Children's home run by Action for Children in Watford

Inspection report for children’s home - monitoring visit: SC438756 1 SC438756

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Action for Children 04764232 1097940

Monitoring visit Inspected under the social care common inspection framework

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Information about this children’s home

This children’s home provides shared care and long-term care for up to five children, aged eight to 18 years, who have physical disabilities and associated medical needs. A charitable organisation runs the home.

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This monitoring visit

This children’s home was judged inadequate at the full inspection on 5 September 2017. We made a new full inspection judgement in line with our inspection framework on 18 to 19 October 2017. The children’s home’s new full inspection judgement is: requires improvement to be good.

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This monitoring visit

The purpose of this visit is to review concerns with regard to staff shortages and staff training. In addition, concerns were raised in relation to the children not having access to fresh fruit and vegetables.

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This monitoring visit

This monitoring visit found that the home had a plentiful supply of fresh food. A member of staff has the responsibility to order food twice a week. Records available at the home show that twice-weekly deliveries of food are made to the home. Staff said that the method of ordering twice a week ensures the freshness of produce and reduces waste. Children’s individual preferences are catered for. The children have access to a wholesome diet and a range of snacks and fruit.

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This monitoring visit

A review of the rota identified that there are sufficient staff to meet the needs of the children living at the home. The manager completes risk assessments to ensure that an appropriate number of staff with relevant skills meet the children’s needs. However, members of the small core group of staff said that it is challenging at times to support the children to attend external activities, due to staffing levels. The morale of the team is low, following a number of changes in the service, and this is Inspection report for children’s home - monitoring visit: SC438756 2 exacerbated by the use of agency staff, some of whom have only recently completed induction training. The manager and senior staff are aware of the low morale in the home and are in the process of recruiting new staff and providing further training for the agency staff, to support the core team.

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This monitoring visit

The core staff have completed advanced medication training and are responsible for carrying out tasks such as routine and emergency medication. The administration of some medication requires very specialist training, and the number of staff who can complete this task is low. However, there is always a trained staff member on shift during the day or sleeping in at night in case medication needs to be administered in an emergency.

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This monitoring visit

The regulatory requirements set at the previous inspection, which resulted in the home being judged as requires improvement, were not monitored during this visit and therefore remain in place.

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Recent inspection history

Inspection date Inspection type Inspection judgement 18/10/2017 Full Requires improvement to be good 05/09/2017 Full Inadequate 31/08/2016 Full Requires improvement 06/07/2016 Full Inadequate Inspection report for children’s home - monitoring visit: SC438756 3

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Statutory requirements

This section sets out the actions that the registered person(s) must take to meet the Care Standards Act 2000, Children’s Homes (England) Regulations 2015 and the ‘Guide to the children’s homes regulations including the quality standards’. The registered person(s) must comply within the given timescales.

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Requirement Due date

The health and well-being standard is that the health and well-being needs of children are met.

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Requirement Due date

In particular, the standard in paragraph (1) requires the registered person to ensure that staff help each child to achieve the health and well-being outcomes that are recorded in the child’s relevant plans and understand the child’s health and well-being needs and the options that are available in relation to the child’s health and well-being, in a way that is appropriate to the child’s age and understanding. (Regulation 10 (1)(a)(2)(a)(i)(ii)) 20/11/2017

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Requirement Due date

The positive relationships standard is that children are helped to develop, and to benefit from, relationships based on mutual respect and trust, an understanding about acceptable behaviour and positive responses to other children and adults.

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Requirement Due date

In particular, the standard in paragraph (1) requires the registered person to ensure that staff strive to gain each child’s respect and trust. (Regulation 11 (1)(a)(b)(c)(2)(viii)) 20/11/2017

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Requirement Due date

The care planning standard is that children receive effectively planned care in or through the children’s home and have a positive experience of arriving at or moving on from the home.

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Requirement Due date

In particular, the standard in paragraph (1) requires the registered person to ensure that arrangements are in place to manage and review the placement of each child in the home, and that each child’s relevant plans are followed. (Regulation 14 (1)(a)(b)(2)(b)(ii)(c)) 20/11/2017

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Requirement Due date

The registered person must make arrangements for the handling, recording, safekeeping, safe administration and disposal of medicines received in the home. In particular, the registered person must ensure that medicine which is prescribed for a child is administered as prescribed to the child for whom it is prescribed and to no other child. (Regulation 23 (1)(2)(b)) 20/11/2017 Inspection report for children’s home - monitoring visit: SC438756 4 The registered person must prepare and implement a policy (‘the behaviour management policy’) which sets out how appropriate behaviour is to be promoted in the children’s home. The registered person must keep the behaviour management policy under review and, where appropriate, revise it. (Regulation 35 (1)(a)(2)) 20/11/2017

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Requirement Due date

When the independent person is carrying out a visit, the registered person must help the independent person, if they consent, to interview in private such of the children, their parents and relatives as the independent person requires. (Regulation 44 (2)(a)) 20/11/2017

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Requirement Due date

The registered person must complete a review of the quality of care provided for children (‘a quality of care review’) at least once every 6 months.

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Requirement Due date

In particular, the registered person must provide for ascertaining and considering the opinions of children, their parents, placing authorities and staff. (Regulation 45 (1)(5)) 20/11/2017

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Recommendations

 Care must be taken to ensure prescribed medicines are only administered in line with medically approved protocol. (‘Guide to the children’s homes regulations including the quality standards’, page 35, paragraph 7.15)  Ensure that recruitment, supervision, and performance management of staff safeguards children and minimises potential risks to them. (‘Guide to the children’s homes regulations including the quality standards’, page 61, paragraph 13.1) In particular, ensure that relevant recruitment information is included in the recruitment files.

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Information about this inspection

The purpose of this visit was to monitor the children’s home since its last Ofsted inspection following concerns raised in anonymous information passed to Ofsted with regard to staff shortages and training. There was also concerns raised in relation to children having access to fresh fruit and vegetables.

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Information about this inspection

This inspection was carried out under the Care Standards Act 2000. Inspection report for children’s home - monitoring visit: SC438756 5

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Children’s home details

Registered provider: Action for Children 04764232 1097940

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Children’s home details

Registered provider address: 3 The Boulevard, Ascot Road, Watford WD18 8AG

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Inspector

Michael Mulvaney, social care inspector Inspection report for children’s home - monitoring visit: SC438756 6 to achieve excellence in the care of children and young people, and in education and skills for learners of all ages. It regulates and inspects childcare and children’s social care, and inspects the Children and Family Court Advisory and Support Service (Cafcass), schools, colleges, initial teacher training, further education and skills, adult and community learning, and education and training in prisons and other secure establishments. It assesses council children’s services, and inspects services for looked after children, safeguarding and child protection.

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Inspector

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Inspector

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Inspector

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