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

Inspection report children‘s home: SC414738 1 SC414738 Registered provider: Benjamin UK Ltd

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Full inspection Inspected under the social care common inspection framework

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Information about this children’s home

The home is registered to accommodate up to four young people. It is registered to provide care and accommodation to young people who have emotional and/or behavioural difficulties. It is a privately owned home. The organisation is registered to provide education as part of the care package.

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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: 2 December 2016

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good

Overall judgement at last inspection: Declined in effectiveness

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Enforcement action since last inspection:

None Inspection report children‘s home: SC414738 2

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Key findings from this inspection

 Young people live in a warm and homely environment where staff encourage them to personalise their surroundings. This results in young people quickly developing a sense of belonging.  Staff know young people well and have a good knowledge and understanding of their vulnerabilities and risks. Staff take the appropriate actions to keep young people safe.  Good links are maintained with safeguarding agencies. The manager regularly reviews any potential risks in the local area and works closely with other professionals to minimise these.  Young people are making good progress across all areas of their development. They are supported to access local resources, which has contributed to their increased sense of emotional well-being.  Young people are accessing and engaging in meaningful education provision. Staff have high aspirations for young people, which has resulted in an increase in young people‘s confidence and self-esteem.

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Key findings from this inspection

 Young people are experiencing improvements in their physical and emotional health.  Young people are able to share their views and ideas about their home, which are acted upon by staff and managers. If the suggestions made by young people are not appropriate, staff and managers help young people to understand why.  Joint working is embedded into practice and plans for young people reflect this.

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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

 The recording of staff supervision meetings is not detailed and does not provide a meaningful account of the supervision discussions and the actions that arise from them.  Staff supervision does not always take place on a regular basis.  Risk assessments in relation to activities and holidays do not contain the necessary detail and do not provide clear guidance to staff in relation to how to safeguard young people from the identified risks.  The statement of purpose does not include a comprehensive description of the services offered. Inspection report children‘s home: SC414738 3

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Inspection date Inspection type Inspection judgement

02/12/2016 Interim Declined in effectiveness 31/08/2016 Full Good 18/02/2016 Interim Sustained effectiveness 05/10/2015 Full Good Inspection report children‘s home: SC414738 4

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Statutory requirements

This section sets out the actions that the registered person(s) must take to meet 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 within the given timescales.

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Requirement Due date

12: In order to meet the protection of children standard the registered provider must ensure—

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Requirement Due date

(a) that staff— (i) assess whether each child is at risk of harm, taking into account information in the child‘s relevant plans, and, if necessary, make arrangements to reduce the risk of any harm to the child; (ii) help each child to understand how to keep safe; (iii) have the skills to identify and act upon signs that a child is at risk of harm; (iv) manage relationships between children to prevent them from harming each other; (v) understand the roles and responsibilities in relation to protecting children that are assigned to them by the registered person; (vi) take effective action whenever there is a serious concern about a child‘s welfare; and (vii) are familiar with, and act in accordance with, the home‘s child protection policies.

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Requirement Due date

In particular, complete risks assessments when taking young people on holiday. 01/11/2017

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Requirement Due date

The registered person must ensure that— within 24 hours of the use of a measure of control, discipline or restraint in relation to a child in the home, a record is made which includes— details of the child‘s behaviour leading to the use of the measure; the date, time and location of the use of the measure; a description of the measure and its duration; details of any methods used or steps taken to avoid the need to use the measure; the effectiveness and any consequences of the use of the measure; and 01/11/2017 Inspection report children‘s home: SC414738 5 a description of any injury to the child or any other person, and any medical treatment administered, as a result of the measure; within 48 hours of the use of the measure, the registered person, or a person who is authorised by the registered person to do so (―the authorised person‖)— has spoken to the user about the measure; and has signed the record to confirm it is accurate; and

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Requirement Due date

within 5 days of the use of the measure, 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)(a) (b) and (c) The registered person must recruit staff using recruitment procedures that are designed to ensure children‘s safety. The registered person may only— employ an individual to work at the children‘s home if the individual satisfies the requirements in paragraph (3) The requirements are that— the individual has the appropriate experience, qualification and skills for the work the individual is to perform; full history and information is available in relation to the individual in respect of each of the matters in Schedule 2. (Regulation 32 (2)(a) (3)(b)(d)) 01/11/2017

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Recommendations

 As set out in regulations 31–33, the registered person is responsible for maintaining good employment practice. They must ensure that recruitment of staff safeguards children and minimises potential risks to them. (‗Guide to the children‘s homes regulations including the quality standards‘, page 61, paragraph 13.1) In particular, the record of interviews of prospective staff should evidence their knowledge, skills and experience.

