Children's Home run by Progress Children’s Services Ltd in Walsall

Unique reference number SC038526 Inspector Jo Stephenson Type of inspection Full Provision subtype Children's home

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Registered person Progress Children's Services Ltd Registered person address Progress House, 127 Millfields Road Wolverhampton West Midlands WV4 6JG Responsible individual Claire Elizabeth Louise Haynes Registered manager Margaret Mary Hopkins Date of last inspection 18/02/2014 2 of 11 Inspection date 04/11/2014

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Previous inspection good progress Enforcement action since last inspection none

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Overall effectiveness good

Outcomes for children and young people good Quality of care good Keeping children and young people safe good Leadership and management good

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Overall effectiveness

The home provides a welcoming and nurturing environment that supports the extremely complex needs of young people. Staff deliver personalised care that is tailored to meet young people’s individual needs. They ensue that young people have detailed internal plans in place that identify their specific support needs, vulnerabilities and complex health needs. As a result, young people receive good quality care that promotes their safety and welfare. Nevertheless, young people’s case files do not include all necessary documentation. For example, staff do not ensure that minutes of statutory review meetings are available on case files. This does not have a negative impact because the Registered Manager ensures that internal care plans are updated following each review. However, a requirement has been made to address this shortfall.

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Overall effectiveness

Staff use a range of non-verbal communication skills to identify the opinions and thoughts of young people. For example, when young people are unable to communicate verbally or use alternative communication systems, staff monitor the facial expressions and eye movements of young people to ascertain any changes to their moods. This means that staff are able to response effectively to the needs of young people and this helps ensure that young people are safe and protected in the home. 3 of 11 Young people enjoy positive relationships with staff. One young person said, ‘I like staff very much’. Staff provide young people with the one-to-one care and support they need. As a result, young people are relaxed in the company of staff and respond positively to the sensory stimulation that staff provide.

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Overall effectiveness

Monitoring systems are in place to continually review positive outcomes for young people and the quality of care provided by the service. The Registered Manager seeks regular feedback from young people, their families and the placing authority. This shapes the development of the home and recognises strengths and areas for improvement. Nevertheless, this feedback is not incorporated into formal documents that review the quality of care in the home. Although this shortfall does not have a detrimental impact on young people; a requirement has been made to address this issue. Furthermore, the Statement of Purpose does not specify the age range of the young people that the home may provide a service for. This means that the regulator is unable to review whether the environment is capable of providing a suitable service for all young people who may be admitted to the home. 4 of 11

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Information about this children’s home

The home provides care and accommodation for up to five young people. The service is available to children and young people with a learning disability, a physical disability, sensory impairment or any combination of the three. The service is operated by a private organisation.

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Inspection date Inspection type Inspection judgement

18/02/2014 Interim good progress 23/10/2013 Full good 14/02/2013 Full good 27/06/2012 Interim satisfactory progress

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Statutory Requirements

This section sets out the actions which must be taken so that the registered person/s meets the Care Standards Act 2000, Children's Homes Regulations 2001 and the National Minimum Standards. The registered person(s) must comply with the given timescales.

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Reg. Requirement Due date

4 (2001) shall compile in relation to the children's home a written statement (in these Regulations referred to as "the statement of purpose") which shall consist of a statement as to the matters listed in Schedule 1 (Regulation 4(1)) 01/12/2014

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Reg. Requirement Due date

(2001) maintain in respect of each child who is accommodated in a children's home a record in permanent form which includes the information, documents and records specified in Schedule 3 relating to that child (Regulation 28(1)(a)) 01/12/2014

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Reg. Requirement Due date

34 ensure that the system referred to in paragraph (1) 01/12/2014 5 of 11 (2001) shall provide for consultation with children accommodated in the home, their parents and placing authorities (Regulation 34(3)) 6 of 11

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Outcomes for children and young people good

The home focuses on providing extremely personalised care for young people that meets their complex individual needs. Young people have positive relationships with staff, and young people are continually encouraged to develop their social interaction and communication skills. Young people’s personal achievements, however small, are consistently celebrated. This means young people develop a sense of self-worth and this promotes their feelings of self-esteem.

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Outcomes for children and young people good

Young people receive bespoke health care that reflects their complex and multifaceted health needs. Where young people have potentially life limiting medical diagnoses, they benefit from a comprehensive and integrated approach to meeting their needs. For example, when necessary, young people have specific medical protocols in place that detail required interventions in the event of a health emergency. This means that young people receive the consistent care they require to maintain their safety and promote their well-being.

