Children's home run by Benjamin UK Ltd in Hammersmith and Fulham

Inspection report children’s home: SC489512 1 SC489512 Registered provider: Benjamin UK Ltd

p.1

Full inspection Inspected under the social care common inspection framework

p.1

Information about this children’s home

The home is registered to take up to four children who have social and/or behavioural difficulties. The home is one of a group of homes owned and operated by a private organisation. There has not been a registered manager in post since September 2017.

p.1

Overall experiences and progress of

children and young people, taking into account

p.1

requires improvement to be good

How well children and young people are helped and protected requires improvement to be good

p.1

requires improvement to be good

The effectiveness of leaders and managers inadequate

p.1

requires improvement to be good

The children’s home is not yet delivering good help and care for children and young people. However, there are no serious or widespread failures that result in their welfare not being safeguarded or promoted.

p.1

requires improvement to be good

Overall judgement at last inspection: good

p.1

requires improvement to be good

Enforcement action since last inspection: none Inspection report children’s home: SC489512 2

p.1

Inspection date Inspection type Inspection judgement

11/07/2017 Full Good 07/12/2016 Interim Sustained effectiveness 25/04/2016 Full Good 12/01/2016 Full Inadequate Inspection report children’s home: SC489512 3

p.2

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.

p.3

Requirement Due date

The registered person must ensure that all employees— receive practice-related supervision by a person with appropriate experience; and have their performance and fitness to perform their roles appraised at least once every year. (Regulation 33 (4)(b)(c)) 22/06/2018

p.3

Requirement Due date

Subject to paragraph (6), the registered person must establish a procedure for considering complaints made by or on behalf of children. In particular, the procedure must provide that no person who is the subject of a complaint takes any part in its consideration or investigation, except at the informal resolution stage if the registered person considers it appropriate. The registered person must ensure that a record is made of any complaint, the action taken in response, and the outcome of any investigation. (Regulation 39 (1)(3)) 22/06/2018

p.3

Requirement Due date

Restraint in relation to a child is only permitted for the purpose of preventing— injury to any person (including the child); serious damage to the property of any person (including the child); or a child who is accommodated in a secure children’s home from absconding from the home. Restraint in relation to a child must be necessary and proportionate. (Regulation 20 (1)(a)(b)(c)(2)) 22/06/2018

p.3

Recommendations

 Ensure that the manager’s internal monitoring report is used as a tool for the continuous improvement of the home. (‘Guide to the children’s homes regulations including the quality standards’, page 65, paragraph 15.4)

p.3

Recommendations

 The registered person should only accept placements for children where they are satisfied that the home can respond effectively to the child’s assessed needs as recorded in the child’s relevant plans and where they have fully considered the impact the placement will have on the existing group of children. (‘Guide to the children’s homes regulations including the quality standards’, page 56, paragraph Inspection report children’s home: SC489512 4 11.4)

p.3

improvement to be good

While the care and support for children has enabled them to make progress, the overall judgement reflects the impact of there being no registered manager for eight months.

p.4

improvement to be good

The relatively new staff team demonstrates a genuine commitment to and understanding of the children’s needs. Staff also understand the model of care and work closely with professionals from the ‘wrap around’ service to meet children’s needs. This includes the provision of education and therapy. However, there are still areas for improvement, for example embedding the organisation’s therapeutic ethos and values into everyday practice.

p.4

improvement to be good

Children benefit from good relationships with the staff and they say that they are happy. Despite their complex childhoods, multiple placements and a lack of mainstream education, all of the children have made progress from their starting points. This includes a reduction in smoking. However, inspectors observed a lack of consistency. For example, staff did not always appropriately confront children who smoked on the premises.

p.4

improvement to be good

Regular meetings allow the children the opportunity to be involved in the day-to-day arrangements for their care. Records of these meetings show that children express how they feel openly and honestly. The staff encourage the children to discuss a range of important topics including how to make a complaint. However, children have raised some minor issues about staff in these meetings and the points have not been resolved. This inaction could result in children believing that they have not been listened to.

p.4

improvement to be good

A recent admission to the home was well planned. The child’s social worker told inspectors that the stability of the placement was attributable to the quality of this early planning. Visits to the child prior to them moving to the home helped them to develop strong relationships with the staff. However, the impact risk assessment did not fully consider the potential impact of the placement on the existing group of children.

p.4

improvement to be good

Safeguarding practice is good. The staff know how to identify and report concerns. Allegations against staff are taken seriously and are investigated thoroughly. Senior managers are willing to take any action that is necessary to keep the children safe.

p.4

improvement to be good

Restrictive physical intervention is used as a last resort. However, the staff who spoke with inspectors were unclear about when it could be used. For instance, on one Inspection report children’s home: SC489512 5 occasion, in order to prevent a child from going missing, the staff attempted to force him into the car when he refused to comply with their instructions.

p.4

improvement to be good

A recent fire in one of the children’s bedrooms was well managed by the staff. All of the children were safely evacuated and the fire service was called. Since then, managers have put into place extra measures to prevent a re-occurrence. Children are appropriately educated about fire hazards and staff have attended refresher training.

p.5

The effectiveness of leaders and managers: inadequate

The home has had no registered manager for over twenty-six weeks. The deputy manager has worked hard to try to lead and manage the team in the interim. However, this has not provided sufficient management oversight or scrutiny of the service and has resulted in a number of shortfalls in practice.

p.5

The effectiveness of leaders and managers: inadequate

Senior managers have not provided the deputy manager with consistent or regular supervision; the meetings have been sporadic and with different managers. This lack of continuity has resulted in senior managers not identifying issues or addressing concerns.

p.5

The effectiveness of leaders and managers: inadequate

Reports from the independent visitor provide managers with clear actions to take to improve the service. However, during the inspection the responsible individual said that some of the information contained in these reports is inaccurate. These potential inaccuracies had not been picked up previously, indicating that the reports are not used effectively as part of the manager’s monitoring.

p.5

The effectiveness of leaders and managers: inadequate

The frequency of the staff supervision has improved. However, records of these meetings are brief and do not evidence ongoing professional development.

p.5

The effectiveness of leaders and managers: inadequate

Records of external complaints are incomplete. They do not capture the action taken or the outcome. They also lack management oversight.

p.5

The effectiveness of leaders and managers: inadequate

Systems for the recording and filing of children’s information is complex. This has led to confusion about what documents are in place. It was difficult for inspectors to locate some records. Managers acknowledged this during the inspection and took appropriate action.

p.5

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. Inspection report children’s home: SC489512 6 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

p.5

Information about this inspection

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: SC489512 7

p.6

Children’s home details

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

p.7

Children’s home details

Responsible individual: Claudette Deysel

p.7

Inspectors

Amanda Harvey, social care inspector Jacqueline Georghiou, social care inspector Inspection report children’s home: SC489512 8 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.

p.7

Inspectors

If you would like a copy of this document in a different format, such as large print or Braille, please telephone 0300 123 1231, 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, The National Archives, Kew, London TW9 4DU, or email: psi@nationalarchives.gsi.gov.uk .

p.8

Inspectors

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

p.8

Inspectors

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

p.8