Children's home run by Action for Children Services Ltd in Watford

Inspection report children’s home: SC057804 1 SC057804 Registered provider: Action For Children

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Full inspection Inspected under the social care common inspection framework

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Information about this children’s home

The home provides residential short breaks for up to five children who have learning and/or physical disabilities. The service is operated by a charitable organisation in partnership with a local authority. The registered manager resigned in August 2018. The new manager, who came into post in October 2018, has applied to be the registered manager. He is suitably qualified.

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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 requires improvement to be good

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good

The children’s home provides highly effective services that consistently exceed the standards of good. The actions of the children’s home contribute to significantly improved outcomes and positive experiences for children who need help, protection and care.

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good

Date of last inspection: 20 February 2018

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good

Overall judgement at last inspection: good

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good

Enforcement action since last inspection: none Inspection report children’s home: SC057804 2

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Inspection date Inspection type Inspection judgement

20/02/2018 Full Good 23/03/2017 Interim Improved effectiveness 29/11/2016 Full Outstanding 16/03/2016 Interim Sustained effectiveness Inspection report children’s home: SC057804 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

In meeting the quality standards, the registered person must, and must ensure that if the registered person considers, or staff consider, a placing authority’s or a relevant person’s performance or response to be inadequate in relation to their role, challenge the placing authority or the relevant person to seek to ensure that each child’s needs are met in accordance with the child’s relevant plans. (Regulation 5 (c)) This is with reference to chasing the placing authority for documents required for the child’s file and escalating concerns if these are not provided. 30/05/2019

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Recommendation

 The registered person must have systems in place so that all staff, including the manager, receive supervision of their practice from an appropriately qualified and experienced professional, which allows them to reflect on their practice and the needs of the children assigned to their care. (‘Guide to the children’s homes regulations including the quality standards’, page 61, paragraph 13.2) This is with reference to enabling staff to reflect on the impact of their practice on children and make progress towards their own professional development.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Children with highly complex needs love coming for short breaks. They enjoy warm and trusting relationships with highly dedicated and perceptive staff. They are relaxed and feel at home. The environment is light, welcoming and well maintained. Children’s artwork and sensory boards decorate the walls. Children choose which of the cosy, colourful bedrooms they want to use for their short break and personalise them.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Diligent staff provide children with excellent support. As a result, children make good progress in their life skills from their starting points. For example, children who struggle Inspection report children’s home: SC057804 4 with showering and bathing learn how to improve their personal hygiene.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Children’s self-esteem and emotional well-being improves due to the ways in which skilled and highly trained staff empower and engage them. They make friends and enjoy a wide range of new experiences and opportunities. One parent commented that because of her child’s complex needs he would not have any friends if he did not come to the home for short breaks, and said, ‘It’s a fabulous place. Staff go above and beyond. It’s a true family.’

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Staff use rewards and social stories to help children manage their anxieties and behaviour. Staff work with individual children in the sensory room to enhance their experiences and development. This work is done in consultation with parents and based on staff’s own understanding of the children’s needs.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Staff strongly encourage children to make choices and decisions and express their views, wishes and feelings. Staff skilfully use communication aids such as Makaton, PECS, body language, British Sign Language and speech to communicate with each child in the most appropriate way for them. Excellent staff support enables and empowers children to fully engage in their short break. One child, who is non-verbal, likes to create her own version of sign language and staff are constantly updating their skills as she adds new words. This enables her to communicate effectively and trust staff to know what she is saying.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Children benefit hugely from opportunities to socialise with their peers and enjoy new and stimulating experiences, including trips to the seaside and space centre. They have fun together and with enthusiastic staff. When children want to relax and spend time in their bedrooms, staff enable them to do so safely.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Nurturing, patient staff listen carefully to children and respond to their needs. Children engage in the children’s forum and are confident in communicating in their own way and making requests. Children know how to complain.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Staff carefully plan moves into the service. This enables children to feel welcomed and to settle in quickly. When children leave the service, staff stay in touch, inviting them back for celebrations and events. One child, who has attended short breaks for some years, has asked to remain involved. In response, the manager has nominated him for the provider’s Youth Empowerment Scheme, which allows ex-residents to support new children during their short breaks.

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

Highly trained staff keep children safe both inside the home and in the community. Children, their parents and social workers, confirmed this. The environment is safe and designed to allow children who use wheelchairs or those with mobility issues to move around safely. Highly skilled staff effectively de-escalate situations when children show challenging behaviour. Consequently, physical interventions are not required.

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

Regular consultation with parents and carers ensures that staff are aware of any risks Inspection report children’s home: SC057804 5 and know how to respond. The trusting relationships between staff and children, coupled with staff’s in-depth knowledge of children’s individual needs, behaviours and triggers, are key to preventing incidents. Consequently, the risk of children harming themselves or others reduces.

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

No child has gone missing from the service. This is because of high staffing levels and vigilant staff who closely monitor children. Staff know how to respond if a child did go missing. Staff are extremely aware of children’s vulnerabilities and carry out excellent work to help them to understand how to keep themselves safe.

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

Since the last inspection, the manager has improved medication procedures. Medication is now stored safely and recorded appropriately. Staff are well trained in this area, and their practice is closely overseen by the manager. This ensures that children’s health needs are met.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: requires improvement to be good

The service has not had a registered manager in post since August 2018. This is a period of more than 26 weeks. A new manager came into post on October 2018 but did not submit his application to Ofsted to be the registered manager until January 2019. At the time of the inspection, references were still outstanding for the new manager. This has resulted in further delay in the application being processed by Ofsted.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: requires improvement to be good

The new manager demonstrates drive and enthusiasm and is passionate about how the service can enhance the lives of children. He is reflective and child-focused. The manager wants the best for his staff and the children and is creative in finding ways to drive up standards. He understands the strengths and areas for development in the staff team and has strategies in place to address any shortfalls. The manager uses research to inform practice in areas including communication methods and children’s sensory needs.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: requires improvement to be good

Staff are either qualified to level 3 diploma in residential childcare or working towards the award. Staff induction is thorough, and training is up to date and relevant. Additional training is provided for care and administrative staff to meet the specific needs of children, such as how to administer oxygen. The manager regularly evaluates the quality and effectiveness of the training offered to staff, to ensure that it meets their needs and the needs of the children.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: requires improvement to be good

A stable staff team provides children with consistency. Staff are flexible, and cover shifts when required, to ensure that children always know the people who are caring for them. To thoroughly understand and meet the needs of children, the manager and staff work closely with social workers, health professionals and family members. One social worker commented that the service is ‘invaluable’ and, ‘The staff are fantastic.’

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: requires improvement to be good

However, staff do not always receive reflective supervision to help them to develop their practice. In addition, managers do not always challenge placing authorities when there are delays in receiving key documentation relating to children’s care. The impact of this Inspection report children’s home: SC057804 6 shortfall is reduced by having a strong, dedicated team of staff who know the children well.

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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 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: SC057804 7

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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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Inspector

Louise Whittle, social care inspector Inspection report children’s home: SC057804 8 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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