Children's home run by Action for Children in Watford

Inspection report for children’s home: SC020675 1 SC020675 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

The home is operated by a charitable organisation. It is registered to provide care for children who have special educational needs and/or disabilities. This is for up to three children to live permanently at the home and for one child to stay for short breaks.

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Information about this children’s home

There is a permanent registered manager, who is suitably experienced and qualified.

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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 outstanding

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outstanding

The effectiveness of leaders and managers outstanding

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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: 14 February 2023

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outstanding

Overall judgement at last inspection: good

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outstanding

Enforcement action since last inspection: none Inspection report for children’s home: SC020675 2

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Inspection date Inspection type Inspection judgement

14/02/2023 Full Good 16/11/2021 Full Good 05/03/2020 Interim Improved effectiveness 21/05/2019 Full Good Inspection report for children’s home: SC020675 3

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outstanding

Three children live in this home full time, and one child stays for short breaks and has their own bedroom, which is not used by any other children. All the children have lived or stayed at the home for over two years, and this has been home for one of the children for over five years. The children have excellent experiences and are flourishing from having a stable home where staff provide a consistently high quality of care.

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outstanding

All children are making great progress, and staff are constantly striving to help them reach their potential. Staff help children to make small and gradual steps towards their goals. They use resources, such as creating visual aids, to help children. Staff recognise that progress looks different for each child. For one child, going into the toy shop to spend her pocket money and make a choice of what to buy was an exceptional achievement.

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outstanding

Staff are highly skilled at understanding children’s methods of communication. Communication is an area in which all children are making tangible progress. As a result, all children are developing their ability to make their needs and choices known. For example, one child who has significant communication difficulties is now able to let staff know she needs some pain relief.

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outstanding

There is a focus on children developing their life skills and independence. Staff are innovative in helping children to breakdown any barriers to achieving this. For example, they have purchased a washing basket with wheels to enable the child to independently move their laundry. Another child now regularly makes a meaningful contribution to cooking and serving meals for the household. The home is purposefully designed so that the facilities are accessible for all children. There is a genuine ethos of inclusion.

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outstanding

Staff are creative in arranging activities and trips for children. For example, over the summer holidays, each staff member plans a series of challenges for children based on a chosen theme. As a result, children have enjoyed a fun-filled summer with a vast array of activities ranging from crafts, cooking and trips out, to water play and much more. Staff record children’s memories of activities, trips and events in beautifully presented photo books.

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outstanding

Children have life-enhancing experiences at the home. One child’s true desire was to fly in an aeroplane. This child recently enjoyed a flight to Edinburgh, with an overnight stay and sightseeing. The pinnacle moment of his trip was an opportunity to sit in the cockpit with the pilot. The photos capture his sheer elation. Another chosen activity was camping. Two children attended a music festival, camping out and wearing traditional festival attire. This was enjoyed so much that one child has already purchased her coloured hair spray for the next festival. Inspection report for children’s home: SC020675 4 There are well-established routines at the home that ensure that all of the children’s needs are consistently met. All children attend school and enjoy this. Staff help children to spend time with their school friends. One child had a birthday party and invited her whole class. She also enjoys going to a weekly dance class with some of

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outstanding

her friends. Staff have an exceptional level of communication with teachers. This increases the consistency of children’s care. For example, school and home work on the same targets and share strategies.

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outstanding

Staff have a comprehensive understanding of children’s needs and risks. Children receive care that is planned well. This mitigates risks arising from their high level of vulnerability. Children’s plans are developed in consultation with an array of health professionals and specialists. As a result, staff manage children’s needs, arising from their disability, effectively.

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outstanding

Staff are trained and assessed to ensure competency for specialist tasks, for example enteral feeding and moving and handling. Staff are proactive in seeking specialist advice to support children’s well-being and progression.

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outstanding

Staff provide care that is highly respectful of children and promotes their dignity and privacy. For example, children’s personal care takes place in private spaces. Staff are trained in a range of safeguarding matters. They know how to respond in the event of a child being missing from home, making an allegation or making a complaint. Staff understand the importance of escalating any concern about the care of children. The manager uses scenario-based quizzes with staff. This assures her that staff are confident and have a comprehensive understanding of how to safeguard children.

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outstanding

Staff monitor children’s well-being closely. They are highly responsive to any change in appearance or behaviour. When children show signs of distress, staff intervene with planned strategies to alleviate this. Staff are in tune with children’s needs and help them to use their communication, rather than behaviours that may harm themselves or others, to express their needs. This vastly reduces any need to physically intervene to keep children safe. There has been only one incident of a child who needed to be held in the last 12 months.

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outstanding

Staff have actively sought out innovative ideas to reduce the risk to a child from their self-injurious behaviour. A staff member found a research-informed approach for sensory support, attended the training and shared this with the wider team. The child now has a bag of resources for sensory input that, when used in combination with the specifically composed music, have a calming effect and meet her sensory needs. As a result, the child’s self-injurious behaviours have notably reduced. The child recognises the benefit of this approach and will seek this out when necessary. Inspection report for children’s home: SC020675 5

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: outstanding

The registered manager leads and motivates the staff team with great enthusiasm. The manager sets a high standard and expectations for the care of children. She is an inspiration to the staff, and they mirror her enthusiasm when caring for the children. This results in a joyful atmosphere for children, and there is much fun and laughter.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: outstanding

There is a full staff team at the home. There is a mix of some staff who have worked there for several years and some newer staff. There is a high number of qualified staff, and the remainder are actively working towards this. The manager is very complimentary of the staff team, and she holds considerable trust and belief in their abilities. The manager attributes children’s progress to the high-quality care provided by staff.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: outstanding

The manager has created a culture whereby all staff are keen to bring creative ideas to help children make progress or have new experiences. For example, one staff member sought and found a ‘worry monster’ soft toy, who has a zipped mouth. This resource is used with one child who staff are helping to express their emotions. The child writes down their worries and the monster eats them away. The manager welcomes such innovative ideas.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: outstanding

Managers maintain a detailed level of oversight at the home, reviewing all records on a weekly basis. The manager is very organised and uses the available resources, such as business support and senior staff, to enable her to complete all the necessary management tasks. The manager welcomes external monitoring and approaches this with an openness, taking on board all feedback and advice for development.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: outstanding

Consultation with children is at the very centre of their care. Staff have received specialist training about learning disabilities. Staff can articulate the learning they gained from this, for example the importance of truly listening to children. Approaches to children’s consultation are regularly being updated to maximise children’s opportunities to make choices and express their views and wishes. The manager seeks input from children when preparing for staff team meetings, so they help shape the discussions about their home and care.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: outstanding

The home environment is a pleasant and comfortable space for children. Specialist equipment is available, so children’s needs are safely met. This is very much the children’s home; the walls display an array of children’s photos, artwork and certificates. The manager has developed an art project whereby staff write a positive comment to a child, and this is displayed in heart shapes decorating the wall, for example saying ‘I love your bright smile,’ and ‘I like it when you sing.’ The staff value the children greatly.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: outstanding

The home is very much part of the community. The children get invited to local events and exchange Christmas cards with their neighbours. The manager and staff Inspection report for children’s home: SC020675 6 are aspirational for the children and work collaboratively to help children thrive and achieve.

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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: SC020675 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

Alison Snell, Social Care Inspector Inspection report for children’s home: SC020675 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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