Children's Home run by Benjamin UK Ltd in Milton Keynes

Inspection report for children’s home: SC391379 1 SC391379 Registered provider: Benjamin UK Ltd Full inspection Inspected under the social care common inspection framework

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Information about this children’s home

A private organisation owns and manages this home. It provides care for up to four children. The organisation also has a registered school and teachers from the school provide education in the home.

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Information about this children’s home

The manager has applied to be registered with Ofsted.

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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

Overall judgement at last inspection: good

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good

Enforcement action since last inspection: none Inspection report for children’s home: SC391379 2

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Inspection date Inspection type Inspection judgement

05/05/2021 Full Good 26/11/2019 Interim Sustained effectiveness 22/05/2019 Full Good 22/11/2018 Interim Declined in effectiveness Inspection report for children’s home: SC391379 3

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Children make good progress while living in the home. Staff provide a consistent approach to care, meaning children can begin to settle into the routines of the home. This means that some children can sleep at night for the first time or be able to live with others and tolerate them in the same space. Children say they are listened to and that the staff make sure they have everything they need. Social workers are positive about children’s progress and experiences while living in the home.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

All children attend education, either in the community or via the organisation’s school. This is an achievement, given that many of the children have had significant periods out of education. Those who do not attend education full time enjoy a blended approach to learning, including activities such as horse care and army cadets.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Children benefit from mostly well-planned moves into and out of the home. When there is need to end a child’s placement, this is done in as planned a way as possible. Managers and staff reflect on why, or why not, a child has settled in well with the group and use this to inform any changes to pre-placement planning in the future.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Children’s health and well-being needs are well met. Children who may have missed routine healthcare and immunisations are helped by staff to overcome any worries or fear they may have about procedures. Children are helped to understand what healthy lifestyles are, including smoking cessation, or receiving substance misuse support or sexual health services when needed. The organisation’s therapy team visits the home regularly and children are helped by spending individual time with the psychologist, who visits at least weekly.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Staff support children who live far from their home area or who spend time with several family members to see their families and those people who are important to them. The number of staff on shift has been increased for a limited period to ensure all children can spend time with staff, see their family or access activities as recorded in their plans.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Children are supported to be as independent as possible. However, at times this is taken to extremes, and children who are too young or have not experienced suitable parenting are expected, for example, to clean the bathroom and make their own meals. As a result, children do not learn what good parenting is and how it feels to be cared for by the adults looking after them.

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

Inspection report for children’s home: SC391379 4 Children are confident in their surroundings and approach staff with any worries or concerns. Staff have good knowledge of each child’s vulnerabilities and recognise when a child is behaving differently. Staff know how to raise any safeguarding concerns through the organisation’s systems. Joint working with safeguarding partner agencies is sound.

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

Staff are skilled in supporting children when they are anxious, worried or upset. They use a range of de-escalation strategies to help children when in crisis, meaning physical intervention is rarely used. When there are incidents, records are clear and provide a good overview and evaluation of what led to the child becoming upset. Children are helped to work through any concerns they have and are supported to express their upset in more appropriate ways. This has led to a significant reduction in incidents for one child in particular.

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

Police have been called to the home by staff to help manage children’s behaviour but the working relationships with the police are positive. However, on one occasion, the call for support was due to a member of staff working in the home alone.

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

Children who go missing benefit from a coordinated response, including following clear protocols to find them. On their return, staff welcome children back, and they work together to look at ways to reduce the likelihood of the child feeling they need to leave the home in the future. This has included being proactive in ensuring that checks are carried out on the families of children’s friends, so that children can stay overnight with them. The result is that there has been a reduction in incidents of children going missing from the home. Staff update children’s plans regularly to reflect any changes to their known risks or behaviours. This means that they are not stigmatised for behaviours they no longer display, but also that staff have the most up-to-date guidance on how to best help the children when they are struggling. This also leads to children being able to take age-appropriate risks and enjoy time in the

