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 Limited Full inspection Inspected under the social care common inspection framework

p.1

Information about this children’s home

This home is owned and operated by a private company. It provides medium- to long-term care for three children aged between five and 18 years. The children may have physical disabilities, sensory impairment, and complex learning, social, emotional or behavioural needs.

p.1

Information about this children’s home

The current manager registered with Ofsted in February 2019.

p.1

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.

p.1

Information about this children’s home

Ofsted last visited this setting on 14 October 2020 to carry out a monitoring visit inspection. This report is published on the Ofsted website.

p.1

Overall experiences and progress of

children and young people, taking into account

p.1

requires improvement to be good

How well children and young people are helped and protected requires improvement to be good

p.1

requires improvement to be good

The effectiveness of leaders and managers inadequate

p.1

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.

p.1

requires improvement to be good

Date of last inspection: 25 September 2019

p.1

requires improvement to be good

Overall judgement at last inspection: requires improvement to be good

p.1

requires improvement to be good

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

p.1

Inspection date Inspection type Inspection judgement

25/09/2019 Full Requires improvement to be good Inspection report children's home: 2515609 3

p.2

improvement to be good

Leaders and managers have not acted promptly to bring about sustained improvements since the home’s previous inspection. Several requirements have been raised at this inspection.

p.3

improvement to be good

Three children live in this home. Children have made some good progress since coming to live at the home. However, staff do not provide sufficient support to maintain this and help children to progress further.

p.3

improvement to be good

The home is not always well maintained. Although children’s bedrooms are personalised, staff do not ensure that other aspects of the home are welcoming. For example, the garden area is unkempt and littered with potential hazards. Furthermore, repairs have not been completed in a timely manner. For example, damage to an interior wall and a bathroom panel are awaiting repair. This practice creates an institutional feel rather than a homely environment.

p.3

improvement to be good

Staff sometimes consult children through key-work sessions and house meetings. This support helps children to express their views, wishes and feelings. However, staff do not always apply the same level of support to give children feedback following investigations about the care they receive. For example, one child was not spoken to, to help them understand the outcome of a complaint. This compromises children’s abilities to raise concerns and to feel confident that staff will investigate their worries.

p.3

improvement to be good

The registered manager does not properly assess the suitability or compatibility of new children moving into the home. As a result, they are unable to clearly show whether the home can meet children’s needs. For example, the registered manager had not considered specific risks for some children and how to manage them.

p.3

improvement to be good

Information about children and their past experiences histories are not always contained in records. Also, these documents are not detailed and kept up to date. For example, one child’s records do not detail important information about their needs. This means that staff are not able to reflect on and understand the child’s history or provide bespoke care to meet their needs.

p.3

improvement to be good

The registered manager has little oversight and awareness of the workforce being used to care for children. Staff rotas do not reflect the home’s statement of purpose on staffing levels for children. One child told the inspectors that they did not know which agency staff were working in the home, despite requesting this information. As a result, children are anxious about which staff will be caring for them.

p.3

improvement to be good

Children are supported to attend school and engage in learning. They make good progress in their education. Staff liaised with one child’s educational placement and Inspection report children's home: 2515609 4 social worker to ensure that the impact of school absence on their learning and development was minimal. This child is predicted to achieve academic qualifications.

p.3

improvement to be good

Staff support and encourage children to maintain positive relationships with those who are important to them. They communicate with social workers to review the arrangements for them to spend time with their families. As a result, staff show an understanding of the importance of children spending meaningful time with their families, and they manage this well.

p.4

improvement to be good

The registered manager does not always ensure that staff provide good enough support to children to meet their emotional needs. For example, on one occasion, when one child became emotionally distressed, the staff did not have the skills to respond appropriately. This weakness impacts negatively on children’s care and experiences.

p.4

improvement to be good

Risk assessments are not always clear and do not contain relevant and accurate information to help staff to protect children. Staff do not always show enough professional curiosity and vigilance about risk. For example, staff failed to follow guidance on monitoring children’s electronic devices when there was a risk of exploitation. The registered manager does not identify these shortfalls. This leaves staff without all the necessary information they need to reduce potential risks to children.

p.4

improvement to be good

Staff do not administer medicines in line with the home’s approved protocol. They do not always keep accurate records of the administration of all medication. For example, staff administered the incorrect medication to one child and gave medication that was out of date to another child. Furthermore, staff have not given a child their medication on time. This has the potential to compromise children’s health and well-being. More recently, managers took action to address this shortfall; however, it is too early to monitor its effectiveness.

p.4

improvement to be good

Incidents of restraint are rare and there have been none for a long period of time. Despite some weaknesses in how staff support children emotionally, some staff do develop positive relationships with children. Most staff use distraction techniques and use approaches to ensure that situations do not escalate when behaviour becomes challenging.

p.4

improvement to be good

Managers have an adequate understanding of safeguarding procedures. When a safeguarding concern arises, staff report it in good time. Subsequently, managers make the appropriate referrals to the required agencies. One child told the inspector that he liked living at the home and felt safe because he had a good routine.

