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

Inspection report for children’s home: SC038526 1 SC038526 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

The home provides care for up to nine children and young people. The service is available to children who have a learning disability, a physical disability, sensory impairment or any combination of the three. The service is operated by a private organisation.

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Information about this children’s home

The manager registered with Ofsted in 2020. 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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requires improvement to be good

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

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requires improvement to be good

The effectiveness of leaders and managers requires improvement to be good

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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.

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requires improvement to be good

Overall judgement at last inspection: good

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requires improvement to be good

Enforcement action since last inspection: none Inspection report for children’s home: SC038526 2

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Inspection date Inspection type Inspection judgement

03/07/2019 Full Good 05/02/2019 Full Outstanding 13/02/2018 Full Outstanding 30/03/2017 Interim Improved effectiveness Inspection report for children’s home: SC038526 3

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improvement to be good

There are two homes located on the same site. Four children live in one home and three children live in the other. The children currently living in the home are settled and have lived there for periods ranging between five months and three years. Children live at the home until they are adults or until their health needs change and they require more specialist healthcare.

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improvement to be good

Children enjoy positive relationships with each other. They light up with joy when they see their friends and staff they know well. A child was heard to tell staff how much she liked them. However, on occasions, staff’s personal conflicts with each other have a negative impact on the atmosphere in the homes, and on the planning of children’s care. This is an issue that the registered manager is aware of and is working hard to address.

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improvement to be good

Although staff are knowledgeable about children’s individual care needs, they do not always use this knowledge to benefit children. For example, inspectors observed that a member of staff did not use a child’s communication aid with them to explain what was happening that evening. Furthermore, some written records about children’s care needs do not offer consistent information and clear guidance to staff.

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improvement to be good

Children have personalised their bedrooms and there is ongoing maintenance work in the home. However, some areas of the home still require decoration and maintenance. For example, the corridor in one of the homes looks unkempt. There are chips of plaster missing from the wall. In the other home, decoration is required to the laundry room. The registered manager is aware that the living environment for the children requires improvement and there is a plan to provide a more sensory environment that will benefit the children.

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improvement to be good

All children make progress and they now attend school, whereas some did not previously. Professionals have seen that children are less anxious and that their well- being has improved over time. One social worker told the inspector: ‘Staff treat [child] as an individual and they use a person-centred approach at all times. They are also very patient and understanding with him.’

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improvement to be good

The COVID-19 pandemic has had an impact on children’s opportunity to access activities in the community. Children have been advised by health professionals to shield to help to keep themselves safe. Staff have been creative in providing activities in the home during this time. For example, children have enjoyed art and craft activities and singing. When it has been safe to do so, children have been to visit museums and farm parks.

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improvement to be good

Staff have completed good-quality key-worker sessions with children. As a result, children have been helped to understand their feelings and express their wishes. Inspection report for children’s home: SC038526 4

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improvement to be good

There have been recent staff shortages. Some of these are due to the pandemic. This has meant that children have not always received one-to-one care as agreed with their placing authority. During times of staff shortages, staff have carefully planned the day to ensure that children have their needs met. However, it is unclear if children’s social workers are all fully aware of this situation.

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improvement to be good

On some occasions, staff practice has not been in line with the company’s expectations. This has led to concerns and complaints being raised in regard to the level of care being given to children by the staff team. These concerns have been investigated and concerns have been shared with other professionals. Ongoing practice issues are being addressed by the registered manager.

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improvement to be good

Staff training is not up to date. Some members of the staff team have joined this home from another home in the organisation. Their training was not up to date when they joined this home. The registered manager is working hard to ensure that training is up to date for all staff.

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improvement to be good

Specialised equipment, such as hoists, is serviced and maintained to ensure that it is safe to use. Both homes have a fire risk assessment and all actions are complete. Furthermore, staff were seen to take prompt action to address a fault with a child’s wheelchair. However, staff have not ensured that all cleaning equipment is stored away out of children’s reach. The risk to children is lowered due to high levels of staff supervision of children.

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improvement to be good

The registered manager ensures that staff who are recruited to work in the home are subject to all the necessary checks. This helps to ensure that staff who work at the home are safe to do so.

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good

The registered manager is passionate and wants the best for the children in her care. She is aware that there are areas for development and has effective plans to address issues. She is reflective and is committed to bringing about the necessary changes. She has a clear vision for the service.

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good

Due to staff shortages, staff have worked long hours. Feedback from staff is varied. Some staff say that they are tired and do not feel supported by the management team. Others state that they are supported well and helped to develop their practice. All staff state that they enjoy their work with the children.

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good

Staff are not consistently receiving supervision or appraisals in line with the organisation’s policy. However, when practice concerns arise, these are dealt with Inspection report for children’s home: SC038526 5 quickly to enable the necessary changes to be brought about. The registered manager is clear about each member of staff’s strengths and areas for development.

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good

The registered manager has not sent the statement of purpose or quality of care review report to Ofsted as required.

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good

The registered manager advocates for children to ensure that they have their needs met by health professionals. She is not scared to challenge others’ practice or decision-making. For one child, this has meant better access to a medication that benefited her ongoing health needs.

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good

Feedback received during the inspection from professionals is positive. One social worker stated: ‘Communication is good. I am always kept in the loop in regard to many things that affect [child’s name]. They also communicate with school and with parents.’ Inspection report for children’s home: SC038526 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

understand and apply the home’s statement of purpose;

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Requirement Due date

understand and apply the home’s statement of purpose;

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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.

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Requirement Due date

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

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Requirement Due date

This particularly relates to the provider ensuring that the home environment is maintained and improved.

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Requirement Due date

It also relates to ensuring that children receive care in line with their plans and that communication aids are used when needed. 29 April 2022 Inspection report for children’s home: SC038526 7 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 promotes their welfare.

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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

(Regulation 13 (1)(a)(b) (2)(a)(b)(c)(d))

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Requirement Due date

This particularly relates to the registered provider ensuring that sufficient staff work at the home to meet each child’s needs.

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Requirement Due date

It also relates to ensuring that their training is up to date and that staff conflicts are not perceived by children and other staff in the home. 29 April 2022

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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.

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Requirement Due date

In particular, the registered person must ensure that managers consult with other professionals to agree any changes in a child’s care. 29 April 2022 Inspection report for children’s home: SC038526 8 The registered person must—

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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.

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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; and

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Requirement Due date

have their performance and fitness to perform their roles appraised at least once every year.

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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

In particular, ensure that plans offer detail to allow for consistent care practice. 29 April 2022

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Requirement Due date

supply to HMCI a copy of the quality of care review report within 28 days of the date on which the quality of care review is completed.

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Requirement Due date

(Regulation 45 (4)(a)) 29 April 2022 Inspection report for children’s home: SC038526 9

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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: SC038526 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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Inspectors

Louise Battersby, Social Care Inspector Rumbi Mangoma, Social Care Inspector Inspection report for children’s home: SC038526 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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Inspectors

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Inspectors

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Inspectors

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