Children's Home run by Action for Children Services Ltd in Buckinghamshire

Unique reference number SC424089 Inspector Bridget Goddard Type of inspection Full Provision subtype Children's home

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Registered person Action for Children Registered person address Action for Children 3 The Boulevard, Ascot Road WATFORD WD18 8AG Responsible individual Shelagh Margaret Zoe Frankcom Registered manager Karen Parker / POST VACANT Date of last inspection 10/12/2013 2 of 8 Inspection date 16/12/2014

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Previous inspection good progress Enforcement action since last inspection none

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Overall effectiveness good

Outcomes for children and young people good Quality of care good Keeping children and young people safe good Leadership and management good

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Information about this children’s home

This is a short-break service for young people with learning disabilities, sensory impairment and physical disabilities. It is run by a national children's charity and can accommodate up to a total of 14 young people. Young people may have challenging behaviours associated with their disability and complex health needs that require nursing input.

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Inspection date Inspection type Inspection judgement

10/12/2013 Interim good progress 02/07/2013 Full good 19/12/2012 Interim satisfactory progress 24/04/2012 Full adequate

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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 effective links are maintained with any schools or colleges attended by children accommodated in the home (Regulation 18 ( 1 ) ( C ) ) 23/02/2015

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Reg. Requirement Due date

(2001) ensure that there are a sufficient number of suitably qualified, competent and experienced persons working at the children's home. (Regulation 25 (1) (a) (b) ) 23/02/2015 4 of 8

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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

 ensure that children receive personalised care that promotes all aspects of their individual identity, and are each treated as an individual rather than a member of a group. This particularly relates to the personalisation of children's bedrooms (NMS 2.1)  ensure that each child's Placement Plan is monitored by a key worker within the home who ensures that the requirements of the plan are implemented in the day-to-day care of that child (NMS 25.2)  ensure that the home assists the child to put forward their views wishes and feelings in each review process, and helps to ensure these are fully taken into account (NMS 25.4) 5 of 8

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Outcomes for children and young people good

Young people have warm relationships with staff, who are keen to promote their best outcomes. Although young people have usually made progress during their stays particularly in their social skills, the home has now introduced a more formal system for monitoring this. This means that young people now have clear individualised targets and their progress in meeting these will be monitored at review time.

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Outcomes for children and young people good

Some young people have acquired new skills for example, being able to eat in a more socially acceptable way and tolerate the proximity of other young people. Some young people can now make wider food choices, and others can now assist in aspects of their own personal care. These developments help young people begin to acquire some of the necessary skills they will need for more independent living.

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Outcomes for children and young people good

Young people are transported to and from school, and as such their attendance is good and their achievement is in line with their peers. Staff will usually observe young people in school and talk with their teachers, so that care given is similar in consistency and approach. There is a good focus on promoting young people's optimum health outcomes for example, by thorough observations and actions in relation to seizures. This helps keep young people as healthy as possible.

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Quality of care good

Young people are clearly well- looked after by caring and attentive staff who know them well. Staff sensitively interpret their needs, especially those young people who are non verbal, and adjust their care so that they are demonstrably more comfortable. Staff take pleasure in young people's positive responses, and this reinforces a calm and happy atmosphere. Local authority staff say that, 'the care given is tailored around individual children's needs'.

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Quality of care good

Young people's individual preferences determine the pace and content of the day at key points. For example, some young people need longer to eat than others and this is routinely accommodated. All young people have particular food preferences and some have special food needs. Food needs are appropriately built in at the meal preparation stage, and staff support children's preferences at the communal mealtime. Generally, staff's strong knowledge of young people as individuals means there is good attention paid to their unique needs. However, there is scope to develop this further particularly in relation to personalising young people's bedrooms.

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Quality of care good

Staff have developed their thorough knowledge of young people through direct experience and discussion. For example, staff hold focused discussions on young 6 of 8 people to share information and agree a common approach. This good practice is not always well-reflected in young people's placement plans in that some are not updated regularly enough. This means that young people whose needs have changed, for example as they reach adolescence do not have a plan that reflects this.

