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

Inspection report for children's home: SC424089 1 SC424089 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-break service for children with learning disabilities, sensory impairment and physical disabilities.

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Information about this children’s home

A national children’s charity runs the home, which comprises two separate houses. One is specifically for children who may have challenging behaviours associated with their disability and the other is for children who require some degree of medical care.

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Information about this children’s home

The home is registered to provide care for up to 14 children. However, the needs of children mean that occupancy rarely reaches this level. Seven children were staying in the home at the time of the inspection.

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Information about this children’s home

The manager has been registered with Ofsted since October 2016.

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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

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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: good

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good

Enforcement action since last inspection: none Inspection report for children's home: SC424089 2

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Inspection date Inspection type Inspection judgement

24/05/2022 Full Good 17/08/2021 Full Good 16/07/2019 Full Good 20/08/2018 Full Good Inspection report for children's home: SC424089 3

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Children develop secure and trusting relationships with the staff caring for them. Staff are attentive and nurturing in their approach to meeting children’s individual needs. Because of this, children are well cared for and have fun.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Children enjoy a welcoming home that is child-centred and provides space, giving children areas to spend time together or be on their own if they wish. There are separate zones in the home to meet the needs of the children, for example, a sensory room, soft play area and a large garden where children can play safely. However, some parts of the home require a tidy, refresh and repair. For example, there was mould in one shared bathroom, the soft playroom was unclean, and children’s bedrooms looked worn and their wardrobes were not kept tidy. This detracts from the overall homeliness.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Children enjoy their stays at the home and there is clear evidence of the positive impact their time at the home has on their lives. Children are given the opportunity to engage in a range of activities, for example, arts and crafts, singing, and playing on the trampoline and in the ball pool. Visitors also bring activities into the home, for instance, a recent visit by staff from a farm was enjoyed by all children.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Children’s views are sought regularly and are valued. Staff listen to children and support them to influence the way they are cared for. For example, at meetings and by using photos and objects, children choose meals and activities. A visiting advocacy service provides further opportunities for children to make their wishes and feelings known.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Children are cared for by a stable staff team. Staff are skilled and knowledgeable about the individual needs of the children who visit the home. There is a real sense of teamwork and strong working relationships between staff, who support each other. One social worker said, ‘Staff support is amazing.’ The cook is knowledgeable about each child’s individual dietary needs and ensures that their favourite foods are available when they stay. This gives children a sense of comfort and makes them feel valued.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Photos of children are displayed throughout the home. Their achievements are celebrated and ‘child of the month’ information is proudly displayed in the hallway. This helps children to feel positive about themselves and enhances their self-esteem.

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improvement to be good

Staff confidently understand children’s risks and manage them well. Children are supported to carry out their day-to-day care routines. Staff receive specific training to meet the complex health needs of the children who stay at the home. For Inspection report for children's home: SC424089 4 example, staff have training in gastrostomy, epilepsy and manual handling, and specialist equipment is regularly inspected.

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improvement to be good

Staff know and understand the processes for reporting safeguarding issues. Staff respond well to children when they need support and they manage incidents effectively. However, incident reports are not always completed with a good level of detail. Furthermore, two incidents have not been notified to Ofsted, which means that the regulator was unable to fully assess these incidents and actions taken at the time.

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improvement to be good

Following an independent audit regarding medication arrangements, leaders and managers have implemented new monitoring systems which have improved medication administration practice. This has reduced medication errors. However, monitoring systems for accidents and incidents are not yet embedded and actions identified from fire drills are not always completed. This means that management oversight to improve the quality of care is not consistent.

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improvement to be good

There is a lack of curiosity to ensure that safe recruitment checks are completed to a satisfactory level. For example, some staff recruitment files did not clearly demonstrate that identification checks or gaps in employment had been explored fully.

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improvement to be good

All health and safety checks are up to date. However, systems to report maintenance issues are not effective, as issues are not consistently logged or monitored. This has contributed to some of the issues relating to the presentation of the home.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

The registered manager is enthusiastic, passionate and knows the strengths and weaknesses of the home. They have a development plan for the home which identifies actions to improve the quality of care provided to children. Senior staff model good practice and help to ensure that there is a shared ethos and that children are cared for consistently in line with the home’s statement of purpose.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

The registered manager and staff work effectively in partnership with parents and external professionals. Feedback from parents and external professionals, such as social workers, is positive regarding communication and partnership working. One social worker said, ‘Information-sharing is so good. Staff attend meetings and send monthly reports that show photos of the children having fun.’

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

The home is in the process of changing its records to an online system. This has inhibited monitoring of records and of management oversight. However, the registered manager does demonstrate that she has relevant knowledge and that health and safety issues are discussed in team meetings to reflect on practice.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

Staff feel positive about the support provided by the registered manager and senior staff. Staff receive regular and effective supervision that is further enhanced by regular team meetings and team-building days, which have supported staff to feel Inspection report for children's home: SC424089 5 valued. Furthermore, new staff feel supported through the induction and probation process. This gives staff a sense of value and morale is high.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

Despite the challenges of maintaining a full complement of staff, senior managers have taken action to ensure that there are sufficient staff on duty to meet children’s needs. When sufficiency of staff has become a particular challenge, changes to admissions and occupancy rates have been made to ensure that safe care is maintained.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

Staff show sensitivity when managing the arrival of new children into the home and provide support to families well. For instance, children visit for tea before their overnight stays. One parent said, ‘Staff have been so supportive and understanding. I am reassured that I can call the home whenever I need.’ Inspection report for children's home: SC424089 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, The 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 the registered manager has oversight of incident and accident records, maintenance logs and fire drills. 30 June 2023

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Requirement Due date

The registered person must recruit staff using recruitment procedures that are designed to ensure children’s safety.

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Requirement Due date

full and satisfactory information is available in relation to the individual in respect of each of the matters in Schedule 2. (Regulation 32 (1) (3)(d))

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Requirement Due date

In particular, ensure that there are satisfactory explanations for gaps in employment, that proof of identification and the original Disclosure and Barring Service certificate are seen and that references are verified. 30 June 2023

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Requirement Due date

The registered person must notify HMCI and each other relevant person without delay if— there is any [other] incident relating to a child which the registered person considers to be serious. (Regulation 40 (4)(e)) 30 June 2023 Inspection report for children's home: SC424089 7

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Recommendation

 The registered person should ensure that the children’s home is a nurturing and homely environment. (‘Guide to the Children’s Homes Regulations, including the quality standards’, page 15, paragraph 3.9)

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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: SC424089 8

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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

Hannah Cox, Social Care Inspector Faye McCarthy, Social Care Inspector Inspection report for children's home: SC424089 9 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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Inspectors

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Inspectors

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Inspectors

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