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

Inspection report for children’s home: SC064117 1 SC064117 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 and is registered to provide care for up to six children with learning disabilities.

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Information about this children’s home

The home has been without a registered manager since 24 February 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 or widespread failures that mean children and young people are not protected or their welfare is not promoted or safeguarded, and the care and experiences of children and young people are poor and they are not making progress.

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inadequate

Overall judgement at last inspection: requires improvement to be good

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Enforcement action since last inspection:

On 2 and 3 June 2021 Ofsted, undertook a full inspection of the home. Two compliance notices were issued under regulation 13 (The leadership and management standard) and regulation 23 (Medicines).

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Enforcement action since last inspection:

On 20 July 2021, a monitoring visit took place. Ofsted issued a notice of suspension to the provider during the inspection. This notice came into effect on 21 July 2021. Inspection report for children’s home: SC064117 2 Ofsted also issued compliance notices under regulation 6 (The quality and purpose of care standard) and regulation 13 (The leadership and management standard).

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Enforcement action since last inspection:

On 17 August 2021, a monitoring visit took place. The notice of suspension was lifted.

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Enforcement action since last inspection:

On 29 September 2021, Ofsted conducted a further monitoring visit. The two compliance notices under regulation 6 and regulation 13 were found to be met. It was agreed that the provider would give Ofsted notice when they intended to start caring for children again.

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Enforcement action since last inspection:

On 26 July 2022, a monitoring visit took place. It was felt that the home was ready to welcome children again. Inspection report for children’s home: 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: SC064117 4

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inadequate

The home was closed for a period of time while refurbishment work was carried out and a new staff team and manager recruited. The home reopened in August 2022. The first child moved into the home in October 2022.

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inadequate

One child lives in this home and has done so for about eight weeks. The child’s experiences of living in this home have been impacted on by serious safeguarding incidents that have occurred. Staff have failed to keep the child safe; as a result, the child has suffered harm and has been injured in a road traffic incident.

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inadequate

Staff use visual communication aids as a method of communicating with the child. Only one member of staff has undertaken training to use the child’s preferred communication tools. This impacts on both the child’s and staffs’ ability to communicate effectively.

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inadequate

The child has a dual heritage nationality. Not enough work has been completed to fully explore this and to ensure that the child can be supported to celebrate this. The work that has taken place conflicts with advice from wider professionals. For example, staff told the inspector that they have been talking to the child in French. However, the social worker stated that it has been agreed that staff will not do this as it will confuse the child and further impact on her limited speech. Furthermore, the child’s parents told the inspector that they felt that the communication from staff is poor. This is a missed opportunity to work together to share information, to ensure that the child receives the best possible care.

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inadequate

More positively, the child’s love for cooking is embraced by staff. Staff are creative in providing sensory activities for the child. The child has started to form positive relationships with staff, and she is in a good routine. Staff have set obtainable targets and, as a result, complex behaviours are starting to reduce.

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inadequate

The child enjoys a range of activities and staff are making preparations for Christmas, which the child is excited about. The child has personalised her bedroom and has pictures of loved ones on display. Parents told the inspector that their daughter was welcomed into the home.

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

There have been two serious incidents which have led to the child being able to access a busy road that the home is located on. On one occasion, the child was involved in a road traffic accident as she was able to run from the home and into the road, in front of a vehicle. There has not been enough consideration during the planning of the child moving in, or in regard to strategies of how to minimise this ongoing risk. This, in part, has contributed to the child not being protected from Inspection report for children’s home: SC064117 5 harm. Some immediate actions were taken and there is an ongoing investigation into this incident.

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

There have been occasions where risk strategies put in place to keep the child safe have not been effective, as the child’s behaviours have not been carefully considered. On another occasion, staff did not follow the procedures that were in place. This, again, has led to the child being able to access the busy road and has placed the child at significant risk of harm.

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

There has been a lack of work undertaken with the child after the road traffic incident. This is a missed opportunity to help the child to process what has happened and to understand the new strategies that aim to keep her safe.

