Children's home run by Action for Children in Watford

Inspection report children’s home: SC020675 1 SC020675 Registered provider: Action for Children Full inspection Inspected under the social care common inspection framework

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Information about this children’s home

The home is registered to provide care for up to four children who have learning disabilities and/or physical disabilities. The home provides short-break care. The home forms part of a large charitable organisation.

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Information about this children’s home

Inspection dates: 18 to 19 December 2017

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Overall experiences and progress of

children and young people, taking into account

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good

How well children and young people are helped and protected good

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good

The effectiveness of leaders and managers good

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good

The children’s home provides effective services that meet the requirements for good.

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good

Overall judgement at last inspection: improved effectiveness

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Key findings from this inspection

 The registered manager and staff team show high levels of dedication to children, young people and families. They continue to drive improvements to Inspection report children’s home: SC020675 2 ensure a high-quality service against a backdrop of the service closing and being transferred to another provider.  Children and young people respond positively to the highly personal and individual care and attention that they receive. They are able to relax and form trusting relationships with the staff.  Well-trained staff understand, meet and safeguard the complex medical needs of children and young people.  Effective partnership working with parents and social workers informs care planning. This ensures that children and young people experience a home-from- home experience during their short-break stays.  Children and young people enjoy a range of activities which add enjoyment to their experience and help to promote their independence.

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Key findings from this inspection

 Improvements in communication processes help staff to better understand children’s and young people’s needs and better support their participation in the day-to-day running of the service.  Children and young people are fully supported in their transition to their new short-break service and adult placements.

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Inspection date Inspection type Inspection judgement

23/03/2017 Interim Improved effectiveness 30/11/2016 Full Requires improvement 24/03/2016 Interim Sustained effectiveness 01/12/2015 Full Good Inspection report children’s home: SC020675 3

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Children and young people enjoy their short breaks. They stay in a comfortable and stimulating environment, and have an instant sense of belonging when they arrive, receiving a warm welcome from staff. Children and young people are safe and parents feel reassured, as well-trained staff plan and implement care regimes to meet the sometimes complex medical and health needs of children and young people. Good healthcare means that children and young people quickly relax, feel comfortable and look forward to having fun with their friends. Staff now have a greater understanding of children’s and young people’s individual communication styles. Staff use a range of communication methods, including sign language, symbols and photographs, to ensure that children and young people are able to express their needs and wishes. These developments give added value to children’s and young people’s experiences and the relationships that they share with staff.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

The home is adapted to support children’s and young people’s physical disabilities and to promote their independence. The sensory room and sensory equipment are thoroughly enjoyed. Improvements to the range of activities on offer to children and young people demonstrate the staff’s drive to develop a more child-focused approach. A greater emphasis on sensory play, arts and crafts gives children and young people the opportunity to meet and express their sensory needs. They enjoy playing with sand and art materials, and making jewellery. Some children and young people are now able to better access activities in the community. Staff’s better understanding of children’s and young people’s sensory needs, triggers for behaviour and communication methods helps staff to be more specific in their approaches. This attention to detail and bespoke care planning reduces children’s and young people’s anxieties, and opens up new opportunities for their enjoyment.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Children and young people enjoy a range of outings. Trips to the local park, using public transport, shopping and eating in restaurants are firm favourites. Effective planning and risk management ensure that all children and young people can try new experiences and that parents can feel at ease while their children are away from home. Children and young people make good progress. They learn a range of new skills and grow in self-esteem and confidence as they make their own drinks and snacks, help with laundry, and improve their mobility and toileting routines.

