Children's Home run by Benjamin UK Ltd in Milton Keynes

Inspection report for children’s home: SC414738 1 SC414738 Registered provider: Benjamin UK Ltd

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Full inspection Inspected under the Social Care Common Inspection Framework

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Information about this children’s home

This home is owned and run by a private organisation. It provides care for up to four children with social and emotional difficulties. Four children were living in the home at the time of the inspection.

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Information about this children’s home

The manager has been registered with Ofsted since September 2020.

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Overall experiences and progress of

children and young people, taking into account

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outstanding

How well children and young people are helped and protected outstanding

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outstanding

The effectiveness of leaders and managers outstanding

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outstanding

The children’s home provides highly effective services that consistently exceed the standards of good. The actions of the children’s home contribute to significantly improved outcomes and positive experiences for children and young people who need help, protection and care.

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outstanding

Date of last inspection: 7 November 2023

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outstanding

Overall judgement at last inspection: good

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outstanding

Enforcement action since last inspection: none Inspection report for children’s home: SC414738 2

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Inspection date Inspection type Inspection judgement

07/11/2023 Full Good 06/12/2022 Full Good 01/09/2021 Full Good 10/09/2019 Full Good Inspection report for children’s home: SC414738 3

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: outstanding

Children have made exceptional progress since they moved to the home. Staff have a comprehensive understanding of children’s risks, which have significantly reduced over time. Feedback from external professionals is exemplary. One social worker said, ‘I am so grateful to work with professionals who are truly child-centred and really care about the young person and aspects of their well-being. The home has always gone above and beyond to ensure that they help [name of child] to meet his full potential.’

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: outstanding

Children are cared for by staff who are routinely supported by highly skilled therapists. The staff team regularly meets to agree formal therapeutic goals for children. Some children receive weekly therapeutic support, while other children may receive life-story work in accordance with their needs. Staff are highly attuned to children’s emotional well-being, and the model of practice used in the home directly impacts on the significant progress that children make.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: outstanding

Children live in an aspirational environment, created by the staff team, that encourages them to take increasing levels of autonomy. Children’s voices are valued, and they feel confident to express their wishes and feelings, knowing that staff will listen and do their utmost to support them. This has had a positive impact for children, and they have developed a strong sense of optimism and self-direction in their lives.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: outstanding

Most children engage well in education and make positive progress. One child has recently been excluded from school, and the response to this by the manager and staff has been proactive, with a clear focus on ensuring that the child does not fall behind.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: outstanding

Children have access to a wide range of opportunities that enhance their life opportunities, including holidays and social activities. Staff also support children to learn about differing cultures, and this helps children to develop their understanding of diversity and difference.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: outstanding

Children are prepared well for their adult lives. This is because staff recognise the importance this has for children. Consequently, there is a strong focus on developing children’s independence. This focus is carefully planned and considers children’s developmental ages and their wishes and feelings. Staff demonstrate significant aspiration for children, encouraging them to learn and acquire new skills and knowledge to support their progress and development. One child said, ‘They [staff] celebrate all of our small achievements, and this is really important; it makes you feel appreciated.’

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

Children feel safe and have a strong sense of connection with the home. In one example, a child changed their mind about going missing from home and instead contacted staff to be picked up. Staff subsequently undertook important restorative work Inspection report for children’s home: SC414738 4 with the child. This has resulted in a substantial reduction in missing-from-home incidents.

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

Staff take effective action in response to safeguarding concerns. Although the level of safeguarding concerns is minimal, due to the excellent care and support that children receive, staff are clear about the procedures that they should follow to promote children’s safety and protect them from harm. Staff who are new to the home have been appropriately recruited and vetted.

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

Children thrive due to the help that they receive to manage their feelings and emotions. This helps children to better understand risk, and consequently, they make healthier choices in their lives. For example, one child has progressed and is now able to have independent time in the community. This is exceptional progress for this child.

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

Children have excellent relationships with staff and value the interactions that they have with them. Consequently, children have developed significant trust in staff. For instance, some children have shared difficult experiences from their childhood. Staff take effective and appropriate safeguarding action in response to these disclosures, and children are provided with a high level of emotional support and reassurance following what they have shared.

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

Therapeutically informed staff demonstrate significant insight into children’s emotional and behavioural needs. Staff use a range of strategies that are informed by research, children’s wishes and feelings, and learning from difficult incidents. Consequently, staff are highly skilled at helping children when they struggle to manage their emotional and behavioural needs.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: outstanding

The registered manager is a strong and supportive leader who is dedicated and driven to provide children with the best possible outcomes. This vision is clearly embedded in the culture of the wider staff team. One child’s reflections about the support that they had received from the manager was, ‘Thank you; you saved my childhood.’

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: outstanding

The staff team is well developed, and staff work well together to ensure that the needs of children are met to a consistently high standard. Staff speak highly of the support that they receive from the management team.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: outstanding

Leaders and managers recognise the importance of continually developing the skills and knowledge of staff. As a result, staff receive specialist training to develop their understanding of the impact of trauma and adverse childhood experiences. Staff are highly complementary of the training that they have received since they started working in the home. One member of staff said, ‘It has completely changed my understanding of children’s behaviour.’

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: outstanding

All staff receive regular reflective supervision, and there is a strong focus on supporting staff to understand children’s previous experiences of harm. The management team Inspection report for children’s home: SC414738 5 encourages staff to carefully think about the care and support that they provide to children and how this aligns with the home’s wider therapeutic approach. Staff are also encouraged to think about their own emotional well-being. This has a positive impact for staff and means that they understand the impact that they can have on children’s lives.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: outstanding

The registered manager expertly recognises and considers the needs of children that may potentially move into the home. They carefully consider these alongside the needs of the children who are already living in the home. This has enabled children to have positive experiences when they have moved into the home. One child said, ‘It’s like living with friends.’

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: outstanding

Leaders and managers ensure that children’s plans accurately reflect the support that they need and receive. The registered manager has a clear strategy to further develop a recording style underpinned by ‘language that cares.’ They have implemented an approach that encourages staff to record information in the first person. This has helped to increase children’s understanding of the care and support that they receive. It has also contributed to reducing children’s barriers to participation and helped with their understanding of the decisions that have been made in their lives.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: outstanding

The management team has developed a monthly process to formally recognise the care and support individual staff members offer to each other and the children. Feedback is obtained and shared with staff during team meetings and with children during the home’s house meetings. This improves morale for staff and children, who value the recognition and praise they receive. Inspection report for children’s home: SC414738 6

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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: SC414738 7

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Children’s home details

Registered provider address: Coach House, White House Court, Hockliffe Street, Leighton Buzzard LU7 1FD

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Children’s home details

Responsible individual: Claudette Rudman

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Inspector

Ashley Edwards, Social Care Inspector Inspection report for children’s home: SC414738 8 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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