Children's Home run by Action for Children in Hertfordshire

Unique reference number SC426172 Inspection date 30/01/2014 Inspector Deirdra Keating Type of inspection Full Provision subtype Children's home

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Date of last inspection 28/08/2013 Website: www.ofsted.gov.uk

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This document may be reproduced in whole or in part for non-commercial educational purposes, provided that the information quoted is reproduced without adaptation and the source and date of publication are stated.

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Brief description of the service

The service is managed by a large charitable organisation. It provides short breaks for up to six children with learning difficulties and/or physical disabilities

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The inspection judgements and what they mean

Outstanding : a service of exceptional quality that significantly exceeds minimum requirements Good : a service of high quality that exceeds minimum requirements Adequate : a service that only meets minimum requirements Inadequate : a service that does not meet minimum requirements

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Overall effectiveness

The overall effectiveness is judged to be adequate .

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Overall effectiveness

Young people benefit from respite stays at the service. Good individualised planning helps young people to build confidence, enjoy new activities and have social interactions with peers.

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Overall effectiveness

The relationships between young people and staff are established. Staff have a trusting rapport with young people and their families. This supports parents and young people to use the service with confidence. Young people and parents are positive about the service and complimentary about staff. Young people feel safe while using the service and staff implement safe working practice.

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Overall effectiveness

The manager is aware of the strengths and weaknesses of the home. However, despite being identified at the last inspection these areas have not been effectively tackled and development plans are not in place. There is a lack of focus on improvement. There are two breaches of regulation but these do not affect young people directly. The shortfalls identified relate to; managerial monitoring, regularity of fire drills, staff training and the training programme. These shortfalls do not detract from the quality of care provided to young people during their short stays.

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Statutory Requirements

This section sets out the actions which must be taken so that the registered person/s meets the Care Standards Act 2000, Children's Homes Regulations 2001 and the National Minimum Standards. The registered person(s) must comply with the given timescales.

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Reg. Requirement Due date

(2001) ensure that persons employed in the home has the qualifications for the work he is to perform (Regulation 26 (2)(b)) 07/03/2014

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Reg. Requirement Due date

(2001) ensure by means of fire drills and practices at suitable intervals, that the persons working at the home and, so far as practicable, children accommodated there are aware of the procedure to be followed in case of fire. (Regulation 32 (1) (e)) 28/02/2014

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Recommendations

To improve the quality and standards of care further the service should take account of the following recommendation(s):

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Recommendations

 have a written development plan, reviewed annually, for the future of the home (NMS 15.2)  ensure there is a good quality learning and development programme that ensures staff are equipped to meet the needs of the children and keeps them up- to-date with professional legal and practice developments (NMS 18.1)  ensure that the manager regularly monitors, in line with regulations all records kept by the home to ensure compliance with the home's policies. (NMS 21.2)

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Outcomes for children and young people

Young people develop their social skills and experience new opportunities while staying at the service. Informed planning of visits enables young people to build peer relationships and develop social networks. Young people benefit from a wide range of stimulating activities that supports their interests and likes. This ensures young people access community resources and participate in activities with peers. This helps young people gain a sense of achievement and develops their confidence and self-esteem.

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Outcomes for children and young people

Young people make choices about preferred activities during their stays. They plan the evening ahead with staff that listen carefully to their views and facilitate their choices. The garden provides easy access to the outdoors in which young people can use the climbing apparatus, play on the adapted swings and use bikes and trikes. Young people also thoroughly enjoy cooking, eating out and using local leisure amenities.

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Outcomes for children and young people

Young people attend school routinely. Staff support young people with the daily preparation for school and assist with transport arrangements. Home school liaison books ensure that communication is two way promoting good continuity of care.

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Outcomes for children and young people

Young people taking short breaks usually arrive after the school day. Contact and communication with family during stays is managed well and tailored to each young person's level of needs.

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Outcomes for children and young people

Staff supported young people moving to and from the service well. Young people can opt for shorter tea visits initially and weekend day care. A planned preparation introduces young people and their families to the service at a pace suited to their individual needs.

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Quality of care

Young people anticipate their regular stays at the service with enthusiasm. They are pleased to see staff and settle well on arrival into an established routine. The atmosphere is relaxed and promotes social interactions for young people who may have otherwise limited opportunity. Good planning and consideration to group dynamics ensure peer interactions work well. Young people enjoy one another's company while accepting one another's differences.

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Quality of care

Staff know children very well and respond to them intuitively. They understand how to read body language, facial expressions and different types of communication systems. Staff seek feedback from young people about time spent at the service and are responsive to individual likes and dislikes. There are a range of communication methods including, photographs, pictorial time lines and symbols that help young people to make choices and express their views.

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Quality of care

Care plans capture young people's unique characteristics. The plans target outcomes for young people that are measurable and achievable. Staff provide young people with the level of medical care required and administer medication daily. The care plans are compiled in partnership with parents and carers; this supports continuity of care and enhances communication systems between families and the service. Feedback sought from parents is positive and complimentary. One parent said 'we are happy with what they do and happy with the communication we have built a rapport.' Another highlighted the trust as key 'We trust the service and that gives us the respite without the trust there is no respite.’

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Quality of care

Staff ensure that young people are prepared for the school day; they liaise with transport and work in partnership with school staff, exchanging information daily and attending school meetings. This supports young people's educational achievement and attendance.

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Quality of care

Care planning encompasses young people's complex health needs and explicitly guides staff in providing personal care. The staff are trained by health professionals in a range of procedures and are assessed as competent to carry these out. This ensures that young people's health needs are met. The administration of medication works well the system is monitored closely and safely supports young people's health and wellbeing.

