Children's home run by Beaufort Care Group Ltd in Barnet

Inspection report for children’s home: SC046480 1 SC046480 Registered provider: Beaufort care Group Full inspection Inspected under the social care common inspection framework

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Information about this children’s home

This home can provide care for up to three children and young people with social, emotional and behavioural difficulties. The home is operated by a private organisation that operates several other homes in the area. The manager has been registered with Ofsted since March 2021. At the time of this inspection, two children had been living in the home for eight months. Two other children had moved out of the home within the same period.

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Information about this children’s home

We last visited this setting on 21 and 22 July 2021 to carry out a full inspection. 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

Overall judgement at last inspection: good

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good

Enforcement action since last inspection: none Inspection report for children’s home: SC046480 2

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Inspection date Inspection type Inspection judgement

21/07/2021 Full Good 06/12/2019 Interim Declined in effectiveness 04/09/2019 Full Good 22/11/2018 Full Requires improvement to be good Inspection report for children’s home: SC046480 3

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Children enjoy living in this home and wish to stay until they reach adulthood. Both children feel that staff have helped them and describe them as ‘fun and smiley’, and that staff are as interested in their lives now as they were when they first met them. One child told the inspector that the manager ‘has got your back’ and feels that the manager argues their point with professionals when necessary.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Children in this home make significant progress from their starting points. The children who were living here during this inspection period have achieved personal goals while living in this home. They are well supported by staff who are led by a manager who is ambitious for the children.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Education is well supported and both children are attending education full time, their timetables having significantly increased since they moved into the home. Interests outside of education are also well supported, with children pursuing hobbies and interests on a weekly basis.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

The home is well maintained and homely, with children’s bedrooms personalised to their tastes. One child has recently moved into the annex area of the property to help promote their independence skills.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Children speak positively about their experiences of moving into this home. Children who have moved on from the home have positive experiences and remember their relationships with staff favourably. Children are able to keep in touch with staff, who continue to show care and an interest in the children’s lives.

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

Safeguarding practices in this home are good. The manager challenges the decisions of wider professionals if needed and is child-focused in their practice.

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

One child had significant mental health challenges while living in the home. Staff supported the child throughout their extended stay in hospital, and worked well alongside colleagues in health and social care to ensure that the appropriate decisions were made to support the child moving forward.

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

Wider professionals comment positively on the manager’s knowledge of the children, their child-centred approach and strong advocacy skills.

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

Compatibility assessments are thorough, realistic and robust in the assessment of risk. The manager prioritises the needs of the children who are already living in the home, to ensure that future placements are not detrimental to the needs and progress of the children already in their care. Inspection report for children’s home: SC046480 4 There has been one incident of physical restraint within this inspection period for one child and 16 incidents for another child who has since left the home. The use of restraint is proportionate and the intervention minimal. The manager provides staff with a thorough debrief following the incident, which allows the staff to reflect on the child’s experiences at the time. The child’s debrief allows for the child to reflect on their own feelings and behaviour. However, the children are not explicitly asked about their feelings of being physically restrained.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

The manager believes that they ‘work for the children’, and this child-centred practice is evident in the way the manager leads the home and staff team.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

Staff were eager to share with the inspector their love for working in this home. Staff feel well supported by the manager, understand their role and enjoy being part of a committed staff team.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

Staff are regularly covering gaps in the rota due to staff vacancies. This is the one area staff would like to see an improvement in. However, they are able to manage the needs of the children as the manager is not considering further referrals until the staff team is at full compliment.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

The manager is ambitious for the home and understands the vulnerabilities and how best to address these. The manager challenges poor practice to improve the care the children receive. Appropriate action is taken when shortfalls are identified.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

Some of the children’s case records are written in first-person narrative from the child’s perspective. However, children have not always viewed these documents or agreed to what has been written. When children have been part of the reporting documents do not explicitly state when this happened or which sections have been written by them or on their behalf.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

Management oversight of day-to-day practice is good. However, review mechanisms are unnecessarily descriptive with less emphasis on analysis, and have been submitted to Ofsted late.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

Safer recruitment practices are in place in this home. Inspection report for children’s home: SC046480 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 person must prepare and implement a policy ("the behaviour management policy") which sets out—

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Requirement Due date

how appropriate behaviour is to be promoted in the children’s home; and

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Requirement Due date

the measures of control, discipline and restraint which may be used in relation to children in the home.

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Requirement Due date

within 5 days of the use of the measure, the registered person or the authorised person adds to the record confirmation that they have spoken to the child about the measure. (Regulation 35 (1)(a)(b) (3)(c)

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Requirement Due date

In particular, ensure that the child is asked specifically about the restraint that was used on them, and that their feelings around this are accurately recorded. 31 March 2023

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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

supply to HMCI a copy of the quality of care review report within 28 days of the date on which the quality of care review is completed. (Regulation 45 (1) (4)(a))

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Requirement Due date

In particular, ensure that the report is sent to the regulator within the correct timescales. 31 March 2023 Inspection report for children’s home: SC046480 6

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Recommendations

 The registered person should ensure that staff understand the importance of careful, objective and clear recording. Information about the child must always be recorded in a way that will be helpful to the child. In particular, the registered person should carefully consider the appropriateness of recording the child’s information using first-person narrative. (‘Guide to the Children’s Homes Regulations, including the quality standards’, page 62, paragraph 14.4)

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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: SC046480 7

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Children’s home details

Registered provider: Beaufort care Group

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Children’s home details

Registered provider address: Unit 2 Hollygrove Business Park, Verwood Road, Ringwood, Dorset BH24 2DB

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Inspector

Katie Ratcliffe, Social Care Inspector Inspection report for children’s home: SC046480 8 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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