Children's home run by The Beeches UK limited

Assurance inspection report for children’s home: 2647775 1 Registered provider: The Beeches UK Limited

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Inspected under the social care common inspection framework

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Information about this children’s home

This home is privately run and provides care for up to four children who experience social and emotional difficulties.

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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

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

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Information about this children’s home

Judgement at last inspection: requires improvement to be good

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Information about this children’s home

Enforcement action since last inspection: none

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Information about this inspection

At this inspection, the inspector evaluated:

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Information about this inspection

 the care of children  the safety of children  the effectiveness of leaders and managers. The inspector has looked closely at the experiences and progress of children, using the social care common inspection framework. This assurance 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’. Assurance inspection report for children’s home: 2647775 2

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Findings from the inspection

We did not identify any serious or widespread concerns in relation to the care or protection of children at this assurance inspection.

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The care of children

At the time of this inspection, three children were living at the home.

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The care of children

There has been a good start in making improvements to the quality of care since the last inspection. Children are developing better relationships with the staff. For example, one child told the inspector that they feel that their key worker understands them and that this makes it easier to talk.

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The care of children

Children’s physical, social and emotional needs are identified. In most cases, staff ensure that the appropriate steps are taken so that children’s needs are met effectively.

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The care of children

One child is currently absent from the home. Staff know the whereabouts of the child and are working with all agencies to encourage the child to return to the home.

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The care of children

Children’s education is promoted. When children struggle to attend school, staff are quick to engage with teachers to address the barriers that are preventing children from engaging in formal learning.

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The care of children

Staff help children to contribute their views about their care. However, when children raise a concern, this is not always promptly addressed.

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The care of children

Staff work hard to enable children to stay in touch with people who are important to them. This regularly includes travelling long distances to enable children to visit family. This positive support has been instrumental in children re-establishing and maintaining significant relationships.

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The care of children

One child’s file is missing their statutory care plan. In addition, during the inspection, the new manager was unable to locate the home’s specific care plan for the child.

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The safety of children

Staff ensure that risk assessments are kept up to date. This helps the staff to stay informed of the risks that affect each child and how to respond to these presenting risks.

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The safety of children

Staff are not always vigilant when they are supervising children. For example, during the inspection, the youngest child ran to open the front door without the staff following them to check the identity of the visitor. Another child has been able to watch inappropriate music videos in their bedroom. Assurance inspection report for children’s home: 2647775 3 Managers and staff understand and know what actions need to be taken when children go missing from the home. For one child, staff have completed a chronology of all missing episodes, with analysis. This has been shared with the relevant authority due to concerns about the increase in incidents. However, children still do not receive an independent return home interview.

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The safety of children

Improvements have been made to replace damaged furniture and to repair walls. However, there has been a lack of attention to addressing minor repairs which continue to have an impact on the children’s home environment.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers

Following a period of inconsistent management, the home now has a new manager, who is in the process of applying to register with Ofsted. He is realistic that improvements are still needed in the home and has identified shortfalls in the auditing of children’s records. However, the manager does not have enough insight into the various processes, and this lack of knowledge is hindering the pace of progress. As a result, four of the five requirements set at the previous inspection have been restated.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers

Staff receive supervision, which provides opportunities to reflect on and develop their practice. However, records of these meetings are not always placed on staff’s files in a timely manner. This makes it difficult to determine whether staff are receiving regular supervision in line with the home’s policy.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers

The lack of consistency in the management and leadership of the home has created inconsistencies in staff’s practice, which has had an impact on the children’s care. The new manager is beginning to address the shortfalls in care but recognises that this is in the early stages of implementation. Assurance inspection report for children’s home: 2647775 4

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Inspection date Inspection type Inspection judgement

04/10/2022 Full Requires improvement to be good Assurance inspection report for 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 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))

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Requirement Due date

This requirement was made at the last inspection and is restated. 31 March 2023

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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 March 2023 Assurance inspection report for children’s home: 2647775 6 necessary, make arrangements to reduce the risk of any harm to the children. (Regulation 12 (1) (2)(a)(i))

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Requirement Due date

This relates specifically to ensuring that return home interviews are carried out when children go missing and the 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

This requirement was made at the last inspection and is restated.

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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;

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Requirement Due date

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)) 31 March 2023 Assurance inspection report for children’s home: 2647775 7 This requirement was made at the last inspection and is restated.

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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))

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Requirement Due date

This requirement was made at the last inspection and is restated. 31 March 2023

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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 ensuring that children’s looked after care plans and looked after reviews are available on file and that staff have read and understood these plans. 31 March 2023

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Recommendations

 The registered person should ensure that children are able to make a complaint and are made aware of the outcome of that complaint. (‘Guide to the Children’s Homes Regulations, including the quality standards’, page 22, paragraph 4.13)  The registered person should ensure that staff support children to be aware of and manage their own safety inside the home and take appropriate action to ensure that children only access age-appropriate material online. (‘Guide to the Children’s Homes Regulations, including the quality standards’, page 43, paragraph 9.9)  The registered person should ensure that the blind in the front dining room area is fixed and the wardrobe in one of the upstairs bedrooms is repainted to remove Assurance inspection report for children’s home: 2647775 8 marks made by a previous child. (‘Guide to the Children’s Homes Regulations, including the quality standards’, page 42, paragraph 9.5)

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Recommendations

 The registered person should ensure that they have systems in place so that all staff, including the manager, receive supervision of their practice from an appropriately qualified and experienced professional 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)  The registered person should ensure that records of staff supervision are placed on staff’s files in a timely manner. (‘Guide to the Children’s Homes Regulations, including the quality standards’, page 61, paragraph 13.4) Assurance inspection report for 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 Assurance inspection report for 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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Inspector

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