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

Unique reference number SC424089 Inspector Natalie Burton Type of inspection Interim 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 Date of last inspection 16/12/2014 2 of 6 Inspection date 19/03/2015

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Previous inspection good Enforcement action since last inspection none

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This inspection

This home was judged good at the last full inspection. At this interim inspection Ofsted judge that it has sustained effectiveness .

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This inspection

Since the last inspection in December 2014, the Registered Manager has met one requirement and one recommendation. Due to time constraints and the high number of children and young people accessing the service, one requirement and two recommendations have been repeated. The home continues to make sufficient progress, which has led to positive outcomes for children and young people.

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This inspection

The service has made improvement to the working relationships with the education placements children and young people attend. The Registered Manager has contacted all schools and has begun to develop good links. This is through telephone calls, attending the schools at least once a term, holding some of the children and young people’s reviews at schools and gaining their view of the service. As a result, children and young people benefit through better communication and sharing of information between their parents, the service and schools.

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This inspection

Children and young people’s views are actively sought during their stay. In addition, the home has implemented a system where all children and young people, are involved in expressing their views of the service at their reviews. For example, some children and young people, who have limited communication, are able to show through photographs the activities they enjoy during their stay. This ensures that all children and young people have their views fully taken into account.

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This inspection

The service is actively recruiting to some vacant positions within the home. While they have appointed some staff since the last inspection, there has not been sufficient time to ensure that all permanent positions are full. During this time, the home has employed agency staff who children and young people know and permanent staff on individual shifts, who fully understand their individual needs. However, this does not ensure that each individual shift has suitably qualified and experienced staff to fully meet the needs of individual children and young people. 3 of 6 Staff and young people have made some improvement to personalising the children and young people’s bedrooms. This is because some children and young people are able to choose which bedding they would like to use for their stay and all are able to bring in items they like from home. However, further improvement is required as they continue to lack personalisation.

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This inspection

The Registered Manager has made changes to the monitoring of children and young people’s records. All individual files are audited monthly and there is a clear record of what is up to date, what action is required and when this will be completed. However, due to the high number of children and young people accessing the service and time constraints since the last inspection, not all files have been monitored and are up to date. Therefore, this recommendation is repeated.

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This inspection

During the inspection some shortfalls were noted. On occasion, where physical intervention has occurred to keep children and young people safe, the records fail to clearly provide all the required information. For example, records do not clearly show the length and description of each individual physical intervention. While there is minimal impact on young people, this is a breach in regulation.

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This inspection

On occasion, a record failed to show all checks completed during the night for individual children and young people. This is not in line with the child’s placement plan, and does not ensure that their individual health needs are consistently promoted.

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This inspection

During the inspection, observation of the interaction between staff and young people was very positive. Staff were attentive to each child and young person’s needs. Staff clearly had a good understanding of individual needs. They supervise young people well without impeding their liberty. Each child and young person was able to communicate to staff the activity they would like to do; staff enabled this to happen. Some children and young people were enjoying the home’s trampoline, swings and playing with toys, while others were resting after a day at school. Staff were pro- active in encouraging young people’s social skills and independent skills. A professional said: ‘Staff are committed and will work different shifts in order that the children’s and family's care is not cancelled.’ Another professional described the staff as competent, with a good relationship with the children. A parent supported this

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This inspection

and was very positive about the care and support provided to their child.

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This inspection

The Registered Manager is committed to making further improvements to the care provided to children and young people. She is providing workshops to all staff in order to develop and improve the service; in particular regarding more individual and specific outcome targets for each child and young person. 4 of 6

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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

16/12/2014 Full good 10/12/2013 Interim good progress 02/07/2013 Full good 19/12/2012 Interim satisfactory progress

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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 there are a sufficient number of suitably qualified, competent and experienced persons working at the children's home (Regulation 25 (1) (a) (b)) 30/04/2015

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Reg. Requirement Due date

17B (2001) ensure where a measure of restraint is used on a child, the record under paragraph (3) must include the duration of the measure of restraint. (Regulation 17B(4)(a)) 30/04/2015

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Recommendations

To improve the quality and standards of care further the service should take 5 of 6 account of the following recommendation(s):

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Recommendations

 ensure children’s health is promoted in accordance with their placement plan and staff are clear about what responsibilities and decisions are delegated to them. With particular regard to ensuring night checks are conducted in line with children’s placement plans (NMS 6.5)  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) Website: www.ofsted.gov.uk

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Recommendations

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What inspection judgements mean

At the interim inspections we make a judgement on whether the home has improved in effectiveness, sustained effectiveness, or declined in effectiveness since the previous full inspection. This is in line with the Inspection of children’s homes: framework for inspection.

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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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