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

Inspection report children’s home: SC064117 1 SC064117 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 four children and young people who have physical disabilities and/or learning difficulties.

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Information about this children’s home

The manager was registered with Ofsted in 2016 and holds a level 5 qualification.

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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: 27 February 2018

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requires improvement to be good

Overall judgement at last inspection: sustained effectiveness

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requires improvement to be good

Enforcement action since last inspection: none Inspection report children’s home: SC064117 2

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Inspection date Inspection type Inspection judgement

27/02/2018 Interim Sustained effectiveness 25/04/2017 Full Good 20/02/2017 Interim Improved effectiveness 04/10/2016 Full Requires improvement Inspection report children’s home: SC064117 3

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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 understand the children’s home’s overall aims and the outcomes it seeks to achieve for children and use this understanding to deliver care that meets children’s needs and supports them to fulfil their potential. In particular, the standard in paragraph (1) requires the registered person to— ensure that staff provide personalised care that meets each child’s needs, as recorded in the child’s relevant plans, taking account of the child’s background; ensure that the premises used for the purposes of the home are designed and furnished so as to— meet the needs of each child; and ensure that any care that is arranged or provided for a child that relates to the child’s development (within the meaning of section 17(11) of the Children Act 1989) or health, satisfies the conditions in paragraph (3). The conditions are— that the care meets the child’s needs; and

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Requirement Due date

that the care is delivered by a person who— has the experience, knowledge and skills to deliver that care. (Regulation 6 (1)(a)(b)(2)(b)(iv)(c)(i)(d)(i)(3)(b)(c)(i)(ii)) 02/07/2018

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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— help each child to achieve the child’s education and training targets, as recorded in the child’s relevant plans; 02/07/2018 Inspection report children’s home: SC064117 4 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; understand the barriers to learning that each child may face and take appropriate action to help the child to overcome any such barriers; help each child to understand the importance and value of education, learning, training and employment; help a child who is excluded from school, or who is of compulsory school age but not attending school, to access

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Requirement Due date

educational and training support throughout the period of exclusion or non-attendance and to return to school as soon as possible; help each child to attend education or training in accordance with the expectations in the child’s relevant plans; and that each child has access to appropriate equipment, facilities and resources to support the child’s learning. (Regulation 8 (1)(2)(a)(i)(ii)(iii)(iv)(viii)(x)(b)) The enjoyment and achievement standard is that children take part in and benefit from a variety of activities that meet their needs and develop and reflect their creative, cultural, intellectual, physical and social interests and skills. In particular, the standard in paragraph (1) requires the registered person to ensure— that staff help each child to— develop the child’s interests and hobbies; participate in activities that the child enjoys and which meet and expand the child’s interests and preferences; and

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Requirement Due date

make a positive contribution to the home and the wider community; and that each child has access to a range of activities that enable the child to pursue the child’s interests and hobbies. (Regulation 9 (1)(2)(a)(i)(ii)(iii)(b)) 02/07/2018

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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 02/07/2018 Inspection report children’s home: SC064117 5 arrangements to reduce the risk of any harm to the child; help each child to understand how to keep safe; have the skills to identify and act upon signs that a child is at risk of harm; understand the roles and responsibilities in relation to protecting children that are assigned to them by the registered person; take effective action whenever there is a serious concern about a child’s welfare; and are familiar with, and act in accordance with, the home’s child protection policies. (Regulation 12 (1)(2)(a)(i)(ii)(iii)(v)(vi)(vii))

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Requirement Due date

The care planning standard is that children receive effectively planned care in or through the children’s home. In particular, the standard in paragraph (1) requires the registered person to 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. (Regulation 14 (1)(a)(2)(a)) 02/07/2018

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improvement to be good

Some children attend school on a regular basis and make good educational progress. However, other children are not attending school. For example, one child does not currently have a school place. As a result, the child is at risk of falling behind their peers.

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improvement to be good

Some children do not receive specialised support in order to make progress. For example, staff are not yet trained to deliver the specialised support that some children need. As a result, some children can feel frustrated and isolated and are not achieving their potential.

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improvement to be good

Staff support children to understand difficult feelings and emotions and to control their behaviour. As a result, children develop strategies to manage, and learn from, challenging situations. One parent told the inspector, ‘(child’s name) recently said sorry. They would never have said that in the past. I feel they can manage their emotions better.’

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improvement to be good

Staff support children to participate in the day-to-day running of the home. For example, staff use pictures to help children to prepare for school or choose activities. Children attend their own meetings to plan events and express their views on many aspects of their care. Inspection report children’s home: SC064117 6 Some children access a range of activities, including trips to local parks, gyms and swimming pools. This gives them a sense of enjoyment and belonging in their local community. However, other children can feel isolated and need to socialise with children of similar needs to build on their sense of esteem and identity.

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improvement to be good

Staff support children to develop independence skills. For example, some children visit local shops to buy items for the home and other children enjoy cooking and completing their own laundry tasks.

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improvement to be good

Staff develop positive relationships with families and keep them updated on their child’s progress. Some children have regular contact with their families in the home and in the community. However, some children can feel isolated and miss their family and peers.

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improvement to be good

Staff identify risks and behaviours that could compromise the safety of children. However, staff do not consistently follow guidance to keep children safe. For example, some children do not hand in their mobile phones at night-time when requested. This leaves some children vulnerable to online risks.

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improvement to be good

Staff offer high levels of supervision to children. As a result, children do not go missing from the home. Staff closely monitor children when they go out in the community. For example, staff offer two-to-one supervision and hold the child’s hand at all times.

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improvement to be good

Staff use child-specific approaches to de-escalate challenging situations in the home. Staff encourage children to reflect on such incidents and use alternative strategies to protect them, and their peers, from harm.

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improvement to be good

The registered manager and staff ensure that there is an open and transparent safeguarding culture in the home. Children know how to complain and feel confident that their concerns will be taken seriously. Staff notify the relevant authorities in a timely manner. The registered manager puts risk assessments in place while investigations are ongoing. This helps to keep children safe.

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improvement to be good

Staff and managers complete safeguarding training and use team meetings to discuss, and manage, risks to children. This gives staff a sound knowledge of safeguarding issues and helps to keep children safe.

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

The registered manager ensures that the home is properly staffed with less reliance on agency staff. Team building exercises enable the registered manager to increase morale. The staff team has a good mix of experienced and relatively new staff.

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

Staff access a range of basic and specialised training. Staff complete online courses and Inspection report children’s home: SC064117 7 attend formal training events. However, there are some gaps in staff knowledge, which means that staff do not have all the required skills to meet children’s individual needs.

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

The registered manager is not consistent in ensuring that children’s records contain key information. For example, education, health and care plans are not on file and key information is missing from a child’s placement plan. As a result, children’s needs are not comprehensively identified and reviewed and their progress may be hindered.

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

The registered manager is child-focused and takes pride in children’s achievements. However, he has not ensured that the home is equipped to meet the needs of each child. For example, staff do not currently have the knowledge and skills to communicate fully with some children. As a result, some children can feel frustrated and isolated and are not achieving their potential.

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

The home is in need of redecoration to make it more child-friendly. The decor in hallways and other shared areas has a cold and clinical feel and does not appear like a warm, family home. Settees in the lounge area are worn and ripped. A child’s bedroom furniture has been broken for several months and needs replacing.

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

The registered manager uses research to enhance staff learning and offers workshops to focus on particular areas of care. Strong partnership arrangements with interpreters and psychologists help staff to build specialist knowledge.

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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: SC064117 8

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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

Gareth Leckey: social care inspector Inspection report children’s home: SC064117 9 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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