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 Services Ltd 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 impairments 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 complex behaviours associated with their disabilities, and the other is for children who require some degree of medical care. The home provides care for up to 14 children. However, the needs of the children mean that occupancy rarely reaches this level. The home provides a service for 21 children in total.

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Information about this children’s home

At the time of this inspection, 5 children were staying at the home.

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Information about this children’s home

The manager registered with Ofsted in October 2016.

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Overall experiences and progress of

children and young people, taking into account

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requires improvement to be good

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

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requires improvement to be good

The effectiveness of leaders and managers requires improvement to be good

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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.

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requires improvement to be good

Overall judgement at last inspection: good

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requires improvement to be 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

01/07/2024 Full Good 17/05/2023 Full Good 24/05/2022 Full Good 17/08/2021 Full Good Inspection report for children’s home: SC424089 3

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improvement to be good

Children’s physical and medical needs are met well. Staff demonstrate a good understanding of these needs, ensuring that children are comfortable and happy. They engage children in a range of activities, such as arts and crafts, which promotes enjoyment and creativity.

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improvement to be good

The home environment is welcoming, and efforts are made to personalise children’s bedrooms. Children can usually access the same room during each visit, which supports consistency and familiarity.

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improvement to be good

Staff set realistic goals aligned with children’s education, health and care plans, helping to promote progress in some areas. However, staff do not consistently meet children’s emotional needs; they primarily focus on the physical needs that are associated with the children’s disabilities.

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improvement to be good

Children’s experiences are variable; staff are not sufficiently familiar with children’s individual care plans and are therefore not fully attuned to their needs. This leads to missed opportunities to support children’s progress and affects the consistency of care.

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improvement to be good

Some of the children’s care plans and risk assessments provide clear guidance, although staff do not always follow these plans. For example, one child, who requires support to manage sensory needs, was not guided appropriately, resulting in increased distress and a disrupted sleeping pattern. Feedback from the parent confirms that the strategies outlined in the care plan are effective when implemented, but staff have failed to apply them.

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improvement to be good

Children have safety plans, but staff do not consistently follow them. For example, one child’s plan clearly outlines strategies to manage sensory needs and independence skills. However, staff allowed them to engage in activities that were known to increase distress.

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improvement to be good

Another child’s positive behaviour management plan is ineffective in the home. While their school reports that the strategies are successful, they are not implemented consistently by staff, despite staff observing the child at school.

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improvement to be good

Records of restrictive physical interventions and incidents are maintained, but they lack meaningful analysis or evidence of learning. Comments such as ‘it is known behaviour’ and ‘nothing more could be done’ indicate a failure to use incidents as opportunities to reflect and adapt strategies. This results in repeated patterns of ineffective practice and missed opportunities to improve children’s experiences. Inspection report for children’s home: SC424089 4 Staff do not consistently identify alternative approaches to support children and help them feel comfortable. There is limited proactive engagement with care plans and emotional regulation strategies. For example, incidents of self-harming behaviours are recorded, but insufficient attention is given to addressing these needs to reduce the behaviours. This lack of focused intervention results in missed opportunities to improve children’s emotional well-being and safety.

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improvement to be good

Safety planning is in place for children who use specialist equipment, and these plans are developed with external agencies. However, review dates are not scheduled, which limits ongoing oversight of safety arrangements.

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improvement to be good

When medication errors occur, leaders act promptly to investigate and reduce future risks. Guidance and protocols are reviewed, and staff receive additional training if necessary.

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

Leaders and managers have established some foundations for effective practice; however, key weaknesses limit their overall impact. Although staff have received relevant training, managers have not ensured that learning is consistently embedded in daily practice.

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

Supervision sessions take place regularly, but they do not sufficiently focus on monitoring staff development or evaluating the effectiveness of training. As a result, gaps in staff knowledge and practice remain unaddressed.

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

There is inconsistency in staff accountability. The lack of consistent expectations from the manager leads to variable standards of care and missed opportunities to support children’s progress.

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

Managers have not provided enough direction to ensure that staff feel confident and equipped to support children when they become distressed. On occasions, when children are showing signs of distress, staff lack the confidence or strategies to manage these situations and rely on calling parents to collect the children, rather than using agreed supportive approaches.

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

Record-keeping systems are not monitored effectively by leaders. Children’s records lack detail about their daily lives, achievements and progress. Despite staff receiving training, managers have not ensured that improvements are sustained or that staff are supported to implement good recording practices consistently.

