Children's Home run by Benjamin UK Ltd in Buckinghamshire

Inspection report for children’s home - monitoring visit: SC067757 1 SC067757

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Benjamin UK Ltd

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 therapeutic residential care for up to four children aged from 12 to 18 years who have had adverse childhood experiences.

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Information about this children’s home

The manager has been registered with Ofsted since April 2019.

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This monitoring visit

This home was judged to be inadequate at the full inspection on 11 August 2021.

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This monitoring visit

A notice suspending registration was issued on 12 August 2021 due to there being a risk of harm to children. In addition, two compliance notices, with the due date of 26 September 2021, were also issued following the inspection.

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This monitoring visit

The purpose of this visit was to monitor the provider’s compliance with the notice suspending registration and to ascertain what progress has been made since the full inspection. The provider’s response to the two compliance notices was not a focus of this visit as the date for compliance had not yet passed. The other regulations were not checked for the same reason.

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This monitoring visit

The home’s registration remains suspended and the home is not ready to admit children. Some areas of the home require further attention. For example, some window fittings are loose and there are window restrictors which similarly need attention. The responsible individual, who was present throughout the inspection visit, confirmed that significant work is underway to replace carpets, mattresses and furnishings. Further redecoration of the home is also taking place.

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This monitoring visit

Following the full inspection in August 2021, the provider submitted an action plan to Ofsted. This plan demonstrates how the provider intends to make the required Inspection report for children’s home - monitoring visit: SC067757 2 improvements. At this monitoring visit, inspectors found that some actions had been taken to meet the actions plan. For example, the action plan states that all staff will receive two supervision sessions a month following the inspection. Inspectors found that staff have attended a team meeting and some group supervisions. While staff have held numerous discussions with leaders, written notes from these have not always been made available. This means that there is the potential for important learning to be lost and staff not held to account for any agreed actions. Staff have not, to date, received any individual supervision, as detailed in the action plan.

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This monitoring visit

Inspectors found that the provider had initiated an internal investigation around the culpability of the staff and the registered manager. This is regarding the significant shortfalls identified at the full inspection. This was also sent to Ofsted on 9 September 2021. The responsible individual continues to review the competence of the both the registered manager and the staff team.

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This monitoring visit

The staff have been redeployed to other homes within the organisation. Details of where staff have been placed was not made clear during this inspection visit. This is a concern because possible issues relating to staff culpability and competence had not yet been addressed, yet they had been redeployed elsewhere in the organisation. As a result, there is the potential risk that poor practice may be present in the organisation’s other homes. The responsible individual did, after the inspection visit, provide details of the full staff team and the homes, and supervision arrangements.

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This monitoring visit

The responsible individual was unable to produce some documentation to inspectors, during the inspection visit, when asked. This included a record of the current staff team, details of all training completed by the staff team since the full inspection and details of the team meeting that had been held. This information was supplied to Ofsted immediately following this inspection visit. Inspection report for children’s home - monitoring visit: SC067757 3

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Recent inspection history

Inspection date Inspection type Inspection judgement 11/08/2021 Full Inadequate 04/03/2020 Interim Sustained effectiveness 12/08/2019 Full Good 22/10/2018 Interim Sustained effectiveness Inspection report for children’s home - monitoring visit: SC067757 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 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 the premises used for the purposes of the home are designed, furnished and maintained so as to protect each child from avoidable hazards to the child’s health. (Regulation 12 (1) (2)(d))

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Requirement Due date

In particular, ensure that children’s bedrooms are cleaned and maintained to an acceptable standard. 26 September 2021

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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

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 impact risk assessments consider the risks to all children entering the home. 26 September 2021

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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

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Requirement Due date

promotes their welfare. (Regulation 13 (1)(a)(b)) 26 September 2021 Inspection report for children’s home - monitoring visit: SC067757 5 In particular, ensure that children’s plans are relevant to the child and that the home is maintained to promote children’s welfare.

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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

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Requirement Due date

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

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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)(h))

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Requirement Due date

In particular, the registered manager must ensure that risk assessments, children’s plans, missing-from-care records and behavioural incidents are reviewed in a timely manner. 26 September 2021

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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. (Regulation 10 (1)(a))

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Requirement Due date

In particular, ensure that children are offered medication as prescribed and are offered a healthy, balanced diet. In addition, ensure that children are supported to understand how to attend to their personal care and hygiene. 26 September 2021

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Requirement Due date

The care planning standard is that children—

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Requirement Due date

receive effectively planned care in or through the children’s home; and

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Requirement Due date

have a positive experience of arriving at or moving on from the home. (Regulation 14 (1)(a)(b))

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Requirement Due date

In particular, ensure that staff are equipped to meet the needs of the children coming into the home and that these needs are compatible with children already living in the home. 26 September 2021 Inspection report for children’s home - monitoring visit: SC067757 6 No measure of control or discipline which is excessive, unreasonable or contrary to paragraph (2) may be used in relation to any child.

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Requirement Due date

The following measures may not be used to discipline any child—

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Requirement Due date

any measure involving punishing a group of children for the behaviour of an individual child. (Regulation 19 (1) (2)(j))

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Requirement Due date

In particular, review the effectiveness of staff practice of locking doors to communal areas in response to behaviour incidents and consider the impact of this practice on other children living in the home. 26 September 2021

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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

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Requirement Due date

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

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Requirement Due date

ensure that staff have the experience, qualifications and skills to meet the needs of each child. (Regulation 13 (1)(a)(b) (2)(c))

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Requirement Due date

In particular, ensure that staff working in the home have training with regard to safeguarding, preventing bullying, managing risks, and behaviour management. 26 September 2021

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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

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Requirement Due date

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

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Requirement Due date

ensure that the home’s workforce provides continuity of care to each child. (Regulation 13 (1)(a)(b) (2)(e)) 26 September 2021 Inspection report for children’s home - monitoring visit: SC067757 7 In particular, the manager must ensure that staff provide a consistent level of care for children.

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Requirement Due date

* These requirements are subject to a compliance notice.

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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.

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Children’s home details

Registered provider: Benjamin UK Limited

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Children’s home details

Registered provider address: Churchfarm, Station Road, Aldbury, Tring HP23 5RS

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Children’s home details

Responsible individual: Claudette Rudman

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Inspectors

Kelly Marchmont, Social Care Compliance Inspector Emeline Evans, Social Care Inspector Inspection report for children’s home - monitoring visit: SC067757 8 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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Inspectors

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Inspectors

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Inspectors

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