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

Inspection report children’s home: SC484671 1 SC484671 Registered provider: Benjamin UK Limited

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Full inspection Inspected under the social care common inspection framework

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Information about this children’s home

This privately run home offers therapeutic support, education and care for up to four children who may have experienced neglect, abuse or trauma that has left them vulnerable. The manager was registered with Ofsted in March 2018.

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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: 5 December 2018

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good

Overall judgement at last inspection: good

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good

Enforcement action since last inspection: none Inspection report children’s home: SC484671 2

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Inspection date Inspection type Inspection judgement

05/12/2018 Full Good 21/06/2017 Full Good 06/07/2016 Full Good 09/05/2016 Full Inadequate Inspection report children’s home: SC484671 3

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

This is a good home. The children feel safe, listened to and cared for.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

All the children are making educational progress. One child has just taken their GCSE exams and is awaiting confirmation of a college place. The other children attend school full time and have made progress from their starting points. The staff realise the importance of education and prioritise suitable school placements when children move into the home.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

The relationships between the staff and the children are strong and forged through open and honest communication. The children feel listened to, and communication is good. The staff are interested in what the children say and respond to them. The staff help the children to express their views and opinions through key-working discussions and community meetings. The children benefit from this inclusive approach to influencing the care that they receive.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Children access a diverse range of individualised activities in the community and at the home. These develop the children’s interests and hobbies.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

The staff enable the children to see their families, friends and other significant people. At times, the staff travel long distances to help maintain relationships that are important to children. Professionals value this proactive approach. A social worker said, ‘I am very satisfied with the service that they provide. They [the staff] have good relationships with [the child’s] family members, who really appreciate the hard work that they do.’

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

The children speak with the staff if they have any worries or concerns. They feel safe and they know that the staff care about them.

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

The staff reduce unwanted or challenging behaviour by using distraction and redirecting children. This works to good effect. There have been no physical interventions since the last inspection. The staff use positive reinforcement. Rewards are used significantly more than negative consequences. This approach encourages children to reduce negative behaviours.

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

The staff know their safeguarding responsibilities. They look for the children if they leave the home without permission or go missing. Such incidents are low in number; there have been only 11 since the last inspection. In most of these cases, the child returned home soon after being reported missing.

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

The home is located on a busy road. Safeguards are in place to mitigate this risk. However, the home’s location risk assessment does not consider risks in the immediate Inspection report children’s home: SC484671 4 location posed by rivers and lakes, public houses and other businesses. This means that some local risks are insufficiently assessed.

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

The home has systems for safe recruitment of staff. However, the system for checking staff who have worked overseas lacks clarity. A member of staff who had worked in two foreign countries had checks undertaken, but the records of these were not on his file and could not be located in a timely manner.

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

The home is large, set in attractive grounds and has a homely and nurturing feel. However, at least three fire doors were found not to close properly. This shortfall had also been identified on a fire risk assessment that had been completed earlier in the year. Failure to ensure that fire precautions work properly puts children and staff at risk.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

The manager registered with Ofsted in March 2018. She has a relevant level 5 diploma. The manager is supported by a deputy manager. Both are respected by the staff, professionals and the children.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

Half of the staff are qualified to a relevant level 3 or higher, and the remaining staff are enrolled on a level 3 course. The staff receive a comprehensive training package and are clear about their responsibilities to safeguard the children.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

The staff receive regular, practice-led supervisions and annual appraisals. However, the system for recording these meetings is ineffective, and several months of supervisions have not been recorded in the organisation’s agreed electronic format. This means that staff do not have an accurate record of the discussion and agreed actions.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

The registered manager is developing systems for monitoring the service and gaining feedback from children, families and professionals. There is an organisational development plan but not a workforce plan for the home. The managers are keen to develop this to retain and progress the staff team.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

The most recent internal review of the quality of care was comprehensive, and there is a clear action plan for development. However, this was completed late and was not received by Ofsted. Late submission to Ofsted lessens the effectiveness of this monitoring. An independent person visits the home every month and has recorded positive comments from children and families and noted improvements since the last inspection. Inspection report children’s home: SC484671 5

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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— that staff—

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Requirement Due date

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)(i))

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Requirement Due date

In particular, ensure that the location risk assessment considers risks in the local area from waterways, the local public house and other local businesses. 21/08/2019

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Requirement Due date

If the Regulatory Reform (Fire Safety) Order 2005(a) applies to the home—

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Requirement Due date

the registered person must ensure that the requirements of that Order and any regulations made under it, except for article 23 (duties of employees), are complied with in respect of the home. (Regulation 25 (2)(b)) 12/07/2019

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Recommendations

 The registered person should have a workforce plan. The plan should detail the process and timescales for supervision of practice and appropriate records for staff should be kept. (‘Guide to the children’s homes regulations including the quality standards’, page 53, paragraph 10.8)  As set out in regulations 31−33, the registered person is responsible for maintaining good employment practice. They must ensure that recruitment, supervision and performance management of staff safeguard children and minimise potential risks to them. (‘Guide to the children’s homes regulations Inspection report children’s home: SC484671 6 including the quality standards’, page 61, paragraph 13.1)  Regulation 45 sets out requirements for the registered person to have a system in place which allows them to monitor the matters set out in the regulation at least once every six months; also see regulation 13(2)(h) (the leadership and

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Recommendations

management standard). (‘Guide to the children’s homes regulations including the quality standards’, page 64, paragraph 15.2) Inspection report children’s home: SC484671 7

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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 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: SC484671 8

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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

Ricky D’Arcy, social care inspector Inspection report children’s home: SC484671 9 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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Inspector

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Inspector

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Inspector

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