Action Breaks

Inspection report for residential holiday scheme for disabled children: Action Breaks Action Breaks Action For Children 23 Derham Park, Yatton, Somerset BS49 4DZ Inspection under the social care common inspection framework

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disabled children

This residential holiday scheme for disabled children is a national children’s charity. It provides a variety of residential holidays throughout the year to children who have complex health needs and/or learning difficulties.

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disabled children

The registered manager has been in post since February 2018.

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Overall experience and progress of

children and young people, taking into account:

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good

How well children, 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 residential holiday scheme for disabled children provides effective services that meet the requirements for good.

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good

Date of previous inspection: 31 August 2017

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good

Overall judgement at last inspection: good

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good

Enforcement action since last inspection: none Inspection report for residential holiday scheme for disabled children: Action Breaks

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Key findings from this inspection

This residential holiday scheme for disabled children is good because:  Children have fun during the holidays. They take part in activities and new experiences that develop their self-confidence and self-esteem.  Staff develop positive relationships with children. Children feel relaxed on their holiday and supported well.  Good systems are in place to ensure that the scheme can meet the individual and collective needs of the children.  Staff keep children safe. Children are supported well to take age-appropriate risks.  The registered manager has a good understanding of the strengths and weaknesses of the scheme.

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Key findings from this inspection

The areas for development for the residential holiday scheme for disabled children:  Leaders and managers must ensure that all staff receive training in using augmented communication.  All children’s support plans should provide staff with detailed information about how to support children with their eating and drinking needs. Inspection report for residential holiday scheme for disabled children: Action Breaks

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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, Residential Holiday Schemes for Disabled Children (England) Regulations 2013 and the national minimum standards. The registered person(s) must comply within the given timescales.

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Requirement Due date

ensure that all employees receive appropriate training. Regulation 23 (c)

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Requirement Due date

In particular, ensure that all staff receive training in using augmented communication. 31/03/2019

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Recommendations

 Ensure staff and volunteers receive guidance to provide appropriate care if looking after children with complex health needs. In particular, ensure that all support plans provide staff with detailed guidance about how to support children in relation to their complex eating and drinking needs. (NMS 5.5) Inspection report for residential holiday scheme for disabled children: Action Breaks

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Children thoroughly enjoy the activities and new experiences that they take part in at this holiday scheme. They join in with activities that they may have not tried before. At this holiday, this includes abseiling in their wheelchairs, going down a zip wire and canoeing. Children gave 10/10 for the activities. A child said, ‘Abseiling was amazing. I loved it.’ As a result, they gain confidence and self-esteem.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Staff build positive relationships with children. Children feel safe, comfortable and supported well. Children receive great encouragement and support to try new activities. Staff give lots of praise and congratulate children when they achieve new goals.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Staff provide children with good-quality care and support. They place children at the centre of their practice and treat them with dignity and respect. Prior to each holiday, leaders and managers gather information from parents and teachers to help them to understand the children’s needs. This information is used well to plan activities.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Support plans and risk assessments provide staff with guidance in how to meet children’s individual needs and to manage risk. However, one child’s support plan was not specific about how to support him with his complex eating and drinking needs. This lack of written information did not have a negative impact on the child as staff supporting him knew his needs well.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Children’s specific healthcare needs are clearly identified and supported well. The registered manager ensures that there are good systems for the management, administration and recording of medicines. Support plans appropriately identify the emergency medical protocols for children.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Children enjoy a good variety of meals, snacks and drinks. Staff support and encourage children to make choices at meal times. Children said that they enjoy the food and this was seen during the inspection.

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

Children are safe, and the registered manager and staff follow safeguarding practices and procedures effectively. Staff receive regular safeguarding training, including specifically for safeguarding disabled children. They demonstrate a good awareness and understanding of safeguarding procedures and protocols. The designated officer has not raised any concerns.

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

Children are supported well to take age-appropriate risks. Risk is managed well, and written risk assessments are sufficiently detailed.

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

Since the previous inspection, children have not been missing from this holiday Inspection report for residential holiday scheme for disabled children: Action Breaks scheme. Restraint has not been used, and sanctions have not been imposed. In addition, there have not been any concerns in relation to the management of children’s behaviour, including bullying, or significant accidents or injuries.

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

Leaders and managers ensure that the holiday accommodation is safe and secure and protects children from harm.

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

Effective recruitment and selection processes safeguard children.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

This scheme is well managed. The registered manager leads by example and provides good and effective leadership. He has the skills and qualifications to manage the scheme effectively. The staff are committed to providing children with an enjoyable holiday with good-quality care and support.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

Leaders and managers seek feedback from parents and use this feedback to make improvements. Parents spoke highly of the holiday scheme and the positive outcomes for their children. One parent said, ‘My child loved it. It’s so amazing for us to know she can go somewhere, have fun and be safe without us.’

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

Good systems are in place to review the quality of each holiday and to identify the strengths and weaknesses of the scheme. The registered manager responds effectively to recommendations arising from quality assurance activities. He completes a review of the scheme annually and identifies where improvements can be made. In addition, commissioners undertake quality reviews of the scheme. Feedback obtained from these reviews is positive.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

The registered manager ensures that good staffing levels are maintained to meet the individual and collective needs of the children. Staff receive mandatory training and specific training to meet children’s needs. However, a recommendation that was made at the last inspection in relation to staff receiving training in augmented communication has not been met.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

The scheme’s statement of purpose is informative and provides comprehensive information about the aims and objectives of the scheme. The ethos and objectives of the scheme are demonstrated in practice.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

The scheme has not received any complaints from children, parents or other interested stakeholders.

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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 differences made to the lives of children and young people. They watched how professional staff work Inspection report for residential holiday scheme for disabled children: Action Breaks with children and young people and each other and discussed the effectiveness of the 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 residential holiday scheme for disabled children 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 Residential Holiday Schemes for Disabled Children (England) Regulations 2013 and the national minimum standards. Inspection report for residential holiday scheme for disabled children: Action Breaks

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Residential holiday scheme for disabled children details

Registered provider: Action For Children

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Residential holiday scheme for disabled children details

Registered provider address: 23 Derham Park, Yatton, Somerset BS49 4DZ Responsible individual: Miss Kate Isham Registered manager: Mr Thomas Hodgson

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Residential holiday scheme for disabled children details

Email address: ask.us@actionforchildren.org.uk

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Inspector

David Kidner, social care inspector Inspection report for residential holiday scheme for disabled children: Action Breaks 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 children looked after, safeguarding and child protection.

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Inspector

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Inspector

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Inspector

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