Children's home run by Action for Children Services Ltd

Inspection report for children’s home: 2786407 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 is a short-breaks service run by a national charitable organisation. The home can care for up to six 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. There were three children staying in the home at the time of inspection.

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Information about this children’s home

The manager registered with Ofsted in September 2024.

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Information about this children’s home

This is the first inspection after registration.

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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

Date of last inspection: not previously inspected

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good

Overall judgement at last inspection: not applicable

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good

Enforcement action since last inspection: not applicable Inspection report children’s home: 2786407 2

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Children are cared for by a committed and enthusiastic team of staff who know them exceptionally well. Staff interactions with children are warm and nurturing. Children can find find changes extremely difficult to adjust to.. However, the dedication of staff to ensure any change is managed in the best interest of children is evident. For example, due to health and safety, the home had to close for a short period; children’s care was of paramount importance, and children were supported to return to the home seamlessly.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Children enjoy coming to stay at the home, which has a particularly child-centred feel throughout. One social worker said, ‘[Name of child] loves their stays and has a big smile on their face when you talk about the home and when they know they are going for a stay.’

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

There are various photos of children enjoying activities displayed on the walls throughout the home, and there is a very positive vibe in the home. This is important when providing a welcoming home for children when they arrive for their stays. Staff help children to personalise their own bedroom, guided by the principle of providing ‘a home from home’.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Children make good progress, and this is beautifully captured on their ‘Wow wall’. This records the little moments and successes of each child. These are shared with parents, and progress is celebrated by everyone. Children are supported by staff to take part in a range of fun activities. They are helped to understand what to expect from their stays through a detailed, child-friendly booklet.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Staff encourage children to try new experiences to ensure that they develop new skills and broaden their understanding. Children are also helped to improve their social skills and gain confidence in improving their personal care and other skills, such as carrying out household chores. Children are supported to try new things, such as gardening, cooking, and art and crafts. This helps children to enjoy new experiences and interests.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Staff have the tools to communicate with children, some of whom have no verbal communication. Symbols, choice boards, and emotion boards are around the home. However, these are not used consistently by staff, meaning there are missed opportunities to give children choice and understand their views. views.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Children’s education has been supported well through the good links staff have made with school staff. Staff regularly attend school meetings and advocate well for children. Staff understand the health needs of each child. Working with health services, staff provide effective support for children who have a complex range of health needs. The Inspection report children’s home: 2786407 3 sharing of information, concerns and progress enables a consistent approach to the care of children.

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

A robust contingency plan ensured children were safe and supported when the home closed due to a sewage flood.. All works were completed swiftly and to a high standard to ensure the home could reopen to children without delay.

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

Staff understand children’s individual risks well. Staff are in the process of making changes and moving to an online system for children’s records. Plans are child-centred and specific to each child’s individual needs.

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

Staff are knowledgeable about their safeguarding responsibilities. They demonstrate a good awareness of what they would do if they had concerns about a child. Staff are also clear about how they would escalate concerns both internally and with external agencies.

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

The registered manager and senior staff ensure that all children are well matched when staying at the home. As a result, there are few incidents, there is no use of restraint and children do not go missing from the home. Incidents that do occur are well documented, and the manager ensures that staff learn from these. This keeps children increasingly safe.

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

Health and safety checks, such as fire checks and food checks, are completed regularly. Children have individualised personal emergency evacuation plans that identify their medical and care needs. The plans include details of how children’s needs could affect their access and exit from the home in the event of an emergency. However, records of fire drills are not clear and do not detail which staff and children have been involved, and full evacuations are not always completed.

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

The organisation uses safer recruitment procedures effectively when employing new staff. Staff who work in the home have been suitably checked. This helps to promote the safety of children.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

The manager has recently had her interview to register with Ofsted. She demonstrates a firm commitment to the home and is a strong advocate for the children. Staff are extremely positive about teamwork. One member of staff said, ‘We care so much and want to work to encourage positive outcomes and achievements for the young people. I believe are passion and commitment is admirable, and I am proud to be part of such a dedicated team.’ Inspection report children’s home: 2786407 4 The area manager and responsible individual support the registered manager to put the vision for the home into practice. The home’s development plan has been written in detail and shared with staff, giving them ownership of improvements to develop the home, the quality of care and high expectations for what all children can achieve.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

The registered manager is reflective and has used feedback to inform practice. The monitoring of the quality of care has helped to inform the development plan. The overview of the care and progress are excellent. The independent person provides effective challenge, and the registered manager swiftly addresses any concerns. This ensures continual improvement.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

Staff have developed relationships with children’s families and carers that are very positive. It is evident that the staff who care for the children are committed to working collaboratively with families. This helps them to gain a meaningful understanding of each child’s individual needs, which are met effectively as a result. Parents are consistently positive about their children’s experiences at the home. They particularly appreciate the care provided by staff, with one parent describing the staff team as ‘phenomenal’.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

The staff team feels supported by the registered manager and senior leaders. Supervision and training are strong and enable staff to develop well in their individual roles. This is further enhanced by monthly team days, giving opportunities to reflect on practice and improve the experiences and care of children. The leadership of the home enables a cohesive team approach to the quality of care. One parent said, ‘The registered manager goes above and beyond advocating for [name of child]. She is dynamic, friendly and very positive, as are all the staff.’ Inspection report children’s home: 2786407 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, 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

After consultation with the fire and rescue authority, the registered person must —

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Requirement Due date

ensure, by means of fire drills and practices at suitable intervals, that persons working at the home and, so far as reasonably practicable, children are aware of the procedure to be followed in case of fire. (Regulation 25 (1)(d))

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Requirement Due date

In particular, ensure records are accurate and staff and children take part in full evacuations as part of a fire drill. 8 November 2024

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Recommendation

 The registered person should work in partnership with relevant people as appropriate to ensure that each child is provided with support (appropriate to their age and understanding) to communicate their views, wishes and feelings and participate as fully as possible in all aspects of their care planning and daily care. This may include the use of and support to use communication aids, equipment and/or any necessary language support. (‘Guide to the Children’s Homes Regulations, including the quality standards’, page 22, paragraph 4.6)

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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 children’s home: 2786407 6

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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 WD18 8AG

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Inspector

Hannah Cox, Social Care Inspector Inspection report children’s home: 2786407 7 regulates and inspects 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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