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Quality of care

Staff provide a good range of activities that support young people's interests and abilities. Evenings are adapted to accommodate young people's choices and preference. Staff take young people for walks in the locality, use play equipment or provide craft and cooking activities. The facilities at the service promote young people's choice and provide ample space. These include a soft indoor play room, a quiet room and a sensory light room. Young people also enjoy computers consoles, construction toys and audio equipment.

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Quality of care

The service is located on the outskirts of a town with a good range of amenities. The service is designed to meet young people's specific needs and ensure there are no barriers created by physical restrictions. Parents spoken to highlighted 'the home from home appeal' of the building. The bedrooms are comfortable and minimal, this allows young people to personalise their rooms on arrival. The maintenance of the building and upkeep of the garden has improved. This promotes a welcoming, clean environment that is fully equipped to meet the needs of young people using the service.

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Safeguarding children and young people

The service is adequate at keeping children and young people safe and feeling safe.

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Safeguarding children and young people

Young people appear confident and happy at this service. The impact of this is difficult to measure, as young people have limited means of communication. Therefore, feedback from young people and their parents is crucial; this confirms that young people feel safe and comfortable at the service. Parents spoken to during the inspection reiterated this. There are no incidences of bullying or of young people going missing from the service. Good levels of staff supervision and established routines keep young people safe. Young people know what to expect and this provides them with familiarity and security.

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Safeguarding children and young people

Placement plans detail associated risks to individual young people and these plans reflect current issues. Good risk management prioritises young people’s safety. Staff identify potential risks in relation to each young person. Risk assessment enables young people with diverse needs and abilities to access a varied range of activities safely providing them with equality of opportunity.

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Safeguarding children and young people

Staff reinforce positive behaviour in accordance with young people's level of understanding. Staff seldom use physical restraint although isolated instances meet a justified criterion. This keeps young people and staff safe. Occasional sanctions help young people to learn from their actions. The reporting of these incidents has improved. This includes debrief and reflection providing an extra safeguard for young people.

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Safeguarding children and young people

Young people are protected from neglect and potential harm. Planned deployment of staff ensures that each young person feel supported and safe. Staff understand the safeguarding procedures and undertake regular child protection training. There has been one investigation conducted by the manager regarding a complaint about a member of staff. The manager investigated the complaint in accordance with guidelines and notified Ofsted. Staff receive regular child protection training understand the procedure for managing safeguarding incidents. Staff have a clear understanding of safeguarding children that supports the organisational procedures of the Local Children Safeguarding Board (LCSB).

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Safeguarding children and young people

Recruitment records are stored centrally in line with organisational policy. Staff files held on site evidence good recruitment checklists. This ensures suitable staff care for young people.

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Safeguarding children and young people

The building is secure and well managed. All visitors to the building are identified and chaperoned by staff. This ensures that young people are protected in accordance with their vulnerabilities. The interior of the home is safe and monitored to ensure hazards are minimised and young people are not at risk of accidental injury. Fire prevention equipment is checked. Staff compile individual evacuation plans to ensure evacuations are in accordance with young people's levels of mobility and cognitive understanding. However, fire drills are not practised regularly therefore there are young people who have not heard the alarm or taken part in a drill. In the event of an emergency, this could compromise young people's safety. Furthermore, this identifies poor monitoring and oversight of these records.

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Leadership and management

The leadership and management of the children's home are adequate .

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Leadership and management

A permanent Registered Manager, supported by a newly appointed team leader, manage the home. The manager understands the key strengths and weaknesses of the service but these have not been fully addressed. Delays in appointment to senior staff at the service have contributed to a lack of development. There is also no clear development plan. Based on the previous inspection there are areas of improvement, although, this has not been enough to raise the overall judgment. Some of the shortfalls raised at the last inspection have been addressed. However, two recommendations have not. Therefore, the management of the service is not successfully diving forward improvement.

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Leadership and management

The Statement of Purpose reflects recent staffing changes. Feedback from parents indicate the service meets the needs of young people and fully reflects the aims and objectives of the service.

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Leadership and management

The service has received several complaints about the quality of care. These complaints have been investigated and the outcomes are recorded. The complaints evidence some poor staff practice and a lack of communication. Complaint investigation includes learning, reflection and subsequent changes to practice. Staff are encouraged to learn from the outcome of complaints to ensure the service is responsive to service users. An independent visitor carries out external monitoring visits and raises critical points providing an objective overview. The manager's monthly monitoring encompasses all records and contributes to the review of the quality of care. This demonstrates consultation and feedback from service users. However, the monitoring of daily records is weak and lacks oversight. Therefore, records that support and evidences practice are not consistently maintained.

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Leadership and management

There is a stable established team of staff who differ in age, race and gender. This provides a range of role models for young people. Staff combine a good range of experience and skill to provide good quality care for young people. Although staff are competent and generally hold the mandatory qualifications there is a historical delay in training providers resulting in staff that are untrained. The learning and development programme of the organisation does not support staff in gaining the required qualifications. This means staff lack key training for their roles. This impacts potentially on the quality of care provided and unequivocally on the capacity of the service to improve.

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Leadership and management

The Registered Manager supports staff well and provides regular supervision. This identifies practice issues and focusses on the care of young people and the supporting records. All records are stored in the office ensuing young people's personal information are held securely and confidentially.

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About this inspection

The purpose of this inspection is to assure children and young people, parents, the public, local authorities and government of the quality and standard of the service provided. The inspection was carried out under the Care Standards Act 2000 to assess the effectiveness of the service and to consider how well it complies with the relevant regulations and meets the national minimum standards.

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About this inspection

The report details the main strengths, any areas for improvement, including any breaches of regulation, and any failure to meet national minimum standards. The judgements included in the report are made against the Inspections of children’s homes – framework for inspection and the evaluation schedule for the inspection of children's homes.

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