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

Inspection report for children's home: SC437486 1 SC437486 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 run by a private company. It provides care for up to three children who may have physical disabilities or learning difficulties.

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Information about this children’s home

The manager registered with Ofsted in 2019. She is working towards her level 5 qualification in leadership and management.

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Information about this children’s home

Due to COVID-19, at the request of the Secretary of State, we suspended all routine inspections of social care providers carried out under the social care common inspection framework (SCCIF) on 17 March 2020. We returned to routine SCCIF inspections on 12 April 2021.

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

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inadequate

Overall judgement at last inspection: requires improvement to be good

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inadequate

Enforcement action since last inspection: none Inspection report for children's home: SC437486 2

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Inspection date Inspection type Inspection judgement

19/06/2019 Full Requires improvement to be good 22/01/2019 Full Good 13/02/2018 Full Good 31/10/2017 Full Inadequate Inspection report for children's home: SC437486 3

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inadequate

Three children live in this home and have done so for over a year.

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inadequate

Leaders and managers have failed to ensure that there are a sufficient number of staff to safely meet the needs of the children. On occasions, children are not cared for by enough staff and have therefore been at risk of significant harm. Due to this shortfall, the judgement of how well children are helped and protected is inadequate. As this is a limiting judgement, the overall experience and progress of children and young people is therefore also inadequate.

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inadequate

Despite the serious shortfalls found during the inspection, children make good and sustained progress. For example, one child has developed his mobility skills which has led to more independence for him. The other two children have developed some of the life skills needed for their futures, such as managing their laundry and using a washing machine.

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inadequate

Staff help children to learn about the world around them and to celebrate events. This includes learning about the Olympics and New Year. Children have made new year’s resolutions. For one child, this has helped her to become healthier as she is completing a daily workout activity.

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inadequate

Children told the inspector they like living in the home. Children talked about spending time with staff and playing board games. One child was keen to show the inspector the excellent detective skills that she has developed to guess what card the inspector was holding during a game.

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inadequate

During the pandemic, children made the most of the arts and crafts available in the home. As a result, some lovely artwork has been created and this is proudly displayed.

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inadequate

One child’s window has a film placed on it to help protect her dignity. However, this is starting to peel away from the window and detracts from an otherwise homely feel to the home.

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inadequate

The home is not designed to accommodate two staff sleeping in at night. This means on those occasions when two staff sleep in, one member of staff has to sleep in the children’s lounge.

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

All three children require one-to-one staff care and supervision to help to keep them safe. Two children require a waking member of staff at night. However, children are not always been provided with the level of care stated in their plans. For example, Inspection report for children's home: SC437486 4 on a number of occasions, waking night staff were not provided and were replaced with staff sleeping in. Furthermore, there have been frequent occasions in the past three months when only two staff were caring for the children during the day, when three staff were required.

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

Children were put at significant risk on the occasions that the provider failed to supply waking night staff as required. This failure seriously compromised children’s safety and welfare. On these occasions, children did not receive the level of care and supervision required to meet their complex health needs. This meant that epilepsy plans and healthcare plans could not be followed. Staff were not able to monitor children’s visual monitors as they were asleep. This limited their ability to respond quickly to any emerging health needs, such as a seizure.

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

Managers had not sought medical advice from professionals about the safety of children not being monitored throughout the night. As a result of this inspection, action has now been taken to rectify this.

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

Staff employed by the provider are safely recruited. However, the same rigour is not applied when the provider uses staff employed by a recruitment agency. Managers have failed to assure themselves that the same robust safer recruitment checks are applied to agency staff. As a result, children are at risk of being exposed to adults who may wish to cause them harm.

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

The physical home environment is safe. A recent fire risk assessment did not identify any concerns. Safety checks in the home mean that any hazards can be quickly addressed.

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

Staff are skilled at supporting children’s everyday behaviours. As a result, physical intervention has reduced and children become more easily settled.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: inadequate

A number of shortfalls were identified during this inspection which put children at risk. The registered manager is working hard to put these right.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: inadequate

Managers and staff work hard in an attempt to provide children with sufficient staff. The manager frequently provides day-to-day care for children when staffing numbers are short. In addition, staff work split shifts in an attempt to address the shortfalls. Managers are actively attempting to recruit staff. Despite all these efforts, on some occasions staffing has been insufficient and put children at risk.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: inadequate

Staff undertake a range of training to help them care for the children’s needs. However, one member of staff is not working within timescale to obtain their level 3 qualification in residential childcare. Furthermore, it is unclear how the registered manager has identified that some other staff qualifications are the equivalent of this necessary qualification. Inspection report for children's home: SC437486 5 The children’s guide is available in an accessible format for children. However, some details are incorrect and some information is missing. For example, the guide talks about a sensory room, when there is no such room. This could cause confusion for children.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: inadequate

