Children's home run by Prosperity Children’s Services Limited

Inspection report for children’s home: 2696604 1 Registered provider: Prosperity 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 operated by a private organisation. It is registered to provide care for up to two children who experience social and/or emotional difficulties.

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Information about this children’s home

The registered manager has been in post since April 2023.

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Overall experiences and progress of

children and young people, taking into account

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good

How well children and young people are helped and protected good

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good

The effectiveness of leaders and managers good

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good

The children’s home provides effective services that meet the requirements for good.

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good

Date of last inspection: not previously inspected

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good

Overall judgement at last inspection: not applicable

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good

Enforcement action since last inspection: not applicable Inspection report for children’s home: 2696604 2

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

There is currently one child living in the home. The child is settled and has good, caring relationships with the staff. Staff enjoy spending time with the child, which is reciprocated. The child enjoys a wide range of activities, including going to museums, skate parks, the cinema, go-karting, and exploring the local community.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

The child’s views are listened to, and the child takes part in weekly discussions with staff. The child can plan activities and meals for the week with support from staff. The child has been able to make changes to their bedroom, which is now personalised with a graffiti art wall at their request.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

The child is not currently in a formal education setting, but staff have been creative in providing educational activities to promote their educational needs. Actions that are identified during personal educational plan meetings are progressed. The registered manager is working closely with the child’s social worker to identify an appropriate school provision that will meet the child’s needs.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Staff facilitate and support the child’s time with their family. Staff have good relationships with family members, and this has resulted in the child being able to rebuild and maintain relationships with family members who are important to them. The child’s parent told the inspector, ‘[Name of child] was very confused and distressed when they came into care and there was lot of blame towards me, but staff have worked hard to support the relationship between [name of child] and I.’

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

For one child, who is no longer living in the home, there was limited planning for the child arriving at the home. The needs of the child were not fully known and key documents, such as the care plan and the child’s chronology, were not reviewed or considered until the child moved in to the home. This resulted in staff not being able to meet the child’s needs and the child having to leave the home within seven days of living there. This will have been a difficult experience for the child.

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

Staff understand risk factors for the child living at the home. Staff have received adequate training and support; they are clear about what procedures to follow and action to take if a safeguarding incident were to occur. When risk is identified, there are clear documents and plans to guide staff on how best to safeguard the child.

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

Direct work has taken place with the child regarding child criminal exploitation and keeping safe in the community. This has had a positive impact on the child, and risks have significantly reduced.

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

An area of good practice in the home is the staff’s response to incidents of the child going missing from home. Staff have been proactive in looking for the child, and Inspection report for children’s home: 2696604 3 have reported missing incidents swiftly to the police and professionals. This has resulted in the child being found safely, and the child has received appropriate support following missing incidents. Management oversight of missing-from-home incidents is clear on documents, and the additional measures in place have had a good impact.

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

The child benefits from lots of praise from staff. The staff have introduced positive daily journals that are written for the child. Staff have direct-work resources to support children who may be struggling with their anger and self-esteem. The culture of the home is one of restorative practice. Staff recognise the challenges that children in care may experience.

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

Good recruitment processes ensure that staff are suitable to work with children. Regular health and safety checks mean that the home environment is physically safe and secure.

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

The registered manager needs to update the location risk assessment as information regarding their attendance at local forums was out of date and not accurate.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

The home has two registered managers. One of the registered managers is currently on planned leave. The impact of this has been mitigated due to there being a second registered manager, who knows the staff and the child.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

There is a consistent staff team supporting the child. Staff vacancies are quickly recruited to. When needed, staff pick up additional shifts, or staff from other homes in the organisation are utilised. This ensures that the child has familiar staff caring for them and that they can sustain these relationships. The home has recently recruited a senior residential child worker. This will further strengthen the support that is available for staff.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

Supervision is a strength; staff receive a high level of quality supervision, which provides the opportunity for learning and reflection. The registered manager has also introduced additional staff team member development sessions, which cover specific areas, dependent on staff need. One member of staff said, ‘Supervision takes place monthly and I also have opportunity to request additional support from the manager, where we can talk about development or additional support. Management are accessible, debriefs take place following incidents, and they make sure our well-being is ok.’

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

Team meetings at the home take place monthly. The agenda covers all key areas, and staff can contribute to the meetings. The registered manager has incorporated research around child criminal exploitation within these meetings. Staff are confident in their knowledge of this issue and can recognise risk indicators.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

The child’s care documents include necessary information for staff to understand how to meet the child’s needs. However, some aspects of the documents require Inspection report for children’s home: 2696604 4 updating. During the inspection, the registered manager obtained the most up-to- date local authority care plan and education plan for the child. The contents of these documents need to be reflected in the documents and plans being used by staff to support the child. Inspection report for children’s home: 2696604 5

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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 care planning standard is that children—

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Requirement Due date

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

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Requirement Due date

have a positive experience of arriving at or moving on from the 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)(b) (2)(c))

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Requirement Due date

This specifically relates to the registered manager requesting local authority care plans and other key documents as part of the decision-making process for children to live at the home.

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Requirement Due date

The registered manager needs to ensure that they have an updated care plan and education plan for children who live in the home. 29 September

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Recommendations

 The registered person should ensure that the location risk assessment is accurate in the recording of how wider information and intelligence is gathered, and how this informs the assessment. Inspection report for children’s home: 2696604 6

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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: 2696604 7

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Children’s home details

Registered provider: Prosperity Children’s Services Limited

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Children’s home details

Registered provider address: Unit 8 Venus House, Altham Business Park, Altham, Accrington BB5 5BY

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Children’s home details

Registered manager: Jennifer Connah and Benjamin Stenton

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Inspector

Tracey Sykes, Social Care Inspector Inspection report for children’s home: 2696604 8 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 looked after children, safeguarding and child protection.

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Inspector

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Inspector

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Inspector

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