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

Inspection report for children’s home: 1269505 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 home is privately run and provides support and care for up to 4 children who experience social and emotional difficulties.

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Information about this children’s home

The manager registered with Ofsted in April 2023.

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Information about this children’s home

There were 3 children living at the home at the time of the inspection.

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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: 1269505 2

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Inspection date Inspection type Inspection judgement

30/06/2025 Full Requires improvement to be good 15/10/2024 Full Good 26/09/2023 Full Good 31/01/2023 Full Good Inspection report for children’s home: 1269505 3

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Summary of findings

Children benefit from therapeutic care that generally helps them to stay safe and make meaningful progress from their individual starting points.

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Summary of findings

Children have developed increased confidence in managing and expressing their emotions, reduced their risk-taking behaviours, including substance misuse, and improved their engagement in education. Staff have a good understanding of children’s individual risks and needs and respond promptly to emerging concerns to help keep children safe. Staff receive effective supervision that promotes reflection, professional challenge and ongoing development of practice. However, a small number of staff have not completed the level 3 diploma for residential childcare within the required timescales. There are other shortfalls in terms of responding to children’s views promptly and providing clear records.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Since the last inspection, 4 children have moved out of the home, and 4 children have moved in. Two children shared their views about their experiences of living at the home.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Most children have made positive and, in many cases, significant progress from their individual starting points. Two children achieved sufficient support to enable successful reunification with their parents. Another child is currently making substantial progress towards returning to live with their carer. When children have not made the expected progress, this has been largely due to the complexity of their mental health needs. The manager recognised that the children’s needs exceeded the support that the home could provide and worked effectively with partner agencies to identify more suitable provision. As a result, plans were made for both children to move to homes better equipped to meet their individual needs.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

One child’s carer described significant improvements in a child’s ability to manage emotions and their confidence and engagement in education. A child said that the staff had helped them move ‘from the lowest to the highest’ and helped them to understand that their past does not define their future.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Children are encouraged to express their views and actively contribute to decisions about their care. Feedback from children demonstrates that staff generally listen and respond to their wishes and feelings. However, one child said that they were not always able to access activities or pursue requests as promptly as they would have liked.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Children live in a welcoming and settled home. Staff interact with children in a caring and nurturing manner. The relationships between children and staff are positive. The decor is well maintained. However, children’s photos, achievements and artwork are not Inspection report for children’s home: 1269505 4 displayed, which does not support children’s sense of belonging or reflect their individuality.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Staff are attentive to children’s health needs and take appropriate action when concerns arise. Children have access to the services and support that they need to support their physical and emotional wellbeing, ensuring that emerging health issues are identified and addressed promptly.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Children maintain meaningful relationships with those who are important to them. Staff work hard to support family time and ensure that visits are safe and well managed. Children who live some distance from their family homes are helped to maintain friendships and social networks, which supports their sense of identity and emotional wellbeing.

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

Staff and managers are professionally curious. They explore incidents and emerging concerns sensitively with children and seek to understand the underlying factors influencing their behaviours. This strengthens staff’s understanding of children’s individual needs and vulnerabilities, enabling them to provide more effective support and helping to keep children safe.

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

Children are safer because staff respond proactively to safeguarding concerns. Following safeguarding incidents, children receive regular key-worker sessions and therapeutic support to increase their understanding and to encourage safer decision-making.

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

When children go missing from the home, staff follow agreed plans consistently and work effectively with the police and partner agencies to locate children and minimise risks. Their knowledge of children’s routines, friendships and preferred places enables them to undertake purposeful checks. Staff remain persistent in their efforts to maintain contact with children and use a range of strategies to establish their whereabouts. This helps to reduce children’s vulnerability during periods when they are missing.

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

When concerns arise regarding a child’s substance misuse, medical advice is sought, and staff closely monitor the child’s wellbeing and implement strategies to reduce immediate risks. When necessary, staff have undertaken room searches and other proportionate safeguarding measures to minimise harm. These interventions have had a positive impact. One child has made significant progress in reducing their cannabis use since they first moved into the home. This demonstrates the effectiveness of the consistent support, therapeutic intervention and clear boundaries provided by staff.

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

Staff support children to develop and maintain relationships safely. This helps children reduce exploitation-related risks and promotes their safety and wellbeing. Inspection report for children’s home: 1269505 5

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

The registered manager and senior leaders maintain effective oversight of incidents, safeguarding concerns and matters relating to children’s welfare. Risk assessments and care plans are regularly reviewed and are updated in response to changing circumstances and emerging risks. This ensures that plans remain responsive to children’s needs and that staff have the information and guidance required to keep children safe. However, the records need further improvement to ensure greater accountability and clarity of the actions taken by staff during incidents.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

The registered manager and senior leaders maintain robust oversight of allegations made against the staff. Investigations are conducted in a rigorous and evidence-based manner, ensuring that potential safeguarding concerns are thoroughly assessed and managed. This helps to promote a strong safeguarding culture and keep children safe.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

The registered manager has strengthened the appraisal process to make it more meaningful and effective. Children’s views are incorporated into staff appraisals, providing valuable insight into children’s experiences and helping staff to better understand what is important to the children. Appraisals identify clear staff development objectives, which are reviewed and monitored through regular supervision sessions. This provides accountability and supports continuous improvement in staff practice.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

Staff receive regular supervision sessions that provide opportunities for professional challenge, reflective discussion and consideration of safeguarding matters. Records demonstrate that managers engage staff in meaningful discussions about risks to children and effective strategies to manage these. This supports staff to develop their knowledge, skills and confidence in responding to children’s needs.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

Staff describe the home as having a positive and supportive culture. They feel well supported by both colleagues and leaders, which contributes to a stable workforce and consistent care for children. Most staff have achieved the level 3 diploma for residential childcare. However, not all staff working in a care role have either completed the qualification or are making enough progress towards achieving it within the required timescales. Inspection report for children’s home: 1269505 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

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 2 years after the date on which the individual started working in a care role in a home; or

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Requirement Due date

in the case of an individual who was working in a care role in a home on 1st April 2014, 1st April 2016. (Regulation 32 (4)(a)(b) (5)(a)(b))

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Requirement Due date

This requirement was made at the last inspection and is restated. 1 July 2027

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Recommendations

 The registered person should ensure that the home is a nurturing and supportive environment that meet the needs of their children; it should be a homely, domestic environment. In particular, consider how the home can reflect the children’s photos, artwork, achievements and personal interests. (‘Guide to the Children’s Homes Regulations, including quality standards’, page 15, paragraph 3.9)  The registered person should ensure that children are given an appropriate degree of freedom and choice in relation to day-to-day arrangements for their care, depending Inspection report for children’s home: 1269505 7 on their individual needs. In particular, provide activities that reflect children’s interests and views without delay. (‘Guide to the Children’s Homes Regulations, including quality standards’, page 17, paragraph 3.21)  The registered person should ensure that staff are familiar with the home’s policies on

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Recommendations

record-keeping and understand the importance of careful, objective, and clear recording. (‘Guide to the Children’s Homes Regulations, including quality standards’, page 16, paragraph 14.4)

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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: 1269505 8

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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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Children’s home details

Registered manager: Natalija Balatunovic

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Inspectors

Daniel Sancto, Social Care Inspector Inspection report for children’s home: 1269505 9 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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Inspectors

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Inspectors

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Inspectors

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