Children's Home run by Benjamin UK Ltd in Central Bedfordshire

Inspection report children’s home: 1236832 1 Registered provider: Benjamin UK Limited Full inspection Inspected under the social care common inspection framework

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Information about this children’s home

This privately owned home provides a therapeutic model of care and education for up to four children who have had adverse childhood experiences. There is a school on site that is also run by the organisation. The inspector only inspected the social care provision at this school.

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Information about this children’s home

The manager registered with Ofsted in November 2017.

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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 setting on 28 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 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: 24 September 2019

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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: 1236832 2

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Inspection date Inspection type Inspection judgement

24/09/2019 Full Good 21/01/2019 Full Good 04/12/2017 Full Good 12/12/2016 Full Good Inspection report children’s home: 1236832 3

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

There were three children living at the home at the time of the inspection. Since the monitoring visit in January 2021, two children have moved on. The manager and the staff know the children very well and work closely with the staff from the on-site school. Children are making good progress from their starting points. For one child, this includes a considerable reduction in incidents of going missing from the home and unwanted behaviours.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

The children have formed positive attachments with staff, who have become a stabilising factor in their lives. Staff encourage children to be aspirational for their futures by seeking new opportunities and experiences. Children learn independence skills and take responsibility for household tasks, for which they are rewarded.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Staff provide high levels of support to children to help them to maintain relationships with their families. This includes supporting children to spend time with their family members at the home or out on an activity. Family members feel that staff keep them involved in the care of their child.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Children are making good progress in attending education. One child, who previously did not attend school, now attends regularly and is considering taking qualifications. Staff work closely with education professionals to build on this child’s education plan and help identify a future mainstream education provision.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

The manager ensures that children have a regular holiday with the staff. Enjoying quality time together strengthens the relationships between the staff and children. Children lead active, enjoyable lives at the home and in the local community. They are encouraged to be active and pursue their hobbies.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Staff ensure that children have access to the health services that they need and encourage them to stop smoking. Children lead active lifestyles, including using a local gym. They receive mentoring and support in physical exercise from the on-site school’s physical education teacher. However, children do not always eat or have access to a healthy diet.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

The house is spacious with a large garden area where children exercise, relax and grow vegetables. It has been modernised with new decor and furniture. Children make their own spaces personal to them. Staff are respectful of children’s privacy and ensure children’s dignity when providing care.

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

Children are safe living at the home. The manager ensures that staff have appropriate training in managing exploitation, gang affiliation and radicalisation. Staff know how to raise safeguarding concerns, and managers take prompt action to Inspection report children’s home: 1236832 4 respond. Staff provide proportionate supervision when children access the internet, to reduce the risk of online abuse. This helps to keep children safe.

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

Staff use good relationships with children as a basis for managing behaviours and reducing risk. The use of sanctions is low. Those that are used are meaningful, and children understand why they have been used. Individual behaviour support plans inform staff of effective strategies to implement. Children can discuss incidents with staff and make suggestions to reduce recurrence. When appropriate, these conversations involve the home’s clinical therapy staff.

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

Staff recognise the triggers which cause children to conflict with others. The use of physical interventions is reviewed by skilled and experienced therapy staff for learning and improvement. Incidents are reducing in frequency and intensity. However, following a recent occurrence, a staff debrief meeting did not take place within the required 48-hour time frame.

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

Staff are proactive in reducing the time that children are away from the home when they go missing from care. They actively look for children and use one-to-one work well to help the children to understand how to avoid difficult situations. Staff and therapists use creative ways to provide alternative discussion sessions when children refuse to engage with social workers.

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

Children receive their medication on time and are involved in the process, which promotes independence. However, medicines prescribed for use on a ‘when required’ basis do not have clear guidance for staff to consistently follow. This presents a risk that staff might administer the medicine at different stages of the agreed behaviour support plan.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

The manager is experienced and qualified for the role. The home’s leadership team members work closely together. The manager is a positive role model for staff and has a child-centred approach. This enables children to have positive experiences.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

Staff say how much they enjoy working at the home. They are enthusiastic in supporting children to enjoy their lives and develop skills for independence. Staff benefit from the manager’s open approach and feel able to seek advice and ask questions.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

Staff team meetings and supervision sessions are regular and effective, and they focus on the experiences that children have. These meetings encourage staff to reflect on their practice. Staff receive training that enables them to care for children in line with the home’s statement of purpose.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

Relatives and professionals speak about the positive impact on children because of the dedication and skills of managers. Social workers say that children have made better progress than was initially expected. Managers work hard to ensure that Inspection report children’s home: 1236832 5 children maintain relationships with their families. Social workers say that these efforts have helped children to rebuild and stabilise regular visits to family homes.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

The manager is clear about the types of support needs that can be met by the home. The manager has refined the assessment process for potential new children, which has led to fewer placement breakdowns. Children and professionals say that this has helped the home to have a settled atmosphere.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

Monitoring and assurance systems focus on specific areas for improvement. The manager works closely with the provider’s management team and independent person on these themes. This work is used to plan the home’s training and development programme. Inspection report children’s home: 1236832 6

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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 registered person must make arrangements for the handling, recording, safekeeping, safe administration and disposal of medicines received into the children’s home.

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Requirement Due date

In particular the registered person must ensure that—

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Requirement Due date

medicine which is prescribed for a child is administered as prescribed to the child for whom it is prescribed and to no other child; and

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Requirement Due date

a record is kept of the administration of medicine to each child. (Regulation 23 (1) (2)(b)(c))

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Requirement Due date

In particular, ensure that medication records are completed accurately and that there is a clear protocol for any ‘when required’ medication. 21 January 2022

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Requirement Due date

within 48 hours of the use of the measure, the registered person, or a person who is authorised by the registered person to do so (“the authorised person”)—

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Requirement Due date

has spoken to the user about the measure; and

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Requirement Due date

has signed the record to confirm it is accurate. (Regulation 35 (3)(b)(i)(ii)) 28 January 2022

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Recommendation

 The registered person should ensure that staff have the relevant skills and knowledge to help children to make positive choices in healthy eating and nutrition. (‘Guide to the children’s home regulations including the quality standards’, page 35, paragraph 7.18) Inspection report children’s home: 1236832 7

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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: 1236832 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, Station Road, Aldbury, Tring HP23 5RS

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Children’s home details

Responsible individual: Claudette Rudman

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Inspector

Jamie Cousins, Social Care Inspector Inspection report children’s home: 1236832 9 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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