Children's home run by Progress Children’s Services Ltd in Wolverhampton

Inspection report children's home: SC020859 1 SC020859 Registered provider: Progress Children’s 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

This home is one of a number of homes operated by a private company. The home provides care and accommodation for up to six young people who have learning disabilities.

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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

Date of last inspection: 11 January 2017

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requires improvement to be good

Overall judgement at last inspection: Sustained effectiveness

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Key findings from this inspection

This children’s home requires improvement to be good because: Inspection report children's home: SC020859 2  Since the last inspection, a number of experienced staff have left. Managers have failed to ensure that young people receive continuity of care.  Staff do not effectively review or update risk assessments to address the changing needs of the young people.  The management review and evaluation of the home’s records lack rigour. This hinders improvements in how staff understand and respond to young people’s needs and behaviour.  Young people do not receive effective support and encouragement from staff to complete their school homework. This impacts on their educational progress.  Managers do not consistently record complaints.  Staff do not evaluate young people’s independence skills.  Managers have failed to complete a quality of care review.  A number of staff are unqualified and are now outside the regulatory timescales

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Key findings from this inspection

to obtain their qualification.  Staff do not effectively ensure that young people’s feedback contributes to the development of the care that young people receive.  Staff supervision is inconsistent and does not allow opportunity for reflective practice.  Staff are not confident in keeping young people safe in their use of the internet and social media. This prevents staff from ensuring that young people are safe from exposure to harm in their internet use.

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Key findings from this inspection

 Young people like living in the home.  Young people are able to pursue interests and activities that build up their self- esteem and confidence.  Young people say that they have good, trusting relationships with staff, and are able to talk to them if they are worried or concerned.  Staff have completed specific training in epilepsy, autistic spectrum disorders and sexually inappropriate behaviour, to enable them to understand the specific needs of young people.  Staff engage well with parents and support contact arrangements effectively. Inspection report children's home: SC020859 3

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Inspection date Inspection type Inspection judgement

11/01/2017 Interim Sustained effectiveness 25/07/2016 Full Good 23/03/2016 Interim Sustained effectiveness 11/01/2016 Full Good Inspection report children's home: SC020859 4

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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, 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 quality and purpose of care standard is that children receive care from staff who help each child to develop resilience and skills that prepare the child to return home, to live in a new placement or to live independently as an adult. (Regulation 6(2)(vi)) 28/07/2017

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Requirement Due date

The education standard is that children make measurable progress towards achieving their educational potential and are helped to do so. In particular, the standard in paragraph (1) requires the registered person to ensure that staff support each child’s learning and development, including helping the child to develop independent study skills and, where appropriate, helping the child to complete independent study and that each child has access to appropriate equipment, facilities and resources to support the child’s learning. This is in specific reference to access to the internet. (Regulation 8(1)(2)(a)(ii)(b)) 28/07/2017

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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. In particular, the standard in paragraph (1) requires the registered person to ensure that staff 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 and help each child to understand how to keep safe. (Regulation 12(1)(2)(a)(i)(ii)) 28/07/2017

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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 helps children aspire to fulfil their potential and promotes their welfare. In particular, the standard in paragraph (1) requires the registered person to ensure that the home’s workforce provides continuity of care to each child. Ensure staff 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; and use monitoring and review systems to make continuous improvements in the quality of care provided in the home. (Regulation 13(1)(a)(b)(2)(e)(f)(h)) 28/07/2017

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Requirement Due date

Staff must have the appropriate qualification for the work they perform by the date, which falls 2 years after the date on which the 02/10/2017 Inspection report children's home: SC020859 5 individual started working in a care role in a home. (Regulation 32(4) and (5)) The registered person must ensure that a record is made of any complaint, the action taken in response, and the outcome of any investigation. (Regulation 39(3)) 28/07/2017

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Requirement Due date

The registered person must complete a review of the quality of care provided for children ("a quality of care review") at least once every 6 months. (Regulation 45(1)) 28/07/2017

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Recommendations

 Ensure that staff have the knowledge and skills to recognise and be alert for any signs that might indicate a child is in any way at risk of harm. Specifically this relates to staff being aware of e-safety for young people and ensuring plans are in place to monitor their internet usage. (‘Guide to the children’s homes regulations including the quality standards’, page 43, paragraph 9.12)

