Children's Home run by Benjamin UK Ltd in Milton Keynes

Inspection report for children's home: SC414738 1 SC414738 Registered provider: Benjamin UK 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

The home is owned and run by a private organisation. It provides care for up to 4 children who experience social and emotional difficulties. The manager has been registered with Ofsted since July 2025 and was previously registered to manage a different home in the organisation. At the time of the inspection, there were 4 children living in 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: SC414738 2

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Inspection date Inspection type Inspection judgement

05/08/2025 Full Good 03/07/2024 Full Outstanding 07/11/2023 Full Good 06/12/2022 Full Good Inspection report for children's home: SC414738 3

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Summary of findings

The children benefit from receiving care from a consistent team of staff who work collaboratively and understand their needs. The children have made significant progress from their starting points and all of them are attending education of their choice. They are encouraged to take part in group activities at the home, which has supported the development of positive relationships with each other. Leaders and managers maintain strong professional partnerships, strengthening safety plans for children.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Children have developed positive and meaningful relationships with staff and have made significant progress since the last inspection. Staff provide nurturing and consistent care that helps children to feel safe and valued.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Children speak positively about living in the home and express a strong sense of pride in their environment. They describe feeling cared for and supported and have developed a genuine sense of belonging. One child, who previously struggled to understand and manage their emotions, has settled well in the home and is now attending education full time.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Managers and staff undertake thorough planning when children move into or out of the home. Effective communication, detailed discussions and multi-agency planning help to ensure that transitions are carefully managed. One child recently moved into the home and has settled exceptionally well. They have adapted positively to the home's routines and expectations and are building positive relationships with staff and peers. The child has a keen interest in music, and staff and managers are proactively supporting them to develop this interest, helping them to build confidence and pursue their talents.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Children are encouraged to take part in charity activities in the local community, helping them to establish a sense of belonging and self-esteem. Children benefit from a wide range of high-quality activities that promote their wellbeing, independence and enjoyment.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Most of the children receive appropriate support to promote their health. However, one child continues to have significant health challenges. While staff have engaged with health agencies, the strategies in place have not been effective in supporting the child to achieve better health.

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

Children's risks are routinely identified, reviewed and discussed in senior management meetings in collaboration with the therapy team. These discussions inform the Inspection report for children's home: SC414738 4 development of risk management plans and targeted key-work sessions, ensuring that interventions are tailored to each child's individual needs and vulnerabilities.

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

Staff demonstrate a strong understanding of the risks affecting children and provide consistent support to promote their safety and wellbeing. When children present with the risk of self-harm, staff and managers respond proactively to safeguard their welfare. Waking-night staff are arranged when required to provide increased supervision and support.

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

One child used to frequently go missing from the home. Staff undertook focused, direct work with the child to explore the associated vulnerabilities and risks. As a result, the child has developed a better understanding of these concerns, contributing to a significant reduction in missing episodes.

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

Staff and managers recognise that vaping remains an area of concern for some children. Staff are addressing this through targeted key-work sessions with children and reflective discussions in supervision that are aimed at increasing children's awareness of the risks and reducing vaping.

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

Allegations against staff are taken seriously and acted upon. Appropriate external and internal investigations are initiated. The child is also advised of the outcome of the investigation, and restorative work is completed to repair and strengthen relationships if necessary.

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

Staff have taken appropriate steps to mitigate any incidents of bullying between the children. They have frequent check-ins with the children and arrange more group activities, including mealtimes together.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

The manager has robust monitoring and review systems in place that identify strengths and areas for development. Staff have a clear understanding of expectations and are knowledgeable about the standards required to deliver high-quality care.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

Supervision is reflective and promotes both professional practice and staff wellbeing. Records demonstrate that children receive consistent care that is in line with the home's therapeutic model of practice. Staff maintain good-quality records, demonstrate strong safeguarding practice and have a comprehensive understanding of the children they care for, including their individual needs and vulnerabilities.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

Staff benefit from regular professional support and constructive challenge through supervision. Staff also have access to a comprehensive programme of training and development, which equips them with the skills and knowledge necessary to meet children's needs effectively and promote positive outcomes.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

Staffing levels can become stretched at times when individual children need significant additional support. One child said that they tend to withdraw and keep to themselves Inspection report for children's home: SC414738 5 when difficulties arise in the home and staff capacity is limited. The capacity of staff to identify and respond to the children's emotional needs in a timely manner was discussed with the manager during the inspection; the senior management team is planning to explore this further.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

Regulation 44 reports are intended to provide independent scrutiny of the service and support the registered manager by identifying areas of good practice, highlighting areas for development and promoting continuous improvement. The current reporting format is often repetitive, overly detailed and lengthy. As a result, key messages, areas of risk and required actions can become lost within the narrative, reducing the report's effectiveness as a quality assurance and improvement tool. This is recognised by senior managers and measures are being introduced to improve the usefulness of the reports. Inspection report for children's home: SC414738 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 health and wellbeing standard is that—

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Requirement Due date

the health and wellbeing needs of children are met;

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Requirement Due date

children receive advice, services and support in relation to their health and wellbeing; and

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Requirement Due date

children are helped to lead healthy lifestyles.

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Requirement Due date

In particular, the standard in paragraph (1) requires the registered person to ensure—

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Requirement Due date

achieve the health and wellbeing outcomes that are recorded in the child's relevant plans;

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Requirement Due date

understand the child's health and wellbeing needs and the options that are available in relation to the child's health and wellbeing, in a way that is appropriate to the child's age and understanding. (Regulation 10 (1)(a)(b)(c) (2)(a)(i)(ii))

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Requirement Due date

In particular, the registered manager and staff should actively support children to attain a healthy lifestyle and routines to promote their physical, mental and emotional wellbeing. 20 December 2026

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Recommendations

 The registered person should actively seek independent scrutiny of the home and make best use of information from independent and internal monitoring (including under regulations 44 and 45) to ensure continuous improvement. ('Guide to the Children's Homes Regulations, including the quality standards', page 55, paragraph 10.24) Inspection report for children's home: SC414738 7  As outlined in 10.1, the registered person should plan staffing levels to ensure that they meet the needs of children and can respond flexibly to unexpected events or opportunities. Staffing structures should promote continuity of care from the child's perspective. If children complain, or give a view on how the staffing structure could be improved to promote the best care for them, appropriate action should be taken. ('Guide to the Children's Homes Regulations, including the quality standards', page 54, paragraph 10.15)

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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: SC414738 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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Inspector

Shaheda Dhandia, Social Care Inspector Inspection report for children's home: SC414738 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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