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

Inspection report for children's home: 2786401 1 OFSTED USE ONLY

p.1

Registered provider: Action for Children Services Ltd

p.1

Inspected under the social care common inspection framework

p.1

Information about this children’s home

This is a short-breaks service for disabled children run by a national charity. The home can care for up to four children at any one time.

p.1

Information about this children’s home

At the time of the inspection, 18 children were accessing the service. Three children were staying there during the inspection.

p.1

Information about this children’s home

The manager has applied to register with Ofsted.

p.1

Overall experiences and progress of

children and young people, taking into account

p.1

requires improvement to be good

How well children and young people are helped and protected requires improvement to be good

p.1

requires improvement to be good

The effectiveness of leaders and managers requires improvement to be good

p.1

requires improvement to be good

The children’s home is not yet delivering good help and care for children and young people. However, there are no serious or widespread failures that result in their welfare not being safeguarded or promoted.

p.1

requires improvement to be good

Date of last inspection: 2 September 2024

p.1

requires improvement to be good

Overall judgement at last inspection: good

p.1

requires improvement to be good

Enforcement action since last inspection: none Inspection report for children's home: 2786401 2 OFSTED USE ONLY

p.1

Inspection date Inspection type Inspection judgement

02/09/2024 Full Good Inspection report for children's home: 2786401 3 OFSTED USE ONLY

p.2

improvement to be good

Children are happy and relaxed at the home. Staff provide nurturing care and are committed to supporting children’s well-being. However, there are some gaps in the consistency and effectiveness of care practice. Staff lack clarity about how to manage the broader developmental needs of the children, and there is insufficient structure or planning for after-school activities, resulting in limited opportunities for children to have a range of social experiences.

p.3

improvement to be good

When children are moving on to adult services, managers and staff do not get involved in planning their moves to their next placement. This is a missed opportunity to make sure that children receive the support that they need to help the move go smoothly.

p.3

improvement to be good

Children’s care plans are inconsistent in quality. Some information about children is poorly recorded and includes negative language, with typographical errors indicating a lack of care and consideration of the child’s needs. For one child, inappropriate comments were displayed on a ‘celebration board’ in a public area, undermining the child’s success.

p.3

improvement to be good

Children’s wishes and feelings are not routinely captured using communication aids. Additionally, there is no independent advocacy service for children, to help them have a say in decisions that affect their lives.

p.3

improvement to be good

Renovation of the communal areas is under way. However, the children’s bedrooms lack personalisation, and one bedroom had an extra bed in, cluttered with items on top. This detracts from an otherwise homely and child-centred environment.

p.3

improvement to be good

Staff are attentive to children’s health needs, ensuring medications are administered safely. Children’s personal care is delivered with sensitivity, and staff are mindful of children’s emotional responses during personal care routines.

p.3

improvement to be good

Staff do not demonstrate good awareness of how to safeguard children. In one example, a child had a suspected injury, but staff did not take appropriate steps to ensure that the child was not at risk of harm. Once the independent person identified this issue, supervision and reflective practice sessions were held with the member of staff involved and all staff received additional safeguarding training. Despite this, records do not demonstrate how their improved knowledge translates into practice. Incident records do not provide a clear description of events or any steps that will be taken to reduce the risk of a recurrence. Inspection report for children's home: 2786401 4 OFSTED USE ONLY

p.3

improvement to be good

Risk assessments do not provide sufficient information to reliably inform staff how to support children who are distressed. Additionally, when incidents occur, managers’ response is poor. For example, a staff member was hurt during an incident, but no reparative work took place to help the child understand the impact of their behaviour.

p.4

improvement to be good

To ensure their safety, some children are monitored at night using video and audio devices. There is insufficient evidence to demonstrate that attempts have been made to gather children’s views and consent to use such devices, or whether the impact on their emotional well-being has been considered.

p.4

improvement to be good

Some children have equipment that restricts their liberty, for example, one child uses a chair that keeps them in a good position for feeding, and other children use ‘safe space’ beds. Decisions to use this equipment are made with children’s safety and best interests in mind. However, not all children’s plans demonstrate that these decisions are in line with children’s wishes and are subject to regular and meaningful review.

