Children's home run by Benjamin UK Ltd

Inspection report children’s home: 1242111 1 Registered provider: Benjamin UK Ltd 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 take up to four children who have emotional and/or behavioural difficulties. The home is one of a group of homes owned and operated by a private organisation.

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Information about this children’s home

There has been no manager registered in post since 12 June 2017. A manager has been appointed who is not yet registered.

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Overall experiences and progress of

children and young people, taking into account

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requires improvement to be good

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

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requires improvement to be good

The effectiveness of leaders and managers requires improvement to be good

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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.

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requires improvement to be good

Date of last inspection: 21 November 2017

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requires improvement to be good

Overall judgement at last inspection: good

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requires improvement to be good

Enforcement action since last inspection: none Inspection report children’s home: 1242111 2

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Inspection date Inspection type Inspection judgement

21/11/2017 Full Good 20/06/2017 Full Inadequate Inspection report children’s home: 1242111 3

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Recommendations

 The registered person must have systems in place so that all staff, including the manager, receive supervision of their practice from an appropriately qualified and experienced professional, which allows them to reflect on their practice and the needs of the children assigned to their care. (‘Guide to the children’s homes regulations including the quality standards’, page 61, paragraph 13.2)  All staff must have their performance and fitness to carry out their role formally appraised at least once annually. This appraisal should take into account, where reasonable and practical, the views of other professionals who have worked with the staff member over the year and children in the home’s care. (‘Guide to the children’s homes regulations including the quality standards’, page 61, paragraph 13.5)

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improvement to be good

Recent improvements in practice have meant that new young people moving in do so in a planned way. The new manager has worked hard to ensure that the group of young people are compatible and that the staff are involved in the process. However, delays in the implementation of key plans mean that targets are not always clear from the start.

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improvement to be good

The staff understand the underlying model of care but do not always work consistently, particularly in relation to applying the rules and setting boundaries. On occasion, this has led to tensions in the team. This has also created unpredictability for the young people, resulting in a recent complaint about staff’s inconsistent care practice.

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improvement to be good

However, the staff know the young people well and have built good relationships with them. The young people benefit from personalised activity programmes that help them to engage with education and keep them motivated. As a result, all the young people are making progress.

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improvement to be good

Staff training in the safe administration of medication has not achieved its aims. A recent medication error made by the staff highlighted gaps in their knowledge as well as in the organisation’s policy. Despite it not being serious in nature, the new manager investigated the error thoroughly and used the findings to improve practice. This included updating the procedure and seeking new training for the staff. Inspection report children’s home: 1242111 4 Insightful staff look for reasons behind the young people’s challenging behaviour. However, the lack of management oversight has, at times, led to sanctions not always being fair or proportionate. The new manager has recognised this and is using team meetings as an opportunity for the staff to review the strategies, including applying sanctions consistently. This helps the young people to understand the consequences of their behaviour.

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improvement to be good

Staff’s responses to the young people going missing have improved since the arrival of the new manager. While the reporting and recording of incidents have always been good, the care and consideration shown to the young people during this time reflect the principles of good parenting. An example of this includes the staff writing letters to the young people to read on their return, stating how worried the staff were and how they were missed by them.

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improvement to be good

Senior managers report that relationships with the police and neighbours have improved over the past six months. The staff are helping the young people to regulate their behaviour and emotions. As a result, the number of serious incidents has been reduced, as has the impact on the local community.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: requires improvement to be good

The home has been without a registered manager since June 2017. Since then, the interim management arrangements have not always provided the consistency and stability needed by the staff and young people. Attempts by senior managers to fill this vacancy have not been successful. However, it is evident that, despite this, they have taken appropriate action to address poor performance and not continue the employment of managers whom they deem unfit to carry out the role.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: requires improvement to be good

The current management arrangements have been in place for three months and have been well received by the staff, young people, parents and professionals. The new manager is highly experienced in residential care and is in the process of applying to Ofsted to become the registered manager. She already holds the relevant qualification to undertake the role, and has a clear vision for the future.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: requires improvement to be good

Having already identified the areas that need improvement, the manager has a clear action plan in place to address these. This includes being involved in the recruitment of new staff. Her focus is also on developing the current staff team to ensure that members have the skills and knowledge to meet the needs of the children.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: requires improvement to be good

While there have been some improvements in the quality of supervision since the last inspection, the frequency and duration of meetings are not consistent with the organisation’s policy. The new manager is aware of this and is in the process of prioritising these tasks on the management action plan. Inspection report children’s home: 1242111 5

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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 difference 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: 1242111 6

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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

Amanda Harvey, social care inspector Inspection report children’s home: 1242111 7 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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Inspectors

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Inspectors

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Inspectors

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