Children's home run by Beaufort Care Group Ltd

Inspection report for children's home: 2588486 1 Registered provider: Beaufort Care Group Limited Full inspection Inspected under the social care common inspection framework

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Information about this children’s home

This home provides care for up to three children. There are currently two children living in the home.

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Information about this children’s home

The manager registered with Ofsted in May 2020.

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Overall experiences and progress of

children and young people, taking into account

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inadequate

How well children and young people are helped and protected inadequate

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inadequate

The effectiveness of leaders and managers inadequate

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inadequate

There are serious and/or widespread failures that mean children and young people are not protected or their welfare is not promoted or safeguarded.

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inadequate

Overall judgement at last inspection: inadequate

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inadequate

Enforcement action since last inspection: none Inspection report for children's home: 2588486 2

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Inspection date Inspection type Inspection judgement

04/01/2023 Full Inadequate 01/02/2022 Full Good Inspection report for children's home: 2588486 3

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inadequate

Staff do not identify, assess or manage risk properly in this home. They do not consistently provide children with the support they need to be safe or to develop skills to enhance their safety and well-being.

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inadequate

One child is settled well in this home, having lived there for a number of years. This child enjoys positive relationships with staff. Staff know the child well and, consequently, can have conversations with them about their life and what is important to them. However, these conversations do not always offer the child the support they need. For example, staff tell the child to make their own decisions about their education. This places too much responsibility on the child for important decisions about their future.

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inadequate

One child continues to attend school and is preparing for forthcoming exams. Despite staff identifying that they should support this child with their exam revision, there is no plan in place to achieve this. Therefore, support for the child lacks structure, and the manager does not know if it is being provided. The other child has recently moved to a new educational provision that is suitable for their needs. The child is positive about attending and is in the early stages of settling in. Children in this home attend routine health appointments.

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inadequate

Staff maintain a welcoming home environment. They take pride in cooking interesting and nutritious food. When possible, children and staff sit and eat together. However, one child is often out with friends, not returning until later in the evening. As a result, they miss out on spending time with staff. This also means the child often eats their meals later in the evening, which does not promote healthy routines. This child has not yet developed trusting relationships with staff. Staff do not have strategies to support the development of these relationships.

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inadequate

Staff support children to spend time with those who are important to them. One child enjoys weekly time with their partner’s family, while the other spends regular time with their mother and brother.

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

Staff are failing to keep one child safe. Despite additional safeguarding training for staff, they are not consistently identifying risk in relation to this child. Staff are not following the plans in place to improve this child’s safety. Reviews of these plans do not identify the shortfalls in staff practice. Therefore, the child remains at risk of harm. Staff do not always know who the child is with or where they go. Significant amounts of free time spent away from the home mean that the child has not developed meaningful or positive relationships with the staff. This has a negative Inspection report for children's home: 2588486 4 impact on the information that the child is willing to share. Plans in place in case the child fails to return have not always included searching for the child. During the inspection, a significant incident of concern occurred for the child. This incident illustrated that staff are insufficiently aware of how the child spends their time, and

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

that they do not search for them effectively when they go missing. The result of this incident was that the child was exposed to adults who posed a risk to them.

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

Meetings with other professionals are effective in supporting staff to understand the risk of exploitation posed to the child. However, staff do not adequately consider other risks the child faces when they are out of the home.

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

One child has had consequences imposed when failing to meet their curfew after free time. The manager failed to identify or record these as consequences. This means that the manager does not evaluate their effectiveness and learn from their use.

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

Staff miss opportunities to support children to improve their safety. There are no planned or clearly delivered strategies to support one child with their use of alcohol and electronic cigarettes. Another child is not supported with regular conversations about safe sex and healthy relationships. This child has expressed concerns to staff about their safety when out in the evening. Staff encouraged the child to take sole responsibility for their own actions and safety rather than demonstrating a proportionate balance between caring for them and promoting an age-appropriate level of responsibility.

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

Staff maintain a safe physical environment in the home. Safer recruitment processes are used to employ staff.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: inadequate

Leaders and managers fail to demonstrate any meaningful oversight of records or the quality of care in the home. They do not monitor effectively the records staff make and keep about the care provided and so have not identified or rectified shortfalls in the quality of those records. The manager did not identify the seriousness of the police returning a child home. The manager also failed to update the child’s risk assessment following an incident. During the inspection, the manager identified a number of records that she felt did not accurately reflect what staff had done. This had not previously been identified as part of any management oversight. Poor-quality recording is likely to have a negative impact on children’s understanding of their care in the home should they view their records.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: inadequate

The stable staff team remains committed to caring for children and aspires to provide good-quality care for them. Staff receive regular training and supervision. However, leaders and managers are failing to provide staff with an environment in which they can develop their knowledge and skills sufficiently to provide the quality of care they want. This is because they do not review care in the home with sufficient scrutiny to identify and respond to weaknesses in staff practice. As a result, opportunities for staff development are missed. Inspection report for children's home: 2588486 5 The relationships that leaders and managers have developed with other professionals are not consistently effective. For one child, this is resulting in clear communication. For the other child, these relationships are less effective. Because all professionals are focused on this child’s safeguarding risks, they have not

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: inadequate

identified the impact of them not settling into the home.

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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 quality and purpose of care standard is that children receive care from staff who—

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Requirement Due date

understand the children’s home’s overall aims and the outcomes it seeks to achieve for children; and

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Requirement Due date

use this understanding to deliver care that meets children’s needs and supports them to fulfil their potential.

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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

understand and apply the home’s statement of purpose.