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

Staff lack the specialised training to help them fully understand and support the child’s complex and diagnosed need. For example, no members of staff have undergone training to help them to understand the diagnosis of one particular health condition, and only two staff have had training in another of the child’s diagnoses.

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

An incident took place where a set of keys to the medicine room and cabinet were lost. There have been no follow-up actions as a result of this. This means that someone, including a child, could still access the medication without others knowing.

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

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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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: inadequate

There has been no registered manager since October 2021. Since this time, two managers have been recruited but have failed to register with Ofsted. The current manager has now handed in her resignation, and a manager from a sister service is overseeing the home. She has started to address some of the shortfalls as highlighted in this inspection.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: inadequate

Despite a serious incident taking place, the management team at the home has failed to notify Ofsted as required.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: inadequate

Staff supervision has not been completed in line with company policy. For example, the policy states that supervision for new staff is to take place every two weeks. However, one member of staff has only undergone one supervision, despite starting in July 2022. Another member of staff has been at the home for four months and has only had two supervisions. This is a missed opportunity to address staff practice and to reflect on serious incidents that have taken place, on a one-to-one basis.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: inadequate

The statement of purpose is not up to date and is incorrect in places. For example, it describes the home as having a sensory room when there is no such room. This is misleading for commissioners, children and their families. Inspection report for children’s home: SC064117 6 Overall, staff speak positively about the home and enjoy their work there. However, some staff have been unsettled by the management changes, and reassurance and support is being offered to them. Inspection report for children’s home: SC064117 7

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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 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

help each child to understand how to keep safe;

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Requirement Due date

have the skills to identify and act upon signs that a child is at risk of harm. (Regulation 12 (1) (2)(a)(i)(ii)(iii))

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Requirement Due date

This specifically relates to ensuring that the missing medication keys are followed up, that the location of the road is considered, and further immediate safeguarding measures are put in place. Staff are to follow the child’s plans, and that work takes place to help the child after an incident. 22 January 2023

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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— 12 March 2023 Inspection report for children’s home: SC064117 8 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 have the experience, qualifications and skills to meet the needs of 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)(a)(c)(h))

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Requirement Due date

This specifically relates to ensuring that staff have the training to support the child’s needs, that supervision takes place as per the company’s policy, that work is completed to support the child’s heritage, and that there are better lines of communication with the child’s parents.

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Requirement Due date

keep the statement of purpose under review and, where appropriate, revise it. (Regulation 16 (3)(a))

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Requirement Due date

This specifically relates to ensuring that the staffing list is correct, and that the details about the sensory room are removed. 22 January 2023

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Requirement Due date

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

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Requirement Due date

the person is of integrity and good character;

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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—

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Requirement Due date

the person has the appropriate experience, qualification and skills to manage the home effectively and lead the care of children; and

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Requirement Due date

the person is physically and mentally fit to manage the home; and

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Requirement Due date

full and satisfactory information is available in relation to the person in respect of each of the matters in Schedule 2.

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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— 12 March 2023 Inspection report for children’s home: SC064117 9 within the last 5 years, worked for at least 2 years in a position relevant to the residential care of children;

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Requirement Due date

worked for at least one year in a role requiring the supervision and management of staff working in a care role; and

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Requirement Due date

the Level 5 Diploma in Leadership and Management for Residential Childcare (England) (“the Level 5 Diploma”);

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Requirement Due date

a qualification which the registered provider considers to be equivalent to the Level 5 Diploma. (Regulation 28 (1)(a)(b)(i)(ii)(c) (2)(a)(b)(c)(i)(ii))

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Requirement Due date

This specifically relates to ensuring that a manager registers with Ofsted without delay

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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

there is any other incident relating to a child which the registered person considers to be serious. (Regulation 40 (4)(e)) 22 January 2023 Inspection report for children’s home: SC064117 10

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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: SC064117 11

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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: SC064117 12 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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