Children's Home run by Bethel Children’s Care Ltd in Luton

Inspection report for children's home: 2639632 1 Registered provider: Bethel Children’s Care Limited Full inspection Inspected under the social care common inspection framework

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Information about this children’s home

This privately owned home provides care for up to two children who may experience social and emotional difficulties.

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Information about this children’s home

The registered manager has been in post since October 2022.

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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: requires improvement to be good

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requires improvement to be good

Enforcement action since last inspection: none Inspection report for children's home: 2639632 2

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Inspection date Inspection type Inspection judgement

31/08/2022 Full Requires improvement to be good 07/12/2021 Full Good Inspection report for children's home: 2639632 3

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improvement to be good

At the time of this inspection, two children were living at the home. One of these children had been admitted to hospital for medical treatment and was not present during the inspection. Staff from the home were supporting the child during their hospital stay.

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improvement to be good

There have been changes in the small staff team since the last inspection. Three staff who children were familiar with have left. One child has required additional levels of support. This means that more agency staff have been used. The lack of continuity means that children have found it difficult to build trusting relationships with staff. Because of this, there has been an increase in children leaving the home without permission and misusing substances. This has placed children at risk of exploitation and poor mental health.

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improvement to be good

Staff encourage children to talk about their views, wishes and feelings. However, staff do not have training in how to help children with their mental health. This means that staff lack the skills to recognise when children may be struggling and notice patterns that suggest they need additional support.

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improvement to be good

Staff record the daily activities and experiences of children. However, at times, the language used is child-blaming and institutional. This means that if children choose to read their files, they may feel a sense of shame and guilt.

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improvement to be good

Children experience positive moves in and out of the home. The manager works with people who are important to children to gather information. The manager uses this information to make certain that children living together have common interests. Since the last inspection, one child has moved back home with their family. Before this move, staff supported the child and their family to spend more time together. This helped the child to naturally accept change and helped professionals to ensure that the child was emotionally ready to live with their family again.

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improvement to be good

Staff encourage children with their hobbies and interests. Staff have organised outings to amusement parks, themed events, pampering sessions and clothes shopping. One child enjoys cooking and baking. Staff help children to experiment with new recipes and ingredients. Staff help children to feel a sense of achievement while having fun.

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improvement to be good

One child is in education. The manager worked closely with the school to create a bespoke timetable to help the child to attend. Although the child’s attendance is dependent on their well-being, they are making good educational progress. One child moved into the home recently. The manager worked with other professionals to identify a suitable education placement. The child has not yet attended school, but they have agreed to engage in learning. Professionals said that getting Inspection report for children's home: 2639632 4 agreement from the child is good progress. Staff understand that children’s past trauma may make it difficult for them to fully participate in their education.

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improvement to be good

Staff help children to keep in touch with people who are important to them. Staff understand that these relationships help children to feel connected. One child’s family visits the home regularly. This helps children to have a sense of belonging and maintain relationships.

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improvement to be good

Physical intervention is only used after other strategies to de-escalate behaviours have been tried. The manager meets with the child concerned after any incident. This helps the child to talk about their experience. However, the manager does not meet with the staff involved. This means that staff do not have the opportunity to reflect and consider alternative approaches. Staff record the interventions that they have used but do not consistently record the duration of the hold. It is therefore difficult to judge proportionality of holds.

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improvement to be good

Staff record children’s vulnerabilities in detail. The strategies that staff should follow to reduce harm are clear. Despite this, on one occasion when children left the home without permission, staff did not follow the agreed strategies. When external professionals asked staff to look for the children, they failed to follow protocols. This meant that vulnerable children were missing from the home overnight.

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improvement to be good

Children talk about the house as their home. However, one child said that they feel that agency staff see their home and caring for them as just a job. The child said that agency staff do not knock on their bedroom door at night before entering, and this worries them. Children may not trust and feel safe with the adults who are caring for them.

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improvement to be good

One child’s missing-from-home protocol had not been reviewed despite an increase in incidents for the child. As a result, the level of risk is unclear. Therefore, new staff working at the home may not provide appropriate levels of supervision or effective responses if children leave the home without permission.

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improvement to be good

Staff are trained in therapeutic approaches and physical intervention. However, agency staff are trained in an alternative method of physical intervention. Therefore, children receive different approaches from staff when being held.

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improvement to be good

The registered manager referred a child’s concerns about a physical restraint to the appropriate safeguarding professionals and the staffing agency.

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improvement to be good

Staff are experienced in supporting children who self-harm or have thoughts of suicide. Staff take immediate action to help children and seek medical advice when required. They make referrals to specialist services. Because of staff’s actions, one child has agreed to attend therapy. Inspection report for children's home: 2639632 5 When consequences have been used, they have been well considered and proportionate. The manager has good oversight of staff’s decisions and evaluates the effectiveness of the intervention. Children are helped to learn from their mistakes and make better choices.