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

The absence of important personal information, such as children’s ethnicity, further reflects weaknesses in management oversight and affects the accuracy of children’s profiles. Inspection report for children’s home: SC424089 5 Despite these shortfalls, leaders and managers respond appropriately to complaints. They take concerns seriously, carry out thorough investigations, and support parents to access advocacy services when required. Their approach helps to ensure that parents feel heard and that resolutions are reasonable and timely.

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

The manager ensures that the home environment is well maintained, safe and welcoming. This provides a positive physical environment for children and demonstrates the manager’s commitment to creating a homely setting. 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

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;

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Requirement Due date

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

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Requirement Due date

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

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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;

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Requirement Due date

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

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Requirement Due date

research and developments in relation to the ways in which the needs of children are best met; and

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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)(a)(c)(e)(f)(g)(i)(h)) 20 June 2026 Inspection report for children’s home: SC424089 7 In particular, ensure that children’s records are monitored and kept up to date, and identify the learning from incidents.

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Requirement Due date

In particular, that consideration is given for staff to receive training regarding the communication needs of children, and how this is implemented when supporting children.

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Requirement Due date

In particular, the registered person should support staff to be ambitious for every child in the home and record progress of children’s achievements in line with their care plan.

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Requirement Due date

The quality and purpose of care standard is that children receive care from staff who—

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Requirement Due date

understand the children’s home’s overall aims and the outcomes it seeks to achieve for children;

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Requirement Due date

use this understanding to deliver care that meets children’s needs and supports them to fulfil their potential.

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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

understand and apply the home’s statement of purpose;

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Requirement Due date

understand and apply the home’s statement of purpose; protect and promote each child’s welfare;

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Requirement Due date

provide personalised care that meets each child’s needs, as recorded in the child’s relevant plans, taking account of the child’s background;

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Requirement Due date

provide to children living in the home the physical necessities they need in order to live there comfortably;

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Requirement Due date

provide to children personal items that are appropriate for their age and understanding; and

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Requirement Due date

make decisions about the day-to-day arrangements for each child, in accordance with the child’s relevant plans, which give the child an appropriate degree of freedom and choice. (Regulation 6 (1)(a)(b) (2)(a)(b)(i)(ii)(iv)(vii)(viii)(ix)) 20 June 2026

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Requirement Due date

The protection of children standard is that children are protected from harm and enabled to keep themselves safe. 20 June 2026 Inspection report for children’s home: SC424089 8 In particular, the standard in paragraph (1) requires the registered person to ensure—

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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;

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Requirement Due date

help each child to understand how to keep safe;

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Requirement Due date

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

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Requirement Due date

manage relationships between children to prevent them from harming each other;

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Requirement Due date

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

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Requirement Due date

that the home’s day-to-day care is arranged and delivered so as to keep each child safe and to protect each child effectively from harm. (Regulation 12 (1) (2)(a)(i)(ii)(iv)(v)(b))

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Requirement Due date

The positive relationships standard is that children are helped to develop, and to benefit from, relationships based on—

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Requirement Due date

an understanding about acceptable behaviour;

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Requirement Due date

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

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Requirement Due date

meet each child’s behavioural and emotional needs, as set out in the child’s relevant plans;

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Requirement Due date

help each child to develop socially aware behaviour;

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Requirement Due date

encourage each child to take responsibility for the child’s behaviour, in accordance with the child’s age and understanding; 20 June 2026 Inspection report for children’s home: SC424089 9 help each child to develop and practise skills to resolve conflicts positively and without harm to anyone;

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Requirement Due date

communicate to each child expectations about the child’s behaviour and ensure that the child understands those expectations in accordance with the child’s age and understanding. (Regulation 11 (1)(a)(b) (2)(a)(i)(ii)(iii)(iv)(v))

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Requirement Due date

The care planning standard is that children—

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Requirement Due date

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

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Requirement Due date

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

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Requirement Due date

that each child’s relevant plans are followed. (Regulation 14 (1)(a) (2)(c))

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Requirement Due date

In particular, the registered person should have access to children’s care plans following each review to ensure that each child’s relevant care plan is followed. 20 June 2026

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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 10

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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: 3 The Boulevard, Ascot Road Watford WD18 8AG

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Inspector

Shaheda Dhandia, Social Care Inspector Inspection report for children’s home: SC424089 11 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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