Children's home run by The Beeches UK limited

Inspection report children’s home: 2647775 1 Registered provider: The Beeches 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 provides care for up to four children. The home’s statement of purpose states that this is a mid- to long-term residential home that provides care for children with emotional and/or behavioural difficulties (social and emotional difficulties).

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Information about this children’s home

The post for a registered manager has been vacant since 4 October 2022.

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Information about this children’s home

The home registered with Ofsted in November 2021.

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Information about this children’s home

There were two children living at the home at the time of this inspection.

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Overall experiences and progress of

children and young people, taking into account

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requires improvement to be good

How well children and young people are helped and protected requires improvement to be good

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requires improvement to be good

The effectiveness of leaders and managers requires improvement to be good

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requires improvement to be good

The children’s home is not yet delivering good help and care for children and young people. However, there are no serious or widespread failures that result in their welfare not being safeguarded or promoted.

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requires improvement to be good

Overall judgement at last inspection: not applicable

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requires improvement to be good

Enforcement action since last inspection: none Inspection report children’s home: 2647775 2

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Inspection date Inspection type Inspection judgement

Not previously inspected Inspection report children’s home: 2647775 3

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improvement to be good

Staff develop positive relationships with children. They know the children well and strive to respond effectively to their needs. One child is reported to have expressed surprise at the gifts they received for their birthday and was very thankful and appreciative to staff.

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improvement to be good

Children are offered choices and can make decisions about their day-to-day lives through regular discussion and consultation with staff, managers and leaders. Managers understand the need for children to have their voices listened to independently of the home. Therefore, children have access to independent advocates.

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improvement to be good

Children are provided with opportunities to take part in a range of social and leisure activities with support from staff. Children have weekly activity planners; however, staff work flexibly with children if they wish to do something that has not been planned.

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improvement to be good

Both children living at the home are not in formal education. Leaders and managers are working to secure appropriate education provision for the children. One child, who has not been in formal education for a significant length of time, is being helped to develop their concentration and attention skills with the support of a tutor.

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improvement to be good

Children’s overall experiences in the home vary. Children are helped to settle; however, the behaviours of some children do unsettle others. Furthermore, leaders and managers have not communicated effectively to ensure that children arriving at the home have a positive experience. When one child moved into the home, an incident occurred that resulted in the police being called and the child left the home on the same day.

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improvement to be good

Managers and staff understand the risks for children. Clear and updated safety plans ensure that staff know what needs to be done to reduce the risk of harm to children. Children are spoken to about what they can do to keep themselves safe.

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improvement to be good

When restraint is used in the home, it is proportionate and used as a last resort to safeguard children and staff. Management oversight is visible in case recordings, as are the views of children and staff.

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improvement to be good

When children go missing from the home, staff take appropriate action to help to keep children safe. For example, staff follow children and encourage them to return Inspection report children’s home: 2647775 4 home. However, independent return home interviews are not undertaken. This is a missed opportunity to gather important information to manage and reduce risks.

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improvement to be good

One allegation has been made during the inspection period. The local authority designated officer reported, ‘In relation to the management of the allegation, the manager has been very open and timely with all that has been requested of her.’

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improvement to be good

The team of staff are new to the home and some staff struggle to respond to children who find it hard to manage their emotions and behaviours. Staff do not yet fully understand how their own emotions and responses may lead to the escalation of incidents in the home.

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good

There have been several changes within the management structure since registration of the home. This has led to instability with staff and a lack of effective and consistent oversight of the home.

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good

The arrangements for the day-to-day management of the home in the absence of a registered manager are not effective. Managers with responsibilities at different settings within the company ensure that day-to-day operational matters are carried out and support the staff with managing the care of children. However, this does not provide staff with suitable support or develop a clear culture and ethos at the home.

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good

The monitoring and review processes are ineffective and do not support the development and improvement of staff practice and the care provided to children. Medication audits are not recorded to demonstrate that they have taken place. This does not help managers and staff to identify shortfalls in practice, inform their learning and development and improve practice.

