Children's home run by Beacon Childcare Ltd in Cheltenham

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

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Information about this children’s home

This home provides care and accommodation for up to four children who have experienced early childhood trauma and have emotional and behavioural needs as a result of these experiences. A private provider operates the home.

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Information about this children’s home

The registered manager is suitably experienced and has a level 5 qualification in leadership and management.

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Information about this children’s home

Due to COVID-19, at the request of the Secretary of State, we suspended all routine inspections of social care providers carried out under the social care common inspection framework (SCCIF) on 17 March 2020. We returned to routine SCCIF inspections on 12 April 2021.

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Information about this children’s home

We last visited this home on 21 January 2021 to carry out a monitoring visit. The report is published on the Ofsted website.

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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 outstanding

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good

The children’s home provides effective services that meet the requirements for good.

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good

Overall judgement at last inspection: sustained effectiveness

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good

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

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Inspection date Inspection type Inspection judgement

03/03/2020 Interim Sustained effectiveness 23/05/2019 Full Good 08/03/2019 Interim Sustained effectiveness 30/08/2018 Full Requires improvement to be good Inspection report for children's home: 1230415 3

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Three children lived at the home at the time of this inspection. One has been there since the monitoring visit that took place in January 2021. Staff know the children well and are providing good-quality, individualised care. Children’s plans are purposeful and have clear targets and objectives. Staff diligently follow these plans and this helps children to make good progress from their starting points.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Staff support children to express their views and develop their value base as individuals. Children share their views in individual key-working sessions and general daily discussions. Good attention is given to exploring issues relating to culture, diversity and equality, and staff and children celebrate a range of events and festivals together. This helps to increase the children’s understanding and curiosity about difference and inclusion.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Staff help children to attend routine health appointments and to access more specialised services when needed. Some medication was observed by the inspector to be not securely kept. This was immediately acted on by the manager. Children enjoy a balanced diet and take part in a range of leisure activities. They make the most of local facilities and those further afield, such as theme parks. As a result, children enjoy good physical health and have fun.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Children are in full-time education and are making progress with their learning. They are predicted to achieve their GSCE examinations next year. Staff encourage children to do their best and work hard.

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

The manager and staff take their safeguarding responsibilities very seriously. Children experience good levels of safety planning and stability. Risk assessments are well informed, child centred and followed by staff. This good practice promotes children’s welfare.

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

Children say that they feel happy, well supported and safe living at the home. Children do not go missing from home. Children’s views about the home and their care are listened to and acted upon. This helps them to feel valued and that their views are taken seriously. This contributes to them feeling safe and well looked after.

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

Staff provide children with support to learn about what constitutes a healthy relationship and to enjoy appropriate relationships with their peers. For one child who has recently entered into a relationship, staff show appropriate concern and encouragement to help the child manage this appropriately. Inspection report for children's home: 1230415 4 Staff enable children to express and manage their emotions and feelings. Staff make good use of rewards and incentives. These are individual to the children and are linked to encouraging them to make positive choices and behave appropriately.

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

Staff receive training to raise their knowledge and awareness of how best to safeguard children. Staff are committed to training because the manager makes sure that this is a priority. They implement this learning in their day-to-day practice and care of children. Staff have received specialised training to help them to know how to respond to incidents of children going missing from home and self-harm, and be alert to issues that may indicate children are being exploited. This promotes children’s safety and ensures that presenting risks of children arriving at the home are well considered and staff have the skills to mitigate those risks.

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

Recruitment of new staff is thorough and ensures that all necessary background checks have been carried out. This helps to ensure that suitable adults care for the children.

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

The registered manager ensures that the location risk assessment is shared with professionals and she regularly liaises with the police and local safeguarding partnership about risks in the local community. This helps to inform staff about how best to help children stay safe when they are enjoying time in the community. Regular health and safety checks and fire drills mean that children live in a safe and suitable home. A recommendation from the fire safety risk assessment has not been followed up promptly. The registered manager took steps to address this during the inspection.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: outstanding

The care that children receive and the outcomes they achieve are good because of the excellent support that they receive from staff. Staff practice is built on the in- depth knowledge and implementation of policies and procedures instilled by the manager. These are consistently reinforced through effective induction and ongoing supervision and support that is reflective and empowering. In addition, mandatory and refresher training, annual appraisals and focused team meetings promote staff’s continuous development.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: outstanding

When incidents of concern occur, staff manage these in a very well-coordinated and professional way. Children receive intensive support from staff to alleviate their concerns. Staff are clear and self-assured in how to meet the individual needs of each child.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: outstanding

Managers give robust challenge to professionals when this is required, including challenging placing authority staff about care planning issues and children’s moves on from the home. This promotes children’s good progress and outcomes.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: outstanding

The manager has an excellent relationship with the children. She spends time with them and advocates for them when needed. She talks proudly of their progress and achievements. She listens and supports children’s views on the home’s development Inspection report for children's home: 1230415 5 and their own wishes and feelings. One child told the inspector how the manager had supported them in exploring their identity and helped the other children in the home understand their wishes and how they would like to be identified. This has helped this child feel accepted, safe and confident.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: outstanding

The manager has strong oversight of the effectiveness of the care being delivered. Through high-quality internal monitoring systems, the manager identifies and acts on any issues. While the turnover of staff in the home has been high, the manager has contributed to effective recruitment, induction and support of new staff to reduce the impact of this on children.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: outstanding

The manager works very effectively in partnership with a range of professionals. Professionals are positive about the care and support that children receive and the communication they have with the manager and staff. They see that children’s confidence and self-esteem is growing and that they are making progress from their starting points. Inspection report for children's home: 1230415 6

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Recommendations

 The registered person should ensure that medication is kept secure in a cabinet. (‘Guide to the children’s homes regulations, including the quality standards’, page 35, paragraph 7.17)  The registered person should address recommendations raised in fire risk assessments without delay. (‘Guide to the children’s homes regulations, including the quality standards’, page 15, paragraph 3.9)

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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 for children's home: 1230415 7

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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 GL50 3AT

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Inspector

James Tallis, Social Care Inspector Inspection report for children's home: 1230415 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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Inspector

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Inspector

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Inspector

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