Children's home run by Action for Children in Watford

Inspection report children’s home: SC438756 1 SC438756 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 shared and long-term care for children aged eight to 18. The children have a range of needs arising from moderate to severe learning disabilities, which may include physical disabilities and/or complex multiple needs. The home provides overnight care for five children.

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Information about this children’s home

The manager has been in post since September 2018 and registered with Ofsted on 11 April 2019.

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Overall experiences and progress of

children and young people, taking into account

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requires improvement to be good

How well children and young people are helped and protected requires improvement to be good

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requires improvement to be good

The effectiveness of leaders and managers good

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requires improvement to be good

The children’s home is not yet delivering good help and care for children and young people. However, there are no serious or widespread failures that result in their welfare not being safeguarded or promoted.

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requires improvement to be good

Overall judgement at last inspection: sustained effectiveness

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requires improvement to be good

Enforcement action since last inspection: none Inspection report children’s home: SC438756 2

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Inspection date Inspection type Inspection judgement

08/01/2019 Interim Sustained effectiveness 23/05/2018 Full Requires improvement to be good 18/10/2017 Full Requires improvement to be good 05/09/2017 Full Inadequate Inspection report children’s home: 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 care planning standard is that children—

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Requirement Due date

receive effectively planned care in or through the children’s home; and

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Requirement Due date

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—

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Requirement Due date

that each child’s relevant plans are followed. (Regulation 14(1)(a)(b)(2)(c)) 23/09/2019

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Requirement Due date

For the purposes of paragraph (3)(b), an individual who works in the home in a care role has the appropriate qualification if, by the relevant date, the individual has attained—

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Requirement Due date

the Level 3 Diploma for Residential Childcare (England) (‘the Level 3 Diploma’); or

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Requirement Due date

a qualification which the registered person considers to be equivalent to the Level 3 Diploma.

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Requirement Due date

in the case of an individual who starts working in a care role in a home after 1 April 2014, the date which falls 2 years after the date on which the individual started working in a care role in a home; or

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Requirement Due date

in the case of an individual who was working in a care role in a home on 1 April 2014, 1 April 2016. (Regulation 32(4)(a)(b)(5)(a)(b)) 25/11/2019

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Requirement Due date

ensure that each employee completes an appropriate induction. 23/09/2019 Inspection report children’s home: SC438756 4 (Regulation 33(1)(a)) The registered person must ensure that—

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Requirement Due date

within 24 hours of the use of a measure of control, discipline or restraint in relation to a child in the home, a record is made which includes—

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Requirement Due date

details of the child’s behaviour leading to the use of the measure;

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Requirement Due date

the date, time and location of the use of the measure;

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Requirement Due date

a description of the measure and its duration;

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Requirement Due date

details of any methods used or steps taken to avoid the need to use the measure;

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Requirement Due date

the name of the person who used the measure (‘the user’), and of any other person present when the measure was used;

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Requirement Due date

the effectiveness and any consequences of the use of the measure; and

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Requirement Due date

a description of any injury to the child or any other person, and any medical treatment administered, as a result of the measure;

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Requirement Due date

within 48 hours of the use of the measure, the registered person, or a person who is authorised by the registered person to do so (‘the authorised person’)—

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Requirement Due date

has spoken to the user about the measure; and

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Requirement Due date

has signed the record to confirm it is accurate; and

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Requirement Due date

within 5 days of the use of the measure, the registered person or the authorised person adds to the record confirmation that they have spoken to the child about the measure. (Regulation 35(3)(a)(i)(ii)(iii)(iv)(v)(vi)(vii)(viii)(b)(i)(ii)(c)(iv)) 23/09/2019

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Recommendations

 The Statement of Purpose is of particular importance to this Standard (regulation 6(2)(a) and (b)(i)). Homes are required to develop and keep under review a ‘Statement of Purpose’ (regulation 16 and schedule 1). The home’s Statement of Inspection report children’s home: SC438756 5 Purpose should be child-focused, indicating how the home provides individualised care to meet the Quality Standards for the children in its care. (‘Guide to the children’s homes regulations including the quality standards’, page 14, paragraph 3.5)  For children’s homes to be nurturing and supportive environments that meet the needs of their children, they will, in most cases, be homely, domestic environments. Children’s homes must comply with relevant health and safety legislations (alarms, food hygiene etc.); however in doing so, homes should seek as far as possible to maintain a domestic rather than ‘institutional’ impression.

