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

Inspection report children’s home: SC038526 1 SC038526 Registered provider: Progress Children’s Services Full inspection Inspected under the social care common inspection framework

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Information about this children’s home

The home provides care and accommodation for up to nine young people. The service is available to children and young people who have 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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Information about this children’s home

Inspection dates: 13 to 14 February 2018

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Overall experiences and progress of

children and young people, taking into account

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outstanding

How well children and young people are helped and protected outstanding

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outstanding

The effectiveness of leaders and managers outstanding

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outstanding

The children’s home provides highly effective services that consistently exceed the standards of good. The actions of the children’s home contribute to significantly improved outcomes and positive experiences for children and young people who need help, protection and care.

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outstanding

Overall judgement at last inspection: improved effectiveness

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outstanding

Enforcement action since last inspection: none Inspection report children’s home: SC038526 2

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Key findings from this inspection

This children’s home is outstanding because:

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Key findings from this inspection

 Staff provide exceptional care that is nurturing and individualised. As a result, children and young people make outstanding progress in all areas of their lives.  Children and young people become considerably safer. Staff are fully aware of safeguarding procedures and proactively educate children and young people on how to keep themselves safe.  Managers and staff work tirelessly to ensure that children and young people are not discriminated against because of their additional needs. Their passion for equality is inspirational.  Staff ensure that children and young people have the opportunity to take part in activities that are individualised and meet their needs.  Managers and staff speak about children and young people as if they were family members. They know the children and young people exceptionally well and create a homely environment.  Staff communicate extremely effectively with children and young people. The

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Key findings from this inspection

communication methods used are innovative and allow all children and young people to share their views, wishes and feelings.  The registered manager actively promotes researched-based practice. This develops staff knowledge and continually improves the quality of care that children and young people receive.  Behaviour management strategies are individualised to each child and young person.  The registered manager ensures that staff are supported in their roles and are trained to meet the complex needs of each child and young person.

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Inspection date Inspection type Inspection judgement

30/03/2017 Interim Improved effectiveness 05/12/2016 Full Outstanding 10/02/2016 Interim Improved effectiveness 20/10/2015 Full Good Inspection report children’s home: SC038526 3

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: outstanding

Children and young people living in this home have exceptionally positive experiences. Staff and managers continually challenge others who create barriers to children and young people who have disabilities. For example, staff undertook extensive research to take two young people on holiday to Disneyland, Paris. The young people enjoyed an amazing holiday. This was made possible because of the perseverance of staff, who challenged other professionals when they said it would be too difficult to organise the holiday because of the young people’s complex needs. Staff support children and young people to engage in enjoyable, individualised activities, including girl guides, music and drama clubs and monthly discos. Staff also took one young person to a concert that she thoroughly enjoyed. She told the inspector, ‘I went to see Lady Gaga. I love music, and I liked it.’ Managers and staff treat children and young people like family members. The

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: outstanding

relationships between staff and young people are sincere. Staff know the children and young people exceptionally well and understand their likes, dislikes, health needs and medical conditions. Children and young people feel like they live in a family home. Their needs are holistically met. Children and young people make outstanding progress because of the innovative support that they receive from staff. For example, one child would often not sleep for 72 hours at a time before he moved into the home. With consistent routines and nurturing care, he now sleeps every night, he does not fall asleep in school and is more alert and able to engage in education. As a result, his quality of life has improved considerably. Parents and carers are highly complementary of the care that the staff provide. A parent told the inspector, ‘They are amazing. They go above and beyond. [The] children are so happy. The service is the best I have ever seen.’ A grandparent had similar views telling

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: outstanding

the inspector, ‘All the staff look after her. [Young person] loves it. The change in her is fantastic. They do her hair. They look after her. I don’t have a bad word to say.’ Staff support children and young people to remain in contact with family members. For example, one grandparent talks to their grandchild every evening. Staff support this as they recognise the benefit of maintaining family relationships. Research informs staff practice. This ensures that the home is continually developing and each child and young person is receiving the best possible care. Each month, the registered manager asks a member of staff to research a relevant topic. Staff then present the information in team meetings. For example, one staff member researched the benefits of sensory stimulation. A staff member told the inspector, ‘Sensory ideas were shared in a team meeting and [staff] had evidence to show how this could improve

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: outstanding

children’s lives. This has motivated me and given me my own ideas about sensory play.’ As a direct result, staff use more sensory tools and communicate more effectively with children and young people. Staff work tirelessly to understand children’s and young people’s views, wishes and feelings. Staff continually consider whether children and young people are enjoying their Inspection report children’s home: SC038526 4 experiences and are happy with the quality of care that they receive. Children and young people who cannot communicate verbally are equally as involved as those who can. Staff understand each child’s and young person’s preferred method of communication. For example, one young person blinks rapidly when they are happy or pouts when upset. Consequently, staff recognise children’s and young people’s needs and respond to them accordingly. Staff involve children and young people in their care planning. One young person has

