Children's home run by Progress Children’s Services Ltd in Wolverhampton

Inspection report children's home: SC020859 1 SC020859 Registered provider: Progress Children’s Services Limited Full inspection Inspected under the social care common inspection framework

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Information about this children’s home

This home is owned by a private provider. The home is registered to provide care for up to six children with learning disabilities and associated emotional and behavioural needs.

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Information about this children’s home

The manager has been registered with Ofsted since March 2018.

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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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Overall experiences and progress of

children and young people, taking into account

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inadequate

How well children and young people are helped and protected inadequate

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inadequate

The effectiveness of leaders and managers inadequate

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inadequate

There are serious and widespread failures that mean children and young people are not protected or their welfare is not promoted or safeguarded.

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inadequate

In response to the serious failings found in respect of safeguarding young people and the leadership and management of the home, the home’s registration was suspended on 22 September 2021. Following the conclusion of the inspection, three compliance notices have been issued and 10 new requirements raised.

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inadequate

Overall judgement at last inspection: good

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inadequate

Enforcement action since last inspection: none Inspection report children's home: SC020859 2

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Inspection date Inspection type Inspection judgement

12/06/2019 Full Good 14/12/2018 Interim Sustained effectiveness 17/04/2018 Full Good 21/02/2018 Interim Declined in effectiveness Inspection report children's home: SC020859 3

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inadequate

Serious and widespread concerns, including poor safeguarding arrangements in the home, mean that children are not kept safe, and their welfare and progress are compromised. As a result of the inspection, a notice of suspension was issued and children moved out of the home.

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inadequate

The home is dirty, hazardous and poorly maintained. It does not provide children with a safe or welcoming place to live. The home is undergoing extensive refurbishment to address some issues. However, this has had a negative impact on the current poor and unsafe living conditions. In one child’s bedroom, the plug socket is damaged and electrical wiring left exposed. Roof lights were exposed and hanging by a cord. Trunking is missing from electrical cables in the dining room. An old cooker and broken benches are discarded in the grounds. One child’s bedroom, which faces a main road, did not have adequate window covering, which left him vulnerable and did not promote privacy and dignity. Managers have not identified or addressed these shortfalls that put children at risk.

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inadequate

Relationships between the children are of variable quality and benefit. It is not clear how staff help children to develop positive relationships with each other. Incidents of bullying between the children are common. One child informed the inspectors that bullying happens in the home. Although staff intervene, there is a lack of follow-up work being undertaken to address such behaviours.

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inadequate

Children informed inspectors they do not have access to a healthy and balanced diet. They reported the food is often frozen oven-cooked meals. Inspectors asked to see the home’s menu for the week but this was not available.

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inadequate

The children all currently attend education. The manager informed inspectors they were all making progress. Documentation was not provided to enable inspectors to fully understand children’s educational progress.

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How well children and young people are helped and protected: inadequate

Safeguarding arrangements in the home are inadequate. Staff lack the skills and knowledge to keep children safe. Staff have failed to protect a child who is at risk of sexual exploitation. For example, managers and staff have failed to check the safety of children accessing the internet and social media. Following a significant incident of exploitation, one child was still able to freely access the internet without any additional safeguards.

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How well children and young people are helped and protected: inadequate

Children’s records and plans do not detail essential information or strategies to reduce risk. They contain conflicting information and do not inform staff’s practice or recognise increasing risky behaviour. For example, one child requires support around Inspection report children's home: SC020859 4 self-harming behaviours. However, the child’s risk assessment does not consider the risks around self-harm or how to support them. This does not promote children’s safety and welfare and leaves children at risk.

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How well children and young people are helped and protected: inadequate

Physical intervention records do not detail an accurate description of the restraint used, including how long children are restrained for. These records do not set out if any injuries were sustained by the children or if any medical attention was necessary or administered. It is therefore not clear if restraint practice is proportionate and safe, and that children have access to medical assistance should they need it.

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How well children and young people are helped and protected: inadequate

Records of discussions held with the children and staff following restraints are of poor quality. It is not clear if these discussions take place within the required timescales as required. Not all restraints are reviewed by someone independent of the measure, for example, the registered manager had oversight and conducted a debrief of a restraint he led on. This is a missed opportunity to understand the effectiveness of the hold, ensure the safety of children and consider how to reduce any further restraints occurring.