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Recommendations

 A record of supervision should be kept for staff, including the manager. The record should provide evidence that supervision is being delivered in line with regulation 33(4)(b). (‗Guide to the children‘s homes regulations including the quality standards‘, page 61, paragraph 13.3)

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Recommendations

 The information set out in the statement of purpose is an essential part of the process of agreement between the registered person and the placing authority that a placement in the home is the right one for the child, and that the home will be able to respond effectively to the child‘s assessed needs. Emergency admissions should not be taken unless the home‘s statement of purpose and its capacity and support systems means that it has the capability to care for children admitted at very short notice while continuing to offer high quality care to children already living in the home. (‗Guide to the children‘s homes regulations including the quality standards‘, page 14, paragraph 3.6) In particular, include information Inspection report children‘s home: SC414738 6 about the link to different homes within the organisation.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Young people live in a warm and homely house which is decorated and furnished to a high standard. It is very spacious, which means that young people are able to utilise opportunities for privacy. Young people are supported and encouraged to personalise their own bedrooms. One young person, who was supported to decorate his room to his own taste, said that this was important as it helped him to settle in and develop a sense of belonging.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Young people who have experienced significant disruption in their lives are provided with a stable environment. This results in young people experiencing increased emotional resilience and greater self-confidence; the majority of young people are making good progress in many areas of their lives. Young people benefit from having positive relationships with staff who are committed to promoting their well-being. Interactions observed between staff and young people were warm, with young people actively seeking out staff and showing a keenness to spend time with them. Staff were seen to maintain appropriate boundaries when young people‘s behaviour became more challenging, yet their warmth and care remained evident. One young person said, ‗I feel safe here and I know the staff care about me. They understand me and I can talk to any of them about how I am feeling. I think that they try really hard to make things better

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Staff support young people to improve and maintain their health, ensuring that they access health services as required. Young people are encouraged to eat healthily, and to engage in activities which provide opportunities for exercise. One young person practises martial arts, and staff have ensured that he has been provided with appropriate equipment and that he is given support and encouragement in his endeavours.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

While young people have good access to a range of external support services, they do not always respond positively to the advice they receive, particularly in relation to substance misuse. This may have a negative impact on the overall progress that young people make in the future. Staff proactively provide support, encouragement and guidance in this regard, and tenaciously continue to work with young people to help them to understand the concerning effects that substance misuse may have on their health and well-being.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Many of the young people have experienced previous difficulties in engaging with education services. The manager and staff actively support young people to access educational provision and ensure that if young people are not in education then constructive and meaningful activities are provided. One young person who had a history of not engaging in education has successfully accessed education within the organisation, and is making significant progress. Staff ensure that his successes are Inspection report children‘s home: SC414738 7 acknowledged and celebrated, and this has resulted in the young person feeling more confident about his own abilities and positive about his future. The young person is now expressing a strong wish to attend school externally, and the manager has been proactive in challenging the local authority to ensure that the appropriate education provision is made available to him in a timely manner.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

The manager and staff consult regularly with young people, seeking their views about the care that they receive and the intricacies of communal living. They do this through regular meetings with young people, key-working sessions and informal discussions. One young person said she felt that managers and staff valued the opinions of young people and, wherever possible, would ensure that these were put into action. For example, equipment was purchased at the request of young people to support their hobbies and interests.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Young people are supported by the input of the organisation‘s assistant psychologist, who also works closely with staff. Together they have devised detailed analyses of the more concerning aspects of young people‘s behaviour. This has resulted in individualised behaviour support plans, which guide staff to manage young people‘s behaviour using identified strategies. These work well. Effective communication between staff ensures a consistency of approach, which results in young people feeling more secure and better able to express themselves constructively.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Staff recognise the importance of young people maintaining strong links with family members who are important to them and who care about them. Staff have been proactive in establishing excellent relationships with one young person‘s grandparents and facilitating regular positive contact between the young person and his family. One grandparent said, ‗The staff have been excellent in ensuring that contact with our grandchild is positive and that his relationship with us is maintained. I trust the staff completely. They provide my grandson with a high standard of care and help him to keep himself safe. He has been much happier living in the home. We can really see a big difference in him.‘

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

Staff ensure that young people are protected. They have good insight into young people‘s emotional needs and how this is communicated through their behaviour. Staff and managers have effective systems in place, which enable them to assess risks to young people and review these on a regular basis. Risk assessments are informative and provide clear guidance to staff of the risks to each young person and how best to minimise these. Staff discuss risk assessments with young people and gain their views about the strategies to reduce the identified risks.

