Children's Home run by Action for Children Services Ltd in Buckinghamshire

Inspection report children's home: SC424103 1 SC424103 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

This is a short breaks service run by a national charitable organisation. The home accommodates up to eight children and young people with learning disabilities. The children’s needs range from moderate to severe learning disabilities with associated physical, health and sensory impairment and/or complex multiple needs.

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Information about this children’s home

Due to COVID-19 (coronavirus), at the request of the Secretary of State, we suspended all routine inspections of social care providers on 17 March 2020.

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Information about this children’s home

We last visited this setting on 13 to 14 October 2020 to carry out an assurance visit. The report is published on our website.

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Overall experiences and progress of

children and young people, taking into account

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outstanding

How well children and young people are helped and protected good

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outstanding

The effectiveness of leaders and managers good

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outstanding

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 and young people who need help, protection and care.

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outstanding

Date of last inspection: 18 September 2019

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outstanding

Overall judgement at last inspection: Requires improvement to be good

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outstanding

Enforcement action since last inspection: none Inspection report children's home: SC424103 2

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Inspection date Inspection type Inspection judgement

18/09/2019 Full Requires improvement to be good 14/11/2018 Full Good 26/03/2018 Interim Sustained effectiveness 01/08/2017 Full Good Inspection report children's home: SC424103 3

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Staff have the skills and knowledge to provide children with positive experiences and excellent individualised care. When considering a new child to join the home, staff complete thorough assessments of children’s needs. A strong introduction process means that the child’s and parents’ needs are known. Planned visits ensure that there are considerations of how best to meet children’s complex needs. Parents and social workers value the service that provides consistent routines, stability and enjoyment.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Children benefit from staff who communicate attentively and respond to individual needs. Children are supported in using a variety of methods to communicate and make their wishes and views known. Staff understand the importance of listening, involving, and addressing issues raised by children. Staff are skilful in using different communication methods to obtain children’s views and act on them.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Children benefit from an environment that is homely and nurturing. Staff treat children with dignity and respect. Children’s personal space is made accessible only to them and staff that provide support to them. All areas of the service are clean, and staff maintain a hygienic environment.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Staff ensure that the home has an excellent range of age-appropriate games, toys and other activities to keep children occupied, engaged and constantly learning. Some children use the garden space where they grow vegetables. This helps them to learn where their food comes from. Children draw, paint and complete diverse menu folders with guidance from staff.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

The standard of work undertaken to meet children’s health needs is outstanding. Staff have a good understanding of children’s past and current medical conditions. They are very attentive to children’s progress in their health and well-being. Staff quickly share all concerns with medical professionals, parents, and social workers. For example, staff spotted an emerging issue and took immediate action to work with the family when they noticed the drop in a child’s weight due to their health condition. A social worker said, ‘They (staff) understand his complex needs, and this makes the service the best place for him.’

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Staff support children to express their interests and encourage them to make positive choices. For example, the children choose pictures and other decorations they wish to have in their bedroom when they visit. Children have chosen new decorations for the garden in preparation for summer. Staff recognise that the involvement of children in the development of the service gives them a sense of belonging, acceptance and a positive message of what they can achieve.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Children take part in activities during their visits. Staff plan group activities and trips out with children who have similar needs and character. These include shopping, Inspection report children's home: SC424103 4 long day trips to the seaside and going out on walks. This promotes positive interactions between children, helping them to build friendships and explore new interests. A parent said, ‘She (their child) has finally found a place where she can make friends. This is the first place she has said that she likes going to.’ Another child supported by staff to make exceptional progress in learning to become more independent. Because of this progress, this child is able to go away on holiday abroad with their family, when previously, this was not thought possible.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Staff and parents share a strong relationship. Parents are highly confident in the care and support provided by staff. Staff keep parents well informed of their children’s care and progress. If concerns are raised at care planning meetings, staff inform parents to ensure their full knowledge.

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

Children are safe in this home. Suitably trained staff meet the individual needs of the children who, as a result, make significant progress in all areas of their life. For example, there has been specialised training to ensure that staff develop skills and knowledge about their awareness of eating and drinking difficulties.

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

Staff identify risks to individual children effectively, and clear measures are in place to ensure that children’s safety is promoted. The support and care provided by staff in response to detailed risk assessments mean that children become increasingly safe.

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

Children do not go missing from this home. Staff are aware of actions to take if children went missing from the home or when out in the community. The procedure is clear and includes taking information packs about the children when they go out. This ensures that information, such as health needs, is known. Staff work positively with other agencies to ensure that children are safe.