p.4

The effectiveness of leaders and managers: requires improvement to be good

Leaders and managers understand the strengths and weaknesses in their staff team. They have taken appropriate steps to try and change the culture of the home and end some outdated practice. However, the strategies implemented to date have not been wholly successful because of resistance by some staff.

p.4

The effectiveness of leaders and managers: requires improvement to be good

Appropriate training and supervision sessions are taking place regularly, including targeted single-subject supervisions when things do not go to plan. However, these have not translated into improvements in practice or outcomes for children.

p.4

The effectiveness of leaders and managers: requires improvement to be good

Not all staff demonstrate motivation and commitment to ensuring that children receive consistently high-quality care. Additionally, there is a lack of cohesive working in the leadership team. While individuals are fulfilling their roles, the absence of a unified approach leads to inconsistent practice.

p.4

The effectiveness of leaders and managers: requires improvement to be good

Staff do not fully understand and implement children’s care plans, which means that children do not receive predictable support. Additionally, outcomes from meetings with children’s wider networks are not always recorded or shared with the staff team. This has a negative effect on the continuity of care provided to children.

p.4

The effectiveness of leaders and managers: requires improvement to be good

Leaders and managers are not making effective use of feedback they receive from relevant parties to inform development of the service. Although areas for improvement have been identified, there are no clear or actionable plans in place to enhance the experiences of children. Inspection report for children's home: 2786401 5 OFSTED USE ONLY

p.4

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.

p.5

Requirement Due date

The care planning standard is that children—

p.5

Requirement Due date

receive effectively planned care in or through the children’s home; and

p.5

Requirement Due date

have a positive experience of arriving at or moving on from the home.

p.5

Requirement Due date

In particular, the standard in paragraph (1) requires the registered person to ensure—

p.5

Requirement Due date

manage and review the placement of each child in the home; and

p.5

Requirement Due date

plan for, and help, each child to prepare to leave the home or to move into adult care in a way that is consistent with arrangements agreed with the child’s placing authority;

p.5

Requirement Due date

that each child’s relevant plans are followed. (Regulation 14 (1)(a)(b) (2)(b)(ii)(iii)(c)) 20 January 2026

p.5

Requirement Due date

The protection of children standard is that children are protected from harm and enabled to keep themselves safe.

p.5

Requirement Due date

In particular, the standard in paragraph (1) requires the registered person to ensure—

p.5

Requirement Due date

assess whether each child is at risk of harm, taking into account information in the child’s relevant plans, and, if necessary, make arrangements to reduce the risk of any harm to the child;

p.5

Requirement Due date

help each child to understand how to keep safe; 20 January 2026 Inspection report for children's home: 2786401 6 OFSTED USE ONLY

p.5

Requirement Due date

have the skills to identify and act upon signs that a child is at risk of harm;

p.6

Requirement Due date

understand the roles and responsibilities in relation to protecting children that are assigned to them by the registered person;

p.6

Requirement Due date

take effective action whenever there is a serious concern about a child’s welfare; and

p.6

Requirement Due date

are familiar with, and act in accordance with, the home’s child protection policies. (Regulation 12 (1) (2)(a)(i)(ii)(iii)(v)(vi)(vii))

p.6

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—

p.6

Requirement Due date

helps children aspire to fulfil their potential; and

p.6

Requirement Due date

In particular, the standard in paragraph (1) requires the registered person to—

p.6

Requirement Due date

lead and manage the home in a way that is consistent with the approach and ethos, and delivers the outcomes, set out in the home’s statement of purpose;

p.6

Requirement Due date

ensure that staff work as a team where appropriate;

p.6

Requirement Due date

ensure that staff have the experience, qualifications and skills to meet the needs of each child;

p.6

Requirement Due date

ensure that the home’s workforce provides continuity of care to each child;

p.6

Requirement Due date

understand the impact that the quality of care provided in the home is having on the progress and experiences of each child and use this understanding to inform the development of the quality of care provided in the home;

p.6

Requirement Due date

demonstrate that practice in the home is informed and improved by taking into account and acting on—

p.6

Requirement Due date

feedback on the experiences of children, including complaints received; and 20 January 2026 Inspection report for children's home: 2786401 7 OFSTED USE ONLY

p.6

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)(a)(b)(c)(e)(f)(g)(ii)(h))

p.7

Requirement Due date

The children’s views, wishes and feelings standard is that children receive care from staff who—

p.7

Requirement Due date

develop positive relationships with them;

p.7

Requirement Due date

take their views, wishes and feelings into account in relation to matters affecting the children’s care and welfare and their lives.