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

Staff demonstrate a good understanding of young people‘s behaviour, and have devised individual support plans to guide their work with the young people. As a result, young people are beginning to demonstrate an awareness of their own triggers to their more challenging behaviours, and are learning to regulate their behaviour accordingly. One Inspection report children‘s home: SC414738 8 young person was able to describe in detail the impact of his own behaviour upon others and how this helps to deter him from behaviours which may be harmful or unpleasant to other people. This is a highly significant step for the young person.

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

Staff give high priority to young people‘s safety. Risks are well managed and staff are able to recognise the signs of child sexual exploitation and take immediate action by supporting young people to engage in positive activities designed to discourage them from the negative influences in their lives. Staff are proactive in supporting young people to understand the benefits and the dangers of social media use. They encourage young people to take age-appropriate risks and support young people to be able to predict concerning situations and to avoid these.

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

Staff and managers take a multi-agency approach to safeguarding young people. They work closely with the local police, the placing authority and the local authority designated officer. One police officer said, ‗Staff keep us well informed of any concerns they may have about young people, and in turn we keep staff informed about local matters which may have an adverse effect on young people‘s safety.‘ Police are encouraged by staff to develop relationships with young people, so that young people understand that their role is to protect them.

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

Staff respond quickly and effectively when young people go missing. One young person‘s number of missing episodes has reduced significantly. The young person said, ‗I run away when things are bothering me but I know that I can go to the staff and talk with them about anything, so I don‘t feel like I want to run away as much now.‘

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

Young people live in a safe environment. Staff and young people are regularly involved in fire drills, and young people are developing a sense of health and safety within the home. Health and safety checks are undertaken regularly and fire and gas equipment is serviced regularly.

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

Managers undertake robust checks when employing staff in order to ensure that only suitable people work within the organisation.

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

Young people know how to complain. Information about the use of independent advocates is readily available to young people. Staff are clear in their understanding of what to do if a young person makes an allegation about a staff member, or discloses concerning information about their life and experiences. All young people stated that they trust the staff and feel very safe in their care.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

The registered manager is suitably qualified and experienced, and leads by example. Her passion and commitment are evident in the relationships between herself and the staff, and is inherent in the ethos within the setting.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

Staff feel that they are well supported and benefit from supervision, which enables them to reflect upon their practice and the impact upon young people. Staff were Inspection report children‘s home: SC414738 9 complimentary of the appraisals process and reported that this enables them to focus upon their areas for development. Targets set within the appraisals process are focused on the impact of practice upon young people‘s lives and experiences. The recording of supervision meetings is a shortfall of the service, and formal supervision does not take place regularly enough.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

Young people‘s care plans are detailed and reflect young people‘s individual needs and experiences. The manager monitors and reviews the progress that young people are making and this assists her to identify patterns and trends in young people‘s behaviour. This results in immediate action being taken by staff and managers to address any concerns which may be identified.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

The manager has ensured that the admissions process within the home is well planned and sensitive to the needs of young people. Staff, in consultation with young people, have developed a welcome pack, which is individualised for each new young person. The children‘s guide is available to all young people and copies of this can be found around the home. Staff and young people meet on a regular basis, and the manager ensures that actions taken as a result of suggestions from young people are acted upon and the outcomes fed back to young people. This helps young people to feel important and valued.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

Staff and managers are able to recognise when they are unable to meet a young person‘s complex needs and when it is the right time for young people to move on. There is the opportunity for young people to be able to move to another home within the organisation if their particular needs can be better met there. The statement of purpose does not include this characteristic of the service and this is a shortfall.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

The manager scrutinises the service and ensures that it benefits from the input of the independent visitor. Monthly reports are shared in staff meetings and suggestions and actions identified within the report are acted upon.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

Staff and managers employ a positive approach to young people‘s behaviour and focus upon positive consequences in order to bring about change. Negative consequences are rarely used, but when they are the monitoring of these by the manager is a shortfall. The manager does not discuss the impact of the measures employed with the young person, and as a result is unable to measure effectively the impact which this may have upon the young person‘s behaviour.

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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 Inspection report children‘s home: SC414738 10 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: SC414738 11

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Children’s home details

Registered provider address: Church Farm House, Station Road, Aldbury, Tring HP23 5RS

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Children’s home details

Responsible individual: Claudette Deysel

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Inspectors

Jacqueline Georghiou, social care inspector Amanda Harvey, social care inspector Inspection report children‘s home: SC414738 12 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 children looked after, safeguarding and child protection.

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Inspectors

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Inspectors

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Inspectors

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