Children's home run by Beaufort Care Group Ltd in Barnet

Inspection report children‟s home: SC046480 1 SC046480 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

 The home is registered for up to four children.  The home provides care for children who may have emotional and/or behavioural difficulties.  The home is operated by a private provider which has three other children‟s homes in the area.  Since the last inspection, the manager has resigned, and a new manager has been appointed. This person is applying to register with Ofsted.

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Information about this children’s home

Inspection dates: 22 to 23 November 2018

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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

Overall judgement at last inspection: inadequate

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requires improvement to be good

Enforcement action since last inspection: Two compliance notices were issued under Regulation 6: the quality and purpose of care standard, and Regulation 12: the protection of children standard. A monitoring visit was undertaken on 16 August 2018, at which it was determined that sufficient action had been taken to meet the two notices. Inspection report children‟s home: SC046480 2

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Inspection date Inspection type Inspection judgement

01/08/2018 Full Inadequate 19/09/2017 Full Good 14/12/2016 Interim Improved effectiveness 14/04/2016 Full Good Inspection report children‟s home: SC046480 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

5: Engaging with the wider system to ensure children‟s needs are met

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Requirement Due date

In meeting the quality standards, if the registered person considers, or staff consider, a placing authority‟s or a relevant person‟s performance or response to be inadequate in relation to their role, challenge the placing authority or the relevant person to seek to ensure that each child‟s needs are met in accordance with the child‟s relevant plans. (Regulation 5(c))

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Requirement Due date

In particular, the manager must appropriately escalate concerns when review minutes are not received in a timely manner. 31/01/2019

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Requirement Due date

12: The protection of children standard 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— 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. (Regulation 12(1)(2(a))

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Requirement Due date

In particular, ensure that risk assessments provide more consistent detail about how staff will prevent and/or reduce risks. 31/01/2019

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Requirement Due date

13: The leadership and management standard The leadership and management standard is that the registered person enables, inspires and leads a culture in relation to the children‟s home that—  helps children aspire to fulfil their potential; and  promotes their welfare. 31/01/2019 Inspection report children‟s home: SC046480 4 In particular, the standard in paragraph (1) requires the registered person to— use monitoring and review systems to make continuous improvements in the quality of care provided in the home. (Regulation 13(1(a)(b)(2(h))

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Requirement Due date

In particular, ensure that action plans devised as a result of the manager‟s‟ monitoring state who is responsible for completing each action and by when.

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Requirement Due date

39: Complaints and representations The registered person must establish a procedure for considering complaints made by or on behalf of children.

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Requirement Due date

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(3))

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Requirement Due date

In particular, ensure that the records of complaints contain the complainant‟s view of the outcome. 31/01/2019

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Requirement Due date

45: Review of quality of care The registered person must complete a review of the quality of care provided for children (“a quality of care review”) at least once every 6 months.

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Requirement Due date

In order to complete a quality of care review the registered person must establish and maintain a system for monitoring, reviewing and evaluating—  the quality of care provided for children;  the feedback and opinions of children about the children‟s home, its facilities and the quality of care they receive in it; and  any actions that the registered person considers necessary in order to improve or maintain the quality of care provided for children.

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Requirement Due date

After completing a quality of care review, the registered person must produce a written report about the quality of care review and the actions which the registered person intends to take as a result of the quality of care review (“the quality of care review report”).

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Requirement Due date

The registered person must—  supply to HMCI a copy of the quality of care review 31/12/2018 Inspection report children‟s home: SC046480 5 report within 28 days of the date on which the quality of care review is completed; and  make a copy of the quality of care review report available on request to a placing authority, if the placing authority is not the parent of a child accommodated in the home.

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Requirement Due date

The system referred to in paragraph (2) must provide for ascertaining and considering the opinions of children, their parents, placing authorities and staff. (Regulation 45 (1)(2(a)(b)(c))(3)(4(a)(b))(5))

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Recommendations

 When a child returns to the home after being missing from care or away from the home without permission, the responsible local authority must provide an opportunity for the child to have an independent return home interview. Homes should take account of information provided by such interviews when assessing risks and putting arrangements in place to protect each child. („Guide to the children‟s homes regulations including the quality standards‟, page 45, paragraph 9.30). In particular, ensure that records of return home interviews specify which episodes of missing they relate to.

