Biggleswade children's home celebrates 'Good' Ofsted report for fifth year in row

Maythorn Children’s home in Biggleswade has been rated ‘Good’ by Ofsted for the fifth year in a row.

The home was rated ‘Good’ across all three areas of inspection: the overall experiences and progress of children and young people; how well children and young people are helped and protected; and the effectiveness of leaders and managers.

The home has achieved a ‘good’ rating in every inspection conducted since 2017.

Inspectors stated: “Parents are very positive about the quality of care the children receive. One parent said that the managers are ‘absolutely fantastic’ and that there are ‘super people’ working there.”

The report highlighted how children at Maythorn continue to make significant progress with their independence skills, which will help them as they move into adulthood, as a result of “individualised and child centred” care plans – with staff putting the voice of each child at the centre of their work.

The report also praised staff saying that they “know the children well,” and “work closely [with families] to ensure that children experience positive family time which helps children to retain their identity and supports their emotional well-being.”

Councillor Sue Clark, Executive Member for Families, Education and Children said: “Maythorn has now been rated ‘Good’ for five years in a row, which is a real credit to the staff.

"The staff work hard to provide a positive environment and new experiences for children, with the report highlighting recent outings to a water park, local parks and festivals.

"I’m extremely proud that everyone at Maythorn continues to do so well to help our young people to fulfil their potential.”

To improve, the report suggested: "Staff use rewards and praise to recognise when children show kindness or do something well. Sanctions are rarely used. However, the records of sanctions are not detailed.

"They fail to include the duration of the sanction and are not reviewed by the manager. As a result, restorative work with children is not always effective."

It also noted that redecoration is needed in places: "Most of the home is adequately decorated. However, the dining room walls have patches of paint missing and there is flaking paint in one of the bathrooms. This does not encourage children to take pride in the home."