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Recommendations

(‘Guide to the children’s homes regulations including the quality standards’, page 15, paragraph 3.9) In particular, remove all unused furniture from the garden, safely store all garden tools, ensure that all fire doors have effectively functioning intumescent strips, undertake a night-time fire drill and ensure that a personal emergency evacuation plan is in place for each child from their first stay. Furthermore, ensure that the kitchen is well maintained and provides a suitable environment for the children.  Staff should continually and actively assess the risks to each child and the arrangements in place to protect them. When there are safeguarding concerns for a child, their placement plan, agreed between the home and their placing authority, must include details of the steps that the home will take to manage any assessed risks on a day-to-day basis. (‘Guide to the children’s homes regulations including the quality standards’, page 42, paragraph 9.5)

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Recommendations

In particular, clearly document all measures to reduce risks to and presented by children.  As set out in regulations 31-33, the registered person is responsible for maintaining good employment practice. They must ensure that recruitment, supervision and performance management of staff safeguard children and minimise potential risks to them. (‘Guide to the children’s homes regulations including the quality standards’, page 61, paragraph 13.1)  Regulations 35-39 detail the records that must be kept in children’s homes. All children’s case records (regulation 36) must be kept up to date and stored securely while they remain in the home. Case records must be kept up to date and signed and dated by the author of each entry. Children’s case records must be kept for 75 years from the date of birth of the child, or if the child dies before the age of 18, for 15 years from the date of his or her death. (‘Guide to the

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Recommendations

children’s homes regulations including the quality standards’, page 62, paragraph 14.3)  Ensure that staff understand the importance of careful, objective and clear recording. Record information on individual children in a way that will be helpful to the child. (‘Guide to the children’s homes regulations including the quality standards’, page 62, paragraph 14.4)

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Inspection judgements

Inspection report children’s home: SC438756 6

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improvement to be good

The service has improved since the last inspection. However, it is not yet good. The children’s experiences vary. Although the staff deliver individualised care that meets most children’s needs, this is not the case for all the children. The children have complex needs. On occasion, one or two children have not received the care and support that they need. Staff have not always followed the directions in the children’s care plans. This has had a negative effect on these children’s well-being. A parent said, ‘They [the staff] are lovely people, but they do keep making mistakes.’

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improvement to be good

Record-keeping has improved since the last inspection. However, there is still often not enough attention to detail. Information is missing from some children’s case files, which potentially limits staff’s awareness of the children’s strengths and needs. There is little recording of how staff work towards children’s individual goals or detail of the progress that children make. There is not always a copy available of the school report, personal education plan or assessment of special educational needs of those children who live at the home outside of short-break arrangements. This limits staff’s ability to work effectively in partnership with the school to best promote these children’s learning and development.

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improvement to be good

Placements and transitions into the short-break service are generally well planned. The children are encouraged to visit the service on a number of occasions before they stay overnight for the first time. The manager gives full consideration to the needs of all the children prior to accepting any new admission. The staff all receive suitable training in the complex healthcare tasks that some children require.

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improvement to be good

The staff encourage children to develop their independence skills. Parents sometimes notice a difference in their child following the short break, such as improved self-care skills, and one child can now make his own breakfast.

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improvement to be good

The children really enjoy their short breaks and the opportunity to take part in activities that they would not be able to otherwise. Children who do not speak communicate their joy at coming to the short-break service in their own individual ways. A parent said of his child, ‘He absolutely loves it. He gets very excited. As soon as the car pulls up, he is gone and runs in with a smile on his face.’