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

The home has been without a registered manager since February 2021. There is a manager in place who has applied to be registered with Ofsted. Staff report that they are confident in the manager’s skills and abilities and are complimentary of the changes she has made regarding the ethos and culture in the home. The care manager regularly attends the home to support with oversight in the absence of a registered manager. Children and staff commented that the responsible individual has not visited the home for several months.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

Staff say they find their supervision valuable, and records show that staff benefit from reflective one-to-one and group supervision. The therapy team helps to further support staff by attending meetings to enable them to consider how best to meet children’s needs and reflect on how they are feeling when working with the children. Training is readily available and regularly refreshed. This includes specific training to meet children’s individual needs. Several staff are currently undertaking a suitable level 3 qualification. However, two staff have not started a level 3 qualification, and Inspection report for children’s home: SC391379 5 two others have not completed a suitable qualification within the designated time frame.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

The management team regularly reviews children’s plans to ensure they remain relevant and up to date. They work well with partner agencies to ensure children have the services they need to make progress. Managers and staff are confident in challenging agencies who they do not feel are acting in the child’s best interests, and they act as strong advocates for children.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

Recruitment practice is sound and the manager has oversight of staff files prior to them working in the home. There is little use of agency staff, meaning there is consistent care for children. The number of staff on shift at any one time remains under review. There have been occasions when children and staff have felt they could not do activities.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

Monitoring and oversight of the home are a particular strength. Managers use a variety of tools to identify and evaluate any trends and patterns in children’s behaviour and progress. They make use of the monitoring by the independent person to reflect, and where appropriate, develop practice in the home. However, a safeguarding concern that was reported to the local authority designated officer and an occasion when police were called to the home have not been notified to Ofsted. Inspection report for children’s home: SC391379 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, the 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 recruit staff using recruitment procedures that are designed to ensure children’s safety.

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Requirement Due date

the individual has the appropriate experience, qualification and skills for the work that the individual is to perform;

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Requirement Due date

For the purposes of paragraph (3)(b), an individual who works in the home in a care role has the appropriate qualification if, by the relevant date, the individual has attained—

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Requirement Due date

the Level 3 Diploma for Residential Childcare (England) (“the Level 3 Diploma”); or

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Requirement Due date

a qualification which the registered person considers to be equivalent to the Level 3 Diploma.

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Requirement Due date

in the case of an individual who starts working in a care role in a home after 1st April 2014, the date which falls 2 years after the date on which the individual started working in a care role in a home. (Regulation 32 (3)(b) (4)(a)(b) (5)(a)) 10 February 2023

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Requirement Due date

The registered person must notify HMCI and each other relevant person without delay if—

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Requirement Due date

a child is involved in or subject to, or is suspected of being involved in or subject to, sexual exploitation;

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Requirement Due date

an incident requiring police involvement occurs in relation to a child which the registered person considers to be serious;

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Requirement Due date

there is an allegation of abuse against the home or a person working there; 10 February 2023 Inspection report for children’s home: SC391379 7 a child protection enquiry involving a child —

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Requirement Due date

concludes (in which case, the notification must include the outcome of the child protection enquiry); or

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Requirement Due date

there is any other incident relating to a child which the registered person considers to be serious. (Regulation 40 (4)(a)(b)(c)(d)(i)(ii)(e))

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Recommendations

 The registered person should ensure that staff act as a reasonable parent would with regard to the cleanliness of the home, as well as supporting children to be independent. (‘Guide to the Children’s Homes Regulations, including the quality standards’, page 15, paragraph 3.7)  The registered person should ensure that there is consistently a suitable number of staff on shift to ensure all children have the opportunity to spend time with staff and have positive experiences, in line with their plans. (‘Guide to the Children’s Homes Regulations, including the quality standards’, page 54, paragraph 10.15)

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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: SC391379 8

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Children’s home details

Registered provider address: Coach House, White House Court, Hockliffe Street, Leighton Buzzard LU7 1FD

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Children’s home details

Responsible individual: Claudette Rudman

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Inspector

Jennie Christopher, Social Care Inspector Inspection report for children’s home: SC391379 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 looked after children, safeguarding and child protection.

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Inspector

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Inspector

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Inspector

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