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Recommendations

 Ensure that staff receive good quality supervision, which allows them sufficient time to reflect on their practice and discuss matters relating to the children assigned to their care. (‘Guide to the children’s homes regulations including the quality standards’, page 61, paragraph 13.2)

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Recommendations

 Ensure young people are able to see the results of their views being listened to and acted upon with particular reference following key-working sessions, children’s meetings and menu planning.(‘Guide to the children’s homes regulations including the quality standards’, page 22, paragraph 4.11)

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improvement to be good

Several changes in staff have led to inconsistent care and young people’s individual needs not being consistently met. Although the organisation has made every effort to ensure that consistent agency staff are employed, the loss of experienced and familiar faces has affected young people’s stability. As one parent commented, ‘These changes have left me apprehensive about my son’s care. The attention to detail about my son’s care, that I have come to expect, for example how he likes his hair cut, has been lost.’

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improvement to be good

The lack of staff working permanently in the home has disrupted the stability and consistency of care provided to young people. Despite the hard efforts of a core group of staff who have worked tirelessly to promote continuity of care, the frequent changes in staffing have limited young people’s opportunities to develop warm and trusting relationships with the adults caring for them. Inspection report children's home: SC020859 6 All young people attend appropriate education provision and all sustain excellent attendance. Staff have worked hard to ensure that young people maintain continuity in their education placements, and transport young people a considerable distance to achieve this. However, young people’s progress is variable. Some young people have successfully transitioned to new specialist placements, while for others their behaviour has become increasingly challenging. Education staff consulted as part of this inspection commented on the impact of

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improvement to be good

staffing changes and cited that this had led to inconsistent support for young people to complete their homework. As one teacher stated, ‘This is the biggest barrier impeding their progress.’

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improvement to be good

Young people’s health needs are appropriately met. Medication is safely administered, and the auditing process was recently strengthened to ensure that any mistakes are swiftly rectified. Young people are appropriately supported in accessing further services of support, should these be required.

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improvement to be good

Young people engage in a range of positive activities outside of the home, where they can develop sporting talents and individual abilities. This provides them with opportunities for fun and enjoyment, and the acknowledgement given to their significant achievements builds young people’s self-esteem.

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improvement to be good

Staff do not consistently seek the views and opinions of young people on aspects of the home, such as menu planning. Key-worker sessions and house meetings do not take place regularly. This means that young people’s views do not influence the running of the home.

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improvement to be good

Young people’s preparation for independent living is not consistently progressed and evaluated. Staff do not work with agreed plans to help young people develop their life skills or grow their independence. Although young people have gained some practical independence skills, there is no assessment or evaluation of key skills. This makes it difficult to assess their readiness to move on, or to evaluate their progress.

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improvement to be good

The home is well-presented and was recently redecorated. Young people are encouraged to personalise their bedrooms. This ensures that young people feel that they have ownership in the home, and that the environment is one where they feel comfortable.

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improvement to be good

Young people are encouraged and supported to maintain contact with their families and carers in accordance with their care plans. Staff clearly understand the importance of contact for the young people and, if required, support contact arrangements when families live a distance from the home. This promotes young people’s relationships outside of the home.

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improvement to be good

Young people say they feel safe in the home. Young people say they are able to identify a staff member they can talk to if they are concerned or upset. In the words of one young person, ‘There is always someone here I can talk to.’

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improvement to be good

Risk assessments are completed but are not regularly reviewed or updated following Inspection report children's home: SC020859 7 incidents. This means that potentially unsafe situations are not adequately reviewed, and staff lack guidance on how to manage unsafe situations should they occur. When risk assessments are completed staff do not consistently make sure that actions identified in safety plans to reduce risk are completed, or ensure that individual work is completed with young people.

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improvement to be good

Some young people’s behaviours have been extremely challenging, and progress in changing their behaviour has been slow. Because of this, there have been a large number of physical interventions. Staff maintain records of any incidents that have occurred and there is management oversight in place. However, the manager has failed to learn from these incidents and to identify patterns and triggers. Staff have received additional training to manage challenging behaviour. However, staff have not implemented these new strategies consistently.