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

Medication is well managed. Detailed records and a stringent procedure for dispensing medication are in place. Medication errors do not happen. Staff receive training in this area and show competency before being involved in this process.

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

Staff manage behaviours well. They receive training in positive behaviour management and confidently use this to support children. Staff rarely use physical intervention, and consistent boundaries lead to a feeling of well-being and security for children.

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

Staff safeguard children well. They receive regular training in this area. Staff know the safeguarding procedures and they are tested on this in team meetings and supervision. Information is readily available to staff, including any updates about any risks relating to the local area.

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

The environment in which the children live is safe. The extensive compartmentalisation work carried out last year has further improved the safety of the building. Fire risk assessments are clear and detailed. Fire alarm checks are Inspection report children's home: SC424103 5 regular, and equipment is serviced within timescales. However, staff did not explain the evacuation procedure to the inspectors on arrival or during the visit. Visitors do not consistently sign out of the building which creates a risk of not knowing who is in the building in the case of an emergency.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

Leaders and managers ensure high standards of individualised care to all children that use the home. They have high expectations for what all children can achieve and have put processes in place to address any shortfalls. Where children do not achieve individualised targets, the manager ensures that this is reviewed, and more achievable targets are identified. Parents and schools are involved in this goal setting process. This leads to children regularly feeling a sense of achievement.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

Leaders and managers ensure that there is a review of risk assessments and support plans, as required. This results in these assessments being live documents where changing risks are identified quickly and effectively, and control measures put in place.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

Leaders and managers ensure that training programmes are specific to the individual needs of children. For example, staff have received training in epilepsy, dysphagia and gastrostomy competency. Staff say that they value the range of training opportunities open to them.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

Staff are involved in weekly team meetings that cover a range of areas for discussion. Leaders and managers have implemented a system of reviewing policies in this meeting, and inviting discussion about how they link to standards and regulations. The manager has invited safeguarding officers from the local authority to explain their role and meet the team. The manager has also invited commissioners for the same reason.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

Leaders and managers know the strengths of the home well and identify and address areas for development effectively. When the manager identified an area of weakness in recording information accurately, she implemented a process of double checking all documentation and reviewing this daily. Team meetings also include discussions on recording.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

Leaders and managers have good relationships with external professionals which ensure the best possible support and outcomes for children. They have monthly meetings with the clinical lead of the local child mental health service, to discuss the needs of each child and what needs to happen to promote improved outcomes.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

The manager promotes equality, diversity, and inclusion effectively. A detailed plan is in place to support staff in several areas, for example challenging any discriminatory language from children or their parents. Managers promote children’s choices. Every child’s opinion is valued, and this ensures that they feel included.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

Leaders and managers provide a supportive environment for staff. Staff say that Inspection report children's home: SC424103 6 they receive regular supervision in which their progress is checked, and targets for development are set. They receive annual appraisals that review their development and identify training needs. However, staff do not consistently receive supervision as stated in the home’s statement of purpose. Inspection report children's home: SC424103 7

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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 registered person must ensure that all employees—

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Requirement Due date

undertake appropriate continuing professional development;

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Requirement Due date

receive practice-related supervision by a person with appropriate experience; and

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Requirement Due date

have their performance and fitness to perform their roles appraised at least once every year. (Regulation 33 (4)(a)(b)(c))

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Requirement Due date

This refers specifically to ensuring staff receive regular supervision and within timescales referred to in the services statement of purpose. 15 August 2021

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Requirement Due date

If the Regulatory Reform (Fire Safety) Order 2005 F1 applies to the home—

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Requirement Due date

the registered person must ensure that the requirements of that Order and any regulations made under it, except for article 23 (duties of employees), are complied with in respect of the home. (Regulation 25 (2)(b))

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Requirement Due date

This particularly refers to ensuring that fire evacuation procedures are explained to visitors on arrival at the home. It also refers to visitors signing in and out of the building. 15 August 2021

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Recommendations

 The registered person should ensure all children’s case records (Regulation 36) must be kept up to date and stored securely whilst they remain in the home. Case records must be kept up to date and signed and dated by the author of each entry. (‘Guide to the children’s homes regulations including the quality standards’, page 62, paragraph 14.3) Inspection report children's home: SC424103 8

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Information about this inspection

Inspectors have looked closely at the experiences and progress of children and young people, 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: SC424103 9

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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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Inspectors

Vevene Muhammad, Social Care Inspector Alphie Khumalo, Social Care Inspector Inspection report children's home: SC424103 10 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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Inspectors

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Inspectors

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Inspectors

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