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

Inspection report for children’s home - monitoring visit: SC061924 1 SC061924

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Progressive Futures Care Limited

Monitoring visit Inspected under the social care common inspection framework

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Information about this children’s home

The home is operated by a small private organisation. It is registered to provide care and accommodation for up to three children who may have emotional and/or behavioural needs.

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Information about this children’s home

The former registered manager has recently cancelled his registration, following an extended period of absence since May 2019. A new manager was appointed but did not apply for registration with Ofsted. The provider is now in the process of recruiting another manager for the home.

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Information about this children’s home

Due to COVID-19 (coronavirus), at the request of the Secretary of State, we suspended all routine inspections of social care providers on 17 March 2020.

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Information about this children’s home

We last visited this setting on 9 and 10 March 2021 to carry out a monitoring visit. The report is published on our website.

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This monitoring visit

Ofsted carried out a monitoring visit to the home on 9 and 10 March 2021. A number of shortfalls were identified at this visit. The decision was made to issue compliance notices, relating to the protection of children and the leadership and management of the home. A further six requirements were also made. The purpose of this monitoring visit was to monitor the actions taken by the provider to meet the two compliance notices.

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This monitoring visit

At the time of the monitoring visit, there was one child living in the home. Following the last visit, the manager decided not to proceed with her application for registration. The organisation is now seeking to recruit an experienced registered manager, although a suitable candidate has yet to be identified. The responsible individual is managing the home in the interim. Inspection report for children’s home - monitoring visit: SC061924 2 At the time of the last monitoring visit, senior managers were reliant on feedback from the manager and had not visited the home for many months. This is no longer a concern. The provider has introduced systems to improve the oversight and review of the home. The responsible individual has completed an audit of the home and, while this would benefit from being more detailed, it shows that the provider is working to address the shortfalls that were identified during the previous visit.

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This monitoring visit

Health and safety monitoring forms and daily checklists for staff are also helping to ensure that routine checks are not missed.

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This monitoring visit

Improvements have been made to the impact risk assessment format, which is used when making decisions regarding the placement of new children into the home. This now includes relevant historical information, details of the child’s previous placement, discussion with stakeholders and the child’s known risks, as well as strategies for staff to manage the child’s behaviour. However, no children have moved into the home since the last monitoring visit, so it is too soon to be able to monitor the effectiveness of this document.

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This monitoring visit

Risk management plans detail the risks to the child and the strategies staff are to use in order to minimise these risks. The document has been updated with recent relevant information and includes the child’s view. Staff spoken to during the monitoring visit were able to demonstrate that they were familiar with this document and that their practice reflected it. This helps to keep children safe.

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This monitoring visit

Since the last monitoring visit, the young person’s handbook has been updated. This now includes the arrangements to manage the risks associated with children who smoke. This is now clear for both staff and children.

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This monitoring visit

There are now individual lone-working risk assessments for all staff working in the home, detailing actions to support lone working. A procedure for on-call staff is now in place, with the duty staff member clearly recorded on the staff rota.

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This monitoring visit

Staff have completed a range of online training since the last monitoring visit, which includes de-escalation and the use of physical intervention. The organisation acknowledges the need for supplementary face-to-face training, which will be sourced when COVID-19 restrictions are lifted.

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This monitoring visit

Improvements have been made to the physical environment. New furniture has been purchased, the shower cubicle regrouted and exposed piping covered. Although improvements need to continue, the environment for children living at the home is safer and more welcoming.

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This monitoring visit

There has been one independent visit to the home since the last monitoring visit. This did include a visit to the home and discussion with the child living here, as well as a review of some documents. However, reports provide limited review and feedback to the provider, limiting their effectiveness. The reports do not support the development of practice in the home. Inspection report for children’s home - monitoring visit: SC061924 3 One previous requirement relating to obtaining up-to-date records from the local authority was not explored as part of this monitoring visit. Similarly, a number of recommendations are repeated and will be reviewed as part of the home’s next routine inspection. However, sufficient progress has been made for Ofsted to assess that the compliance notices have been met. An additional requirement is made that relates to the appointment of a new manager for the home.

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Recent inspection history

Inspection date Inspection type Inspection judgement 02/03/2020 Full Good 19/11/2018 Full Good 23/08/2017 Full Good 11/01/2017 Interim Sustained effectiveness Inspection report for children’s home - monitoring visit: SC061924 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, The 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 registered provider must appoint a person to manage the children’s home if— there is no registered manager in respect of the home; and the registered provider— is an organisation or a partnership; does not satisfy regulation 28; or is not, or does not intend to be, in day-to-day charge of the home. If the registered provider appoints a person to manage the home, the registered provider must, without delay, give HMCI notice of— the name of the person so appointed; and the date on which the appointment takes effect. (Regulation 27 (1)(a)(b)(i)(ii)(iii)(2)(a)(b)) 25 June 2021

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Requirement Due date

The registered person must maintain records ("case records") for each child which— include the information and documents listed in Schedule 3 in relation for each child; (Regulation 36 (1)(a)) In particular, children’s case records must contain up-to-date plans and reports relating to each child, including: personal education plans; a copy of any plan for the care of the child prepared by the child’s placing authority; and the date and result of any review of the placing authority’s plan for the care of the child, or of the child’s placement plan. 25 June 2021 Inspection report for children’s home - monitoring visit: SC061924 5 The registered person must ensure that an independent person visits the children’s home at least once each month. When the independent person is carrying out a visit, the registered person must help the independent person— if they consent, to interview in private such of the children,

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Requirement Due date

their parents, relatives and persons working at the home as the independent person requires; and to inspect the premises of the home and such of the home’s records (except for a child’s case records, unless the child and the child’s placing authority consent) as the independent person requires. The independent person must provide a copy of the independent person’s report to— HMCI. (Regulation 44 (1)(2)(a)(b)(7)(a)) In particular, that the content and quality of these reports is improved to help drive forward improvement in the home. 25 June 2021

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Recommendations

 The registered person should ensure that the child’s plan should form the basis of their care. In particular, the home’s placement and health plans should include all the relevant information about each child’s identity needs, including gender and sexual identity, and the arrangements for promoting each child’s understanding of sexual health and well-being and appropriate relationships. (‘Guide to the children’s homes regulations including the quality standards’, page 56, paragraph 11.1)  The registered person should ensure that they 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. The record of supervision should provide evidence that staff have reflected critically on children’s progress, their work with children and staff’s training

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Recommendations

and professional development. (‘Guide to the children’s homes regulations including the quality standards’, page 61, paragraph 13.2)  The registered person should ensure that the review of the quality of care (under regulation 45) should enable the registered person to identify areas of strength and possible weakness in the home’s care, which will be captured in the written report. The report should clearly identify any actions required for the next 6 months of delivery within the home and how those actions will be addressed. The whole review process and the resulting report should be used as a tool for continuous improvement in the home. (‘Guide to the children’s homes regulations including the quality standards’, page 65, paragraph 15.4) Inspection report for children’s home - monitoring visit: SC061924 6

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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: Progressive Futures Care Limited

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Children’s home details

Registered provider address: 22 Hoghton Street, Southport, Merseyside PR9 0PG

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Inspectors

Mandy Williams, Social Care Inspector Genevieve O’Reilly, Social Care Inspector Inspection report for children’s home - monitoring visit: SC061924 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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Inspectors

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Inspectors

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Inspectors

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