Children's home run by Beaufort Care Group Ltd in Barnet

Inspection report for children’s home: SC046480 1 SC046480

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Registered provider: Beaufort Care Group 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 can provide care for up to three children with social and emotional needs. The home is operated by a private organisation that operates several other homes in the area.

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Information about this children’s home

At the time of this inspection, three children were living in the home.

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Information about this children’s home

The manager has been registered with Ofsted since 25 October 2023.

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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: requires improvement to be good

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good

Enforcement action since last inspection: none Inspection report for children’s home: SC046480 2

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Inspection date Inspection type Inspection judgement

17/05/2023 Full Requires improvement to be good 17/01/2023 Full Good 21/07/2021 Full Good 06/12/2019 Interim Declined in effectiveness Inspection report for children’s home: SC046480 3

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Children said they like living at the home and get on well with the staff who care for them. Children said they felt able to talk to all of the staff as they know they care about them and know they would be listened to. They said they mostly get on well with the other children but sometimes they do annoy each other.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Staff really care about the children. This is seen not only through their actions but how they talk about children. They celebrate children’s achievements and talk about these with pride. Most children really enjoy spending time with staff, which reflects the strength of the relationship staff have built with the children. As previously stated, for one child this remains a work in progress.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Staff support and encourage children to try and take part in a range of different activities. Some children can struggle with this, but staff support them well in this area, using humour and enthusiasm to get children involved and try new things. The children are very talented artists and are very good at craft work. This is on display around the home. One child has been sharing her skills as an artist, with a member of staff teaching them how to paint.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Staff provide children with a well-furnished, spacious and comfortable home. Children are involved in all aspects of the home’s decor, especially their bedrooms, which reflect their personality. One child, who is brilliant at spray-painting, has plans to spray-paint a mural on one of their bedroom walls.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Children are at different stages with their education. One child has re-engaged with education since attending a new alternative education provider. They are doing really well, doing additional work with a tutor to help them with their mathematics and English. Another child attends the local primary school and has taken on the role of prefect and is part of the ‘lunch bunch’, where they help to support other children. Both children now have a positive view of education, and their self-esteem and confidence have grown. The other child is currently not engaged in education as their education provider is unable to meet their needs. Staff are actively seeking another education provision.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Since the previous inspection, one child has successfully moved to a foster placement, which was well planned. A new child has also moved into the home. This was appropriately planned even though the timescale for the move was short.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Children’s healthcare needs are well met. This includes the provision of therapeutic input as required from the organisation’s therapist.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Children’s plans are current, detailed and provide clear guidance for staff on how to meet the children’s needs. There is evidence of children being involved in these Inspection report for children’s home: SC046480 4 plans. These are now written in a way that will be meaningful to the child should they wish to access these records in later life.

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

Staff demonstrate a good understanding of each child’s vulnerabilities. They work with children to develop their understanding and management of risk. Safeguarding processes are robustly followed, which safeguards children, and records of these events are comprehensive. Leaders and managers closely scrutinise these events, ensuring that lessons learned are used in the continual development of the team.

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

Staff see behaviour as communication and work with children to develop the child’s understanding of their behaviours and the impact these can have on themselves and others and to develop self-management strategies. Staff reflect on these events and use this to develop practice. Since the previous inspection, restraint has only been used once. This was where a member of staff used a blocking move to prevent themselves from being hurt.

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

The recruitment of substantive staff follows safer recruitment practice, which safeguards children. Leaders and managers obtain profiles on all agency staff they use. The majority of these profiles contain all the required information. However, leaders and managers are not consistently obtaining information on the agency workers’ experience in working in childcare.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

The home benefits from having an experienced manager in post, who is supported by an experienced deputy. Leaders and managers have detailed knowledge of the home’s strengths and areas for improvement and provided a good-quality overview of the home, especially in regard to the children.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

The manager will be taking a period of absence; however, clear plans are in place for the management of the home during this period. This planning will support consistency within the home. The deputy is applying for the role of registered manager. Both the manager and the deputy share the same vision for the home, which includes having high expectations for themselves and the team, all of which are linked to providing the best care and outcomes for the children.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

Leaders and managers have regular meetings and reviews regarding one child to ensure that this is the right home for them. This is due to the length of time it is taking staff to build effective relationships with the child, despite trying a range of different approaches. Staff are working closely with other professionals on this as they all want the best for the child.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

Since the previous inspection, one child moved on more quickly than planned. Leaders and managers took this t decision as they felt they were unable to keep the child and other children living at the home safe. After the child left, leaders and Inspection report for children’s home: SC046480 5 managers carried out a review of all aspects of the child’s placement. This analysis is of a good quality, with the lessons learned being used to improve staff practice.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

There have been some changes in the staff team since the previous inspection, and these have been well managed. The team has a good mix of gender, age and experience.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

Staff supervision is regular, of a good quality and supportive, which supports the development of the member of staff. The children are at the core of these discussions. These sessions also demonstrate, where needed, leaders and managers having difficult conversations with staff and holding them to account as required. As well as formal supervision, leaders and managers also provide staff with additional advice and guidance where needed.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

The team has regular team meetings, which, on occasion, involve the organisation’s therapist. Records of these meetings are of a good quality and demonstrate the reflective nature of the team.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

Staff have a positive view of the home. They feel well supported and trained for their role. Staff are positive about the management of the home and feel their views, ideas and input to the development of the home are welcomed.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

Leaders and managers act swiftly, in a supportive way, to address poor staff practice so they can learn and develop. Where this is not successful, leaders and managers use the disciplinary processes effectively, which has led to probationary periods being ended and staff leaving.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

Feedback provided by a parent and a social worker was very positive. The parent commented on how their child has developed and matured. They also said how much their child likes living at the home. The social worker said they feel their child is making progress. They feel the team works collaboratively with them and is good at keeping them updated. Inspection report for children’s home: SC046480 6

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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

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)) 30 April 2025

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Recommendation

 The registered person should ensure that the profiles they maintain on agency staff consistently include the agency workers’ experience of working in childcare. (‘Guide to the Children’s Homes Regulations, including the quality standards’, page 61, paragraph 13.1)

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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: SC046480 7

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Children’s home details

Registered provider: Beaufort Care Group Ltd

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Children’s home details

Registered provider address: Unit 2, Hollygrove Business Park, Verwood Road, Ringwood, Hampshire BH24 2DB

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Children’s home details

Responsible individual: Amanda Goodenough

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Inspector

Wendy Anderson, Social Care Inspector Inspection report for children’s home: SC046480 8 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.

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Inspector

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Inspector

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