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Quality of care good

Young people's health needs are very well met by staff. They are knowledgeable about young people's individual health issues, and are well-trained and equipped to meet specialist needs. This enables some very vulnerable young people to benefit from short breaks. Generally, young people's educational needs are also well-met in that the home has effective and positive relationships with local schools. However, this is not the case in a minority of schools, and in addition communication arrangements between the home and schools are not clear to all staff. This means that although in the main the home is an effective partner in the team around the child this is not always the case.

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Quality of care good

Young people benefit from staying in a well-maintained, spacious and accessible environment. There are a good variety of indoor and outdoor spaces for example, an art room and wheelchair accessible outdoor tracks which give young people a range of options both to enjoy and to develop skills. Staff also provide specific activities to meet young people's needs. For example, a small number of older young people enjoy being part of a specialist group with bespoke activities. External colleagues say this initiative is, 'well-planned and thought out and meets a need'.

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Keeping children and young people safe good

Young people demonstrate by their relaxed demeanour and trusting approaches to staff that they feel safe in this home. Positive parental and professional feedback also expresses confidence in staff's ability to protect young people from harm. This is underpinned by effective systems which ensure staff are regularly trained, and by conscientious staff ensuring that health and safety checks are regularly carried out. For example, fire safety procedures have recently been improved and systems now better reflect young people's individual needs.

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Keeping children and young people safe good

The physical layout of the home is organised in such a way that highly active young people and those who are less mobile, can enjoy separate spaces. This further helps protect young people from inadvertent harm. Appropriate staff ratios and vigilance, and internal home security mean that missing is not currently an issue in this home.

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Keeping children and young people safe good

Recruitment practice is thorough involving effective checks, and a separate safeguarding interview which covers a candidate's motivation and ethics. This provides a useful additional safeguard.

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Keeping children and young people safe good

External colleagues and local authority staff think that the home, 'manages behaviour well'. This is supported by effective practices such as, staff discussing young people's behaviour in focused meetings. This helps formalise useful strategies to respond to 7 of 8 young people's complex responses. Young people therefore benefit from informed and consistent responses to certain behaviours which supports their effective management. This focus on understanding behaviour and de-escalating situations is demonstrably effective in that numbers of restraints and sanctions are extremely low.

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Leadership and management good

There is a strong management team in place, headed up by a new manager who is enrolled on an appropriate training course. She has benefitted from the comprehensive induction given by the departing manager, and has already initiated some changes such as streamlining standard forms to simplify processes. The manager has also invited some key external colleagues to the home, for example the Local Authority Designated Officer and police representatives. This helps external colleagues and staff to understand the needs of the home in relation to the local community.

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Leadership and management good

Systems for supervision and appraisal are effective, and result in regular supportive monitoring of the overall standard of care offered. Staff are positive about training opportunities, and feel this enhances their skills.

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Leadership and management good

Management monitoring is usually effective, for example effectively auditing files to ensure that the new expectations around recording and reviewing outcomes are met. The home does seek feedback particularly from parents, and they generally have a very positive view of the care given by the home. This is re-iterated by external colleagues who consider that the home will be, 'as flexible as possible to accommodate parental needs'. The home is not yet ensuring that all young people are as involved as possible in their reviews. There is some good practice in this area for example, by using photo journals but this is not yet systematic.

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Leadership and management good

The home has got some significant staffing shortfalls. These are managed appropriately on the ground in that senior staff ensure that there are sufficient permanent staff on each shift. However, the home does have to use significant numbers of agency staff. These are both trained and supervised on shift, but are clearly not able to do the full range of tasks. Although recruitment is ongoing, some permanent staff find the additional responsibilities that come with supporting agency staff on shift an additional strain. This situation has been unchanged for over a year now, and as such risks reducing the high quality of care that is currently offered. Website: www.ofsted.gov.uk

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Leadership and management good

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Judgement Description

Outstanding A service of exceptional quality that significantly exceeds minimum requirements.

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Judgement Description

Good A service of high quality that exceeds minimum requirements.

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Judgement Description

Adequate A service that only meets minimum requirements.

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Judgement Description

Inadequate A service that does not meet minimum requirements.

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Information 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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Information 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 framework of inspection for children's homes.

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