Children's Home run by Beacon Residential Homes Ltd in Buckinghamshire

Inspection report children's home: 2726827 1 Registered provider: Beacon Residential Homes 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 privately run home provides care for up to 4 children who experience social and emotional difficulties. There were 4 children living in the home at the time of inspection.

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Information about this children's home

The manager registered with Ofsted in March 2025.

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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 children's home: 2726827 2

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Inspection date Inspection type Inspection judgement

28/05/2025 Full Good 28/05/2024 Full Good 11/07/2023 Full Good Inspection report children's home: 2726827 3

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Summary of findings

Staff know children well and support them to make progress from their starting points. Staff promote a sense of belonging and actively encourage children’s participation. Education is prioritised, with staff working creatively alongside professionals to overcome barriers to learning, and support children to achieve their goals. Children are supported to develop independence and life skills and to prepare for their futures. Safeguarding practice is effective, with sound risk management and strong multi-agency working. Leadership and management are stable and effective, ensuring staff are well supported and children receive good care. The home is clean and safe, with opportunities for children to personalise spaces, but some areas require redecoration.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Children benefit from positive relationships with staff who know them well, treat them with care and respect and who are invested in their progress. The care children receive helps them to develop a sense of belonging and make progress relevant to them, such as with building relationships or managing emotions.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Staff and managers value education. They work creatively and effectively with children and education colleagues to negotiate barriers to learning in line with children’s needs and wishes. As a result, despite all children facing challenges in relation to education, they are all progressing towards their goals.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Children are well supported to build important life skills. Staff provide children with regular individual support with issues such as travel, budgeting and cooking. Managers communicate well with placing authorities to ensure that children have the right support around future plans. One child has made marked progress with independence skills and is looking forward to a planned move to supported accommodation. This is positive progress for this child.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Staff seek and promote children’s views. Through day-to-day interactions, regular one to one time, and children’s meetings, children are supported to express their wishes and feelings and to participate in decisions about the home and their care. This helps children to feel heard and have a sense of agency. As a result of children’s wish to have a pet, there is now a resident tortoise.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

One child has left the home since the last inspection. This was a planned move based on careful consideration of whether staff could meet the child's safeguarding needs. Staff worked diligently with the child and their professional network to prepare them and celebrate their time in the home. Although managers shared concerns and worked closely with the placing authority prior to making the decision for the child to move, the Inspection report children's home: 2726827 4 recording of this is incomplete and does not give a clear account of this important time in the child’s life.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

The home environment is clean, safe and comfortably furnished. Children are supported to personalise their rooms and their artwork is displayed in shared spaces. However, some parts of the home require redecoration, and external areas need attention so they can be used to the full benefit of children. There are no photographs of children in communal areas. This is a missed opportunity to celebrate them and promote their sense of ownership of their home environment.

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

Staff understand their responsibilities and the individual vulnerabilities of children well. They are guided by safety plans and risk assessments that are clear and up to date. Consequently, staff respond effectively when there are concerns about children’s safety, such as incidents of self-harm or worries about children’s online activity. Follow up work with children helps them to understand risks and build protective strategies.

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

Staff are proactive if children leave the home without permission or go missing from home. They work in collaboration with partner agencies, such as police, to share information, try to locate children and to review safety and support plans. This ensures that risks related to children being missing from home are managed as safely as possible and has supported a reduction in such incidents for two children.

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

Managers have effective oversight of safeguarding matters. They review all incidents promptly and promote active joint working with children's networks. This helps to ensure that safety and support plans are co-ordinated and focused on children's individual needs.

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

Staff provide clear routines and boundaries and seek to engage positively with children. If children are upset or distressed, staff seek to help them manage feelings safely and to de-escalate situations. Physical interventions are rarely used. Staff acknowledge and reward positive behaviour and take time to help children reflect on times when things have not gone well. This helps children feel cared for and to make progress managing difficult emotions.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

Management arrangements have been stable since the last inspection. The registered manager has an in-depth knowledge of children, their needs and progress. They have a child-centred approach and are aspirational for children. This makes them a good role model for staff.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

The registered manager’s oversight of day-to-day practice in the home is thorough. Managers have taken action to address all the recommendations from the last inspection. Inspection report children's home: 2726827 5 Staff say that they are well supported by managers and colleagues and describe positive relationships in the team. They receive regular support, supervision and appraisal of their practice. The structure for staff support includes regular team meetings and reflective group supervision led by the organisation’s therapist. This underpins a supportive working environment and helps staff to implement care in line with the ethos of the home’s statement of purpose.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

Staff carry out a suitable range of training. Managers have effective systems in place to oversee progress with training and completion of required qualifications. This helps to ensure children receive care from well informed staff.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

Staff retention is good. Children benefit from a stable core team. There is some use of agency and bank staff to support current safeguarding measures. However, managers are sensitive to the need to ensure consistency for children and use regular people known to them.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

Staff understand the value of good working relationships with children's personal and professional networks. They work effectively with partner agencies to support co- ordinated care and manage communication with family members appropriately. Two professionals and one family member gave positive feedback about children’s care and communication. One family member gave constructive feedback, which was shared with managers. Inspection report children's home: 2726827 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, 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

ensure that the premises used for the purposes of the home are designed and furnished so as to—

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Requirement Due date

enable each child to participate in the daily life of the home. (Regulation 6 (1)(a)(b) (2)(c)(i)(i))

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Requirement Due date

In particular, ensure that there is prompt attention to redecoration of the home and that external areas are suitably maintained. 20 June 2026

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Recommendation

 The registered person should ensure that clear records are kept about how children are helped and supported, including when important decisions are made about their lives. They should ensure that staff understand the importance of recording for children (‘Guide to the Children’s Homes Regulations, including the quality standards,’ page 62, paragraph 14.4) Inspection report children's home: 2726827 7

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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 children's home: 2726827 8

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Children's home details

Registered provider: Beacon Residential Homes Ltd

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Children's home details

Registered provider address: GMR Accountants Ltd, 1st Floor 8-12 London Street, Southport PR9 0UE

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Inspector

Jacob Robson, Social Care Inspector Inspection report children's home: 2726827 9 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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