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

Unique reference number SC424103 Inspector Sarah Oldham 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 Samantha Oliver Date of last inspection 19/02/2014 2 of 9 Inspection date 08/01/2015

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Previous inspection good progress Enforcement action since last inspection none

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Overall effectiveness adequate

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

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Information about this children’s home

This is a short-breaks service run by a national charitable childcare organisation. The home accommodates up to eight children and young people with disabilities. The young people’s needs range from moderate to severe learning disabilities with associated physical, health and sensory impairment and/or complex multiple needs.

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Inspection date Inspection type Inspection judgement

19/02/2014 Interim good progress 28/06/2013 Full adequate 16/10/2012 Interim satisfactory progress 12/06/2012 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

17B (2001) ensure that within 24 hours of the use of any measure of control or restrain, a written record is made in a volume kept for the purpose which shall include details of the child's behaviour leading to the use of the measure (Regulation 17B (3)(b)) 20/03/2015

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Reg. Requirement Due date

(2001) ensure that all persons employed receive appropriate training, particularly in regard to medication (Regulation 27(4)(a)) 20/03/2015

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Reg. Requirement Due date

(2001) ensure any events listed in column 1 of the table in Schedule 5 takes place, the registered person shall without delay notify the persons indicated in 20/03/2015 4 of 9 respect of the event in column 2 of the table (Regulation 30(1))

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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 pursue individual interests and hobbies. This includes taking part in a range of activities, including leisure activities and trips (NMS 7.2)  ensure the home provides a comfortable and homely environment and is well maintained and decorated. This relates specifically to some of the bedroom where the paint work is showing signs of wear and tear (NMS 10.3)  ensure the staff group who are in day-to-day contact with children include staff of both genders wherever possible (NMS 17.10). 5 of 9

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Outcomes for children and young people adequate

Young people enjoy their short break at the home. The staff team know the young people well and have a good understanding of their communication methods. This contributes to them feeling safe and well supported during their short break. Care planning is personalised to reflect individual need and is formalised in conjunction with parents and social workers. This means staff have comprehensive information to enable them to meet the holistic needs of the young people. Support plans enable young people to make some progress, for example with undertaking some aspects of their personal care. Progress is discussed at individual young people's reviews but their progress between each review period is not systematically tracked to enable clear target and goal setting to be established for all young people.

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Outcomes for children and young people adequate

Young people are enabled to stay at the home on a planned basis. Consideration is given to matching them to enable them to enjoy their short break with the same young people. This provides them with continuity and helps them to form positive attachments with other young people during their stay. One social worker said 'the service is very flexible to meet the needs of young people whilst ensuring the opportunity to gain positive relationships with their peer group.' However, although planning of placements is undertaken, the needs of young people and their different likes and interests can limit opportunity to take part in the range of activities they may wish to take part in. Some parents have raised the limit of activities as an area for further improvement during their child's stay.

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Outcomes for children and young people adequate

Individual health care needs are supported and staff have received additional health care training to further promote these. Whilst staying at the home, the young people continue to attend their educational placements. The staff from the home also attend educational reviews as well as, on occasions observing young people in school. This further promotes continuity of care for young people between the settings.

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Quality of care good

Young people enjoy positive relationships with staff and appear relaxed and happy. Parents comments include 'my child is happy going to the home and staff understand her individual needs and provide good levels of care and support during her stay.' Another parent said 'my child looks forward to his stays at the home and is happy upon his return.'

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Quality of care good

All young people have highly individualised care plans in place. These are developed in conjunction with parents, social workers and involve the young people in person centred planning. Plans include full information about health care, personal care and 6 of 9 communication needs. Staff have additional training and support to promote the health of young people with complex needs. This means the home has the appropriate information to provide support to young people during their short break at the home. Placement plans are kept under review. Formal reviews are held on a six monthly basis but the home also completes additional reviews of care to ensure that needs of young people have not changed between their visits to the home and ensures the care needs of young people remain central to all practice.

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Quality of care good

The vast majority of young people take medication to manage and support their individual medical conditions. Although medication records identify procedures are followed, staff have not undertaken updated medication training and have identified they would welcome additional training regarding this to support their practice. This training has yet to be sourced.

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Quality of care good

Staff update parents and carers of how the young person has been during their stay both verbally and within home and school communication books.

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Quality of care good

Activities are available both within the home and in the community. However, sometimes, due to varying needs and interests of young people, there is limit to the activities planned and this can restrict the opportunity for young people to engage in community based activities.

