Children's Home run by Progressive Futures Care Limited in Sefton

Inspection report children’s home: SC066242 1 SC066242 Registered provider: Progressive Futures Care Limited Full inspection Inspected under the social care common inspection framework

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Information about this children’s home

This privately owned home is registered to care for two children from age 10 to 18 years. The objective of the service, as outlined in the home’s Statement of Purpose, is to provide care and accommodation for children who may experience social, emotional and behavioural difficulties.

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Information about this children’s home

The manager has been registered with Ofsted since 2011.

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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

Overall judgement at last inspection: outstanding

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requires improvement to be good

Enforcement action since last inspection: none Inspection report children’s home: SC066242 2

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Inspection date Inspection type Inspection judgement

11/07/2017 Full Outstanding 12/01/2017 Interim Sustained effectiveness 27/07/2016 Full Good 22/03/2016 Full Good Inspection report children’s home: SC066242 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 protection of children standard is that children are protected from harm and enabled to keep themselves safe.

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Requirement Due date

In particular, the standard in paragraph (1) requires the registered person to ensure that staff 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)(vi)(vii))

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Requirement Due date

In particular, ensure that staff follow both the agreed strategies when children go missing from home and the home’s restraint policy after all incidents of restraint. 22/02/2019

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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 promotes children’s welfare.

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Requirement Due date

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; and use monitoring and review systems to make continuous improvements in the quality of care provided in the home. (Regulation 13(1)(b), (2)(e)(h)). In particular, review the retention of staff and continue improvements through rigorous monitoring. 22/02/2019

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Requirement Due date

The registered person must keep the statement of purpose under review and, where appropriate, revise it; and notify HMCI of any revisions and send HMCI a copy of the revised statement within 28 days of the revision. (Regulation 16(3)(a)(b)). 22/02/2019

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Requirement Due date

The registered person must recruit staff using recruitment procedures that are designed to ensure children’s safety. The requirements are that full and satisfactory information is available in relation to the individual in respect of each of the matters in Schedule 2. (Regulation 32(1), (3)(d) schedule 2). In particular, obtain a full employment history, together with a satisfactory explanation of any gaps in the employment, in writing. 22/02/2019 Inspection report children’s home: SC066242 4 The independent person must provide a copy of the independent person’s report to HMCI. (Regulation 44(7)). 22/02/2019

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Recommendations

 For children’s homes to be nurturing and supportive environments that meet the needs of their children they will be homely, domestic environments. (‘Guide to the children’s homes regulations including the quality standards’, page 15, paragraph 3.9). Ensure that repairs are made to the damp walls in the home to maintain a welcoming and homely living environment.  Ensure that staff are aware of whether a child has an EHC plan and the information in it. An EHC plan details the education, health and social care support that is to be provided to a child who has special educational needs or a disability. (‘Guide to the children’s homes regulations including the quality standards’, page 26, paragraph 5.4)  Ensure that staff inform and engage with those who also hold a responsibility for the child’s health to ensure their health needs are met. (‘Guide to the children’s homes regulations including the quality standards’, page 34, paragraph 7.11). In

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Recommendations

particular, ensure that the recommendations from each child’s annual health assessment are followed up.  Ensure that staff can access appropriate facilities and resources to support their training needs. (‘Guide to the children’s homes regulations including the quality standards’, page 53, paragraph 10.11). In particular, ensure that all staff undertake the company’s mandatory training and have access to training on ‘county lines’ and radicalisation.  Ensure that any individual appointed to carry out visits to the home as an independent person must make a rigorous and impartial assessment of the home’s arrangements for safeguarding and promoting the welfare of the children in the home’s care. (‘Guide to the children’s homes regulations including the quality standards’, page 65, paragraph 15.5).

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improvement to be good

Although the children feel happy and well cared for and are making progress from their starting points, some shortfalls in staff’s practice, safeguarding and leadership and management arrangements are potentially jeopardising the children’s welfare and progress. Inspection report children’s home: SC066242 5 Children’s school attendance and engagement with their education are very good. However, the registered manager did not know if a child had an education, health and care (EHC) plan in place. Consequently, the staff do not know if the child has any specific educational needs, or if additional support is required to enable the child to reach her full potential.

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improvement to be good

Staff act swiftly when children require urgent medical treatment, for example when a child had appendicitis. Staff recognised the signs quickly and sought medical attention immediately. However, the home’s health plans for each child do not always reflect the actions identified at the child’s annual health assessment. Consequently, an action regarding the assessment of a child’s emotional health has not been followed up.