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improvement to be good

Since the previous inspection, leaders and managers have made significant improvements to the environment and to the quality of care they provide to children. These improvements now need to be embedded into practice and sustained over time.

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improvement to be good

Children are now receiving individualised care. This care is underpinned by clear care planning documents that are understood by staff. The staff have built good relationships with the children. This has led to improvements in the quality of children‟s day-to-day experiences.

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improvement to be good

Children are making progress from their starting points. They are developing an understanding of the reasons why they live in the home, their behaviours and themselves as individuals. Children are achieving educationally. The children and staff are proud of these achievements.

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improvement to be good

Children are encouraged to express their views and ideas. This has included children being involved in choosing the decor to refurbish the home since the previous inspection. Inspection report children‟s home: SC046480 6 Children are now living in a well-furnished, comfortable and welcoming home. Personalised touches include pictures of children and staff enjoying activities together.

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improvement to be good

Children‟s healthcare needs are met. Staff ensure that children attend medical appointments and enable them to understand the importance of a healthy lifestyle. When needed, staff source additional support for children which can include access to the in-house psychologist.

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improvement to be good

Opportunities for children to undertake a range of activities have improved. Staff now balance children‟s interests in computer games with other fun activities. Staff have made links with another local children‟s home to arrange outings with children of a similar age. This helps children to build their social networks and develop confidence.

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improvement to be good

Although staff understand the risks for children, written risk assessments require improvement. These documents identify levels of risk, but do not consistently provide staff with clear guidance about how to prevent and/or reduce them.

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improvement to be good

The response to children who go missing has improved. Staff now follow children and when they lose sight of them, staff will continue to search the local area and other places that the children are known to visit. Return home interviews are taking place, but staff do not make it clear in the records which specific missing person events these interviews relate to.

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improvement to be good

Safeguarding systems have improved. Records now provide a complete evidence trail of the work undertaken to protect children from harm. Staff have regular discussions with children to help them to develop skills to keep themselves safe. Children said that they feel safe living here.

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improvement to be good

Behaviour is managed well. The focus is on praise and rewarding positive behaviours and choices. Children have individualised reward charts that they have developed with staff. Behaviour plans have improved. These documents now provide staff with clear guidance about each child. This has led to a more consistent approach by the staff teams.

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improvement to be good

Records of incidents and restraint have improved. These documents now provide a comprehensive account of events, debrief discussions with children and actions taken to prevent a reoccurrence. Restraint is only used as a last resort, for the minimum amount of time and at a minimal level.

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improvement to be good

Leaders and managers have made decisions to end children‟s placements when they have not been able to keep that child safe due to increased risks and challenging behaviour. Staff have maintained contact with children where appropriate. Inspection report children‟s home: SC046480 7

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

The home does not currently have a registered manager. Since the last inspection, the manager has resigned, and a new manager has been appointed. This person is applying to register with Ofsted and is working alongside the previous manager during this handover period.

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

Overall, staff have developed an improved working relationship with placing authorities, although further work is required. Currently, staff do not escalate concerns when minutes of children‟s review meetings are not provided in a timely manner. This weakness can limit staff‟s ability to accurately amend children‟s plans in accordance with decisions made at a review.

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

Monitoring systems have improved and are now more effective. As a result, leaders and managers have a clearer understanding of the strengths and areas for improvement. Action plans devised following the manager‟s monitoring do not state who is responsible for the action and when it is to be completed. This omission makes it harder for managers to hold staff to account.

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

Despite improving the monitoring systems, leaders and managers have not completed a review of the quality of care every six months and provided a copy of the subsequent report to Ofsted as required.

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

Staff are now receiving regular supervision, appraisals and team meetings. Records of these sessions have improved and evidence the work that staff have been involved in to develop the home since the previous inspection.

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

Staffing levels are appropriate for the number of children. Some staff are leaving, and the team is managing this change sensitively, ensuring that children are being prepared for these events so as to minimise any upset or disruption.

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

Overall, the quality and content of most records maintained by staff have improved. Most records are well organised and, where appropriate, are cross referenced to the online recording systems. However, the records of complaints need to improve. Currently these documents do not record the complainant‟s views on the outcome of their complaint.

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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 Inspection report children‟s home: SC046480 8 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: SC046480 9

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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

Wendy Anderson, social care inspector Inspection report children‟s home: SC046480 10 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

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