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

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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

The registered manager holds a level 4 qualification.

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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

Date of last inspection: 13 February 2018

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outstanding

Overall judgement at last inspection: outstanding

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outstanding

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

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Inspection date Inspection type Inspection judgement

13/02/2018 Full Outstanding 30/03/2017 Interim Improved effectiveness 05/12/2016 Full Outstanding 10/02/2016 Interim Improved effectiveness Inspection report children’s home: SC038526 3

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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 assigned to their care. (‘Guide to the children’s homes regulations including the quality standards’, page 61, paragraph 13.2)

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: outstanding

Staff provide young people with exceptionally warm and nurturing care. They know them well and invest in them. Staff genuinely care about young people and are passionate about their care. Young people flourish in this environment and feel settled and happy. A parent told the inspector, ‘It is a home from home. Staff know every young person well. Nothing is too much trouble for them. The young people love the staff and each other.’

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: outstanding

Staff support young people to participate in day-to-day and more complex aspects of their care. They skilfully use a range of verbal and non-verbal communications aids to help young people express their views. Staff also use their exceptional knowledge of young people to interpret their body language. Regular young people’s meetings and one-to-one sessions help young people to participate in a range of decisions about their care. In addition, staff support young people to set their own targets and review behaviour management plans. This gives young people a sense of ownership over their care.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: outstanding

All young people are in education and have excellent attendance rates. Staff hold high aspirations and consistently promote young people’s learning in the home. They work closely with teachers to share key information on each young person. For example, daily handovers between staff and teachers and communication diaries ensure that young people experience seamless and consistent care. The registered manager consistently escalated her concerns when a young person was out of school. This tenacious approach resulted in the young person gaining a school place. In the interim period, staff offered the young person a daily timetable of education activities.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: outstanding

Staff use their spontaneous and proactive approach to provide young people with a range of enjoyable activities. Their in-depth knowledge of young people helps them to plan accordingly. For example, some young people enjoy impromptu signing sessions in the home or trips to local shops and parks. One young person has a passion and flair for hair and beauty. In response, staff set up their own ‘salon’ in the home to allow her to wash and style their hair. They also organise for her to visit a local hair salon after hours, so she can enjoy using the equipment. A shed in the garden is transformed into a Inspection report children’s home: SC038526 4 Santa’s grotto and ‘trick or treat’ venue during the year. The garden is filled with sand in the summer to become a ‘beach’. Young people love living in their home. One told the inspector, ‘I never want to leave here.’

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: outstanding

Young people’s physical and learning disabilities are not seen as a barrier to independence. Staff offer patient, sensitive support to encourage young people to build important skills for their future. For example, young people learn to cross the road safely, attend GP appointments and shop independently. They make exceptional progress in managing their personal hygiene and self-care. Staff work alongside young people to set independence targets. All success, no matter how small, is celebrated.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: outstanding

Staff work closely with key healthcare professionals to meet the complex needs of young people. Strong and effective partnerships with GPs, pharmacists and child and adult mental health services to ensure that young people receive the specialist support they require. In addition, staff organise joint training events with specialist nurses to enhance their knowledge.

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

Staff give young people’s safety high priority. Risk assessments and behaviour management plans are thorough, and in line with young people’s needs. They provide staff with clear guidance about how to manage risk. Staff recognise the triggers to young people’s challenging behaviour. They offer high levels of supervision to keep young people safe.

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

Young people receive exceptional support to help them to understand how to keep safe. Regular key-work sessions provide them with the opportunity to reflect on and learn from challenging incidents. In addition, staff encourage young people to identify their own strategies to manage difficult behaviours. A young person has developed a greater insight into her potentially harmful behaviours. As a result, incidents of this nature now rarely occur.

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

Young people feel safe. Staff are vigilant in the home and local community. As a result, young people do not go missing. Staff consider each young person’s strengths and vulnerabilities when planning support. They focus on key safeguarding issues, such as community safety, stranger danger and exploitation. Staff practice strikes a good balance between protecting young people and exposing them to appropriate risks.

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

Administration and management of medication is safe and robust. A team leader takes lead responsibility for medication procedures. She undertakes regular audits and checks records daily. All medications are safely locked away. A registered nurse provides staff with specialist training and observes their practice. Staff undertake competency assessments to ensure that they can safely administer medication. These robust procedures reduce the potential for medication errors and ensure that young people’s health needs are met safely.