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Requirement Due date

understand and apply the home’s statement of purpose;

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Requirement Due date

protect and promote each child’s welfare;

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Requirement Due date

treat each child with dignity and respect;

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Requirement Due date

provide personalised care that meets each child’s needs, as recorded in the child’s relevant plans, taking account of the child’s background; and

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Requirement Due date

help each child to understand and manage the impact of any experience of abuse or neglect. (Regulation 6 (1)(a)(b) (2)(a)(b)(i)(ii)(iii)(iv)(v)) 2 June 2023 Inspection report for children's home: 2588486 6 In particular, ensure that children are provided with appropriate care and support to enable them to participate in day-to-day life in the home, including participation in mealtimes.

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Requirement Due date

The children’s views, wishes and feelings standard is that children receive care from staff who—

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Requirement Due date

take their views, wishes and feelings into account in relation to matters affecting the children’s care and welfare and their lives.

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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

ascertain and consider each child’s views, wishes and feelings, and balance these against what they judge to be in the child’s best interests when making decisions about the child’s care and welfare. (Regulation 7 (1)(c) (2)(a)(i))

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Requirement Due date

In particular, ensure that when children’s views are sought, there are clear links to how they are understood and used to contribute to the development of the home and improve experiences for children.

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Requirement Due date

This requirement was made at the previous inspection and is restated. 2 June 2023

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Requirement Due date

The health and well-being standard is that—

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Requirement Due date

the health and well-being needs of children are met;

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Requirement Due date

children receive advice, services and support in relation to their health and well-being; and

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Requirement Due date

children are helped to lead healthy lifestyles.

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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

achieve the health and well-being outcomes that are recorded in the child’s relevant plans; 2 June 2023 Inspection report for children's home: 2588486 7 understand the child’s health and well-being needs and the options that are available in relation to the child’s health and well-being, in a way that is appropriate to the child’s age and understanding;

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Requirement Due date

take part in activities, and attend any appointments, for the purpose of meeting the child’s health and well-being needs; and understand and develop skills to promote the child’s well- being. (Regulation 10 (1)(a)(b)(c) (2)(a)(i)(ii)(iii)(iv))

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Requirement Due date

In particular, ensure that children receive suitable support to address their health needs.

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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

meet each child’s behavioural and emotional needs, as set out in the child’s relevant plans;

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Requirement Due date

help each child to understand, in a way that is appropriate according to the child’s age and understanding, personal, sexual and social relationships, and how those relationships can be supportive or harmful;

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Requirement Due date

help each child to develop the understanding and skills to recognise or withdraw from a damaging, exploitative or harmful relationship; and

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Requirement Due date

strive to gain each child’s respect and trust. (Regulation 11 (2)(a)(i)(vi)(vii)(viii))

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Requirement Due date

In particular, ensure that staff have clear strategies to build relationships with children and that systems to review the effectiveness of these are in place.

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Requirement Due date

A requirement was made under regulation 11 at the previous inspection, although the action to be taken by the registered person has changed. 2 June 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— 19 May 2023 Inspection report for children's home: 2588486 8 that staff—

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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 necessary, make arrangements to reduce the risk of any harm to the child;

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Requirement Due date

help each child to understand how to keep safe; have the skills to identify and act upon signs that a child is at risk of harm;

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Requirement Due date

understand the roles and responsibilities in relation to protecting children that are assigned to them by the registered person;

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Requirement Due date

take effective action whenever there is a serious concern about a child’s welfare; and

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Requirement Due date

are familiar with, and act in accordance with, the home’s child protection policies;

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Requirement Due date

that the home’s day-to-day care is arranged and delivered so as to keep each child safe and to protect each child effectively from harm. (Regulation 12 (1) (2)(a)(i)(ii)(iii)(iv)(v)(vi)(vii)(b))

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Requirement Due date

In particular, the registered person must take urgent action to ensure that risks posed to children in the home and in the community are fully understood and that staff support children to reduce the risks to them.

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Requirement Due date

This requirement was made at the previous 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; 2 June 2023 Inspection report for children's home: 2588486 9 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; demonstrate that practice in the home is informed and improved by taking into account 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)(c)(g)(ii)(h)

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Requirement Due date

In particular, ensure that regular review and monitoring are undertaken so the manager understands the quality of care in the home and the improvements needed to support children to make progress.

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Requirement Due date

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

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Requirement Due date

within 24 hours of the use of a measure of control, discipline or restraint in relation to a child in the home, a record is made which includes—

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Requirement Due date

details of the child’s behaviour leading to the use of the measure;

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Requirement Due date

the date, time and location of the use of the measure;

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Requirement Due date

a description of the measure and its duration;

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Requirement Due date

details of any methods used or steps taken to avoid the need to use the measure;

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Requirement Due date

the name of the person who used the measure ("the user"), and of any other person present when the measure was used;

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Requirement Due date

the effectiveness and any consequences of the use of the measure; and 2 June 2023 Inspection report for children's home: 2588486 10 a description of any injury to the child or any other person, and any medical treatment administered, as a result of the measure;

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Requirement Due date

within 48 hours of the use of the measure, the registered person, or a person who is authorised by the registered person to do so ("the authorised person")— has spoken to the user about the measure; and

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Requirement Due date

has signed the record to confirm it is accurate; and

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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 (3)(a)(i)(ii)(iii)(iv)(v)(vi)(vii)(viii)(b)(i)(ii)(c)(iv))

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Requirement Due date

In particular, the registered person should recognise when consequences are imposed and record them in line with the regulations.

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Requirement Due date

* These requirements are subject to a compliance notice.

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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: 2588486 11

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Children’s home details

Registered provider: Beaufort Care Group Limited

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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

Clare Nixson, Social Care Inspector Inspection report for children's home: 2588486 12 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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