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good

Leaders and managers have identified that staff supervision is an area for development. Staff supervision does not happen within the stated time frames as indicated by the home’s own policy. Records of supervision undertaken by the last permanent registered manager are not available on staff files. Supervision notes vary in quality and do not address the matters raised by staff effectively.

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good

Children’s paper case records are being transferred to an electronic case management system. One child’s electronic case record held many useful documents. However, the records did not include the contact details of relevant people relating to the child, such as the social workers, independent reviewing officer and parents. Leaders and managers are working to update these records. Inspection report children’s home: 2647775 5

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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 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

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Requirement Due date

is not, or does not intend to be, in day-to-day charge of the home. (Regulation 27 (1)(a)(b)(i)(ii)(iii)) 18 November

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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

lead and manage the home in a way that is consistent with the approach and ethos, and delivers the outcomes, set out in the home’s statement of purpose;

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Requirement Due date

ensure that staff work as a team where appropriate;

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Requirement Due date

ensure that staff have the experience, qualifications and skills to meet the needs of each child;

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Requirement Due date

understand the impact that the quality of care provided in the home is having on the progress and experiences of each child and use this understanding to inform the development of the quality of care provided in the home; 18 November Inspection report children’s home: 2647775 6 demonstrate that practice in the home is informed and improved by taking into account and acting on—

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Requirement Due date

research and developments in relation to the ways in which the needs of children are best met; and

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Requirement Due date

feedback on the experiences of children, including complaints received; and

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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)(a)(b)(c)(f)(g)(i)(ii)(h))

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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.

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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 children are admitted to the home only if their needs are within the range of needs of children for whom it is intended that the home is to provide care and accommodation, as set out in the home’s statement of purpose. (Regulation 14 (1)(a)(b) (2)(a))

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Requirement Due date

This specifically relates to ensuring that transition plans are adhered to for children moving into the home and that there is effective communication to ensure that there is minimal impact on children already living in the home, the staff team and children moving in. 31 October 2022

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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 31 October 2022 Inspection report children’s home: 2647775 7 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

This relates specifically to ensuring that return home interviews are undertaken when children go missing and that information provided by such interviews is used to assess risks and put arrangements in place to protect children.

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Requirement Due date

The positive relationships standard is that children are helped to develop, and to benefit from, relationships based on—

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Requirement Due date

an understanding about acceptable behaviour; and

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Requirement Due date

positive responses to other children and adults.

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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

understand how children’s previous experiences and present emotions can be communicated through behaviour and have the competence and skills to interpret these and develop positive relationships with children;

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Requirement Due date

are provided with supervision and support to enable them to understand and manage their own feelings and responses to the behaviour and emotions of children, and to help children to do the same. (Regulation 11 (1)(a)(b)(c) (2)(a)(ix)(x)) 31 October 2022

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Requirement Due date

The registered person must maintain records (“case records”) for each child which—

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Requirement Due date

include the information and documents listed in Schedule 3 in relation to each child;

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Requirement Due date

are kept up to date. (Regulation 36 (1)(a)(b))

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Requirement Due date

This relates specifically to the provider ensuring that the contact details of relevant people in relation to the child, such as the child’s social worker, independent reviewing officer and parents are available on the case management tool being used. 31 October 2022 Inspection report children’s home: 2647775 8

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Recommendation

 The registered person should have systems in place so that all staff, including the manager, receive regular supervision of their practice which allows them to reflect on their practice and the needs of the children assigned to their care. (‘Guide to the Children’s Homes Regulations, including the quality standards’, page 61, paragraph 13.2)

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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: 2647775 9

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Children’s home details

Registered provider: The Beeches UK Limited

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Children’s home details

Registered provider address: 212 Ballards Lane, London N3 2LX

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Children’s home details

Responsible individual: Rebecca Ouellani

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Inspector

Colin Bent, Social Care Inspector Inspection report children’s home: 2647775 10 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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