Esther House

Inspection report for children’s home - monitoring visit: SC474150 1 SC474150

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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 owned and run by a private organisation. It provides care and accommodation for up to four children with behavioural and/or emotional difficulties.

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Information about this children’s home

The manager registered with Ofsted in May 2018.

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This monitoring visit

In accordance with Ofsted guidance on COVID-19 (coronavirus) restrictions, this visit was completed over two days. On day one, the inspector visited the home for a short period to meet the children, speak to the staff and the deputy manager and to see the home. On day two, the inspection was undertaken remotely. This included the inspector talking to the registered manager via video call, reviewing a range of documents and speaking to the children’s social workers on the telephone.

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This monitoring visit

The focus of this inspection was to follow up on concerns arising from safeguarding notifications to Ofsted and the independent visitor’s reports. In particular, the information in these documents described children being at risk of harm. This included recent incidents of them going missing from care, being vulnerable to child sexual exploitation, drinking alcohol, smoking cannabis in their rooms and covering the smoke detectors.

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This monitoring visit

Since the assurance visit in September 2020, there have been some periods of instability in the home which have resulted in an increase in safeguarding incidents. A lack of experience in the staff team has meant that, on occasions, children’s behaviour has not been managed or followed up as expected by the registered manager. During this time, incidents of poor staff performance have been fully investigated and addressed by managers and action has been taken to keep the children safe. Inspection report for children’s home - monitoring visit: SC474150 2 Effective use of staff meetings led by the registered manager and the therapist helped the staff to reflect on all these incidents and agree on ways to support the children. While this had a positive impact on the group of children at the time, the staff could not sustain this when new children moved in. This, together with the impact of the COVID-19 restrictions on accessing community activities, resulted in

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This monitoring visit

further safeguarding incidents. The registered manager has recognised this and has put further measures in place to prevent a reoccurrence.

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This monitoring visit

Following the introduction of improved management oversight and monitoring arrangements by the registered manager, the staff’s immediate response to safeguarding incidents has improved. The staff regularly talk to the children about their behaviour and the associated risks, as well as exploring different incentives to help them stop. Because of this, there has been a reduction in incidents overall and some children are now able to reflect on and manage their behaviour more positively.

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This monitoring visit

The managers are working closely with the children’s social workers, the police and specialist agencies to share and discuss ongoing concerns.

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This monitoring visit

The requirements made at the assurance visit were not explored as part of this visit and therefore remain in place.

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Recent inspection history

Inspection date Inspection type Inspection judgement 09/03/2020 Full Requires improvement to be good 08/01/2019 Interim Sustained effectiveness 23/08/2018 Full Good 15/02/2018 Interim Sustained effectiveness Inspection report for children’s home - monitoring visit: SC474150 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 health and well-being standard is that—

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Requirement Due date

the health and well-being needs of children are met;

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Requirement Due date

children receive advice, services and support in relation to their health and well-being; and

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Requirement Due date

children are helped to lead healthy lifestyles. (Regulation 10 (1)(a)(b)(c)) 30 November 2020

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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

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

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Requirement Due date

take effective action whenever there is a serious concern about a child’s welfare. (Regulation 12 (1) (2)(a)(iii)(vi)) 30 November 2020

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Requirement Due date

maintain in the home the records in Schedule 4;

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Requirement Due date

ensure that the records are kept up to date; and

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Requirement Due date

retain the records for at least 15 years from the date of the last entry. (Regulation 37 (2)(a)(b)(c)) 30 November 2020 Inspection report for children’s home - monitoring visit: SC474150 4

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Recommendations

 The registered person should oversee the welfare of the children in their care through observation and engagement with: each child; the home’s staff; each child’s family/carers where appropriate; and professionals involved in the care or protection of each child, including their social worker, independent reviewing officer, teachers, clinicians and other health professionals. In particular, ensure that there is a clear plan for key-working sessions which links to the individual needs of each child, including the aims of the child’s placement. (‘Guide to the children’s homes regulations including the quality standards’, page 54, paragraph 10.23)  The registered person should actively seek independent scrutiny of the home and make best use of information from independent and internal monitoring (including under regulations 44 and 45) to ensure continuous improvement. They should be skilled in anticipating difficulties and reviewing incidents, such as learning from

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Recommendations

disruptions and placement breakdowns. They are responsible for proactively implementing lessons learned and sustaining good practice. (‘Guide to the children’s homes regulations including the quality standards’, page 55, paragraph 10.24)  The registered person should ensure that children are encouraged by staff to see the home’s records as ‘living documents’ and support them to view and contribute to the record in a way that reflects their voice on a regular basis. In particular, ensure that children’s records are individualised and focused only on the child to whom the record refers. (‘Guide to the children’s homes regulations including the quality standards’, page 58, paragraph 11.19)  The registered person should maintain good employment practice, as set out in regulations 31 to 33. They must ensure that recruitment, supervision and performance management of staff safeguards children and minimises potential

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Recommendations

risks to them. (‘Guide to the children’s homes regulations including the quality standards’, page 61, paragraph 13.1)

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Information about this inspection

The purpose of this visit was to monitor the action taken and the progress made by the children’s home since its last Ofsted inspection.

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Information about this inspection

This inspection was carried out under the Care Standards Act 2000. Inspection report for children’s home - monitoring visit: SC474150 5

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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 Rudman

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Inspector

Amanda Harvey, Social Care Inspector Inspection report for children’s home - monitoring visit: SC474150 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 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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