Children's Home run by Action for Children in Shropshire

Inspection report children’s home: 2538785 1 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 children’s home is part of a national charity and commissioned by a local authority to provide a residential short-break service for up to seven children with learning and/or physical disabilities.

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Information about this children’s home

The manager registered with Ofsted in January 2021 and has a level 5 diploma in leadership and management.

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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 17 November 2020 to carry out a monitoring visit. The report is published on the Ofsted website.

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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 requires improvement to be good requires improvement to be good requires improvement to be 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 effective services that meet the requirements for good.

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good

Overall judgement at last inspection: not applicable

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good

Enforcement action since last inspection: none Inspection report children’s home: 2538785 2

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Inspection date Inspection type Inspection judgement

Not previously inspected Inspection report children’s home: 2538785 3

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

This is the home’s first full inspection since it registered in October 2019. One child was enjoying his short break during the inspection.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Children enjoy new experiences and build on their progress because of the supportive care they receive from staff. For example, one child is now eating a wider range of meals and another child is able to develop his independence skills.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Children and parents benefit from a well-planned introduction to the service. This careful planning helps staff to gain a good understanding of each child’s needs and preferences. For example, information is shared about how children like to be woken in the mornings and their preferences in enjoying a long bath at the weekend. This child-centred approach to care enables children to feel safe and comfortable during their short stays .

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Staff complete ‘stay books’ following each stay. This records information about each child’s short break and keeps parents fully informed. Furthermore, the stay books capture feedback from the child to help support any necessary changes for further stays. This information is used to ensure children are really enjoying and benefiting from their stay.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

The environment is comfortable and welcoming. Children are encouraged to bring personal belongings from home to help them settle in. The home is spacious, thoughtfully decorated and is enhanced by having sensory aids on the walls. There is a well-equipped sensory room and much-loved mud garden. This encourages play and is fun for children.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Staff consider the children’s abilities and needs for each stay. This information is considered in advance and provides reassurances for parents and supports children in building friendships. This helps to ensure children get the very most out of their experience.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

The service has continued to be accessible throughout the COVID-19 pandemic. Activities are planned in consultation with children and in line with current government guidance. Children have enjoyed going out on day trips and taking part in everyday activities such as cookery.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Parents feel supported by staff in many ways. For example, staff provide support in the way of phone calls and, on occasions, food hampers. One parent noted their child enjoys walks with staff during their short break, which is something they find more difficult at home. Inspection report children’s home: 2538785 4

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improvement to be good

Two of the shortfalls that were identified during the monitoring visit have not yet been fully addressed. Despite staff being very knowledgeable about children’s needs, this knowledge is still not fully captured in children’s risk assessments. Staff have still not undergone all of the necessary training. For example, not all staff have undergone training to help them to communicate with children or to fully help them understand working with children with autism spectrum disorder. Full audits and training are planned to take place but are not yet implemented. Consequently, staff do not always have access to up-to-date information and training to inform their practice. Both of these requirements have been restated.

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improvement to be good

The registered manager is not fully aware of shortfalls relating to risk. Children have personal emergency evacuation plans. However, one child is yet to take part in a fire drill. This means that staff do not have enough information about how to meet his needs in the event of a fire. Furthermore, the registered manager was unaware that staff sometimes lock the external lounge door to help manage children’s behaviour. This is not part of an agreed behaviour management strategy, so its use is not being reviewed.

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improvement to be good

Most safeguarding concerns have been shared with the relevant professionals and managed well. However, on two occasions, staff have been too slow when reporting safeguarding concerns. For example, on one occasion, there was a delay in an allegation being shared with the management team. The registered manager then failed to escalate this promptly. On another occasion, staff failed to promptly share a practice concern about a colleague. As a result, the registered manager has developed ongoing safeguarding workshops to upskill the staff team. Staff state that they now feel confident to share concerns.

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improvement to be good

Staff have good relationships with children. Restraint is rarely used and children do not go missing. Staff do not use sanctions to manage children’s behaviours as they focus on celebrating positive behaviours. For example, when children meet their targets, a picture of them is displayed on the ‘WOW’ board. This board celebrates children’s achievements for everyone to see.

