Children's home run by Beacon Childcare Ltd in Cheltenham

Inspection report children’s home: 1230415 1 Registered provider: Beacon Childcare Limited Interim inspection Inspected under the social care common inspection framework

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Information about this children’s home

The home is registered to provide care for four young people up to the age of 18. The home offers care for young people who have social and/or emotional difficulties. The home is privately owned.

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Information about this children’s home

There is a new manager in post. The manager is not yet registered with Ofsted.

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Inspection date: 3 March 2020

Enforcement action since last inspection: none Inspection report children’s home: 1230415 2

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children and young people since the most recent full inspection

This home was judged good at the last full inspection. At the interim inspection, Ofsted judges that it has sustained effectiveness.

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children and young people since the most recent full inspection

At the last inspection four requirements were raised. Three of these requirements have been addressed. The manager has kept the home’s statement of purpose up to date. Staff have completed additional relevant training and there is improved management oversight of staff training. Staff also now benefit from regular supervision.

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children and young people since the most recent full inspection

One member of staff has still not managed to achieve a level 3 diploma in residential childcare within the regulatory timescale.

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children and young people since the most recent full inspection

The frequency of young people going missing from home has reduced. However, when young people return to the home, staff do not ensure that return home interviews by an independent person take place. This creates a missed opportunity to fully understand the risks that a young person may have faced when they were away from the home and to ensure that the right action is taken to safeguard the young person.

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children and young people since the most recent full inspection

Most of the home is clean and tidy, however the garden area continues to require attention to make it an inviting space for young people. In addition, the staff sleep- in rooms are unpleasant. One room contains an industrial washing machine and tumble dryer, and the bed has been replaced by a futon bed. The other staff sleep-in room was used for storage, which limited access to the bed. One young person told the inspector that ‘staff sometimes sleep in the living room as it’s nicer than the staff bedrooms.’ This does not create a homely environment for young people.

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children and young people since the most recent full inspection

Since the fourth young person arrived at the home there have been times when the home has been unable to provide sufficient staffing. To date this has not placed young people at risk as staff know young people well and young people are settled in placement.

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children and young people since the most recent full inspection

The staff roster does not accurately record the hours that staff have worked at the home. Some, but not all, of this information is recorded in the daily log book.

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children and young people since the most recent full inspection

Managers and staff would benefit from additional training in taking emergency placements so that they are equipped to meet the needs of young people admitted to the home quickly.

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children and young people since the most recent full inspection

All four young people attend schools or college and are making progress. Young people are meaningfully occupied at home, and staff support engagement in activities. Young people appear to have positive relationships with one another and with the staff team. Inspection report children’s home: 1230415 3

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Inspection date Inspection type Inspection judgement

23/05/2019 Full Good 08/03/2019 Interim Sustained effectiveness 30/08/2018 Full Requires improvement to be good 02/11/2017 Interim Improved effectiveness Inspection report children’s home: 1230415 4

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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 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

In particular, the standard in paragraph (1) requires the registered person to— ensure that the home has sufficient staff to provide care for each child. (Regulation 13 (1)(2)(d)) 24/04/2020

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Requirement Due date

The registered person must ensure that any individual who works in the home in a care role has achieved the appropriate qualification by the relevant date.

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Requirement Due date

The relevant date is, in the case of an individual who starts working in a care role in a home after 1st April 2014, the date which falls 2 years after the date on which the individual started working in a care role in a home; or

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Requirement Due date

in the case of an individual who was working in a care role in a home on 1st April 2014, 1st April 2016. (Regulation 32 (4)(a)(b)(5)(a)(b)) 24/04/2020

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Requirement Due date

Schedule 4 sets out the other information that the registered person must keep in relation to a children’s home.

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Requirement Due date

The registered person must— maintain in the home the records in Schedule 4; ensure that the records are kept up to date; and retain the records for at least 15 years from the date of the last entry. (Regulation 37 (1)(2)(a)(b)(c))

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Requirement Due date

This is in relation to maintaining a copy of the staff duty roster of persons working at the home, and a record of the actual rosters worked. (Schedule 4(3)) 24/04/2020

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Recommendations

 For children’s homes to be nurturing and supportive environments that meet the needs of their children, they will, in most cases, be homely, domestic Inspection report children’s home: 1230415 5 environments. (‘Guide to the children’s homes regulations including the quality standards’, page 15, paragraph 3.9) This is with specific reference to ensuring that the garden is an inviting space for children and improvements are made to the staff sleep-in rooms.  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

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Recommendations

9.30)  Homes set up for emergency placements as indicated and detailed in their Statement of Purpose will require sufficient staff trained and skilled in the admission and care of children, where their full background may not be known. (‘Guide to the children’s homes regulations including the quality standards’, page 57, paragraph 11.6)

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Information about this inspection

This inspection focused on the effectiveness of the home and the progress and experiences of children and young people since the most recent full inspection.

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Information about this inspection

Inspectors have looked closely at the experiences and progress of children and young people, 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: 1230415 6

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Children’s home details

Registered provider: Beacon Childcare Limited

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Children’s home details

Registered provider address: Hazlewoods, Windsor House, Bayshill Road, CHELTENHAM, Gloucestershire GL50 3AT

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Inspector

Debbie Holder, Social Care Inspector Inspection report children’s home: 1230415 7 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 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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