p.4

The effectiveness of leaders and managers: inadequate

The registered manager does not have a good understanding about the strengths and weaknesses of the home. They were ineffective in taking action to address the Inspection report children's home: 2515609 5 shortfalls that required immediate attention, which were identified on the first day of the inspection. This poor management limits the capacity of the home to improve.

p.4

The effectiveness of leaders and managers: inadequate

Children do not receive consistent care which meets their needs. The home continues to have a high staff turnover. In the past 12 months, a large number of different agency staff have worked in the home. One child told the inspector, that he likes the staff in the home but ‘sometimes there have been a lot of agency staff, and that is frustrating at times, as they [agency staff] don’t know all my routines.’ Senior managers have a recruitment campaign in place.

p.5

The effectiveness of leaders and managers: inadequate

Throughout the COVID-19 pandemic, the registered manager has not ensured that all core staff complete a range of refresher mandatory training. Also, agency staff do not have all the necessary mandatory training to care for children. For example, some agency staff’s training has expired in safeguarding, medication and physical intervention, but they have continued to work within the home. This omission has the potential to compromise the children’s safety and the staff’s ability to update their knowledge.

p.5

The effectiveness of leaders and managers: inadequate

The registered manager does not always use her monitoring and review systems effectively. For example, she has failed to ensure that staff who have worked in the home for a long time, have satisfactory qualifications to meet the needs of children. Two of the staff members have not qualified to the Level 3 Diploma for Residential Childcare within the required timescale.

p.5

The effectiveness of leaders and managers: inadequate

Staff provide positive feedback and confirm they are well supported by the registered manager. Staff benefit from regular team meetings. However, the quality and frequency of staff supervision is variable. Furthermore, the registered manager does not always use supervision and appraisals effectively, to monitor staff progress and professional development. This does not promote staff development and improve practice within the home.

p.5

The effectiveness of leaders and managers: inadequate

The registered manager does not always challenge the local authority, to ensure that each child’s needs are met in accordance with their plans. For example, when the local authority failed to provide the relevant statutory documents for one child, the registered manager did not escalate her concerns. As a result, the staff did not have a full history of the child or their needs, to provide a bespoke care plan. Inspection report children's home: 2515609 6

p.5

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.

p.6

Requirement Due date

In meeting the quality standards, the registered person must, and must ensure that staff—

p.6

Requirement Due date

seek to involve each child’s placing authority effectively in the child’s care, in accordance with the child’s relevant plans;

p.6

Requirement Due date

seek to secure the input and services required to meet each child’s needs;

p.6

Requirement Due date

if the registered person considers, or staff consider, a placing authority’s or a relevant person’s performance or response to be inadequate in relation to their role, challenge the placing authority or the relevant person to seek to ensure that each child’s needs are met in accordance with the child’s relevant plans. (Regulation 5 (a)(b)(c))

p.6

Requirement Due date

This particularly refers to the registered manager ensuring that they escalate concerns with the local authority regarding children’s care plans. 19 November

p.6

Requirement Due date

The children’s views, wishes and feelings standard is that children receive care from staff who—

p.6

Requirement Due date

develop positive relationships with them;

p.6

Requirement Due date

take their views, wishes and feelings into account in relation to matters affecting the children’s care and welfare and their lives.

p.6

Requirement Due date

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

p.6

Requirement Due date

help each child to express views, wishes and feelings; 19 November Inspection report children's home: 2515609 7 help each child to understand how the child’s views, wishes and feelings have been taken into account and give the child reasons for decisions in relation to the child;

p.6

Requirement Due date

is enabled to provide feedback to, and raise issues with, a relevant person about the support and services that the child receives. (Regulation 7 (1)(a)(b)(c) (2)(a)(ii)(iii)(b)(i))

p.7

Requirement Due date

This particularly refers to staff helping children to explore their emotions and that children have feedback following any investigation.

p.7

Requirement Due date

The positive relationships standard is that children are helped to develop, and to benefit from, relationships based on—

p.7

Requirement Due date

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

p.7

Requirement Due date

meet each child’s behavioural and emotional needs, as set out in the child’s relevant plans;

p.7

Requirement Due date

understand how children’s previous experiences and present emotions can be communicated through behaviour and have the competence and skills to interpret these and develop positive relationships with children. (Regulation 11 (1)(a) (2)(a)(i)(ix))

p.7

Requirement Due date

This particularly refers to staff supporting children to explore their emotions and build positive relationships. 19 November

p.7

Requirement Due date

The protection of children standard is that children are protected from harm and enabled to keep themselves safe.

p.7

Requirement Due date

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

p.7

Requirement Due date

assess whether each child is at risk of harm, taking into account information in the child’s relevant plans, and, if 19 November Inspection report children's home: 2515609 8 necessary, make arrangements to reduce the risk of any harm to the child;

p.7

Requirement Due date

help each child to understand how to keep safe;

p.8

Requirement Due date

have the skills to identify and act upon signs that a child is at risk of harm;

p.8

Requirement Due date

understand the roles and responsibilities in relation to protecting children that are assigned to them by the registered person;

p.8

Requirement Due date

that the premises used for the purposes of the home are designed, furnished and maintained so as to protect each child from avoidable hazards to the child’s health. (Regulation 12 (1) (2)(a)(i)(ii)(iii)(v)(d))

p.8

Requirement Due date

This particularly refers to staff ensuring that risk assessments are reviewed and kept up to date.

