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

Inspection report for children’s home – monitoring visit: SC066242 1 SC066242

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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 private organisation. The home is registered to provide care and accommodation for up to two children who may have emotional and/or social needs.

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Information about this children’s home

The former registered manager cancelled his registration in March 2021, following an extended period of absence since May 2019. A new manager was appointed, but has left the organisation without applying 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 27 April 2021, to carry out a monitoring visit. The report is published on our website.

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This monitoring visit

Ofsted initially conducted a monitoring visit to the home on 9 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 monitoring visit took place on 27 April 2021, to monitor the actions taken by the provider to meet the two compliance notices. Some progress had been made, but a further compliance notice relating to the protection of children was served, as further improvements were required.

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This monitoring visit

At the time of this monitoring visit, the same two children remain living in the home. The responsible individual remains in charge of both this home and another home in the organisation. The organisation is still in the process of recruiting a suitable manager. Inspection report for children’s home – monitoring visit: SC066242 2 Further improvements have been made to children’s risk management plans. Key information that had been missing at the time of the last visit is now captured in children’s plans. Strategies for staff to follow to protect a child from further incidents are now clear. Improvements in information-sharing now mean that the majority of staff have signed to say that they are familiar with these plans. This helps to ensure that staff know the best way to respond in the event of an incident. Consequently, the compliance notice has been met.

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This monitoring visit

Children continue to enjoy positive relationships with staff and they are beginning to enjoy activities in the community again, now that COVID-19 restrictions are easing. They recently enjoyed a trip to an amusement park together.

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This monitoring visit

Serious incidents are rare. However, there has been a recent incident where a child was subjected to a physical assault in the community. There was a delay in reporting this incident to the police, as initially the child did not wish to do so. This potentially put others in the community at risk. Furthermore, this incident was not notified to Ofsted as required, preventing Ofsted from ensuring that the necessary actions had been taken. Consequently, this has resulted in two further requirements being raised at this monitoring visit.

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This monitoring visit

Three previous requirements, relating to obtaining up-to-date records from the local authority, the appointment of a new manager and the quality of the independent visitor reports, were not explored as part of this monitoring visit. Similarly, a number of recommendations raised at the last full inspection of the home are repeated and will be reviewed as part of the home’s next full inspection.

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Recent inspection history

Inspection date Inspection type Inspection judgement 19/02/2020 Full Good 22/01/2019 Full Requires improvement to be good 11/07/2017 Full Outstanding 12/01/2017 Interim Sustained effectiveness Inspection report for children’s home – monitoring visit: 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, 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 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—

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Requirement Due date

take effective action whenever there is a serious concern about a child’s welfare. (Regulation 12 (1)(2)(a)(vi))

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Requirement Due date

In particular, ensure that any concerns are reported to the appropriate agencies, including the police. 16 July 2021

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Requirement Due date

The registered provider must appoint a person to manage the children’s home if—

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Requirement Due date

there is no registered manager in respect of the home; and the registered provider—

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Requirement Due date

is not, or does not intend to be, in day-to-day charge of the home.

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Requirement Due date

If the registered provider appoints a person to manage the home, the registered provider must, without delay, give HMCI notice of—

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Requirement Due date

the name of the person so appointed; and

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Requirement Due date

the date on which the appointment takes effect. (Regulation 27 (1)(a)(b)(i)(ii)(iii) (2)(a)(b))

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Requirement Due date

In particular, ensure that a suitable manager is appointed. 25 June 2021 Inspection report for children’s home – monitoring visit: SC066242 4 The registered person must maintain records (“case records”) for each child which—

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Requirement Due date

include the information and documents listed in Schedule 3 in relation for each child. (Regulation 36 (1)(a)(b)(c))

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Requirement Due date

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

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Requirement Due date

The registered person must notify HMCI and each other relevant person without delay if—

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Requirement Due date

an incident requiring police involvement occurs in relation to a child which the registered person considers to be serious; or

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Requirement Due date

there is any other incident relating to a child which the registered person considers to be serious. (Regulation 40 (4)(b)(e))

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Requirement Due date

In particular, any incidents that are required to be reported to Ofsted must be sent without delay. 16 July 2021

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Requirement Due date

The registered person must ensure that an independent person visits the children’s home at least once each month.

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Requirement Due date

When the independent person is carrying out a visit, the registered person must help the independent person—

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Requirement Due date

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.

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Requirement Due date

The independent person must provide a copy of the independent person’s report to—

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Requirement Due date

HMCI. (Regulation 44 (1) (2)(a)(b) (7)(a))

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Requirement Due date

In particular, ensure that the content and quality of these reports is improved to help drive forward improvement in the home. 25 June 2021 Inspection report for children’s home – monitoring visit: SC066242 5

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Recommendations

 The registered person should work with the placing authority to ensure that each child’s transition to adult life is planned, and help each child to prepare for leaving both practically and emotionally. (‘Guide to the children’s homes regulations including the quality standards’, page 57, paragraph 11.9)  The registered person should 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 their training 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 home’s records on each child

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Recommendations

represent a significant contribution to understanding children’s needs, experiences and outcomes, and that records of direct work with children are detailed and show clearly: the outcome that the work is trying to achieve; how it fits in with the child’s plan; the child’s views, wishes and feelings; an evaluation of the effectiveness of the work; and what needs to happen next to support the child. (‘Guide to the children’s homes regulations including the quality standards’, page 62, paragraph 14.5)  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 six months of delivery within the home, and how those actions will be addressed. The whole review process and the resulting report should be

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Recommendations

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)

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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. Inspection report for children’s home – monitoring visit: SC066242 6

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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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Inspector

Mandy Williams, Social Care inspector Inspection report for children’s home – monitoring visit: SC066242 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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