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

Young people can present with complex and highly challenging behaviours. Staff rely on Inspection report children’s home: SC038526 5 their in-depth knowledge of young people to skilfully de-escalate difficult situations. One young person requires a high level of support to help her deal with a legacy of childhood trauma and associated behaviours. Staff work together to reflect on her behaviours and plan new and innovative interventions to reduce incidents. For example, the young person asks for her worry box when she feels anxious and distressed. On occasions, restraint is used as a last resort to keep young people and others safe. Detailed restraint records demonstrate how staff and young people reflect on and learn from incidents.

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

Young people can identify trusted staff when they need to discuss concerns or worries. They told the inspector that staff ‘listen’ and ‘they are kind’. In addition, staff provide young people with clear and consistent boundaries. These strong foundations help young people to recover from childhood instability and trauma. Young people are rewarded for positive behaviour. They enjoy setting and meeting their own targets. Staff use a variety of individualised rewards. These include taking young people out for their favourite meal.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: outstanding

The registered manager is supported by three team leaders. Their passion, commitment and enthusiasm ensure that young people receive exceptional care. This ethos inspires staff to provide young people with a positive and vibrant home environment. The registered manager and team leaders know each young person exceptionally well. Their extensive knowledge, experience and skills ensure that young people’s complex needs are met well.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: outstanding

The staff team is experienced and highly knowledgeable. Staff really enjoy their role and feel supported by the registered manager and team leaders. Strong communication, resilience and a ‘can do’ attitude are all features of the exceptional staff team culture. This ensures that young people receive a high level of consistent, nurturing care. A member of staff told the inspector, ‘The manager is always there when you need her. We [staff] deal with any issues really well. All the young people see is happy staff. There is a family feel here.’

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: outstanding

The registered manager has effective monitoring systems in place. She compiles information on all aspects of young people’s care, using a variety of means. Internal monthly reports help to identify the strengths and weaknesses of the home and track young people’s behaviour patterns. The registered manager works closely with the independent visitor and internal quality assurance staff to continually develop the service.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: outstanding

There is a healthy learning culture in the home. The registered manager strives for continual improvement in staff practice by offering effective challenge and support. Frequent team and case review meetings allow staff the opportunity to reflect on their practice and the progress of young people.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: outstanding

Staff benefit from a comprehensive training programme with a key focus on specialist aspects of care. High-quality inductions help new staff to quickly settle and gain the Inspection report children’s home: SC038526 6 necessary knowledge and skills. Staff receive regular and effective appraisals of their practice. However, some staff do not receive regular supervision from their manager. The impact of this is lessened, because staff team meetings and case reviews offer a forum to reflect on and challenge practice and to discuss young people’s progress.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: outstanding

Staff use research to inform their innovative and imaginative practice. For example, they use a variety of teddies and a worry box to help a young person express her feelings. In addition, the registered manager asks staff to lead regular workshops to develop practice. Extensive research folders provide staff with additional knowledge and skills to meet the complex needs of young people. A member of staff told the inspector, ‘If there is a change of behaviour or diagnosis for a young person then we [staff] are onto it straight away. We’ll find the right support.’

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: outstanding

The registered manager and staff are strong advocates for young people. They rigorously challenge other agencies if there are shortfalls in young people’s care. For example, staff actively challenge education and health services to ensure that young people receive the required support. This tenacious approach ensures that young people receive exceptional care that responds to their needs.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: outstanding

Staff develop excellent working relationships with a number of agencies. This coordinated approach helps young people to make exceptional progress. Feedback from professionals is highly complimentary. A social worker told the inspector, ‘She [young person] has flourished since living in the home. I can’t thank the staff enough.’ A teacher told the inspector, ‘The staff are really supportive. I see the young people coming to school happy, content and ready to learn.’

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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’.

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Children’s home details

Inspection report children’s home: SC038526 7 Unique reference number: SC038526

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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 House, 127 Millfields Road, Wolverhampton, Staffordshire WV4 6JG

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Inspector

Gareth Leckey, 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 children looked after, safeguarding and child protection.

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Inspector

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Inspector

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Inspector

T: 0300 123 1231 Textphone: 0161 618 8524 E: enquiries@ofsted.gov.uk W: http://www.gov.uk/ofsted Inspection report children’s home: SC038526 9

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