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Quality of care good

Individual key worker sessions are held with young people to gain their wishes and views. Staff are developing additional ways young people can contribute their views about their short breaks at the home. This is to ensure that all young people have the opportunity to be involved in how the home functions and supports them.

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Quality of care good

The home is in a spacious building and the communal areas of the home provide areas to relax, play and socialise in. Young people are, as far as possible, allocated the same bedrooms during their stays to enable them to feel settled and provide familiarity. However, some of the bedrooms are showing signs of wear and tear to paintwork and furnishings. This does not ensure the bedrooms are as comfortable and homely as possible.

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Keeping children and young people safe adequate

Young people are cared for in a safe environment. Staff have a clear understanding and demonstrate positive practice in maintaining the safety of young people with complex needs with both verbal and non-verbal communication. Detailed behaviour management plans outline individual support required. All staff have undertaken training on safeguarding and de-escalation techniques to support young people. Physical interventions are only used to prevent risk of harm to self or others and are low in numbers. However, a number of recording formats are used and this has resulted in some information not being recorded fully within the dedicated bound book. This includes insufficient details to show how de-escalation techniques are 7 of 9 used prior to restraint. This could impact on the monitoring of incidents due to the various recording mechanisms used.

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Keeping children and young people safe adequate

Staff communicate effectively with parents and carers as well as other professionals, including school teaching staff. Parents and professionals speak very highly of the staff and their skills in promoting the welfare of the children and young people.

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Keeping children and young people safe adequate

Health and safety checks are undertaken throughout the home to ensure the environment remains physically safe. All young people have an emergency evacuation plan in place in the event of a fire. This ensures that they receive the correct level of support to exit the building safely.

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Keeping children and young people safe adequate

There is a detailed complaints policy and procedure in place. There have been three complaints made to which full and detailed responses have been made. There has also been an allegation made by a young person. Although the manager followed procedures and consulted with the local authority designated officer (LADO), a formal notification to Ofsted was not made in accordance with regulations. Although this did not impact directly on support provided to young people, the home is required to make this notification.

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Keeping children and young people safe adequate

Young people benefit from good staffing ratios which means the risk of young people going missing is minimised. However, in the event of this happening, the home has positive relationships with police and staff have detailed knowledge of the procedures to follow to promote the safety of the young people.

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Keeping children and young people safe adequate

Staff employed at the home are subject to the organisation’s recruitment and vetting procedures. Staff do not commence appointment until all references and checks have been conducted. This measure further safeguards young people.

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Leadership and management adequate

The Registered Manager has been registered with Ofsted since December 2012. She has the necessary qualifications, skills and experience; having worked with young people with complex needs within residential care for a number of years. She is supported within her role by three qualified senior practice team leaders and an established staff team, the vast majority of whom hold a level 3 qualification in caring for children and young people.

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Leadership and management adequate

The Statement of Purpose sets out clearly the aims and objectives of the service, with this document being made available to parents and social workers. The young people have individual young person's guides in a pictorial format to support them to have an understanding of the home and what is available to them. Prior to receiving a service at the home, young people have a series of introductory visits. This is taken at an appropriate pace to suit them. One parent commented 'the staff have been very flexible enabling my child to have a number of visits. This has not only provided 8 of 9 him with reassurance but also me.'

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Leadership and management adequate

Since the last full inspection, the home has recruited additional staff. This means the use of agency staff has significantly decreased and contributes to continuity of support for young people. However, the home has not been successful in recruiting male staff to enable young people to be supported by a staff team of both genders. This does not impact on the overall care and welfare of the young people.

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Leadership and management adequate

Staff receive regular supervision and appraisals. They have access to a training and development programme. This includes safeguarding training and core mandatory courses. However, staff have requested updated medication administration training to enable them to be confident with their practice in this area.

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Leadership and management adequate

The manager has addressed the previous two requirements and one recommendation made at the last inspection. The first requirement related to quarterly monitoring reports being completed and forwarded to Ofsted and the second; to ensure a copy of the Statement of Purpose was also supplied. The recommendation relating to staff completing safeguarding training has also been completed. This demonstrates the homes commitment to improving the service for young people.

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Leadership and management adequate

Regular independent monitoring of the service is undertaken and reports provide the manager with additional oversight of how the home is operating. The manager also undertakes monitoring and produces quarterly reports reflecting on the service. However, some monitoring has not provided consistent scrutiny of records to identify minor shortfalls. Website: www.ofsted.gov.uk

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Leadership and management adequate

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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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