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How well children and young people are helped and protected: inadequate

Leaders and managers do not have a clear record of safeguarding incidents, including restraints, bullying and allegations of harm against staff. On one occasion, a child has made an allegation of harm against staff but staff failed to follow safeguarding procedures and report it. Leaders and managers remained unaware of this allegation until the inspector identified it. This poor practice fails to protect children, learn lessons and improve practice.

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How well children and young people are helped and protected: inadequate

Managers fail to demonstrate they recruit staff safely. Records lack the required detail, such as proof of qualifications, references and a full employment history. This means that managers do not know if the staff are appropriate adults to work with children.

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How well children and young people are helped and protected: inadequate

Staff do not undertake good-quality one-to-one work with children to support them with current and past behaviours. Staff do not support children to recognise the consequences of their behaviour. These are missed opportunities to help children understand how they can keep themselves safe.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: inadequate

The registered manager and responsible individual have not demonstrated that they have the skills to manage the home effectively or safely. Managers have failed to respond appropriately to safeguarding incidents and complaints. They have failed to demonstrate and ensure that children’s needs are met and that they are kept safe from harm.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: inadequate

The registered manager has failed to notify the regulator of serious incidents, such as when children with significant vulnerabilities have been exploited. These shortfalls mean the regulator is not provided with full information to aid their oversight of the safety and welfare of children. Inspection report children's home: SC020859 5 Managers have not had good enough oversight of the quality of care provided to children. During the inspection, some information submitted to inspectors by managers was incorrect or, in some cases, not provided. This included basic information such as the information on allegations and complaint records. This demonstrates the disorganised and ineffective approach of the leadership team. As a result of this. there was significant delay in crucial information being made available to inspectors.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: inadequate

Ineffective monitoring systems do not enable managers to understand and respond effectively to issues in the home. Although managers read some records they fail to identify and address widespread shortfalls. As a result, potential poor practice goes unchecked and is not responded to in a timely manner. Managers and staff do not keep children’s records, including those of significant incidents, up to date. In addition, significant incidents of bullying, allegations and physical aggression are not always recorded as incidents. This means that managers cannot ensure that staff follow procedures that help to keep children safe.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: inadequate

There is currently significant building work being undertaken in the home. Doorways have been replaced and an internal wall moved. As a result, there is significant disruption to the home. Children are unable to access their bedrooms due to this work being carried out around them. Managers had not visited the home at the start of the work to oversee the plan, recognise the issues and ensure the safety of the children.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: inadequate

The registered manager, who has been in post since March 2018, does not hold a recognised management qualification. Some staff who have worked in the home for more than two years have not achieved the required qualification. This contributes to staff not having the appropriate skills, experience and qualifications to perform their duties.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: inadequate

Managers have not ensured private and confidential documentation regarding children is kept safe and secure. Inspectors saw evidence of children’s confidential information being left in communal areas.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: inadequate

Some professionals the inspectors spoke to talked positively about children’s progress. However, the home’s documentation and record-keeping do not reflect this. Managers were unable to demonstrate progress children have made. It is therefore unclear how much progress children make in this home. Inspection report children's home: SC020859 6

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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

meet the needs of each child. (Regulation 6 (1)(a)(b) (2)(c)(i))

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Requirement Due date

This specifically relates to ensuring that the home is well presented and maintained. 27 November

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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

assess whether each child is at risk of harm, taking into account information in the child’s relevant plans, and, if necessary, make arrangements to reduce the risk of any harm to the child;

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Requirement Due date

have the skills to identify and act upon signs that a child is at risk of harm; 01 November Inspection report children's home: SC020859 7 manage relationships between children to prevent them from harming each other;

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Requirement Due date

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

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Requirement Due date

take effective action whenever there is a serious concern about a child’s welfare; and

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Requirement Due date

that the home’s day-to-day care is arranged and delivered so as to keep each child safe and to protect each child effectively from harm;

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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) (iii)(iv)(v)(vi)(b)(d))

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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

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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

lead and manage the home in a way that is consistent with the approach and ethos, and delivers the outcomes, set out in the home’s statement of purpose;

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Requirement Due date

ensure that staff work as a team where appropriate;

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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

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; 01 November Inspection report children's home: SC020859 8 demonstrate that practice in the home is informed and improved by taking into account and acting on—

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Requirement Due date

feedback on the experiences of children, including complaints received; and

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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)(a)(b)(c)(d)(f)(g)(ii)(h))

