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

Inspection report children‘s home: 2515609 1 Registered provider: Progress Children’s Services

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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 owned and operated by a private company. It is registered to provide care for medium- to long-term accommodation for two children from the age of five to 18 . The children and young people may have complex learning, social, emotional and/or behavioural needs. The current manager registered with Ofsted in February 2019.

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Information about this children’s home

Inspection dates: 25 to 26 September 2019

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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: N/A – this is the home’s s first inspection since registration

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requires improvement to be good

Overall judgement at last inspection: not applicable

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requires improvement to be good

Enforcement action since last inspection: none Inspection report children‘s home: 2515609 2

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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 health and well-being standard is that— the health and well-being need of children are met; children receive advice, services and support in relation to their health and well-being; and In particular, the standard in paragraph (1) requires the registered person to ensure— that staff help each child to— understand the child’s health and well-being needs and the options that are available in relation to the child’s health and well-being, in a way that is appropriate to the child’s age and understanding; that each child has access to such dental, medical, nursing, psychiatric and psychological advice, treatment and other services as the child may require. (Regulation 10 (1)(a)(b)(2)(a)(ii)(c)) 29/11/2019

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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. (Regulation 12(1)(2)(a)(i)) 29/11/2019

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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 s home that— helps children aspire to fulfil their potential; and promotes their welfare. In particular, the standard in paragraph (1) requires the 29/11/2019 Inspection report children‘s home: 2515609 3 registered person to— ensure that the home has sufficient staff to provide care for each child; use monitoring and review systems to make continuous improvements in the quality of care provided in the home. (Regulation 13(1)(a)(b)(2)(d)(h)) The care planning standard is that children— In particular, the standard in paragraph (1) requires the registered person to ensure— that each child’s relevant plans are followed. (Regulation 14 (1)(2)(c)) 29/11/2019

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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 registered person may only— employ an individual to work at the children’s s home; if the individual satisfies the requirements in paragraph (3). For the purposes of paragraph (3)(b), an individual who works in the home in a care role has the appropriate qualification if, by the relevant date, the individual has attained— the Level 3 Diploma for Residential Childcare (England) (“th the Level 3 Diploma”); ); or a qualification which the registered person considers to be equivalent to the Level 3 Diploma. The relevant date is— in the case of an individual who starts working in a care role in a home after 1st April 2014, the date which falls 2 years after the date on which the individual started working in a care role in a home. (Regulation 32(1)(3)(a)(b)(5)(a)) 29/11/2019

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Requirement Due date

The registered person must ensure that all employees undertake appropriate continuing professional development; receive practice-related supervision by a person with appropriate experience employees. (Regulation 33(4)(a)(b)) 29/11/2019

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Recommendations

 The statement of purpose is of particular importance to this standard (regulation 6(2)(a) and (b)(i)). Homes are required to develop and keep under review a ‘statement of purpose’ (regulation 16 and schedule 1). (‘Guide to the children’s s homes regulations including the quality standards’, page 14, paragraph 3.5) In particular, the registered manager should ensure that the statement of purpose Inspection report children‘s home: 2515609 4 accurately reflects staffing at the home.  For children’s homes to be nurturing and supportive environments that meet the needs of their children, they will, in most cases, be homely, domestic environments. Children’s homes must comply with relevant health and safety legislations (alarms, food hygiene etc.); however, in doing so, homes should seek as far as possible to maintain a domestic rather than institutional impression. (‘Guide to the children’s s homes regulations including the quality standards’, page

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Recommendations

15, paragraph 3.9) In particular the registered manager should ensure that the home does not give an ‘institutional’ impression by having television sets placed behind a glass cabinet when there is no good reason for this.  The registered person is responsible for maintaining good employment practice. They must ensure that recruitment, supervision and performance management of staff safeguards children and minimises potential risks to them. (‘Guide to the children’s s homes regulations including the quality standards’, page 61, paragraph 13.1)

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improvement to be good

Staff do not always follow young people’s health plans and monitor their progress effectively. For example, the registered manager was not aware that one young person has missed his immunisations, and a recommendation by health professionals for a young person to have a blood test has not been followed up. Ofsted recognise that a young person’s complex learning needs can be a barrier to him accessing health services and some work is being undertaken to help him to overcome these barriers. However, there is not a coordinated plan to ensure that all the young person’s s health needs are met. This means that young people do not always receive the healthcare that they need and this has the potential to compromise young people’s s wellbeing. One young person experienced some difficulties attending school and staff supported him to engage in alternative education arrangements. The young person has now returned to full-time education. Both young people have made progress with their