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improvement to be good

Some outstanding repairs, for example the damp walls in the conservatory, are undermining the welcoming and homely ethos of the home which the team and children have worked hard to achieve.

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improvement to be good

Despite the identified shortfalls, positive interactions between the staff and the children were observed during the inspection. Children said that they get on with and trust their staff, and they feel listened to and respected. Without a doubt, the team is child focused and nurturing.

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improvement to be good

Since the last inspection, the staff have supported a child to move onto foster care. The staff were instrumental in making sure that this was a well-planned and successful move for the child.

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improvement to be good

Additionally, one child has remained settled and her sister has recently moved into the home. The children are extremely pleased that they have been given the opportunity to live together.

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improvement to be good

The children living in this home do not frequently engage in high-risk behaviours, and safeguarding shortfalls are not widespread. Nevertheless, safeguarding practice in some areas needs to improve.

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improvement to be good

The children’s individual written risk assessments are comprehensive and include clear strategies for staff to follow when children’s safety is at risk, for example when children go missing from the home. However, staff do not always follow the strategies outlined in the child’s risk assessment. Consequently, a child’s safety was compromised because the staff failed to take effective action when she went missing from school.

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improvement to be good

Similarly, although staff have access to detailed behaviour management plans and the use of restraint in this home is extremely rare, on one occasion a member of staff did not follow the company’s restraint policy. As a result, the child’s and the member of staff’s safety was put at risk. Furthermore, the member of staff involved in the restraint sustained injuries and attended hospital. Although the manager took decisive action Inspection report children’s home: SC066242 6 following this incident, a record of the staff’s injuries was not made in the home’s accident book. This recording oversight is indicative of shortfalls in the monitoring and oversight of the home’s records.

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improvement to be good

Recruitment practice is not sufficiently robust to ensure that only suitable people work at the home. Shortfalls were found in some staff’s application form checks. For example, a full employment history was not obtained and gaps in employment had not been verified.

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improvement to be good

In spite of these shortfalls, staff are skilled at nurturing positive relationships and gaining children’s trust. Because children respect the staff, they take on board the staff’s guidance and advice. With staff’s nurturing support, children are learning how to recognise danger and are developing skills to keep themselves safe.

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improvement to be good

Regular health and safety checks are making the home a safer environment. Additionally, the local area assessment is reviewed and updated at least annually to make sure that the team is aware of any potential risks in the local community.

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

The home is led by a child-centred, experienced and suitably qualified registered manager.

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

Since the last inspection, the registered manager was absent from the home for a short period and the deputy manager resigned. Although temporary management arrangements were put in place, the management oversight of the home declined.

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

The recruitment and retention of suitable staff have been a challenge for the company. Six new staff have been recruited in the last 12 months. Consequently, staff changes have undermined the continuity of care provided to children.

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

The newly appointed team feels well supported. They benefit from regular professional supervision and team meetings that include opportunities to reflect on their practice, discuss the children’s needs and share their knowledge and learning. As a result, staff are content in their work and are developing into a strong and consistent team.

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

However, the manager’s oversight of staff training is weak. Some staff have not completed all of the mandatory training required by the company. Furthermore, the staff would benefit from formal training on safeguarding matters, including ‘county lines’ and radicalisation, to equip them with the knowledge, understanding and skills to manage all potential risks.

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

The independent monitoring of the home lacks rigour and does not evaluate all serious safeguarding incidents, for example when a child went missing from the home. Additionally, the independent monitoring reports are not being consistently provided to Ofsted as required. This has prevented the service regulator from evaluating the quality of care provided in the home. Inspection report children’s home: SC066242 7 The registered manager’s monitoring and review systems are not sufficiently robust. Consequently, shortfalls in staff’s practice and the home’s records are not being promptly identified and addressed. The manager has missed opportunities to ensure continuous improvements in the quality of care provided in the home.

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

Although the home’s Statement of Purpose has been updated to reflect changes in the service, such as staffing arrangements, the registered manager has not provided a copy of the revised document to Ofsted as required by regulation. Again, this has prevented the service regulator from evaluating any significant changes made in the home. Inspection report children’s home: SC066242 8

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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 difference 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: SC066242 9

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Children’s home details

Registered provider: Progressive Futures Care Limited

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Children’s home details

Registered provider address: c/o 18a London Street, Southport, Merseyside PR9 0UE

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Inspector

Marina Tully, social care inspector Inspection report children’s home: SC066242 10 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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