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

Inspection report for children’s home - monitoring visit: 2515609 1

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Progress Children’s Services

Monitoring visit 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 medium- to long-term care and accommodation for two children or young people aged between five and 18 years. The children and young people may have physical disabilities, sensory impairments and complex learning, social, emotional and/or behavioural needs.

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Information about this children’s home

The current manager registered with Ofsted in February 2019.

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This monitoring visit

This inspection examined progress made towards meeting the requirements and recommendations raised at the previous inspection.

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This monitoring visit

Due to current restrictions related to COVID-19 (coronavirus), the majority of this visit was completed remotely. The inspector was sent documents by email and also securely accessed records online. The inspector also communicated to young people, staff, professionals and family/carers through telephone calls and email.

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This monitoring visit

The two young people living in the home at the time of the last inspection have moved on. Two young people currently live in the home.

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This monitoring visit

Overall, staff work collectively with a range of health professionals to meet the health needs of young people. As a result, both young people have made progress with their emotional and physical health. However, a referral to a specialist emotional support service has yet to be actioned by the social worker. The registered manager missed opportunities to fully escalate her concerns on this matter with the young person’s placing authority. Inspection report for children’s home - monitoring visit: 2515609 2 The registered manager and staff have worked hard to improve the quality of risk assessments. These documents now clearly capture risk and provide clear guidance to staff about how to respond to concerning behaviours.

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This monitoring visit

The registered manager knows young people well. She uses this knowledge to oversee all aspects of their care and intervene to improve staff practice when necessary. However, the registered manager does not yet have formal monitoring systems in place. This will inhibit her ability to identify trends and patterns and continually improve the quality of care young people receive.

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This monitoring visit

The registered manager has worked hard to recruit an experienced and skilled staff team. Staff have completed a range of mandatory and specialist training. In addition, specialist health professionals provide staff with bespoke training tailored to the needs of individual young people. This ensures that young people receive well- informed and consistent care. The registered manager provides staff with frequent and reflective supervision. As a result, staff practice continues to improve. Unfortunately, three staff have not yet achieved a qualification at level 3 within the required timescale. They are due to complete the qualification by October 2020.

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This monitoring visit

Overall, staff provide young people with proactive and joined-up care. They work closely with a range of professionals to ensure that young people receive care in line with their needs. One young person has no agreed education plan for the next academic year. The registered manager plans to escalate this concern. A recommendation is made in respect of this. In addition, neither young person has access to an independent advocate. The registered manager plans to address this shortfall imminently.

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This monitoring visit

Overall, staff provide young people with frequent and targeted key-work support. However, the quality of some sessions is variable. The registered manager is continuing to scrutinise this area of staff practice.

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This monitoring visit

The registered manager has submitted a statement of purpose which accurately reflects the staffing within the home.

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This monitoring visit

The inspector completed a brief on-site inspection on 17 July 2020 to assess the suitability of the environment. The television in the main lounge remains in a glass cabinet despite neither young person presenting with any associated risks. The registered manager has plans to remove the cabinet and install a new television.

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This monitoring visit

Both young people rely on a wheelchair. However, some aspects of the home environment make wheelchair accessibility difficult. For example, young people rely on staff to put a temporary ramp in place so that they can access their home. In addition, some doors are too narrow and young people cannot fully use the kitchen sink due to poor design and a lack of room. One young person cannot access the shower in his bedroom as it is not wheelchair accessible. These shortfalls are frustrating for young people and impact upon their day-to-day lives. It is Inspection report for children’s home - monitoring visit: 2515609 3 acknowledged that the registered manager had plans to rectify these shortfalls prior to the COVID-19 pandemic. She now plans to make the necessary alterations to the home imminently.

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Recent inspection history

Inspection date Inspection type Inspection judgement 25/09/2019 Full Requires improvement to be good Inspection report for children’s home - monitoring visit: 2515609 4

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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—

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Requirement Due date

understand the children’s home’s overall aims and the outcomes it seeks to achieve for children;

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Requirement Due date

use this understanding to deliver care that meets children’s needs and supports them to fulfil their potential.

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Requirement Due date

In particular, the standard in paragraph (1) requires the registered person to—

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Requirement Due date

ensure that the premises used for the purposes of the home are designed and furnished so as to—

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Requirement Due date

enable each child to participate in the daily life of the home.

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Requirement Due date

(Regulation 6 (1)(a)(b)(2)(c)(i)(ii)) 24/08/2020

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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—

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Requirement Due date

helps children aspire to fulfil their potential; and promotes their welfare.

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Requirement Due date

In particular, the standard in paragraph (1) requires the registered person to—

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Requirement Due date

use monitoring and review systems to make continuous improvements in the quality of care provided in the home.

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Requirement Due date

(Regulation 13 (1)(a)(b)(2)(h)) 24/08/2020

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Requirement Due date

The registered person must recruit staff using recruitment procedures that are designed to ensure children’s safety. 02/11/2020 Inspection report for children’s home - monitoring visit: 2515609 5 The registered person may only—

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Requirement Due date

employ an individual to work at the children’s home,

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Requirement Due date

if the individual satisfies the requirements in paragraph (3).

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Requirement Due date

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—

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Requirement Due date

the Level 3 Diploma for Residential Childcare (England) ("the Level 3 Diploma"); or

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Requirement Due date

a qualification which the registered person considers to be equivalent to the Level 3 Diploma.

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Requirement Due date

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.

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Recommendations

 Regulation 5 sets out overarching requirements that run across all of the Quality Standards. To meet the aspirations embodied in the Quality Standards, children’s homes need to connect with and be part of the wider support system for each child in their care. No children’s home will be able to meet, on its own, all of a child’s needs. It is crucial that the home works in close partnership with all those who play a role in protecting and caring for the child, but particularly the child’s local authority and statutory social worker. The registered person and the staff of the home cannot force a relevant person to engage or work productively with them and the regulation does not require this. The registered person should evidence what they have done to achieve engagement, including any actions taken to escalate concerns. (‘Guide to the children’s home regulations including the quality standards’, page 11, paragraph 2.3). In particular, the registered

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Recommendations

manager will fully escalate her concerns to ensure that young people’s care needs are met, including their education and health.

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Recommendations

 The registered person should consider the use of an independent advocate (see paragraph 4.16) if the child’s needs are not being met. (‘Guide to the children’s home regulations including the quality standards’, page 12, paragraph 2.8). Inspection report for children’s home - monitoring visit: 2515609 6  All children’s case records (Regulation 36) must be kept up to date and stored securely while they remain in the home. (‘Guide to the children’s homes regulations including the quality standards’, page 62, paragraph 14.3). In particular, ensure that key-work sessions consistently provide children with targeted support in line with their needs.

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Information about this inspection

The purpose of this visit was to monitor the action taken and the progress made by the children’s home since its last Ofsted inspection.

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Information about this inspection

This inspection was carried out under the Care Standards Act 2000.

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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 for children’s home - monitoring visit: 2515609 7 to 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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