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How well children and young people are helped and protected: good

Care planning is bespoke and child centred. Healthcare, arrangements for education, risk assessment and behaviour management inform the consistent day-to-day care of children and young people. Regular care planning review meetings and ongoing communication with parents and social workers ensure that children’s and young Inspection report children’s home: SC020675 4 people’s care is meaningful and that their progress is monitored. Transitions are exceptionally well managed as all the children and young people prepare for the closure of the service. The registered manager is committed to their work with parents, children and young people during this difficult period. Good-quality written information about the new service and visits to see the facilities have been sensitively planned and implemented. Staff insight into the individual needs of children and young people has been integral in helping children and young people to prepare. While the core

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How well children and young people are helped and protected: good

staff are now also transferring to the new provider, they had already devised detailed and individualised care plans to guide new staff in how to care for the children and young people. Children and young people are safe due to efficient risk assessment and well- implemented risk management planning. Staff have worked hard and undertaken training to ensure that adaptations to support children and young people with physical disabilities are closely monitored and used in the best interests of children and young people. There is an effective balance between managing risk and promoting children’s and young people’s independence. Improvements in medication promote its safe administration and reflect the high priority that staff give to children’s and young people’s complex medical needs. Safeguarding procedures are reinforced through effective staff training. The registered manager and staff have a sound understanding of their safeguarding duties and

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How well children and young people are helped and protected: good

responsibilities. They work collaboratively with social workers to address concerns. There are no safeguarding concerns at the service. There are no concerns about children and young people going missing. This is due to good security in the home and appropriate levels of supervision when out in the community. There are no concerns about child sexual exploitation or radicalisation. Staff training equips staff with the knowledge that they need to identify and report concerns, should they arise. Behaviour management is effective due to the clear insight of staff into the individuality of each child and young person. Staff use their knowledge to identify triggers and implement diversionary tactics so that children and young people enjoy themselves, improve their behaviour and remain safe. Good regard for health and safety ensures that all staff take responsibility for keeping children, young people and themselves safe.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

The registered manager is suitably experienced and has completed her level 5 diploma in leadership and management since the last inspection in March 2017. She demonstrates committed leadership and places children and young people at the heart of her practice.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

Staffing is well organised, and children and young people are cared for by competent, well-trained and knowledgeable staff. Training and regular staff supervision equip staff with the skills that they need to ensure that children and young people make consistent Inspection report children’s home: SC020675 5 progress. Staff have also received good support to prepare them for their imminent transfer to a new provider. Information about how to make a complaint is accessible to parents, children and young people. There have been no complaints since the last inspection. Parents are confident in their relationships with staff. They value the effective communication, and close partnership working allows them to discuss their children’s and young people’s individual needs. The registered manager and staff value children’s and young people’s views, and provide a symbol-based feedback form at the end of each stay. The observant staff notice when

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

young people enjoy certain aspects of their stay and also the parts that they are not so keen on. They ensure that these observations are recorded to ensure that the experiences of children and young people who are not able to verbalise or complete the form are captured and acted on.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

The registered manager and staff have clear insight into the strengths and areas of development of the staff team, and have identified and worked towards achievable goals. This strategic and child-centred approach is clearly evidenced in the care planning framework. Guidance is clear and children, young people and families can track their experiences and achievements with individual ‘My stay’ books. The quality of recording and an array of photographs show children’s and young people’s progress. The registered manager keeps the home’s statement of purpose up to date in order to describe the operation of the home. She has a good understanding of the regulatory framework and uses this to inform her monitoring of the home. Independent monitoring visits are regular and show the journey of improvement that has been driven by the registered manager and staff team.

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Information about this inspection

Inspectors have looked closely at the experiences and progress of children and young people. Inspectors considered the quality of work and the difference made to the lives of children and young people. They watched how professional staff work with children and young people and each other and discussed the effectiveness of help and care provided. Wherever possible, they talked to children and young people and their families. In addition, the inspectors have tried to understand what the children’s home knows about how well it is performing, how well it is doing and what difference it is making for the children and young people whom it is trying to help, protect and look after.

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Information about this inspection

Using the ‘Social care common inspection framework’, this inspection was carried out under the Care Standards Act 2000 to assess the effectiveness of the service, how it meets the core functions of the service as set out in legislation, and to consider how well it complies with the Children’s Homes (England) Regulations 2015 and the ‘Guide to the children’s homes regulations including the quality standards’. Inspection report children’s home: SC020675 6

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Children’s home details

Registered provider: Action for Children

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Children’s home details

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

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Children’s home details

Responsible individual: Michael O’Sullivan

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Inspector

Elaine Cray, social care inspector Inspection report children’s home: SC020675 7 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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