Children's Home run by The Beeches UK limited in Peterborough

Inspection report for children’s home: 2688421 1 Registered provider: The Beeches UK limited Full inspection Inspected under the social care common inspection framework

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Information about this children’s home

This privately run home provides care for up to three children with complex needs. The children may have had traumatic experiences that have left them vulnerable. At the time of the inspection, three children were living at the home.

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Overall experiences and progress of

children and young people, taking into account

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good

How well children and young people are helped and protected good

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good

The effectiveness of leaders and managers good

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good

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

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good

Overall judgement at last inspection: good

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good

Enforcement action since last inspection: none Inspection report for children’s home: 2688421 2

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Inspection date Inspection type Inspection judgement

19/04/2023 Full Good Inspection report for children’s home: 2688421 3

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Since the last inspection, one child has moved into the home and one child has moved on from the home. During this inspection, all three children spoke with the inspector.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Staff have positive relationships with the children and know them well. Staff provide attentive, nurturing care and have fun with the children. One child said, ‘Staff care. They listen to me and I feel safe.’ Staff are invested in helping children to progress. Children are valued and cared for.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Two children, who were not attending school regularly before moving to the home, have education places and are making good progress. One child does not currently have an education place. The manager has worked creatively to find an education option that the child will engage with. While the child has not had a formal education place, staff have supported the child to access alternative education. The manager has advocated for the child and worked with the social worker and virtual school. The child is due to start college imminently.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Children are helped to maintain links with people who are important to them. Staff help and support children with family time, which means that children can maintain important family connections. Feedback from professionals and families is incredibly positive. A parent said, ‘The staff provide fantastic care and the support from the manager is excellent.’

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Two children have been on a holiday with staff. There are holidays planned for this summer for all the children. The children benefit from a wide range of activities, including visits to theme parks, going on day trips, car experiences and sports. All the children enjoy new and enriching experiences.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

The staff encourage the children to learn new life skills. One child has started to work towards semi-independence. Children practise budgeting and cooking home-made meals. The staff have developed interactive work booklets containing important information. One child is proud of the skills that they developed and how much money they had saved for their future. These activities help the children to learn about responsibility and to prepare for adulthood.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

The home is welcoming and homely. There are photos of the children displayed. Children have personalised their bedrooms. They benefit from living in a well-kept environment.

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

The manager attends strategy meetings with all relevant professionals so that children who are at risk of exploitation are safeguarded. Regularly reviewing the risks that Inspection report for children’s home: 2688421 4 children are exposed to and agreeing protocols through joined-up working enable an effective multi-agency approach to safeguarding children.

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

There have been some allegations. The manager dealt with these promptly and effectively. She informed all relevant professionals to ensure that there was external professional oversight of the investigations.

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

There have been a high number of incidents of a child going missing from the home. The manager has worked closely with the police to agree effective protocols. The staff alert railway station staff and British transport police. The staff manage incidents well. Following an increase in missing-from-home episodes, the manager increased staff ratios. This has started to help to reduce the incidents. However, despite the manager’s persistent requests for independent return interviews, these have not been completed.

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

There have been several incidents of physical intervention. Staff are suitably trained. Interventions have been appropriate, proportionate and necessary. Children are spoken with following incidents and the manager debriefs staff to learn from incidents. The manager evaluates the records of incidents and makes appropriate changes to practice. Consequently, there has been a decrease in physical intervention.

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

There have been three occasions when police have been called to help manage a child’s behaviour. The support has been appropriate, and the child has not been arrested. Following one of the incidents, the manager did not debrief staff. This could mean a missed opportunity to reflect on and improve practice.

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

The manager and staff have taken appropriate action to help keep children safe. However, despite every effort, situations out of the staff’s control have meant that, at times, one child has been exposed to risky situations. Social workers are impressed with how well safeguarding incidents are managed. The staff are confident and well equipped to manage safeguarding incidents.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

The experienced manager holds a relevant level 5 qualification. She is supported by an experienced deputy manager. Both are excellent role models for staff. Staff benefit from the managers’ experience.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

The staff team is stable and morale is high. There is use of agency staff when children need additional help for temporary periods. The agency staff used are consistent and therefore familiar to the home. This has helped provide consistency to children, helping positive relationships to be formed.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

All staff said that the manager is supportive and approachable. Staff have regular and effective supervision meetings. Supervision provides the staff with a range of learning goals and monitors their professional development. Inspection report for children’s home: 2688421 5 The staff have good-quality training. The home’s clinician provides regular training to the staff. The staff said that they have thorough inductions and a wide range of face-to-face and online training. The staff either hold a level 3 diploma or are working towards the qualification within the agreed time frame.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

Two social workers were spoken with during the inspection. They spoke positively about the relationship and communication that they have with the manager and staff. Social workers said that staff understand the children’s needs and have positive relationships with the children. Children are understood and well cared for at the home.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

The manager uses a range of monitoring tools to review the effectiveness of the home. She uses information from reviews and her six-monthly report to develop and implement an action plan. The manager has collated feedback from social workers, parents and children. She continually makes improvements at the home and improves the quality of care for the children. Inspection report for children’s home: 2688421 6

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Recommendations

 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. Homes should take account of information provided by such interviews when assessing risks and putting arrangements in place to protect each child. (‘Guide to the Children’s Homes Regulations, including the quality standards’, page 45, paragraph 9.30)  The registered person should debrief staff following all significant incidents. (‘Guide to the Children’s Homes Regulations, including the quality standards’, page 55, paragraph 10.24)

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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: 2688421 7

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Children’s home details

Registered provider: The Beeches UK limited

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Children’s home details

Registered provider address: S B C H House, 212 Ballards Lane, London N3 2LX

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Children’s home details

Responsible individual: Michelle Robinson

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Inspector

Amy Miles, Social Care Inspector Inspection report for children’s home: 2688421 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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Inspector

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Inspector

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