p.8

Requirement Due date

It also relates to ensuring that all aspects of the home are welcoming.

p.8

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—

p.8

Requirement Due date

helps children aspire to fulfil their potential;

p.8

Requirement Due date

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

p.8

Requirement Due date

ensure that staff work as a team where appropriate;

p.8

Requirement Due date

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

p.8

Requirement Due date

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

p.8

Requirement Due date

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

p.8

Requirement Due date

understand the impact that the quality of care provided in the home is having on the progress and experiences of each child and use this understanding to inform the development of the quality of care provided in the home; 19 November Inspection report children's home: 2515609 9 use monitoring and review systems to make continuous improvements in the quality of care provided in the home. (Regulation 13 (1)(a) (2)(b)(c)(d)(e)(f)(h))

p.8

Requirement Due date

This particularly refers to the registered manager ensuring that all staff receive refresher mandatory training.

p.9

Requirement Due date

It also relates to the registered manager ensuring that they have sufficient staff to provide consistent care to the children.

p.9

Requirement Due date

It also relates to the registered manager ensuring they use internal monitoring systems more effectively.

p.9

Requirement Due date

The care planning standard is that children—

p.9

Requirement Due date

receive effectively planned care in or through the children’s home. (Regulation 14 (1)(a))

p.9

Requirement Due date

This particularly refers to the registered manager ensuring that they have the relevant information in relation to children’s risks. 19 November

p.9

Requirement Due date

The registered person must make arrangements for the handling, recording, safekeeping, safe administration and disposal of medicines received into the children’s home.

p.9

Requirement Due date

In particular the registered person must ensure that—

p.9

Requirement Due date

medicine which is prescribed for a child is administered as prescribed to the child for whom it is prescribed and to no other child. (Regulation 23 (1) (2)(b))

p.9

Requirement Due date

This relates to staff ensuring that they administer the correct medication to children and records are kept updated. 19 November

p.9

Requirement Due date

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

p.9

Requirement Due date

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

p.9

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 3 December 2021 Inspection report children's home: 2515609 10 the individual may have regular contact with children, allow that individual to work at the home,

p.9

Requirement Due date

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

p.10

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—

p.10

Requirement Due date

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

p.10

Requirement Due date

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

p.10

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; or

p.10

Requirement Due date

in the case of an individual who was working in a care role in a home on 1st April 2014, 1st April 2016. (Regulation 32 (1) (2)(a)(b) (4)(a)(b) (5)(a)(b))

p.10

Requirement Due date

This specifically relates to the registered manager ensuring that all staff have completed the relevant qualification in residential childcare.

p.10

Requirement Due date

The registered person must ensure that all employees—

p.10

Requirement Due date

undertake appropriate continuing professional development;

p.10

Requirement Due date

receive practice-related supervision by a person with appropriate experience; and

p.10

Requirement Due date

have their performance and fitness to perform their roles appraised at least once every year. (Regulation 33 (4)(a)(b)(c))

p.10

Requirement Due date

This specifically relates to the registered manager ensuring that all staff receive regular reflective supervision and appraisals. 19 November

p.10

Requirement Due date

The registered person must maintain records ("case records") for each child which— 19 November Inspection report children's home: 2515609 11 include the information and documents listed in Schedule 3 in relation to each child. (Regulation 36 (1)(a))

p.10

Requirement Due date

This relates to staff ensuring that all children’s record are updated

p.11

Recommendation

 The registered person should ensure that rotas reflect the correct staff ratio for each child. (‘Guide to the children’s homes regulations, including the quality standards’, page 54, paragraphs 10.18).

p.11

Information about this inspection

Inspectors have looked closely at the experiences and progress of children and young people, 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 12

p.11

Children’s home details

Registered provider: Progress Children’s Services Limited

p.12

Children’s home details

Registered provider address: Progress House, 127 Millfields Road, Wolverhampton, Staffordshire WV4 6JG

p.12

Inspectors

Patrick McIntosh, Social Care Inspector Sophie Hills, Social Care Inspector Inspection report children's home: 2515609 13 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.

p.12

Inspectors

If you would like a copy of this document in a different format, such as large print or Braille, please telephone 0300 123 1231, or email enquiries@ofsted.gov.uk . You may reuse this information (not including logos) free of charge in any format or medium, under the terms of the Open Government Licence. To view this licence, visit www.nationalarchives.gov.uk/doc/open-government-licence , write to the Information Policy Team, The National Archives, Kew, London TW9 4DU, or email: psi@nationalarchives.gsi.gov.uk .

p.13

Inspectors

Interested in our work? You can subscribe to our monthly newsletter for more information and updates: http://eepurl.com/iTrDn .

p.13

Inspectors

T: 0300 123 1231 Textphone: 0161 618 8524 E: enquiries@ofsted.gov.uk W: www.gov.uk/ofsted

p.13