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improvement to be good

learning from their starting points. However, staff have not liaised with teachers at one young person’s school to follow up on a recommendation raised at the y oung person’s s statutory review. This does not fully promote this young person’s s education and ensure that plans are followed. Staff do not hold relevant professionals to account to ensure that recommendations raised at statutory reviews are acted on. For example, staff were unclear whether referrals to specialist services have been made to support a young person’s s emotional well-being. This does not provide young people with individual and focused care and has a potential impact on young people making good progress. In addition, one young person’ s education and healthcare plan has not been reviewed since 2017. The registered manager has not highlighted this with the young person’s s placing authority as Inspection report children‘s home: 2515609 5

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improvement to be good

a concern. As a result, it is not clear whether the young person’s s needs have been reviewed and that staff continue to provide care and support in line with these plans. The home environment is not homely throughout. For example, young people watch the television through a glass cabinet without a good safeguarding reason and this is not kept under review. This is despite young people having freestanding televisions in their bedrooms and they use these without incident. Core staff develop positive relationships with young people and get to know them well. These staff have a good understanding of the young people’s s complex behaviours and vulnerabilities. The staff show patience and resilience. They give young people praise and show them appropriate physical contact and this has helped young people to develop some trusting relationships with some staff. Staff support and encourage young people to maintain positive relationships with those

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improvement to be good

who are important to them. When necessary, arrangements are reviewed and modified to support each young person’s s individual needs. Staff understand the importance of young people spending good-quality and meaningful time with their birth families and they manage this well. Young people enjoy a range of activities such as visiting the theatre, cinema, swimming and going on holiday. This promotes young people’s s self-esteem, confidence and social skills. However, at weekends there is not always enough staff to enable one young person to access activities in the community. This has the potential to limit this young person’s s experiences. Young people develop independence skills and life skills in line with their age, ability and development. For example, young people develop some self-care skills, are learning to use public transport, carry out some household chores and prepare shopping lists and cook meals.

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improvement to be good

Young people’s s risk assessments are lengthy and lack focus on some key risks. The reason for the level of some identified risks is not always clearly recorded. Staff spoken to during the inspection had a good understanding of children’s s risks and how to manage these. However, the quality of this recording shortfall has the potential to confuse staff, particularly new staff or those who work at the home temporarily. Young people receive some good support that promotes their welfare, however this is not consistent. For example, staff undertake work with young people about road safety awareness and how to maintain a healthy lifestyle. In addition, young people are learning to manage some aspects of their behaviour better. However, there is little work to help young people understand how to use the internet safety, despite this being a key vulnerability. Managers do not adequately assess all risks relating to the environment. For example,

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improvement to be good

the inspector highlighted concerns regarding a potential fire risk. Although the registered manager acted on this immediately, she had not identified this through her own Inspection report children‘s home: 2515609 6 monitoring. Staff recruitment is largely good. However, there was no application form on file for one member of staff and managers could not locate this. As a result, it is not clear whether this person has a full employment history and the relevant skills and experience for the role. Young people do not go missing from the home. Staff have sufficient guidance to follow should a young person go missing. As a result, staff are prepared and know what to do should such an incident occur. When staff are required to physically intervene to safeguard a young people, these incidents are well documented. Debriefs with staff and young people occur. This means that young people can express their views about what has happened.

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

The registered manager does not implement effective monitoring and review systems consistently well to support her oversight of the home and young people’s s progress. For example, young people’s s health needs are not fully met, the registered manager does not ensure that staff liaise with the placing authority to ensure that recommendations raised at statutory views are always followed up promptly, and the statement of purpose needs to be updated to reflect accurately changes in the staffing. Consequently, the registered manager does not identify areas for development or act quickly to address shortfalls. Not all staff have achieved the level three qualification in caring for children and young people within the required timescale. This means that these staff do not yet have the necessary skills and knowledge required for the role. Staff vacancies require the registered manager to use staff from another home in the

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

organisation to care for young people. Using consistent staff to date has reduced the impact of this on young people’s care. Work is ongoing to recruit staff to this home to create a stable team to care for young people. The quality and frequency of supervision that staff receive is variable. Although some staff receive regular reflective supervision, others do not. This does not fully promote staff development and practice. Staff have developed some positive working relationships with professionals and parents. One parent told the inspector, ‘[Young person’s] l s] life skills have improved, and he is able to interact with the community.’ Another parent said that staff have supported her son to develop good routines and that the number of challenging incidents involving her son had reduced. Parents also said that communication with staff at the home could improve so that they were kept up to date with appointments that their children attend.

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

The registered manager and staff are enthusiastic and work hard to give the young people some positive experiences and support their progress. They feel supported in their role and are committed to ongoing improvement. Inspection report children‘s home: 2515609 7

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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: 2515609 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 Ltd, Progress House, 127 Millfields Road, Wolverhampton, Staffordshire WV4 6JG

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Inspector

Patrick McIntosh, social care inspector Inspection report children‘s home: 2515609 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 children looked after, safeguarding and child protection.

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Inspector

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Inspector

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Inspector

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