p.7

Requirement Due date

In particular, the standard in paragraph (1) requires the registered person to—

p.7

Requirement Due date

ascertain and consider each child’s views, wishes and feelings, and balance these against what they judge to be in the child’s best interests when making decisions about the child’s care and welfare;

p.7

Requirement Due date

help each child to express views, wishes and feelings;

p.7

Requirement Due date

help each child to understand how the child’s views, wishes and feelings have been taken into account and give the child reasons for decisions in relation to the child;

p.7

Requirement Due date

regularly consult children, and seek their feedback, about the quality of the home’s care;

p.7

Requirement Due date

help each child to understand how the child’s privacy will be respected and the circumstances when it may have to be limited;

p.7

Requirement Due date

help each child to prepare for any review of the child’s relevant plans and to make the child’s views, wishes and feelings known for the purposes of that review; and

p.7

Requirement Due date

make each child aware of and, if necessary, remind them of each of the matters in sub-paragraph (d)(i) to (iii);

p.7

Requirement Due date

ensure that each child— 20 January 2026 Inspection report for children's home: 2786401 8 OFSTED USE ONLY

p.7

Requirement Due date

is enabled to provide feedback to, and raise issues with, a relevant person about the support and services that the child receives;

p.8

Requirement Due date

keep the children’s guide and the home’s complaints procedure under review and seek children’s comments before revising either document;

p.8

Requirement Due date

ensure that an explanation is given to each child as soon as reasonably practicable after the child’s arrival about—

p.8

Requirement Due date

how to make a complaint or representations in relation to the home or the care the child receives and how any such complaint or representations will be dealt with; and

p.8

Requirement Due date

what advocacy support or services are available to the child, how the child may access that support or those services and any entitlement the child may have to independent advocacy provision; and

p.8

Requirement Due date

ensure that the views of each relevant person are taken into account, so far as reasonably practicable, before making a decision about the care or welfare of a child. (Regulation 7 (1)(a)(b)(c) (2)(a)(i)(ii)(iii)(iv)(v)(vi)(vii)(b)(i)(iii)(c)(d)(i)(ii)(iii)(e))

p.8

Requirement Due date

any limitation placed on a child’s privacy or access to any area of the home’s premises—

p.8

Requirement Due date

is intended to safeguard each child accommodated in the home;

p.8

Requirement Due date

is kept under review and, if necessary, revised; and

p.8

Requirement Due date

allows children as much freedom as is possible when balanced against the need to protect them and keep them safe. (Regulation 21 (c)(i)(ii)(iii)(iv)) 20 January 2026 Inspection report for children's home: 2786401 9 OFSTED USE ONLY

p.8

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: 2786401 10 OFSTED USE ONLY

p.9

Children’s home details

Registered provider: Action for Children Services Ltd

p.10

Children’s home details

Registered provider address: Action for Children, 3 The Boulevard, Ascot Road Watford WD18 8AG

p.10

Children’s home details

Responsible individual: Charlotte Jorgensen

p.10

Inspector

Shaheda Dhandia, Social Care Inspector Inspection report for children's home: 2786401 11 OFSTED USE ONLY

p.10

Inspector

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.

p.11

Inspector

If you would like a copy of this document in a different format, such as large print or Braille, please telephone 0300 123 1231, or email enquiries@ofsted.gov.uk . You may reuse this information (not including logos) free of charge in any format or medium, under the terms of the Open Government Licence. To view this licence, visit www.nationalarchives.gov.uk/doc/open-government-licence , write to the Information Policy Team, The National Archives, Kew, London TW9 4DU, or email: psi@nationalarchives.gsi.gov.uk .

p.11

Inspector

Interested in our work? You can subscribe to our monthly newsletter for more information and updates: http://eepurl.com/iTrDn .

p.11

Inspector

T: 0300 123 1231 Textphone: 0161 618 8524 E: enquiries@ofsted.gov.uk W: www.gov.uk/ofsted

p.11