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

Inspection report for 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 can care for up to eight children at any one time. 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

There has been no registered manager since 30 September 2022. An interim manager is in place and a new manager is due to start on 13 March 2023.

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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

Overall judgement at last inspection: outstanding

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good

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

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Inspection date Inspection type Inspection judgement

02/06/2021 Full Outstanding 18/09/2019 Full Requires improvement to be good 14/11/2018 Full Good 26/03/2018 Interim Sustained effectiveness Inspection report for children's home: SC424103 3

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

There are currently 25 children accessing the service on a rotational basis. The children have a wide range of physical and learning needs. Some of the children have medical conditions that require daily medication. Staff have a comprehensive understanding of the children’s individual needs. Parents feel confident that their children are well cared for and that their health needs are supported.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

The house is decorated with children’s photos and communication symbols. Children’s bedrooms are personalised with cushions and bedding of their choice, and a picture board of their favourite things. The garden is spacious, with a sunken trampoline, basketball hoop and plenty of grass to play on. Children benefit from staying in a clean, homely environment in which they can explore and play safely.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Staff support a range of activities to provide the children with new experiences. These include pancake making, bowling, shopping, and going to the zoo and the park. One parent said her child enjoys visiting the home. She enjoys the variety of people she meets and doing a variety of activities.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Children have developed trusting relationships with staff. The staff know the children well and can communicate with them using the children’s preferred method of communication. The staff show genuine warmth and affection towards the children. Professionals say that the children are happy and enjoy attending.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Staff have good links with the children’s schools. They communicate daily with school staff to ensure that the children’s medication and any specialist equipment, such as communication tablets, are always available for the children. Staff attend children’s school reviews and work with school staff to learn ways of communicating with children.

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

Children feel safe because the staff provide them with a stable and safe home. Children enjoy a calm environment with minimal incidents.

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

Children benefit from and make progress with the boundaries and routines staff put in place. Staff follow these consistently, which is the key to their effectiveness. For one child, this has led to a significant improvement in participating at mealtimes and joining others around the dining table.

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

Children’s visits are well planned. Children mostly stay within the same group, and this supports the friendships they have made. Detailed planning ensures that children enjoy each other’s company and that there are no incidents of bullying. Inspection report for children's home: SC424103 4 The manager ensures that people working at the home go through a rigorous selection procedure and that their suitability is carefully checked. He makes sure that prospective staff have the right personal qualities, enthusiasm, experience, skills and values to work with vulnerable children.

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

Staff rarely use physical interventions. They are only used as a last resort. However, the record for one incident did not describe the intervention used or the length of time it was used for. The managerial evaluation is not detailed or inquisitive. The lack of oversight means that emerging concerns or issues relating to the restraint were not responded to promptly. No harm to children occurred as a result of this delay.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

The registered manager post has been vacant since September 2022. The interim manager is a registered manager for another provision within the organisation. A new manager is due to start the post in March 2023. Changes to the management team have been well managed, with limited impact on the children.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

The management team works well with other professionals, including social workers and education staff, and with families. Working collaboratively enables the team around the child to strive towards helping children in a more coordinated and effective way.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

Staff access training in core areas, including safeguarding, physical intervention and fire safety. Staff undertake more targeted training, including in epilepsy awareness, dysphagia and autism spectrum disorder awareness. This training ensures that staff have the skills that they need to meet the individual needs of the children they care for.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

Management monitoring systems provide effective oversight of the service and the children’s progress. However, managerial monitoring and oversight of incidents needs improvement. Records are not clear and are not stored appropriately and there has been a delay in notifying the children’s placing authorities. The lack of managerial oversight reduces the opportunity to make continuous improvements to the quality of care.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

Staff say they feel well supported; they work well as a team. However, they do not always receive regular practice-based supervision, in line with the company’s policy. As a result, these staff members do not have the opportunity to reflect on their practice and consider their developmental needs. Inspection report for children's home: SC424103 5

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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 leadership and management standard is that the registered person enables, inspires and leads a culture in 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

In particular, ensure that there is effective managerial oversight of incidents involving children. 6 April 2023

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Recommendations

 The registered person should ensure that records of restraint are kept that enable the registered person and staff to review the use of control, discipline and restraint, to identify effective practice and respond promptly where any issues or trends of concern emerge. (‘Guide to the Children’s Homes Regulations, including the quality standards,’ page 49, paragraph 9.59)  The registered person should ensure that all staff receive supervision of their practice, in line with the home’s policy. (‘Guide to the Children’s Homes Regulations, including the quality standards,’ page 64, paragraph 13.3) Inspection report for children's home: SC424103 6

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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 for children's home: SC424103 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: Action for Children, 3 The Boulevard, Ascot Road, Watford WD18 8AG

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Inspector

Paula Lewis, Social Care Inspector Inspection report for children's home: SC424103 8 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 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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