Children's home run by Benjamin UK Ltd

Inspection report for children’s home - monitoring visit: 1242111 1

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Benjamin UK Limited

Monitoring visit 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 young people 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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This monitoring visit

This monitoring visit was conducted in response to concerns received by Ofsted relating to the immediate safety of the young people.

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This monitoring visit

The inspector found that between the dates of 12 June 2018 and 3 September 2018, young people had climbed on to the roof of the home on 11 occasions. Incident reports reviewed by the inspector outlined the range of routes that the young people had used to access the roof. These included climbing on to a side gate, climbing out of bedroom windows with missing or ineffective restrictors and, more recently, one young person using a window restrictor key that was given to them in error by a member of staff. The young person used this key to unlock other young people’s bedroom windows and climbed in and out of them.

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This monitoring visit

Staff were unaware of the young person’s possession of the key until the young person told them. Consequently, it is impossible to determine the full frequency of the times that it was used to gain access to the roof. In addition, staff discovered that a hole had been made in the wall between two of the young people’s bedrooms (behind the fitted chest of drawers). It is therefore not known exactly how many times the young people had been on the roof. It is known that on one occasion, a young person had removed and thrown slate roof tiles and sat on the roof of the glass conservatory.

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This monitoring visit

Historical information dating back to early 2017 highlighted that incidents of young people climbing on to the roof had occurred before and therefore this was a known risk. Staff’s responses to these incidents over a protracted period had failed to Inspection report for children’s home - monitoring visit: 1242111 2 address these risks and to prevent a reoccurrence. This included the manager purchasing anti-climb paint in June 2018 but not having it applied.

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This monitoring visit

Leaders and managers have failed to demonstrate sufficient expertise in the recognition and management of risk. They have failed to consider the risks for all of the young people. Consequently, incidents have been responded to in isolation. The risk assessment of the roof, written in April 2017 by the then registered manager, highlighted the first known incidents of this risky behaviour occurring. Leaders and managers since then have failed to review and/or update this document and therefore the information is outdated and relates to the specific circumstances at that time. At this monitoring visit, a wooden pergola at the side of the property was discussed with the staff as an obvious hazard. Staff said that they had already raised this concern but were prevented by senior leaders from having it removed.

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This monitoring visit

The home has not had a registered manager or consistent interim management arrangements since May 2017. A newly appointed manager, in post at the time of this monitoring visit, is working hard to try and improve the service. However, due to the amount of direct shift work that she is doing, there has been no management scrutiny and oversight of the quality of the care provided.

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This monitoring visit

Leaders and managers have failed to notify Ofsted of serious incidents that have occurred, including occasions when there has been police involvement.

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This monitoring visit

Some immediate remedial action was taken during this monitoring visit in response to the serious concerns identified by the inspector. This included the application of anti-climb paint and the use of waking night staff. Ofsted will consider the findings of this monitoring visit to determine any further action to be taken.

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Recent inspection history

Inspection date Inspection type Inspection judgement 04/07/2018 Full Requires improvement to be good 21/11/2017 Full Good 20/06/2017 Full Inadequate Inspection report for children’s home - monitoring visit: 1242111 3

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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

The protection of children standard is that children are protected from harm and enabled to keep themselves safe.

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Requirement Due date

In particular, the standard in paragraph (1) requires the registered person to ensure—

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Requirement Due date

that staff— 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;

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Requirement Due date

help each child to understand how to keep safe;

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Requirement Due date

have the skills to identify and act upon signs that a child is at risk of harm;

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Requirement Due date

manage relationships between children to prevent them from harming each other;

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Requirement Due date

understand the roles and responsibilities in relation to protecting children that are assigned to them by the registered person;

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Requirement Due date

take effective action whenever there is a serious concern about a child’s welfare; and

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Requirement Due date

are familiar with, and act in accordance with, the home’s child protection policies. (Regulation 12 (1)(2)(a)(i)(ii)(iii)(iv)(v)(vi)(vii)) 02/11/2018

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Requirement Due date

The leadership and management standard is that the registered person enables, inspires and leads a culture in relation to the children’s home that—

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Requirement Due date

helps children aspire to fulfil their potential; and promotes their welfare.

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Requirement Due date

In particular, the standard in paragraph (1) requires the registered person to— 02/11/2018 Inspection report for children’s home - monitoring visit: 1242111 4 lead and manage the home in a way that is consistent with the approach and ethos, and delivers the outcomes, set out in the home’s statement of purpose;

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Requirement Due date

ensure that staff work as a team where appropriate;

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Requirement Due date

ensure that staff have the experience, qualifications and skills to meet the needs of each child;

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Requirement Due date

ensure that the home has sufficient staff to provide care for each child;

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Requirement Due date

ensure that the home’s workforce provides continuity of care to each child;

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Requirement Due date

understand the impact that the quality of care provided in the home is having on the progress and experiences of each child and use this understanding to inform the development of the quality of care provided in the home; and

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Requirement Due date

use monitoring and review systems to make continuous improvements in the quality of care provided in the home. (Regulation 13 (1)(a)(b)(2)(a)(b)(c)(d)(e)(f)(h)) The registered person must notify HMCI and each other relevant person without delay if—

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Requirement Due date

an incident requiring police involvement occurs in relation to a child which the registered person considers to be serious; or

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Requirement Due date

there is any other incident relating to a child which the registered person considers to be serious. (Regulation 40 (4)(b)(e)) 02/11/2018

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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)

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Recommendations

 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 Inspection report for children’s home - monitoring visit: 1242111 5 home’s care. (‘Guide to the children’s homes regulations including the quality standards’, page 61, paragraph 13.5)

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Information about this inspection

The purpose of this visit was to carry out a monitoring visit to follow up concerns communicated to Ofsted.

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Information about this inspection

This inspection was carried out under the Care Standards Act 2000.

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Children’s home details

Registered provider: Benjamin UK Limited

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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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Inspector:

Amanda Harvey, social care inspector Inspection report for children’s home - monitoring visit: 1242111 6 to 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:

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Inspector:

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Inspector:

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

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