and young people and each other and discussed the effectiveness of help and care provided. Wherever possible, they talked to children and 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.

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Information about this inspection

Using the ‘Social care common inspection framework’, this inspection was carried out under the Care Standards Act 2000 to assess the effectiveness of the service, how it meets the core functions of the service as set out in legislation, 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’. Inspection report children's home: 1246831 7 Inspection report children's home: 1246831 8

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Children’s home details

Registered provider: Beaufort Care Group

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Children’s home details

Registered provider address: 42 Lytton Road, New Barnet, Barnet EN5 5BY

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Children’s home details

Responsible individual: Jennifer Kendall

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Inspector(s)

Heather Chaplin, social care inspector Inspection report children's home: 1246831 9 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, further education and skills, adult and community learning, and education and training in prisons and other secure establishments. It assesses council children’s services, and inspects services for looked after children, safeguarding and child protection.

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Inspector(s)

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Inspector(s)

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Inspector(s)

T: 0300 123 1231 Textphone: 0161 618 8524 E: enquiries@ofsted.gov.uk W: http://www.gov.uk/ofsted

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