Children's Home run by Benjamin UK Ltd in Bedford

Inspection report for children’s home: SC412953 1 SC412953 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 run home offers therapeutic support, education and care for up to four children who may have experienced neglect, abuse or trauma that has left them vulnerable.

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Information about this children’s home

There has been no registered manager since 6 December 2021. There is an interim manager in post while the provider recruits a permanent manager for the home.

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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 10 February 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 requires improvement to be good

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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: good

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good

Enforcement action since last inspection: none Inspection report for children’s home: SC412953 2

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Inspection date Inspection type Inspection judgement

01/08/2019 Full Good 25/09/2018 Full Good 18/12/2017 Full Good 27/03/2017 Interim Sustained effectiveness Inspection report for children’s home: SC412953 3

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Two children are currently living at the home. They are making good progress. Four children have moved out and two children have moved into the home since the monitoring visit in February 2021. Managers and staff take pride in supporting children to maintain long-term placements. One of the children has lived at the home for over two years. Two of the children who have moved on also lived at the home for several years; they are now living independently.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Children are encouraged to aspire and achieve. When children remain reluctant to engage in academic work, the managers work proactively with education professionals and social workers to explore alternative provisions. One of the children now has an apprenticeship and is attending every day and is proud of the new skills he is learning.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Staff recognise and celebrate children’s achievements. Each child has a positivity book, and staff take photos to remind them of special moments and their time at the home. Children engage well with the provider’s therapeutic programme manager. This leads to valuable insight and understanding being gained by the children who complete life story work with the therapist.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Children are encouraged to have hobbies, and they have access to a range of activities in the community and at the home. One child enjoys going to the community skate park and go-karting and has regular guitar lessons. The other child enjoys going to restaurants and bowling outings with staff. Such activities increase social skills and confidence.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Staff understand the importance of maintaining good relationships for the children and their families. Staff provide transport in line with the children’s care plans, and families say that they are very happy with the support that the staff offer. Children have made friends in the local community. A social worker said, ‘[Child’s name] is now so good at communicating with staff, he feels safe and sticks to his free time and returns on time.’ This demonstrates the trust and respect that has been developed.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Planned moves on from the home have been very successful. Staff have helped the young people decorate their new flats before they moved in. Staff arranged celebration meals and presents for the young people’s new homes. This helps to show young people who move on that they are valued and cared about.

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

Children said that they like staff and feel safe. Staff work very hard to establish trusting relationships with children. This is achieved through consistent responses Inspection report for children’s home: SC412953 4 and genuine warmth. As a result, children who have previously struggled to discuss their emotions are now able to have meaningful conversations with staff.

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

Detailed individual risk assessments provide staff with the necessary strategies to minimise potential dangers and protect children. These assessments are comprehensive, updated regularly, include the child’s views and recognise improvements in behaviour. The manager ensures that staff are aware of any new guidance to reduce risks further.

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

The frequency of physical interventions has reduced. Staff recognise any changes in children’s behaviours and are skilful at de-escalating incidents. Following incidents that require physical intervention, staff seek the child’s views and the staff involved are debriefed. This helps children to reflect on the incident and encourages the staff to develop strategies to reduce the likelihood of further incidents.

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

When a child goes missing from the home, staff follow procedures well. They are proactive in locating the child, and they work in partnership with police to ensure the child’s safe return. Staff speak with the child to help them recognise the dangers of going missing from the home, and independent return home interviews are always requested. This good practice has resulted in a significant reduction in missing from home incidents. There have been none since August 2021.

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

The previous manager developed a strong relationship with the community police. The interim manager has ensured that this partnership working continues. A community police officer visited the home during the inspection. The officer explained how well they work together with the home to prevent the children being criminalised unnecessarily. This positive intervention work has resulted in the children being fully included in the local community.

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good

The registered manager left in December 2021. The provider is in the process of recruiting a manager for the home. An interim manager, who is a registered manager of another of the provider’s homes, is currently managing this home. This arrangement has provided consistency and stability for the children and staff.

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good

The staff have completed the organisation’s mandatory training, which includes therapeutic training. The interim manager is suitably qualified, as are two part-time staff. However, none of the full-time staff currently hold a relevant level 3 qualification. The provider is supporting staff to gain this necessary qualification, and four of the staff are currently enrolled on the course.

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good

A review of the quality of care provided for children has been submitted to Ofsted. However, the report does not detail actions for development, and it fails to contain a review of the full six-month period. Consequently, opportunities have been missed to assess and evaluate the quality of care provided. Inspection report for children’s home: SC412953 5 The home is set in a rural location and provides a homely environment for the children. It is decorated and furnished to a good standard. However, the garden contains chicken coops that are in a state of disrepair. These are potential hazards to the children. The provider is now in the process of having them removed.

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good

Good transparent relationships with professionals have continued. Social workers receive detailed reports regularly, and there is no delay in the reporting of any incidents. A social worker said, ‘The managers and staff are very proactive about communication. They work in partnership.’ Another social worker said, ‘The level of communication has always been brilliant.’

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good

Improvements have been made to the regularity of staff supervision. These sessions support the staff and help to develop their skills and understanding. The staff say that they feel valued and listened to.

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good

The provider has met the two requirements and one recommendation that were raised at the monitoring visit in February 2021. Inspection report for children’s home: SC412953 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 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 the garden is well maintained and any potential hazards are removed. 18 February 2022

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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 promotes their welfare.

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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)) 6 May 2022

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Requirement Due date

The registered provider must appoint a person to manage the children’s home if—

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Requirement Due date

there is no registered manager in respect of the home; and the registered provider—

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Requirement Due date

does not satisfy regulation 28; or 6 May 2022 Inspection report for children’s home: SC412953 7 is not, or does not intend to be, in day-to-day charge of the home. (Regulation 27 (1)(a)(b)(i)(ii)(iii))

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Requirement Due date

The registered person must complete a review of the quality of care provided for children ("a quality of care review") at least once every 6 months.

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Requirement Due date

After completing a quality of care review, the registered person must produce a written report about the quality of care review and the actions which the registered person intends to take as a result of the quality of care review ("the quality of care review report"). (Regulation 45 (1) (3)) 6 May 2022

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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: SC412953 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: Coach House, White House Court, Leighton Buzzard LU7 1FD

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Children’s home details

Responsible individual: Claudette Rudman

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Inspector

Lynne Drage, Social Care Inspector Inspection report for children’s home: SC412953 9 regulates and inspects 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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