The locality risk assessment does not consider the nearby busy road and there is no evidence that other professionals have been consulted about any risks. Also, the home’s statement of purpose has not been updated and shared with Ofsted as required.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: inadequate

The independent visitor has recently changed. However, to date, these visits have not picked up on the shortfalls identified. This impedes the registered manager’s oversight of the home.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: inadequate

Staff said that they feel supported by the registered manager and by each other. Staff know children well demonstrated that they understood their needs. They worked hard to overcome the challenges of the Covid-19 pandemic.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: inadequate

A parent and external professionals speak positively about communication and the progress children are making. A parent told the inspector, ‘I am always kept up to date with what’s going on. Communication is brilliant. My child has come along very well since being in the home.’

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: inadequate

As a result of this inspection, three compliance notices have been raised. Ofsted will continue to monitor the organisation’s ability to meet these notices. Inspection report for children's home: SC437486 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 children’s views, wishes and feelings standard is that children receive care from staff who—

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Requirement Due date

develop positive relationships with them;

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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.

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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

keep the children’s guide and the home’s complaints procedure under review and seek children’s comments before revising either document. (Regulation 7 (1)(a)(b)(c) (2)(c))

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Requirement Due date

In particular, ensure that the children’s guide contains information about how to access advocacy services, and that the information about the sensory room is removed. 27 February 2022

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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

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. (Regulation 12 (1) (2)(b))

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Requirement Due date

In particular, ensure that children’s risk assessments are followed. 13 February 2022

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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— 13 February 2022 Inspection report for children's home: SC437486 7 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 the home has sufficient staff to provide care for each child. (Regulation 13 (1)(a)(b) (2)(d))

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Requirement Due date

In particular, ensure that sufficient staff work at the home to meet each child’s needs.

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Requirement Due date

The care planning standard is that children–

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Requirement Due date

receive effectively planned care in or through the children’s home.

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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

that each child’s relevant plans are followed. (Regulation 14 (1)(a) (2)(c))

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Requirement Due date

In particular, ensure managers consult with other professionals to agree any changes in a child’s care. 27 February 2022

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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. (Regulation 16 (3)(a)(b)) 27 February 2022

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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

full and satisfactory information is available in relation to the individual in respect of each of the matters in Schedule 2. (Regulation 32 (1) (3)(d)) 13 February 2022 Inspection report for children's home: SC437486 8 In particular, the provider must ensure that they assure themselves that staff recruited through an agency have been subject to all the required checks.

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

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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—

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Requirement Due date

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

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Requirement Due date

a qualification which the registered person considers to be equivalent to the Level 3 Diploma. (Regulation 32 (1) (2)(a)(b) (3)(b) (4)(a)(b))

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Requirement Due date

In particular, ensure that staff who have not completed the level 3 qualification in the required timescale are supported to do so as soon as practical.

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Requirement Due date

It also relates to ensuring that managers consider and assure themselves of staff’s qualification and their equivalency to level 3 in residential childcare. 27 February 2022

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Requirement Due date

*These requirements are subject to a compliance notice. Inspection report for children's home: SC437486 9

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Recommendations

 The registered person should ensure that staff seek to meet the child’s basic needs in the way that a good parent would, demonstrating that the staff care for the child and value them as an individual. This is in regard to the peeling privacy glass in one child’s bedroom. (‘Guide to the children’s homes regulations, including the quality standards’, page 15, paragraph 3.7)  The registered person should ensure that they review the appropriateness and suitability of the location and premises of the home at least once a year. The review should include the identification of any risks and opportunities presented by the home’s location and strategies for managing these. Providers should refer to the non-statutory advice about the location assessment process: Children’s homes regulation amendments 2014: Advice for children’s homes providers on new duties under regulations that came into effect in January and April 2014.

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Recommendations

(‘Guide to the children’s homes regulations, including the quality standards’, page 64, paragraph 15.1)  The registered person should ensure that the design of the home should provide staff who sleep in the home overnight with appropriate accommodation and facilities to do so. (‘Guide to the children’s homes regulations, including the quality standards’, page 17, paragraph 3.26)  The registered person should ensure that any individual appointed to carry out visits to the home as an independent person must make a rigorous and impartial assessment of the home’s arrangements for safeguarding and promoting the welfare of the children in the home’s care. (‘Guide to the children’s homes regulations, including the quality standards’, page 64, paragraph 15.5)

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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 for children's home: SC437486 10

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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

Louise Battersby, Social Care Inspector Inspection report for children's home: SC437486 11 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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