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improvement to be good

Young people do not go missing from the home due to the high level of supervision and the support of staff. Most of the young people have complex needs, and appropriate staffing ratios make sure that they are kept safe. Although missing incidents are rare, there are appropriate systems in place should a missing-from-home incident occur. Young people are not at risk of child sexual exploitation or radicalisation. Staff have training around these areas and are clear about what protective measures they would need to put in place should a concern arise. The local community police officer has visited the home to raise young people’s awareness of personal safety in the community.

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improvement to be good

Staff challenge incidents of bullying effectively and ensure that work is undertaken with young people to improve relationships. However, managers have not evaluated incidents effectively to consider the impact on the victim or identify any patterns of bullying behaviour. This means that the young person’s feelings of being a victim of bullying are not understood or recognised.

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improvement to be good

Staff do not consistently help young people to understand the dangers presented by social media. Staff have not received appropriate training to raise their awareness of e-safety. Managers are in the process of reviewing the current measures to supervise and support young people’s use of the internet.

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improvement to be good

Young people know how to make a complaint, and how to involve external professionals and advocacy services. The manager’s recording of complaints and their outcomes is not consistent. This lack of transparency compromises young people’s safety.

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improvement to be good

Young people are protected by the organisation’s robust recruitment practices. Staff are vetted and assessed as suitable before any appointment is made. These procedures promote the safety of the young people by preventing unsuitable adults from working with them.

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improvement to be good

Young people benefit from living in a home that has a safe and secure environment. Managers and staff ensure that all equipment works well and poses no risk to young people. Sharp implements are locked away for safekeeping. Inspection report children's home: SC020859 8

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

In the last few months, both the registered manager and deputy have resigned. A new manager has been appointed, and he started his induction during the week of the inspection. In the interim period, the home has been managed by an experienced deputy and a registered manager already employed by the provider. A senior operational manager has overseen their work.

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

The provider has acknowledged there have been significant shortfalls in practice and is committed to making changes to improve consistency. A number of new experienced staff have been appointed. The current development plan is being reviewed and strengthened. The home has a clearly defined statement of purpose, which is being updated to reflect staffing changes.

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

The previous manager did not monitor or review practice effectively. Internal and external quality assurance processes have identified shortfalls. However, the previous management team failed to take swift action to bring about the necessary changes, and failed to complete a review of quality of care that young people receive. This significantly limits staff’s ability to provide effective care to young people.

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

Care planning is poor and does not promote the continued progress of young people. Internal placement plans and risk management plans are not reviewed effectively to identify the changing needs of individual young people. Staff have also failed to ensure that plans address the issues of risk, and how these should be managed safely to promote consistency of care.

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

A number of staff will not complete their level 3 in residential care within the regulatory timescale. One member of staff has been working in childcare on a part-time basis since 2012. He is now employed on a full-time basis but has yet to be enrolled. This means that there are a number of untrained staff working with young people. A requirement to address this shortfall was made at the last inspection. More reassuringly, the provider has been proactive in addressing a previous shortfall, to ensure that staff training is focused on helping staff to develop appropriate skills and knowledge to work effectively with the specific needs of young people. Staff have completed training to understand the needs of young people who have an autistic spectrum disorder or epilepsy, or who display sexually harmful behaviour. This has helped to better equip staff to meet young people’s presenting needs.

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

Staff do not receive regular or good quality supervision that supports them to provide effective care. Staff are not afforded the opportunity to review the care they provide for young people, or identify areas for future development. This limits staff’s development.

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Information about this inspection

Inspection report children's home: SC020859 9 Inspectors have looked closely at the experiences and progress of children and young people. Inspectors considered the quality of work and the differences made to the lives of children and young people. They watched how professional staff work with children and young people and each other and discussed the effectiveness of help and care provided. Wherever possible, they talked to children and young people and their families. In addition, the inspectors have tried to understand what the children’s home knows about how well it is performing, how well it is doing and what difference it is making for the children and young people whom it is trying to help, protect and look after.

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Information about this inspection

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 children's home: SC020859 10

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Children’s home details

Registered provider: Progress Children’s Services Ltd

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Children’s home details

Registered provider address: Progress House, 127 Millfields Road, Wolverhampton, West Midlands WV4 6JG

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Inspector

Anne Daly, social care inspector Inspection report children's home: SC020859 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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