Children's home run by Belsteads Retreat Ltd

Inspection report for children's home: 2750673 1 Registered provider: Belsteads Retreat Limited

p.1

Full inspection Inspected under the social care common inspection framework

p.1

Information about this children’s home

An independent provider runs this home. It offers care for up to four children aged between eight and 17 with a learning disability or sensory impairment. Two children were living at the home at the time of this inspection.

p.1

Information about this children’s home

The home registered with Ofsted in December 2023. This is its first inspection. The manager registered at the same as the home.

p.1

Information about this children’s home

There is a registered school on the same site as the home. The inspector only inspected the social care provision at this site.

p.1

Overall experiences and progress of

children and young people, taking into account

p.1

good

How well children and young people are helped and protected good

p.1

good

The effectiveness of leaders and managers good

p.1

good

The children’s home provides effective services that meet the requirements for good.

p.1

good

Overall judgement at last inspection: not applicable

p.1

good

Enforcement action since last inspection: none Inspection report for children's home: 2750673 2

p.1

Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

At the time of this inspection, two children were living at the home. They have lived together since the home opened in January 2024. Both children were present and spoken with during the inspection. The registered manager was present for the two full days.

p.2

Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Staff greet the children with enthusiasm. They ask children about their day and show interest in them. Children respond well to this and seek staff out. The children have positive interactions with staff, who prioritise their time to be with the children. One child said, ‘I love all the staff. I love the manager. They have all touched my heart and I never want to leave.’

p.2

Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Children have made good progress. One child has achieved relevant qualifications at school and has plans to attend college. This is noted as significant progress by their family and professionals. One child had not attended school regularly before moving into the home. Staff worked with the on-site school to create a bespoke timetable. Now, the child attends full time.

p.2

Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Both children see their families. Staff are skilled in providing emotional support. They understand that seeing family members can cause distress. The manager worked closely with one social worker to ensure that a child’s feelings were prioritised. As a result, the child now experiences a more positive time when they are with their family.

p.2

Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Children experience a wide range of activities. Staff have enabled children to go to London to theatre shows, ice-skating shows, theme parks, exploring London and zoo trips. Staff organise pamper sessions, visits to nail salons, clothes shopping and meals out. They help children to build self-esteem and confidence.

p.2

Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Staff help children to learn by using consequences. However, consequences are not restorative in their nature and children are not told how long the consequence will last. The registered manager does not evaluate the effectiveness of the action. This means that children miss the opportunity to learn through a supportive and positive approach.

p.2

Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Children live in a purpose-built home. However, children have written unkind words on their bedroom doors and one of the showers has leaked, causing damage to the wood, which has started to smell. These issues mean that the home lacks a clean and welcoming feel.

p.2

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

Staff understand that routine and familiarity are important factors to help children feel safe. Children said that they feel safe living at the home. Professionals and family Inspection report for children's home: 2750673 3 members also said that children are safe and that staff always have the best interests of children at the centre of their practice.

p.2

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

Staff use personalised responses that help children feel reassured if they are upset. There has been a significant reduction in behavioural incidents. This is because staff follow agreed strategies in children’s plans. Staff are reflective and, when an approach is unsuccessful, they review their strategies without delay. Staff are proactive and help children to feel calm and safe.

p.3

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

Physical interventions are only used as a last resort and to keep children and staff safe. Staff use de-escalation strategies before using a restraint; this is evidenced in detailed incident reports. The manager meets with children and staff after any incident. This helps the child talk about their experiences and helps staff to consider alternative approaches.

p.3

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

The manager acts without delay if there are any safeguarding concerns. Any issues are shared with relevant professionals, investigated and actions are implemented. Any concerns about staff practice are managed effectively to safeguard children. Internal investigations have led to clear outcomes and changes in practice.

p.3

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

Children’s vulnerabilities are well understood by staff. Plans include how staff can reduce any risks of harm to children. One child’s vulnerability to self-harm has reduced significantly because of staff’s approach. However, missing-from-care plans do not refer to independent return home interviews being offered. This means that children do not have the opportunity to talk to an independent person about why they left the home.

p.3

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

Staff record children’s experiences on daily records and incident forms. However, on three occasions, records refer to children leaving the home, alone, without permission. This was not accurate because staff followed children in each incident. Lack of accurate detail in records fails to explain the actual actions taken to safeguard children.