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improvement to be good

The registered manager ensures that staff who are recruited to work in the home are subject to all the necessary checks. This helps to ensure that staff who work at the home are safe to do so.

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improvement to be good

Regular checks are completed to ensure that the environment is safe. Equipment required to support everyday life is adequately serviced and well maintained. Inspection report children’s home: 2538785 5

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good

Despite the many positive aspects of the short-break setting, the managers’ monitoring systems are not yet fully developed to be able to identify and address shortfalls in relation to how well children are helped and protected in a timely manner. Two requirements from the previous inspection are not met.

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good

More positively, the registered manager and staff work effectively in partnership with the local school to establish a communication protocol. This ensures that information is promptly shared. A headteacher told the inspector, ‘Staff attend meetings, share long- and short-term plans and Makaton symbols; it’s really cohesive.’ Children benefit from this joint working.

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good

Team meetings take place regularly and are good forums to reflect on and improve the care provided to children. The registered manager works hard to ensure that morale remains high and relationships are supportive, despite the challenges associated with the pandemic. A member of staff stated, ‘Working at this home is amazing,’ and, ‘We are so motivated by how happy we make the children feel.’

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good

Children enjoy celebrating different events and festivities. For example, children drew flags in preparation for the World Cup and learned about how to keep themselves safe during the national pandemic. As a result, children have a better understanding of the world around them.

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good

The manager works well with partner agencies and keeps them updated about the care and progress of children. Feedback from social workers is positive. They spoke of good working relationships with staff. Parents said that the service is ‘absolutely great’ and another parent commented that it is ‘phenomenal’. Inspection report children’s home: 2538785 6

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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.

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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

assess whether each child is at risk of harm, taking into account information in the child’s relevant plans, and, if necessary, make arrangements to reduce the risk of any harm to the child;

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Requirement Due date

have the skills to identify and act upon signs that a child is at risk of harm;

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Requirement Due date

understand the roles and responsibilities in relation to protecting children that are assigned to them by the registered person;

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Requirement Due date

take effective action whenever there is a serious concern about a child’s welfare; and

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Requirement Due date

are familiar with, and act in accordance with, the homes child protection policies. (Regulation 12 (1) (2)(a)(i)(iii)(v)(vi)(vii))

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Requirement Due date

This specifically relates to ensuring that children’s risks are accurately reflected in their written documentation, that actions identified in children’s personal emergency evacuation plans are carried out and ensuring all safeguarding concerns are promptly shared.

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Requirement Due date

This requirement was raised at the previous inspection in relation to risk assessments and is restated. 10 September

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Requirement Due date

The leadership and management standard is that the registered person enables, inspires and leads a culture in 10 September Inspection report children’s home: 2538785 7 relation to the children’s home that—

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Requirement Due date

helps children aspire to fulfil their potential; and

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Requirement Due date

In particular, the standard in paragraph (1) requires the registered person to—

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Requirement Due date

use monitoring and review systems to make continuous improvements in the quality of care provided in the home. (Regulation 13 (1)(a)(b) (2)(h))

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Requirement Due date

This specifically relates to ensuring that the registered manager has effective systems in place to ensure that shortfalls are identified and addressed promptly.

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Requirement Due date

children can access all appropriate areas of the children’s home’s premises; and

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Requirement Due date

any limitation placed on a child’s privacy or access to any area of the home’s premises—

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Requirement Due date

is intended to safeguard each child accommodated in the home;

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Requirement Due date

is kept under review and, if necessary, revised; and

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Requirement Due date

allows children as much freedom as is possible when balanced against the need to protect them and keep them safe. (Regulation 21 (b) (c)(i)(ii)(iii)(iv)

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Requirement Due date

This specifically relates to the lounge door being locked on occasions without clear risk assessment and review. 10 September

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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. (Regulation 33 (4)(a))

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Requirement Due date

This specifically relates to ensuring that staff undergo the necessary training to support them in their role in working with children. 10 September Inspection report children’s home: 2538785 8 This requirement was raised at the previous inspection and is restated.

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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: 2538785 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: Action for Children, 3 The Boulevard, Ascot Road, Watford WD18 8AG

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Inspectors

Louise Battersby, Social Care Inspector Sophie Hills, Social Care Inspector Inspection report children’s home: 2538785 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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