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

Assurance inspection report for children’s home: SC470479 1 SC470479

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Registered provider: Beaufort Care Group 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 provides care for up to four children. It is operated by a private provider which has several other homes in the area. There are currently four children living in the home.

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Information about this children’s home

The registered manager resigned their registration on 23 April 2023. A new manager was appointed in September 2023 and is intending to apply for registration with Ofsted.

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Inspection date: 18 October 2023

Judgement at last inspection: requires improvement to be good

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Inspection date: 18 October 2023

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. Inspectors have 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: SC470479 2

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Outcome 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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Findings from the inspection

The manager in post at the time of the full inspection in June 2023 decided to stand down from the post. The home is now managed by an experienced previous manager. They, along with the responsible individual, have good oversight of the home and understand the areas for development.

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Findings from the inspection

Improvements are being made but some of these cannot yet be assessed for their effectiveness as they need to be embedded into practice.

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Findings from the inspection

Three of the five requirements made at the previous inspection have been met. The remaining two requirements relating to education and leadership and management have been reissued.

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Findings from the inspection

Children’s progress is mixed. It has improved since the previous inspection, but more improvement is required. Not all children are in full-time education, training or employment. Two children have started to attend a local college and are excited about this. One child attends an alternative education provider, and their attendance has started to improve. Another child is currently looking at their employment options.

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Findings from the inspection

The children are happy at the home. They have and continue to build appropriate relationships with staff. Since September 2023, the number of different staff working in the home has reduced. New staff have been recruited, and, where possible, the manager is limiting the number of different adults caring for the children.

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Findings from the inspection

Children feel safe and are being kept safe at the home. Safeguarding incidents are managed appropriately. Records provide a clear audit trail of actions taken and an analysis of the incidents. This reflective approach supports the development of staff practice. However, the records relating to investigations into allegations against staff are not of a consistently good quality. One record does not include information about actions taken and interviews held, and some handwritten records are illegible.

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Findings from the inspection

Overall, the quality of children’s plans has improved but some lack consistent guidance for staff on how to support the child effectively. One child’s plan and risk assessment do not contain information on the use of an unpluggable seat belt to ensure that they are safe when in a car. In addition, there is a lack of information on who agreed to the use of this item or any reflection on the potential for this to restrict the child’s liberty. Assurance inspection report for children’s home: SC470479 3 There has been an improvement in the management of behaviour, but further improvement is required regarding the recording of restraints. Records do not consistently include information about the duration of each hold used or evidence meaningful conversations with staff. Leaders and managers cannot assure themselves that restraint is used appropriately when records are of poor quality.

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Findings from the inspection

The quality of staff supervision has improved. However, the manager has highlighted that further improvement is needed to support and develop the staff as individuals and as a team. The manager, with support from the organisation’s psychologist, is using the team meeting as a forum for development, which is proving effective.

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Findings from the inspection

A recommendation raised at the full inspection in relation to updating the photos of children displayed in the home has been restated. Assurance inspection report for children’s home: SC470479 4

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Inspection date Inspection type Inspection judgement

01/06/2023 Full Requires improvement to be good 08/11/2022 Full Good 26/05/2021 Full Good 12/03/2020 Interim Sustained effectiveness Assurance inspection report for children’s home: SC470479 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, 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 education standard is that children make measurable progress towards achieving their educational potential and are helped to do so.

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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

help each child to achieve the child’s education and training targets, as recorded in the child’s relevant plans;

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Requirement Due date

support each child’s learning and development, including helping the child to develop independent study skills and, where appropriate, helping the child to complete independent study;

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Requirement Due date

understand the barriers to learning that each child may face and take appropriate action to help the child to overcome any such barriers;

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Requirement Due date

help each child to understand the importance and value of education, learning, training and employment;

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Requirement Due date

promote opportunities for each child to learn informally;

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Requirement Due date

maintain regular contact with each child’s education and training provider, including engaging with the provider and the placing authority to support the child’s education and training and to maximise the child’s achievement;

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Requirement Due date

raise any need for further assessment or specialist provision in relation to a child with the child’s education or training provider and the child’s placing authority;

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Requirement Due date

help a child who is excluded from school, or who is of compulsory school age but not attending school, to access 30 December Assurance inspection report for children’s home: SC470479 6 educational and training support throughout the period of exclusion or non-attendance and to return to school as soon as possible;

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Requirement Due date

help each child who is above compulsory school age to participate in further education, training or employment and to prepare for future care, education or employment;

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Requirement Due date

help each child to attend education or training in accordance with the expectations in the child’s relevant plans; and

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Requirement Due date

that each child has access to appropriate equipment, facilities and resources to support the child’s learning. (Regulation 8 (1) (2)(a)(i)(ii)(iii)(iv)(v)(vi)(vii)(viii)(ix)(x)(b))

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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

ensure that the home has sufficient staff to provide care for each child;

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Requirement Due date

ensure that the home’s workforce provides continuity of care to 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— 30 December Assurance inspection report for children’s home: SC470479 7 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)(d)(e)(f)(g)(i)(ii)(h))

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Recommendations

 The registered person should ensure that photos around the home reflect the children currently living at the home. (‘Guide to the Children’s Homes Regulations, including the quality standards’, page 15, paragraph 3.7)  The registered person should ensure that records of investigations into allegations against staff are of a good quality, provide a clear audit trail of all actions taken and are legible. (‘Guide to the Children’s Homes Regulations, including the quality standards’, page 44, paragraph 9.19)  The registered person should ensure that records of restraint are of a consistently good quality and contain all required information, including the duration of each hold used and meaningful conversation with staff involved in the restraint. The registered person should ensure that restraint is not used as compliance and any equipment, such as an unpluggable seat belt, does not restrict a child’s liberty.

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Recommendations

(‘Guide to the Children’s Homes Regulations, including the quality standards’, page 46, paragraph 9.33)  The registered person should ensure that all the children’s plans provide detailed, clear and consistent guidance for staff. This includes care plans and risk assessments. (‘Guide to the Children’s Homes Regulations, including the quality standards’, page 62, paragraph 14.4) Assurance inspection report for children’s home: SC470479 8

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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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Children’s home details

Responsible individual: Amanda Goodenough

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Inspector

Wendy Anderson, Social Care Inspector Assurance inspection report for children’s home: SC470479 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 children looked after, safeguarding and child protection.

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Inspector

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