Children's home run by Action for Children Services Ltd

Inspection report for children’s home: 2737040 1 Registered provider: Action For Children Services Ltd

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Full inspection Inspected under the social care common inspection framework

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Information about this children’s home

The home is owned and managed by a children’s charity. It provides care for up to four children who may have social and emotional difficulties.

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Information about this children’s home

The manager was registered with Ofsted in July 2023.

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Information about this children’s home

There were three children living at the home at the time of this inspection. The inspector spoke to all three children.

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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 outstanding

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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: 2737040 2

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Inspection date Inspection type Inspection judgement

12/03/2024 Full Good Inspection report for children’s home: 2737040 3

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Staff ensure that children experience personalised care aligned to their care plans. Staff make moving into the home a positive and enjoyable experience for children. They provide consistent and structured day and nighttime routines. This helps children to adapt and settle quickly in their new home.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Children attend school regularly. Staff provide a lot of learning opportunities for the children at home. They work well with schools to ensure that they consistently support the children’s additional needs. This has helped children to progress in their reading and writing.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Staff help the children to keep memory boxes, and their achievements are displayed throughout the home. These photos and memorises demonstrate that children have enjoyable experiences and make progress in all aspects of their lives.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Staff effectively meet the children’s health needs. The promotion of a healthy diet and healthy snacks has had a positive effect on the children’s well-being. Children thoroughly enjoy a variety of activities, for example dance challenges and going for walks. This helps the children to keep fit and maintain healthy weight. Professionals speak highly of the positive progress children make in their health, and they credit staff’s efforts for the positive changes.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

The manager and staff work well with professionals. They challenge decisions made by others when they are not working well for the children. The manager and staff support family time, providing supervision when required. When family time is not working well, the manager is effective in communicating the concerns. This helps the children to enjoy safe and meaningful time with their family.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Children live in a welcoming and homely environment. Décor is kept to a good standard. Staff provide children with opportunities to make bedrooms their own individual spaces. However, one child’s bedroom has not been personalised to suit their wishes and interests. This has an impact on children developing a sense of belonging in the home.

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

Children say they feel safe. They are happy and like the ‘grown-ups’ who care for them. Staff develop warm and trusting relationships with children. They understand that children communicate their feelings through their behaviour. They help children learn how their actions impact on others and how to manage their feelings better. Children feel loved from staff’s kind and consistent responses to their needs.

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

The manager completes comprehensive risk assessments when children come to live in the home. She effectively communicates the help and support children need and how Inspection report for children’s home: 2737040 4 staff can achieve this. Behaviour support plans are robust. Staff also receive input from the clinical support team to help them learn about the children’s complex needs. They understand the children’s risks and the impact the children’s early life has on their day- to-day experiences. This helps children to feel safe, secure and well cared about.

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

Leaders and managers treat allegations seriously. Investigations are thorough and include the views of the children. Additionally, the manager ensures that accurate and timely recording of incidents are completed. Staff and children receive debriefs following incidents, and the manager provides the children with outcomes in writing. This helps the children to know that any concerns they raise will be safely resolved.

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

Staff regularly hold children to keep them safe. They are skilful at responding to negative behaviours that are difficulty to manage. Detailed incidents records enable the manager to review each incident to assess whether the use of physical intervention was proportionate. The manager and staff make timely notifications of incidents to the relevant professionals and parents. This demonstrates effective safeguarding practice.

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

The manager uses safe recruitment practices when employing new staff to work at the home. New staff experience a robust induction programme and an intensive training schedule. This ensures that staff are skilled and able to provide care and help that is sensitive to the children’s needs.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: outstanding

The manager is highly skilled and provides excellent leadership to the team. She seeks independent scrutiny of the home and makes excellent use of the recommendations made by the independent visitor. The manager’s own quality assurance systems ensure that she has a comprehensive oversight of the home. This includes the development of a safeguarding tracker that helps the manager to maintain rigorous oversight of how children are helped and protected.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: outstanding

The manager’s innovative and creative practice has developed several excellent support systems for children. For example, the manager resourced a pictorial, interactive children’s guide with a voice-over from staff that is unique to the children in the home. Additionally, the manager developed a ‘tell a grown up’ tool to help children to communicate their feelings better.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: outstanding

There is a culture of high aspiration at this home. Staff feel very well supported and describe the greatest strength of the home to be management support. They benefit from research-based practice resources, which are promoted by the manager and are aimed at developing their knowledge and skills. Staff enjoy working in the home and hold a shared commitment to making a difference to the lives of the children. As a result, children experience consistent care from highly enthused staff.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: outstanding

Staff receive regular practice-related supervision. Sessions are reflective and focus on the progress children make and staff’s well-being and development. Team meetings are well attended, and staff are encouraged to reflect on their practice and offer suggestions Inspection report for children’s home: 2737040 5 how to improve any shortfalls. The manager introduced additional mentoring support, so staff receive constant practice-related support. As a result, staff feel motivated, supported and valued. Inspection report for children’s home: 2737040 6

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Recommendations

 The registered person should ensure that the home is a nurturing, homely, domestic environment. In particular, that children’s bedrooms are personalised. (‘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 standard’. Inspection report for children’s home: 2737040 7

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Children’s home details

Registered provider: Action For Children Services Ltd

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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

Tenji Wesa, Social Care Inspector Inspection report for children’s home: 2737040 8 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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