Kingfishers Children’s Home rated ‘good’ after Ofsted inspection
Thursday, 9 February 2023
Our children’s home in Houghton Regis has been rated ‘good’ by Ofsted, for the fourth time in a row.
Kingfishers Children’s Home in Houghton Regis was inspected over two days in December, with inspectors looking at three areas:
- overall experiences and progress of children and young people, taking into account:
- how well children and young people are helped and protected
- the effectiveness of leaders and managers
For all three areas, the home was rated as ‘good’, maintaining the same rating in inspections in 2018, 2019, and 2021. There was no inspection in 2020, due to the Covid-19 pandemic.
The report praised staff, saying:
They find creative ways to encourage children with complex communication needs to express their views and feelings. Staff understand the importance of children feeling heard and understood.
Inspectors also praised the activities offered at the home, saying:
children go swimming and trampolining and enjoy time at the local parks. Staff put photos of children’s experiences in booklets for the children to take home. Children have fun when they stay at the home, and memories of their time are captured.
The home provides short breaks or long stays for children with physical and/or learning disabilities. At the time of inspection, 22 children were accessing the home for short break stays on a rotational basis, and two were staying overnight. The report noted that children enjoy spending time with staff, and are encouraged to be part of, and make positive contributions to, the local community.
Councillor Sue Clark, Executive Member for Families, Education and Children, said:
The news of another ‘good’ rating for Kingfisher’s Children’s Home is fantastic, and all down to our staff and their hard work. The report highlights the responsiveness of staff to address issues, and the bespoke and ongoing training that they take part in. They continue to prioritise the needs of the children and young people they look after, and create a fun, safe and caring environment for those in their care.
The report made four recommendations for the home to consider ahead of its next inspection. Visit Ofsted's website to view the report.