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improvement to be good

The building is spacious. There has been noticeable investment in the property since the last inspection. A number of areas of the home have been decorated, and a new electric fob system has been installed. However, there are some missing glass panels in one office door, and the paintwork in the kitchen is stained and flaking in some areas. The children enjoy the pleasant garden area that is immediately adjacent to the house. Inspection report children’s home: SC438756 7 However, in other garden areas, gardening equipment and a broken chair require removal or safe storage.

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improvement to be good

The kitchen fire door may not be effective, as an intumescent strip, which is designed to prevent the spread of smoke, has been painted over. Personal emergency evacuation plans are not in place for two children, who have each had three short-break stays. No night-time fire drill has been undertaken. These shortfalls have the potential to affect the prevention of fire spreading and staff’s ability to safely evacuate the building.

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improvement to be good

Recruitment procedures are generally sound. However, verification of references for new staff is poor. Of the three staff recruitment files sampled, only one contained a verified reference. The lack of depth and exploration means that important information about new employees may be missed.

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improvement to be good

Staff are suitably trained in the use of breakaway techniques and restraint. They are clear about the threshold for the use of restraint. They are very patient with the children. However, the records of restraint do not consistently effectively record the details of the incident. On one occasion, up to three separate incidents of restraint across a two-and- a-half-hour period were recorded as one restraint. Therefore, it is not always possible to clearly understand the actions that staff have taken and why, the attempts at de- escalation or the holds used. There is not an agreed procedure for reviewing these records. Therefore, shortfalls have not been identified.

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improvement to be good

Risk management plans have been developed to guide staff in how to manage particular identified areas of risk. However, these plans are not always sufficiently detailed to provide clarity on the actions to be taken by staff, such as the frequency of night-time checks. Nor is it clear to what extent staff are familiar with these risk management plans, as only a few of the staff have signed the required sheet to document that they have read them.

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improvement to be good

Significant incidents are rare. The children feel safe and secure. Parents have confidence in the staff. A parent said, ‘I know that she is in safe hands.’ The staff are fully aware that keeping these vulnerable children safe is their core duty, and they are aware of the particular vulnerabilities of disabled children.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

Although the service is not yet judged as meeting the requirements for good, the manager provides visible and effective leadership. This is her first registered manager role. She has taken on a service that required significant improvement. The manager has successfully driven improvement and guided the staff through a very difficult period.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

Since the last inspection, the manager has overseen a successful recruitment drive, and the home is now fully staffed. Around 75% of the staff have been recruited within the last 18 months. The ethos and function of the home have changed during this time. Staff said that they are provided with good induction. However, records of staff induction Inspection report children’s home: SC438756 8 could not be located. It is therefore difficult to understand whether all new staff are provided with the skills and knowledge that they need to competently support the children.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

Staff supervision and appraisal systems are now effectively implemented. The staff feel well supported by each other and by the manager.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

There has been significant investment in staff training. Most staff have undertaken a wide variety of relevant training that promotes their confidence and competence. One staff member, who has worked at a children’s home for more than two years, has yet to achieve a relevant level 3 diploma in residential childcare.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

The staff are individually motivated to deliver high-quality care and support. The staff said that they particularly enjoy providing the children with new opportunities and seeing the progress that the children make.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

The manager and staff have developed improved partnership working with parents and other professionals to ensure that the children’s needs are well met. When things go wrong, the manager handles the concerns openly with a clear focus on improving the service. As a result, parents and professionals have confidence in the manager. A professional said, ‘The manager has provided strong leadership, and her values and ethos shine through.’

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

The home’s statement of purpose has been updated in the last 12 months to reflect changes to staffing. However, a full review of this important document has not been undertaken; it refers to staff posts that will be ‘in place from 2015’ and uses outdated language relating to child sexual exploitation.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

Some aspects of the service need development to ensure that it operates in accordance with its statement of purpose. However, the majority of requirements and recommendations set at the last inspection have either been met or work has been undertaken towards meeting them. There is good capacity for continued improvement.

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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 Inspection report children’s home: SC438756 9 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: SC438756 10

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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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Inspector

Joanna Heller, social care inspector Inspection report children’s home: SC438756 11 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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