Children's Home run by Benjamin UK Ltd in Central Bedfordshire

Assurance inspection report for children’s home: 1236832 1 Registered provider: Benjamin UK Ltd

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Inspected under the social care common inspection framework

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Information about this children’s home

This privately run home offers therapeutic support, education and care for up to four children who may have experienced neglect, abuse or trauma that has left them vulnerable.

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Information about this children’s home

Education is offered at a linked provision on a different site. The inspector only inspected the social care provision at this site.

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Information about this children’s home

The manager registered with Ofsted on 4 June 2024 and is working towards a relevant level 5 qualification.

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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 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. The inspector has 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: 1236832 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

One child was living at the home at the time of this inspection. The child was spoken with and seen during the inspection.

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Findings from the inspection

Two children have moved out since the last inspection. Their moves were planned in liaison with relevant professionals and were well managed. One child has moved into the home recently. They are making good progress and have been able to feel safe enough to start attending education.

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Findings from the inspection

The child’s social worker and independent reviewing officer both said that the child is safer since living at the home. They said that there has been a notable decrease in the frequency and severity of incidents during which the child had felt overwhelmed. They attributed this to the warmth of staff’s care for the child. The child’s independent reviewing officer also said that staff’s calm attitude and the care that they offer enable the child to ‘engage in a way that they never could in previous placements’.

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Findings from the inspection

The child said that they feel safe and like living in the home. They said that the time they have spent with staff is fun. Staff support the child to attend a weekly basketball club, go swimming and have a day out doing motocross. The joint and fun nature of these activities has helped the child to develop trusting relationships with the staff who care for them. As a result, staff have not had to call out the police to manage the child’s behaviour, and they are able to de-escalate crisis situations well.

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Findings from the inspection

The manager is suitably experienced and qualified for the role. He has grown and developed in his role since the previous inspection. He has worked alongside senior leaders to make the changes required. This has enabled him to monitor themes more consistently and ensure that staff have a good level of guidance and oversight. The manager spoke of finding a balance between a style of leadership that allows him to empower the staff team and not micro-manage them.

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Findings from the inspection

Staff are welcoming of the changes made by the manager and the senior leadership team. Staff said, ‘The house is much more settled now since the last inspection. We have strengthened ourselves and are better able to respond to incidents.’

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Findings from the inspection

Staff speak warmly of the manager; they feel well supported and challenged by him. Morale appears higher than at the last inspection and the staff team is now stable. One member of staff said, ‘The manager is a great manager; he really acknowledges the team’s strengths and upskills the team.’ Assurance inspection report for children’s home: 1236832 3 Staff are provided with a comprehensive programme of training. Where there are gaps in staff’s knowledge, the manager picks these up and commissions training to meet these needs. Learning from training is embedded in practice through regular team meetings.

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Findings from the inspection

Senior leaders have implemented a serious incident review process since the last inspection. This has ensured that all incidents that meet the threshold for Ofsted notification have been identified and escalated appropriately. Incidents are better and more holistically managed as the reviews are attended by therapeutic and safeguarding staff, as well as being chaired by a senior leader. This level of oversight has ensured that children have been kept safe since the last inspection.

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Findings from the inspection

One staff member is still outside of timescales to achieve a relevant qualification. This requirement has been restated. However, the manager now has a system in place to track this and to support the member of staff to complete the required work.

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Findings from the inspection

The manager and senior leadership team have started work on producing child- friendly templates and ensuring that staff understand the importance of their recording as a part of the child’s life story. While staff’s records of time with children have improved, there are still words such as ‘absconding’ being used. These are institutional and not in line with the ethos and values of the home. This recommendation has been restated.

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Findings from the inspection

The manager has met four of the five requirements that were raised at the last inspection. One requirement and one recommendation have been restated.

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Inspection date Inspection type Inspection judgement

25/06/2024 Full Requires improvement to be good 05/03/2024 Full Good 26/04/2022 Full Good 05/01/2022 Full Good Assurance inspection report for children’s home: 1236832 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, 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

For the purposes of paragraph (3)(b), an individual who works in the home in a care role has the appropriate qualification if, by the relevant date, the individual has attained—

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Requirement Due date

the Level 3 Diploma for Residential Childcare (England) ("the Level 3 Diploma"); or

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Requirement Due date

a qualification which the registered person considers to be equivalent to the Level 3 Diploma.

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Requirement Due date

in the case of an individual who starts working in a care role in a home after 1st April 2014, the date which falls two years after the date on which the individual started working in a care role in a home. (Regulation 32 (4)(a)(b) (5)(a)) 31 May 2025

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Recommendation

 The registered person should ensure that records relating to children are written in child-friendly language and that the language used to describe children is appropriate. (‘Guide to the Children’s Homes Regulations, including the quality standards’, page 62, 14.4) Assurance inspection report for children’s home: 1236832 5

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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

Majella Russell, Social Care Inspector Assurance inspection report for children’s home: 1236832 6 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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