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good

The registered manager is experienced and working towards a relevant level 5 qualification within timescales. An experienced deputy manager supports the manager. The responsible individual takes an active role at the home. They have good oversight and maintain relationships with staff and children.

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good

The manager does not keep the staff rota under review. The rota does not evidence if the correct levels of staff support and experience that children need are maintained. Lack of accurate information about who has worked at the home does not enable thorough oversight of practice and could prevent accurate investigation into concerns or complaints.

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good

The statement of purpose has not been reviewed and submitted to Ofsted within the agreed timescales. While this has minimal impact on children, it means that Ofsted is unable to monitor care practices as described in the statement of purpose.

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good

The manager understands the home’s strengths and areas for development. She uses monitoring and review systems to make improvements. However, the review of the quality of care provided does not include the children’s views. This limits information to drive improvements.

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good

The manager follows safer recruitment processes. Staff move through a bespoke induction tailored to the home and children. This helps staff to become familiar with the organisation’s procedures and the home’s culture and values. The focus on children helps new staff to understand what is important to children and how to support them.

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good

Employed staff and agency staff benefit from team meetings and supervision which are focused on reflection. Children are discussed in detail. This helps staff to review children’s progress and discuss any concerns. The well-being of staff is discussed. The manager recognises that staff well-being is important to children and the care that staff provide.

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good

Staff complete the organisation’s mandatory training. This helps staff to develop their knowledge and skills. Staff are either qualified or are working towards a relevant level 3 childcare qualification, within timescales.

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good

The registered manager has met the requirements set at the last inspection. Inspection report for children's home: 2639632 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 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 necessary, make arrangements to reduce the risk of any harm to the child;

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Requirement Due date

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. (Regulation 12 (1) (2)(a)(i)(iii)(v)(vi))

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Requirement Due date

In particular, keep missing-from-care protocols under review, ensure that staff follow risk assessments and take immediate action to keep children safe. 2 June 2023

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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

a description of the measure and its duration.

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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”)— 2 June 2023 Inspection report for children's home: 2639632 7 has spoken to the user about the measure. (Regulation 35 (3)(a)(iv)(b)(i))

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Requirement Due date

In particular, ensure that staff record the duration of each physical intervention used and that the manager debriefs staff within agreed timescales to reflect on the intervention used.

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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

In particular, the standard in paragraph (1) requires the registered person to ensure—

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Requirement Due date

strive to gain each child’s respect and trust. (Regulation 11 (1)(a) (2)(a)(viii))

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Requirement Due date

In particular, ensure that staff develop positive relationships with children which help them to feel listened to and safe. 30 June 2023

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Requirement Due date

the privacy of children is appropriately protected. (Regulation 21 (a)) 9 June 2023

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Requirement Due date

Schedule 4 sets out the other information that the registered person must keep in relation to a children’s home.

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Requirement Due date

maintain in the home the records in Schedule 4;

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Requirement Due date

ensure that the records are kept up to date. (Regulation 37 (1) (2)(a)(b))

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Requirement Due date

In particular, keep the staff rota updated to evidence staff working at the home. 9 June 2023

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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 promotes their welfare. 30 June 2023 Inspection report for children's home: 2639632 8 In particular, the standard in paragraph (1) requires the registered person to—

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Requirement Due date

ensure that staff have the experience, qualifications and skills to meet the needs of each child. (Regulation 13 (1)(a)(b) (2)(c))

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Requirement Due date

In particular, provide staff with training in children’s mental health which helps staff to understand children’s vulnerabilities.

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Requirement Due date

keep the statement of purpose under review and, where appropriate, revise it; and

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Requirement Due date

notify HMCI of any revisions and send HMCI a copy of the revised statement within 28 days of the revision. (Regulation 16 (3)(a)(b)) 16 June 2023

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Requirement Due date

In order to complete a quality of care review the registered person must establish and maintain a system for monitoring, reviewing and evaluating—

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Requirement Due date

the feedback and opinions of children about the children’s home, its facilities and the quality of care they receive in it. (Regulation 45 (2)(b)) 14 July 2023

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Recommendation

 The registered person should ensure that staff record information on individual children in a non-stigmatising way that distinguishes between fact, opinion and third-party information. Information about the child must always be recorded in a way that will be helpful to the child. (‘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: 2639632 9

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Children’s home details

Registered provider: Bethel Children’s Care Limited

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Inspector

Mandy Start, Social Care Inspector Inspection report for children's home: 2639632 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 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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