Children's Home run by Progressive Care Limited in Sheffield

Jennifer Fenlon

This monitoring visit was undertaken to monitor two compliance notices and requirements and recommendations set at the interim inspection.

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Jennifer Fenlon

The home is still not functioning within its statement of purpose because it is not yet keeping young people consistently safe. When young people go missing from home staff do not always go out and look for them. Staff do not always follow the young people’s plans or search known addresses or the places that young people visit. As a result, young people’s whereabouts remain unknown for significant periods of time. The failure to follow risk assessments and safety plans leaves young people vulnerable to child sexual exploitation and possible harm in the community. This does not meet a compliance notice set at the last inspection.

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Jennifer Fenlon

A compliance notice relating to risk assessment is met. Consultation with police and social workers ensures that new risk assessments detail all risks to young people. They describe the clear actions that staff must take. Risk assessments are now updated after any significant incident. However, staff do not consistently implement the new risk assessments in practice. Consequently, on some occasions, young people are still at risk of harm.

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Jennifer Fenlon

Arrangements for the recording, storage and auditing of medication requires improvement. Medication records do not always detail the actual drugs present in the medical cabinet. The administration of medication is recorded across more than one document. This makes it difficult for staff to monitor accurately when drugs have been administered. Medication for young people who have left the home still remains stored within the medication cabinet. The current system in place for the storage, recording and administration of medicine has the potential for confusion and error.

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Jennifer Fenlon

The manager has made significant alterations to the rota. As a result, there are enough staff on shift to care for young people. Additional work is under way to help staff to gain the skills they need to fulfil their role. In addition, a recruitment drive focusing on recruiting experienced staff is helping the manager to strengthen the staff team. This has the potential to improve the care of young people in the future.

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Jennifer Fenlon

Staff receive regular supervision. This helps to improve staff confidence in their work with young people. The quality of supervision varies. For example, some meetings do not focus on young people’s individual needs, and lack feedback on staff member’s professional practice. This is a missed opportunity to reflect on the needs of young people fully, and to improve staff practice through a structured process.

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Jennifer Fenlon

No young people have been admitted to this home since the previous inspection. A requirement to ensure that new children’s needs match with others in the home remains in place. Regular safety checks of young people’s bedrooms are now in place. This ensures that staff are vigilant around young people who may attempt to smoke inside their bedroom. This reduces the risk of fire and meets a previous requirement.

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Jennifer Fenlon

The quality of the environment that young people live in has improved and the requirement set at the last inspection is met. The garden area is clean and the addition of plants provides young people with a pleasant outdoor space.

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Jennifer Fenlon

Relationships between staff and young people are still developing. There have been some positive efforts from staff towards building stronger relationships with young people. As a result, some young people engage more with staff and are undertaking positive activities, such as baking and educational work. Although some progress has been made, the recommendation to improve practice in this area is not yet fully met.

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Information about this children’s home

This home provides short-, medium- and long-term placements for up to eight children with emotional and/or behavioural difficulties.

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Statutory requirements

This section sets out the actions that must be taken so that the registered person meets the Care Standards Act 2000, Children’s Homes (England) Regulations 2015 and the ‘Guide to the children’s homes regulations including the quality standards’. The registered person must comply within the given timescales.

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Requirement Due date

*12. In order to meet the protection of children standard, with particular reference to providing sufficient numbers of staff to take immediate action to stop children leaving the home to use drugs or to meet individuals who are, or intend to, sexually exploit them, and to actively look for them if they go missing from the home, the registered person must ensure: (2)(a)(vi) that staff take effective action whenever there is a serious concern about a child’s welfare. 31/03/2017

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Requirement Due date

13. In order to meet the leadership and management standard, with particular reference to continuing to ensure that there is, on each shift, more experienced and qualified staff than inexperienced and unqualified staff, the registered person must ensure: (2)(c) that staff have the experience, qualifications and skills to meet the needs of each child. 31/03/2017

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Requirement Due date

14 In order to meet the care planning standard, with particular reference to ensuring that children’s needs match with others in the home, the registered person must: (2)(a) ensure that children are admitted to the home only if their needs are within the range of needs of children for whom it is intended that the home is to provide care and accommodation as set out in the home’s statement of purpose. 31/03/2017

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Requirement Due date

Subject to paragraph (6), the registered person must ensure that the home is at all times conducted in a manner, which is consistent with its statement of purpose. (Regulation 16 (3)(5)) 31/03/2017

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Requirement Due date

The registered person must make arrangements for the handling, 31/03/2017 recording, safe keeping, safe administration and disposal of medicines received into the children’s home. (Regulation 23 (1))

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Recommendations

To improve the quality and standards of care further, the service should take account of the following recommendations:

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Recommendations

 Positive relationships are those which are characterised by consistency and unconditional positive regard for the child on the part of the carer; and where the carer acknowledges the importance of understanding and responding to the child‘s lived experience of care. Positive, stable relationships help the child to feel secure and cared about and for. (‘Guide to the children’s homes regulations including the quality standards’, page 21, paragraph 4.3). In particular, staff continue to build trusting relationships with young people.

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Recommendations

 The registered person must have systems in place so that all staff, including the manager, receive supervision of their practice from an appropriately qualified and experienced professional, which allows them to reflect on their practice and the needs of the children in their care. (‘Guide to the children’s homes regulations including the quality standards’, page 61, paragraph 13.2).

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Recommendations

 The registered person should ensure that children are offered a wide range of activities both inside and outside the home (where appropriate) and are encouraged to participate in those activities. (‘Guide to the children’s homes regulations including the quality standards’, page 31, paragraph 6.5) In particular, staff need to continue to try to engage young people in meaningful activities.

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Recommendations

 For some children who have experienced severe trauma, have mental health difficulties or have been excluded or out of education for significant periods, it may be necessary to address and work though their past experiences and present needs before they can positively participate in learning activities and formal education. (‘Guide to the children’s homes regulations including the quality standards’, page 26, paragraph 5.3) In particular, staff need to continue to try to engage young people in education.

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Information about this inspection

The purpose of this visit was to monitor the action taken and the progress made by the children’s home since its last Ofsted inspection. This inspection was carried out under the Care Standards Act 2000. out in the guidance ‘Raising concerns and making complaints about Ofsted’, which is available from Ofsted’s website: www.gov.uk/government/organisations/ofsted . If you would like Ofsted to send you a copy of this guidance, please telephone 0300 123 4234 or email enquiries@ofsted.gov.uk .

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Information about this inspection

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, work-based learning and skills training, adult and community learning, and education and training in prisons and other secure establishments. It inspects services for children looked after and child protection. If you would like a copy of this document in a different format, such as large print or Braille, please telephone 0300 123 4234 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,

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Information about this inspection

The National Archives, Kew, London TW9 4DU or email: psi@nationalarchives.gsi.gov.uk .

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Information about this inspection

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Information about this inspection

Store Street Manchester M1 2WD T: 0300 123 1231 Text phone: 0161 618 8524 E: enquiries@ofsted.gov.uk W: www.gov.uk/government/organisations/ofsted

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