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Outcomes for children and young people good

Partnership working between staff and education providers means that young people are supported to maintain their school placements. School attendance is high and young people experience a smooth transition between home and school. Compatibility between home and school routines means that young people benefit from a seamless approach to promoting their education. This reduces young people’s feeling of anxiety when moving from one environment to another. As a result, young people attend school in a positive frame of mind and this supports their learning and personal achievements.

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Outcomes for children and young people good

Young people are supported to participate in a varied range of activities in the home and in their local community. Staff gain the thoughts and wishes of young people through the use of non-verbal communication tools and pictorial social story work. This means that young people are encouraged to express their preferences regarding the development of the home and the activities they undertake. This further supports young people’s welfare and promotes their feelings of inclusion.

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Outcomes for children and young people good

Regular contact between young people and their families is central to daily routines in the home. Young people are encouraged and supported to spend quality time with their families both in the home and local community. When appropriate, young people’s families attend the home to assist young people with their personal care routines. As a result, young people are not isolated from their families and this supports their self-esteem and feelings of inclusion. 7 of 11

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Quality of care good

Staff ensure that young people receive personalised care that reflects their extremely complex needs. The home operates a high staff to young person ratio. As a result, young people have the one-to-one attention they require to meet their needs. This allows young people to form suitable relationships with staff. Staff are able to identify behavioural changes through the constant observation of young people. Any changes to behaviour are raised for discussion with families and other professionals. Case files show that internal care plans and risk assessments are detailed, evaluative and reflective of young people’s complex care needs. Nevertheless, staff do not ensure that minutes of statutory review meetings are held in young people’s case files. Although the detrimental impact of this shortfall is reduced because staff take their own minutes of these meetings, a requirement has been made to address this issue.

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Quality of care good

Young people are consulted with regarding the care they receive. Staff use pictorial social stories and other non-verbal communication tools to encourage young people to express their preferences. These thoughts and opinions are incorporated into ‘quick reference’ guides that detail young people’s likes and dislikes. As a result, young people’s wishes, in line with their abilities and understanding, are incorporated into care planning processes. This promotes young people’s welfare and development.

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Quality of care good

Staff continually celebrate young people’s educational achievements. Young people have ‘home-school’ diaries in place to support fluid communication between care staff and allocated teaching staff. Individual achievement targets for young people are paralleled in both the home and school settings. This means that staff are able to review young people’s progress on a daily basis. Subsequently, young people experience continued learning because of effective partnership working. This further promotes young people’s development.

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Quality of care good

The Registered Manager has developed effective partnerships arrangements with general and specialist health services. Young people who reside in the home have extremely complex health needs. Specific health requirements are detailed in internal health plans and support programmes. Health plans include known physical and behavioural traits symptomatic to the medical conditions of young people; such as seizures or self-injurious actions. These plans are regular reviewed and include the professional expertise of community health nurses and allocated hospital consultants. As a result, young people benefit from an integrated approach to addressing their health needs. In addition, staff ensure that robust medication administration procedures are adhered to. These protocols allow for the regular audit of medications held in the home. Subsequently, any medication errors that occur can be quickly identified and rectified and this promotes young people’s safety.

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Quality of care good

Staff work with young people and their families to address any concerns that are raised. For example, the home operates a complaints procedure which is available to young people in a range of symbol and pictorial formats. Complaints monitoring 8 of 11 records are detailed and show that issues raised are addressed within suitable timescales.

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Quality of care good

Young people are provided with a wide and varied range of stimulating activities and this is a considerable strength of the home. Activity plans capitalise on high staffing levels that afford young people the one-to-one support they need to undertake some activities. This means that young people are not excluded from society. As a result, young people have positive social experiences and are able to learn new skills.

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Quality of care good

The home is welcoming and comfortable and young people benefit from spacious communal and private space. The internal environment is well maintained and decorated to promote sensory and visual stimulation for young people. Specialist equipment is available and easily accessible to encourage young people to develop their social and emotional skills. This further promotes young people’s development and personal growth.

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Keeping children and young people safe good

Young people are safe in the home. They are observed to be relaxed and comfortable in the company of staff and this is an indication that young people feel safe. Staff produce detailed risk assessments for young people. These consider environmental factors and the specific vulnerabilities and individual needs of young people. As a result, risk assessments are tailored to reflect young people’s needs and abilities and this promotes their safety and welfare.

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Keeping children and young people safe good

Staff have a good knowledge and understanding of all aspects of child protection and safeguarding and received regular training in this area. This training considers the safeguarding issues that relate to working with disabled young people. Staff are very aware that young people are unable to verbalise any concerns they have and regularly completed pictorial social stories with young people to ensure that they are safe from abuse or harm. Furthermore, staff complete manual handling training. This means that when staff support young people with their daily routines, young people are safe and their dignity and privacy is protected.