p.3

The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

The registered manager is qualified and experienced. She is supported by a deputy manager. A senior support worker has recently been appointed. The management team knows the children and staff well.

p.3

The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

The manager has good monitoring systems in place. She evaluates information from her audits to improve the quality of care provided. As a result, staff plan more focused discussions with children to improve their emotional and mental well-being.

p.3

The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

Managers follow safer recruitment procedures. Children are involved in interviewing and selecting staff. This helps children to feel that their views matter and that their ideas and feelings are treated with respect. New staff move through a detailed induction. This makes certain that they feel confident to work with children. Inspection report for children's home: 2750673 4 Staff benefit from supervision sessions that focus on reflection. Children are discussed in detail. This helps staff to review the progress that children make and discuss any concerns. The well-being of staff is prioritised. Managers recognise that staff well-being is important to children and to the care that staff provide. Staff spoken with said that they feel supported by the management team.

p.3

The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

Staff are either qualified or working towards a relevant level 3 childcare qualification. However, they have not received training in alternative methods of communication. This means that staff lack the skills and experience to support children with alternative methods of communication effectively.

p.4

The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

The manager has not submitted a reviewed statement of purpose to Ofsted since the home opened. While this does not directly affect children, it does not provide a current overview of the care offered. Inspection report for children's home: 2750673 5

p.4

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.

p.5

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—

p.5

Requirement Due date

the effectiveness and any consequences of the use of the measure. (Regulation 35 (3)(a)(vii)) 26 July 2024

p.5

Requirement Due date

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

p.5

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)) 26 July 2024

p.5

Recommendations

 The registered person should ensure that any consequences used to address poor behaviour are restorative in nature, to help children recognise the impact of their behaviour on themselves, other children, the staff caring for them and the wider community. (‘Guide to the Children’s Homes Regulations, including the quality standards’, page 45, paragraph 9.38)  The registered person should ensure that the children’s home is a nurturing and supportive environment. In particular, ensure that bad language on children’s bedroom doors is removed and that repairs are carried out to the wood in the shower room. (‘Guide to the Children’s Homes Regulations, including the quality standards’, page 15, paragraph 3.9)  The registered person should ensure that staff can access appropriate facilities and resources to support their training needs. In particular, ensure that staff receive training in alternative methods of communication. (‘Guide to the Children’s Homes

p.5

Recommendations

Regulations, including the quality standards’, page 53, paragraph 10.11) Inspection report for children's home: 2750673 6  The registered person should ensure that when a child returns to the home after being missing from care or away from the home without permission, the responsible local authority provides an opportunity for the child to have an independent return home interview. (‘Guide to the Children’s Homes Regulations, including the quality standards’, page 45, paragraph 9.30)  The registered person should ensure that staff are familiar with the home’s policies on record-keeping and understand the importance of careful, objective, and clear recording. In particular, ensure that staff record clearly if a child left the home alone or was followed by staff. (‘Guide to the Children’s Homes Regulations, including the quality standards’, page 62, paragraph 14.4)

p.5

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: 2750673 7

p.6

Children’s home details

Registered provider: Belsteads Retreat Limited

p.7

Inspector

Mandy Start, Social Care Inspector Inspection report for children's home: 2750673 8 regulates and inspects 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.

p.7

Inspector

If you would like a copy of this document in a different format, such as large print or Braille, please telephone 0300 123 1231, or email enquiries@ofsted.gov.uk . You may reuse this information (not including logos) free of charge in any format or medium, under the terms of the Open Government Licence. To view this licence, visit www.nationalarchives.gov.uk/doc/open-government-licence , write to the Information Policy Team, The National Archives, Kew, London TW9 4DU, or email: psi@nationalarchives.gsi.gov.uk .

p.8

Inspector

http://www.gov.uk/government/organisations/ofsted . Interested in our work? You can subscribe to our monthly newsletter for more information and updates: http://eepurl.com/iTrDn .

p.8

Inspector

T: 0300 123 1231 Textphone: 0161 618 8524 E: enquiries@ofsted.gov.uk W: www.gov.uk/ofsted Inspection report for children's home: 2750673 9

p.8