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

Inspection report for children's home - monitoring visit: SC064117 1 SC064117

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Progress Children’s Services Limited

Monitoring visit Inspected under the social care common inspection framework

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Information about this children’s home

This children’s home is operated by a private provider. It provides care and accommodation for up to six children with physical and/or learning disabilities.

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Information about this children’s home

The home has been without a registered manager since 24 February 2021. The provider is yet to appoint a new manager.

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This monitoring visit

Ofsted conducted a monitoring visit to this home on 10 March 2021. The visit was carried out in response to a complaint that Ofsted had received about the children’s home. The visit raised serious concerns in respect of the safeguarding arrangements at the home. As a result, Ofsted issued a notice of restriction of accommodation on 16 March 2021. The home was also subject to three compliance notices under regulation 12, regulation 13 and regulation 23.

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This monitoring visit

Ofsted conducted a further monitoring visit to the home on 26 April 2021. Inspectors found that sufficient progress had been made for the compliance notices to be considered met. However, staffing remained inconsistent and there was still not a permanent manager in post. Ofsted were not satisfied that the home could provide care to any more than the four children living in the home at that time. As a result, the restriction of accommodation remained in place.

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This monitoring visit

Ofsted undertook a full inspection of the home on 2 and 3 June 2021. This inspection found that the previous progress had not been sustained and resulted in an overall inspection judgement of requires improvement to be good, with an inadequate judgement in leadership and management. Ofsted issued two compliance notices. These were again under regulation 13 and regulation 23.

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This monitoring visit

This monitoring visit was carried out to review the provider’s progress in meeting the two compliance notices. Inspection report for children's home - monitoring visit: SC064117 2 Since the full inspection, there have been no changes to the four children living in the home.

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This monitoring visit

Inspectors found that the staffing arrangements in the home have deteriorated significantly since the full inspection. At the time of this monitoring visit, the home had three permanent staff and two bank staff. This is not sufficient to meet the needs of the four children living in the home.

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This monitoring visit

Managers are reliant on agency or temporary staff to operate the home. This results in several different people providing care for the children. The inconsistency of staffing has had a negative impact on the children who live in the home, resulting in an increase in incidents of challenging behaviour.

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This monitoring visit

The provider has tried to work with placing authorities to secure planned transitions for the children to move to alternative placements. However, plans have not been progressed with sufficient priority or speed. The registered provider informed Ofsted during this inspection that they could not guarantee sufficient staffing to provide safe care for the children beyond a further three days. As a result, Ofsted issued a notice of suspension to the provider during the inspection. This notice is in effect from 21 July until 12 October 2021. In addition, Ofsted has issued compliance notices under regulation 6 and regulation 13.

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This monitoring visit

The absence of consistent management has led to continued shortfalls in the oversight of standards in the home. For example, maintenance matters found by inspectors in April have yet to be resolved. Failing to address the overdue maintenance issues does not ensure that children live in the high-quality environment that they deserve.

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This monitoring visit

Despite the significant staffing challenges, managers have made some progress in addressing some of the shortfalls identified at the full inspection. For example, permanent staff have now received training that reflects the individual needs of the children that live in the home. However, the small number of permanent staff limits the impact of this progress.

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This monitoring visit

Managers have made improvements to the systems for the management of medication in the home. These are still in the early stages of implementation. However, the work undertaken is sufficient for the compliance notice under regulation 23 to be considered met.

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This monitoring visit

Some requirements raised at the last inspection remain within the timescale for completion and were not reviewed as part of this monitoring visit. These will be reviewed at the next full inspection. Inspection report for children's home - monitoring visit: SC064117 3

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Inspection date Inspection type Inspection judgement

02/06/2021 Full Requires improvement to be good 05/02/2020 Full Good 10/10/2019 Interim Not judged 02/05/2018 Full Requires improvement to be good Inspection report for children's home - monitoring visit: SC064117 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

provide personalised care that meets each child’s needs, as recorded in the child's relevant plans, taking account of the child's background;

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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. (Regulation 6 (1)(a)(b) (2)(b)(iv)(c)(i)(ii))

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Requirement Due date

This requirement was made at the last inspection and is restated

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Requirement Due date

This particularly refers to ensuring that staff have the skills and tools that they need to communicate with the children who live in the home.

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Requirement Due date

This particularly refers to ensuring that maintenance of the home is undertaken promptly. 26 September Inspection report for children's home - monitoring visit: SC064117 5 *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

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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 staff have the experience, qualifications and skills to meet the needs of each child;

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Requirement Due date

ensure that the home has sufficient staff to provide care for each child;

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Requirement Due date

ensure that the home’s workforce provides continuity of care to each child;

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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. (Regulation 13 (1)(a)(b) (2)(c)(d)(e)(h))

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Requirement Due date

This requirement was made at the last inspection and is restated

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Requirement Due date

This particularly refers to ensuring that staff receive the training that reflects the needs of the children who live in the home.

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Requirement Due date

This particularly refers to ensuring that there are sufficient staff permanently employed at the home to meet the staffing ratios of the children who live there. Also, to ensure that children receive care from a consistent team of people and changes are kept to a minimum. Managers must also implement monitoring systems to ensure that meetings needed for the progression of children’s care plans are known about and attended as required. 26 September

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Requirement Due date

keep the statement of purpose under review and, where appropriate, revise it; and

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Requirement Due date

notify HMCI of any revisions and send HMCI a copy of the revised statement within 28 days of the revision. 26 September Inspection report for children's home - monitoring visit: SC064117 6 (Regulation 16 (3)(a)(b))

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Requirement Due date

This particularly refers to ensuring that the statement of purpose is kept up to date with management changes and that a copy is sent to Ofsted.

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Requirement Due date

The registered person must recruit staff using recruitment procedures that are designed to ensure children’s safety.

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Requirement Due date

employ an individual to work at the children’s home; or

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Requirement Due date

if an individual is employed by a person other than the registered person to work at the home in a position in which the individual may have regular contact with children, allow that individual to work at the home, if the individual satisfies the requirements in paragraph (3).

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Requirement Due date

full and satisfactory information is available in relation to the individual in respect of each of the matters in Schedule 2. (Regulation 32 (1) (2)(a)(b) (3)(d))

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Requirement Due date

This requirement was made at the last inspection and is restated

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Requirement Due date

This particularly refers to ensuring that checks are made regarding previous employment with children and vulnerable adults, as set out in Schedule 2. 26 September

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Requirement Due date

The registered person must ensure that all employees—

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Requirement Due date

receive practice-related supervision by a person with appropriate experience. (Regulation 33 (4)(b))

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Requirement Due date

This requirement was made at the last inspection and is restated

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Requirement Due date

This particularly refers to ensuring that employees receive supervision in line with organisational policy. 26 September

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Requirement Due date

*These requirements are subject to a compliance notice. Inspection report for children's home - monitoring visit: SC064117 7

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Recommendations

 The registered person should ensure that information that is retained electronically is held in such a way as enable access for anyone with a legitimate need to view it. In particular, this refers to the storage of core children’s documents and information regarding complaints. (‘Guide to the children’s home regulations including the quality standards’, page 61, paragraph 14.2).  The registered person should ensure that children are actively encouraged to participate in their plans and records and that their views are incorporated. (‘Guide to the children’s home regulations including the quality standards’, page 62, paragraph 14.6). Inspection report for children's home - monitoring visit: SC064117 8

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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 Limited

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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

Tracey Coglan Greig, Social Care Inspector Inspection report for children's home - monitoring visit: SC064117 9 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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