Children's home run by Beaufort Care Group Ltd

Assurance inspection report for children’s home: 2588486 1 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 three children. There are currently two children living in the home.

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Information about this children’s home

The registered manager post has been vacant since 7 March 2023.

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Information about this children’s home

Judgement at last inspection: requires improvement to be good

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Information about this children’s home

Enforcement action since last inspection: none

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Information about this inspection

At these inspections, 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: 2588486 2

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Findings 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

Since the last inspection, the home has experienced a challenging period. Some key staff, including the registered manager, no longer work at the home and two children’s placements have been ended.

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Findings from the inspection

The staff team is in a state of flux, which has had an unsettling effect on the children and the remaining team. Leaders and managers understand the challenges and have taken appropriate action in response. Currently, the operations manager is managing the home, providing better structure, boundaries and stability while a new manager is appointed. Senior leaders hold weekly stability meetings, and staff supervision is planned but is being hampered by staff sickness. Further work is required to ensure that there is a stable staff team who know the children well and understand their needs and how these are to be met.

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Findings from the inspection

Leaders and managers have carried out a root cause analysis of the two placement breakdowns. They have identified areas for improvement, with clear actions. Actions have been implemented, but need to be embedded into practice.

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Findings from the inspection

Currently, not all children are in school or engaging in full-time education. The interim manager has escalated this with the local authority, and meetings are being held with education providers to support one child with returning to their allocated school.

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Findings from the inspection

Children’s plans have recently been reviewed and updated. These now identify the children’s needs and how they are to be met.

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Findings from the inspection

Children said they feel safe at the home. However, they said that the changes in the staff team have been unsettling and spoke about missing certain staff. Despite this, they both said that they have staff who they can go to with any concerns or worries.

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Findings from the inspection

Leaders and managers have sampled some of the home’s records and identified that improvement is required. Further work is required as, currently, leaders and managers have not assured themselves that there is nothing of concern that needs their attention. This includes behavioural records, which do not consistently provide a clear picture of incidents. In addition, staff are not currently consistently carrying out meaningful conversations with children after incidents or revisiting these discussions with children when they decline. This does not support the children in talking about or understanding their behaviour, or with developing self-management strategies.

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Findings from the inspection

When complaints are made, they are investigated. However, the quality of the investigations that are carried out by the organisation and by an external Assurance inspection report for children’s home: 2588486 3 investigator require improvement. The investigations lack rigour to triangulate information, and often rely on discussions with staff. These shortfalls have been recognised by senior leaders; however, improvements need to be embedded into practice. Despite these shortfalls, actions made as a result of investigations have been implemented.

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Inspection date Inspection type Inspection judgement

11/07/2023 Full Requires improvement to be good 18/04/2023 Full Inadequate 04/01/2023 Full Inadequate 01/02/2022 Full Good Assurance inspection report for children’s home: 2588486 4

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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;

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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

provide personalised care that meets each child’s needs, as recorded in the child’s relevant plans, taking account of the child’s background. (Regulation 6 (1)(a)(b) (2)(b)(iv)) 24 May 2024

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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

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; 24 May 2024 Assurance inspection report for children’s home: 2588486 5 help a child who is excluded from school, or who is of compulsory school age but not attending school, to access educational and training support throughout the period of exclusion or non-attendance and to return to school as soon as possible. (Regulation 8 (1) (2)(a)(i)(iii)(iv)(v)(viii))

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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

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)(h)) 24 May 2024 Assurance inspection report for children’s home: 2588486 6 Behaviour management policies and records

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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

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Requirement Due date

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”)—

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Requirement Due date

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)(b)(i)(ii)(iii)(iv)(v)(vii)(viii)(b)(i)(ii)(c)) 24 May 2024 Assurance inspection report for children’s home: 2588486 7 Complaints and representations

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Requirement Due date

Subject to paragraph (6), the registered person must establish a procedure for considering complaints made by or on behalf of children.

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Requirement Due date

The registered person must ensure that a record is made of any complaint, the action taken in response, and the outcome of any investigation.

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Requirement Due date

The registered person must ensure that no child is subject to any reprisal for making a complaint or representation. (Regulation 39 (1) (3))

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Requirement Due date

In particular, the registered person should ensure that all investigations into a complaint are of a good quality. 24 May 2024 Assurance inspection report for children’s home: 2588486 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: 2588486 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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Inspector

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Inspector

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