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Keeping children and young people safe good

Young people receive continual verbal and signed praise from staff and they respond well to this feedback. This means that young people understand the acceptable behaviours expected of them. The home records any incidents of aggressive or inappropriate behaviours in central records and individual case file. Records provide sufficient detail to identify effective interventions and monitor incidents. There have been no incidents of concern since the last inspection. The service has practice policies in place for missing from home incidents and episodes of bullying. However, it has not been necessary for the home to implement the use of these policies as these behaviours have not occurred in the home.

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Keeping children and young people safe good

The Registered Manager ensures that appropriate recruitment procedures are 9 of 11 followed. Centrally located staff files include all required information to assess the suitability of staff employed in the home. This means that young people work with suitably vetted staff. This further promotes young people’s safety.

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Keeping children and young people safe good

Staff complete regular fire safety and health and safety checks. The home has a fire risk assessment in place that is supported by personal evacuation plans for young people. This means that staff can adopt differing strategies in an emergency to reflect young people’s specific needs and vulnerabilities. In addition, young people participate in fire drills and practice evacuation. As a result, the safety of young people is maintained because they are aware of the actions that will be taken in the event of a fire.

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Leadership and management good

The home has a permanent manager in post was registered with Ofsted in October 2013. The Registered Manager holds suitable level qualifications for this position and has a number of years’ experience of working in and managing children’s residential care. All complaints made since the last inspection have been appropriately investigated and resolved within acceptable time-scales. This means that young people and others are confident in raising any concerns they may have.

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Leadership and management good

Staff receive regular and effective supervision and actively participate in staff meetings. The Registered Manager ensures that mandatory training is regularly updated and refreshed to support staff in their role. In addition, the Registered Manager arranges for staff to complete specialist health training to enable them to meet young people’s complex health needs. For example, when gastrostomy feeding tubes are used for young people, staff are verified as competent by allocated community nurses. As a result, young people work with suitably qualified staff who are able to meet their needs; and whose practice is effectively monitored.

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Leadership and management good

The Statement of Purpose provides parents and the placing authority with clear guidance on the aims and objectives of the home. This document is supported by a young people’s guide that is available in an appropriate pictorial format. Nevertheless, the Statement of Purpose does not include the age range of young people who are eligible to be admitted to the home. Although this is not detrimental to the young people currently in placement, a requirement has been made to address this shortfall.

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Leadership and management good

The Registered Manager has forged effective multi-agency links with other professionals, young people’s families and the placing authority. Social workers speak highly of the commitment of the staff and especially the Registered Manager. Staff contribute to statutory reviews by completing regular reports that detail young people’s achievements and progress. Furthermore, staff ensure that the views and wishes of young people are integral to these reports. As a result, young people benefit from an integrated approach to meeting their care needs. Nevertheless, 10 of 11 young people’s case files do not include all necessary information as required; such as young people’s immunisation records. The negative impact of this is minimised because the Registered Manager works in partnership with young people’s families. However, a requirement has been made to address this shortfall

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Leadership and management good

The Registered Manager ensures internal and external monitoring systems are in place to review the quality of care provided by the home. There is a development plan in place that considers the strengths and weaknesses of the home. This demonstrates the home’s capacity for continued improvement. Monitoring reports establish the positive impact living in the home has on young people. However, these review documents do not incorporate consultation with young people, their families or other professionals. The negative impact of this shortfall is negated in part because the Registered Manager regularly sends feedback questionnaires to the placing authorities. Nevertheless, a requirement has been made to address this regulatory shortfall. Website: www.ofsted.gov.uk

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Leadership and management good

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Judgement Description

Outstanding A service of exceptional quality that significantly exceeds minimum requirements.

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Judgement Description

Good A service of high quality that exceeds minimum requirements.

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Judgement Description

Adequate A service that only meets minimum requirements.

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Judgement Description

Inadequate A service that does not meet minimum requirements.

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Information about this inspection

The purpose of this inspection is to assure children and young people, parents, the public, local authorities and government of the quality and standard of the service provided. The inspection was carried out under the Care Standards Act 2000 to assess the effectiveness of the service and to consider how well it complies with the relevant regulations and meets the national minimum standards.

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Information about this inspection

The report details the main strengths, any areas for improvement, including any breaches of regulation, and any failure to meet national minimum standards. The judgements included in the report are made against the framework of inspection for children's homes.

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