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: outstanding

written her own targets, which form part of her independence plan. Reports compiled by staff for children’s and young people’s review meetings are engaging. They contain pictures of the young people to represent the writing in the report. They are colourful and bright. As a result, children and young people are able to contribute to the meeting and understand the information. All children and young people go to school. The registered manager has consistently campaigned for children and young people to be in school. She has challenged other professionals when children and young people have not been able to attend due to a lack of funding or provision. A social worker told the inspector, ‘The manager was on to me about education. She did not stop. We did get the child a tutor and the home did everything it could to plug the gap.’ This young person is now in education, due to the registered manager’s persistence.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: outstanding

Children’s and young people’s admissions into the home are well planned. The registered manager takes great care in the matching process and carefully considers if staff can meet the children’s and young people’s needs. When children and young people move out of the home, managers and staff ensure that the child or young person is well supported. On one occasion, a young person had to move from the home unexpectedly due to his health deteriorating. He returned to his family home while waiting to move to another home. The staff visited every morning and evening to support the family with the young person’s personal care until he moved. As a result, the young person received consistent care from people he was familiar with and his family felt supported.

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How well children and young people are helped and protected: outstanding

Staff keep children and young people exceptionally safe. Staff have a clear knowledge of safeguarding procedures and work proactively, teaching children and young people about risks and how to keep themselves safe. Staff worked with one young person who previously displayed sexualised behaviour. Staff taught the young person about appropriate and inappropriate behaviour. As a result, the young person has a better understanding of their behaviours, which have significantly improved. Children and young people feel safe, they do not go missing and they are not at risk of exploitation or radicalisation. Staff undertake training about these key issues. This equips them with the skills to assess and manage these risks should they arise. A young person shared in her review, ‘It’s good, and people keep me safe.’ Managers are creative in supporting staff to learn and embed the training that they receive into their practice. For example, staff have taken part in health and safety

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How well children and young people are helped and protected: outstanding

quizzes and mock fire evacuations, with pretend fires blocking key escape routes. As a result, managers prepare staff for different eventualities. This ensures that children and Inspection report children’s home: SC038526 5 young people remain safe. Staff understand young people’s medical needs. They have researched the different medication that children and young people take and the side effects it can have. This research kept a young person safe when a doctor prescribed a medication that was not compatible with the medication he was already on. Staff were aware of this due to the research that they had done and alerted the doctor. Staff help young people to improve their behaviour. Behaviour management plans are individualised for each child and young person. Staff work closely with education staff to ensure consistent strategies between home and school. This has had an extremely positive impact on children’s and young people’s behaviour. A teacher told the inspector,

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How well children and young people are helped and protected: outstanding

‘She [the child] used to be supervised in a room on her own by four adults. Now, she is able to be in a room with 15 other people. She has had no incidents for three weeks. The communication between school and home has been key to the change and improvement in her behaviour.’

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: outstanding

The leadership and management of this home are outstanding. The registered manager has support from three senior staff members. Their enthusiasm and passion are infectious. Staff meet the high expectations set. They ensure that children and young people receive excellent care, are treated fairly and have the best possible experiences. A social worker told the inspector, ‘I do not have the words to articulate the great care they provide, and it is so good.’ Staff enjoy working in the home and feel fully supported by the management team. A member of staff told the inspector, ‘The manager is amazing. She is approachable, she knows if you are not happy and will always accommodate your needs.’ Staff supervision is excellent. Individual supervision sessions take place at least once a month, in addition to group supervision and team meetings. A member of staff told the inspector, ‘The management team [members] are really friendly but offer good guidance

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: outstanding

to mentor and help you. They make you feel safe. They are aiding your development.’ The registered manager continually develops staff in creative and innovative ways. Consequently, staff feel safe and have the opportunity to reflect and learn in a supportive environment. This has a positive impact on children and young people and the quality of care that they receive. The registered manager rigorously challenges other professionals to ensure that children and young people get the services and support that they need. Examples of this include securing education placements for children, challenging delays in the provision of mental health services and making sure that children and young people have access to the specialist equipment that they need. Consequently, children and young people receive exceptional care. The registered manager has a thorough understanding of the home’s strengths and areas for development. She is continually looking at ways to improve the home for the

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: outstanding

benefit of the children and young people. Inspection report children’s home: SC038526 6

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Information about this inspection

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: SC038526 7

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Children’s home details

Registered provider: Progress Children’s Services

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Children’s home details

Registered provider address: Progress Children’s Services Limited, Progress House, 127 Millfields Road, Wolverhampton WV4 6JG

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Inspector

Lisa O’Donovan: social care inspector Inspection report children’s home: SC038526 8 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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