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Requirement Due date

the privacy of children is appropriately protected;

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Requirement Due date

any limitation placed on a child’s privacy or access to any area of the home’s premises—

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Requirement Due date

is intended to safeguard each child accommodated in the home;

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Requirement Due date

is kept under review and, if necessary, revised; and

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Requirement Due date

allows children as much freedom as is possible when balanced against the need to protect them and keep them safe. (Regulation 21(a) (c)(i)(ii)(iii)(iv))

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Requirement Due date

This relates to ensuring children’s bedrooms promote their privacy and dignity and that risk assessments clearly reflect the locking of external doors and the rationale around this. 27 November

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Requirement Due date

A responsible individual must— have the capacity, experience and skills to supervise the management of the home, or the homes, in respect of which the responsible individual is nominated. (Regulation 26 (7)(b))

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Requirement Due date

This specifically relates to the responsible individual’s supervision of the manager and home. 27 November

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Requirement Due date

A person may only manage a children’s home if—

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Requirement Due date

having regard to the size of the home, its statement of purpose, and the number and needs (including any needs arising from any disability) of the children— 27 November Inspection report children's home: SC020859 9 the person has the appropriate experience, qualification and skills to manage the home effectively and lead the care of children.

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Requirement Due date

For the purposes of paragraph (1)(b)(i), a person has the appropriate experience and qualification if the person has—

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Requirement Due date

the Level 5 Diploma in Leadership and Management for Residential Childcare (England) ("the Level 5 Diploma"); or

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Requirement Due date

a qualification which the registered provider considers to be equivalent to the Level 5 Diploma.

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Requirement Due date

in the case of a person who starts managing a home after 1st April 2014, the date which falls 3 years after the date on which that person started managing a home.

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Requirement Due date

(Regulation 28 (1)(b)(i) (2)(c)(i)(ii) (3)(a))

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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,

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Requirement Due date

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

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Requirement Due date

the individual is of integrity and good character;

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Requirement Due date

the individual has the appropriate experience, qualification and skills for the work that the individual is to perform;

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Requirement Due date

the individual is mentally and physically fit for the purposes of the work that the individual is to perform; and 27 November Inspection report children's home: SC020859 10 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)(a)(b)(c)(d))

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Requirement Due date

This specifically relates to ensuring full schedule 2 information is obtained for staff working with children in the home.

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Requirement Due date

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 to each child;

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Requirement Due date

securely in the children’s home during the period when the child to whom the case records relate is accommodated there; and

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Requirement Due date

in a secure place after the child has ceased to be accommodated in the home. (Regulation 36 (1)(a) (2)(c)(d))

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Requirement Due date

This relates to children’s case records being securely stored within the home and past children’s records not being accessible to current children or visitors. 27 November

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Requirement Due date

The registered person must ensure that the following items, which may be kept in electronic form, are kept in an accessible manner—

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Requirement Due date

records of the use of measures of control, discipline or restraint (see regulation 35);

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Requirement Due date

children’s case records (see regulation 36);

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Requirement Due date

records of complaints. (Regulation 38(h)(i)(j)(l)) 27 November

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Requirement Due date

The registered person must ensure that a record is made of any complaint, the action taken in response, and the outcome of any investigation. 27 November Inspection report children's home: SC020859 11 The registered person must supply to HMCI, at HMCI’s request, a statement containing a summary of any complaints made during the preceding twelve months and the action that was taken in response to each complaint. (Regulation 39 (3) (5))

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Requirement Due date

This specifically relates to ensuring complaints are investigated and an outcome communicated to the complainant.

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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

a child is involved in or subject to, or is suspected of being involved in or subject to, sexual exploitation;

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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;

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Requirement Due date

there is an allegation of abuse against the home or a person working there;

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Requirement Due date

a child protection enquiry involving a child is

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Requirement Due date

concludes (in which case the notification must include the outcome of the child protection enquiry): 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

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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)(a)(b)(c)(d)(i)(e)) 27 November

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Requirement Due date

* These requirements are subject to a compliance notice. Inspection report children's home: SC020859 12

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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: SC020859 13

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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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Children’s home details

Registered manager: Yasser Madugu Kpabia

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Inspectors

James Tallis, Social Care Inspector Sam Dulay-Kainth, Social Care Inspector Inspection report children's home: SC020859 14 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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