Children's Home run by Action for Children in Hertfordshire

Inspection report children’s home: SC426172 1 SC426172 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

This service is run by a large charitable organisation. The home provides short breaks for up to six children who have learning and/or physical disabilities. The manager has been registered with Ofsted since February 2015.

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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

Date of last inspection: 16 January 2019

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good

Overall judgement at last inspection: sustained effectiveness

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good

Enforcement action since last inspection: none Inspection report children’s home: SC426172 2

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Inspection date Inspection type Inspection judgement

16/01/2019 Interim Sustained effectiveness 18/10/2018 Full Good 05/12/2017 Full Inadequate 05/01/2017 Interim Sustained effectiveness Inspection report children’s home: SC426172 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 protection of children standard is that children are protected from harm and enabled to keep themselves safe. In particular, the standard in paragraph (1) requires the registered person to ensure— that the home’s day-to-day care is arranged and delivered so as to keep each child safe and to protect each child effectively from harm. (Regulation 12(1)(2)(b)) In particular, ensure that the manager receives safeguarding training that is relevant to her role. 28/09/2019

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Recommendations

 Any home using closed-circuit television (CCTV) or other monitoring equipment should have a written policy describing how this will support the safeguarding and well-being of those living and working at the home in accordance with regulation 24. Homes must gain consent to any monitoring or surveillance by the placing authority in writing at the time of placement. (‘Guide to the children’s homes regulations including the quality standards’, page 16, paragraph 3.16)  As set out in regulations 31-33, the registered person is responsible for maintaining good employment practice. (‘Guide to the children’s homes regulations including the quality standards’, page 61, paragraph 13.1) In particular, undertake overseas checks when required.  The review of the appropriateness and suitability of the location and the premises of the home should include the identification of any risks and opportunities presented by the home’s location and strategies for managing these. (‘Guide to

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Recommendations

the children’s homes regulations including the quality standards’, page 64, paragraph 15.1) In particular, use information from external agencies to inform the location risk assessment. Inspection report children’s home: SC426172 4

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

The staff greet children warmly on arrival for their stay. The children respond positively to staff. Children have built trusting, positive relationships with a staff team that understands their individual needs. Staff adapt their style of communication to suit each child. This ensures that children benefit from having individualised and positive interactions. Transitions into the service are managed well. Parents are fully involved in completing placement plans. The staff spend time with families at their homes to observe children’s routines. A parent said that she found this helpful as she was able to show staff her child’s evening and settling routine. Children enjoy a wide variety of activities at the home and in the community. Children are fully involved in making choices about their stay. They use an ‘options and opinions’ board to indicate which activities they would like to do and things that they would like

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

for the house. Staff celebrate children’s achievements, such as when children reach their targets. The children receive a certificate that they can take home, and a copy is placed on the achievements board. Children can see that the staff are proud of their achievements.

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

Staff understand that structures and routines are important for children to provide consistency during their stay. This means that children have positive experiences and feel safe. Comprehensive placement plans guide the staff to meet children’s individual needs. Risk assessments are informative and are reviewed and updated when needed. Children do not go missing from this home, but staff are aware of the actions that they should take should an incident occur. Staff work through safeguarding scenarios as part of their staff meetings. This helps them to understand what they need to do in the event of a safeguarding concern. Staff have undertaken training in safeguarding, including safeguarding disabled children. They have a good understanding of who to report concerns to. However, the manager has only undertaken level 2 training in safeguarding. Therefore, she has not had the relevant training for her role.

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

The home sometimes uses audio monitors to alert staff to children’s epileptic seizures. Parents have signed consent forms for these to be used. However, there is no written consent from the placing authority social workers. The policy lacks clarity on the use of these measures. This does not ensure transparency and that children’s dignity is not unnecessarily undermined. Inspection report children’s home: SC426172 5

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

The manager is passionate about her work and clearly wants children to have the best possible experiences during their stay. This enthusiasm is also evident in the staff team. The manager works well with professionals and parents. This partnership working ensures that information is shared effectively and enables staff to work in the best interests of the child. Staff work closely with community nurses to ensure that children’s health needs are met during their stay. Staff said that their supervision helps them to reflect on their practice. Supervisions provide the staff with a formal opportunity to consider their professional development and raise any concerns that they may have. This enables them to work effectively with children. Staff have undertaken the organisation’s mandatory training. They have also undertaken specialised training to ensure that they can meet children’s more complex needs. Staff

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

hold or are working towards a relevant level 3 qualification within the required timescale. The manager undertakes recruitment checks and verifies references and identity as part of her recruitment checks. However, for staff who have lived or worked abroad, she has not completed overseas checks. This shortfall means that the suitability of some new staff is not fully explored and checked. The manager has not sought information from external agencies to inform the location risk assessment and has not included ways in which risks can be mitigated. This omission reduces the effectiveness of the risk assessment.

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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: SC426172 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, Hertfordshire WD18 8AG

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Children’s home details

Responsible individual: Shelagh Frankcom

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Inspector

Trish Palmer, social care inspector Inspection report children’s home: SC426172 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 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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