Children's Home run by Progressive Care Limited in Doncaster

Inspection report for children’s home: 2749911 1 Registered provider: Progressive Care Limited Full inspection Inspected under the social care common inspection framework

p.1

Information about this children’s home

A private provider runs this children’s home. It registered with Ofsted on 18 October 2023. The home is registered to provide care and accommodation for up to four children with social and/or emotional difficulties. At the time of this inspection, one child remained living at the home and two children had moved on.

p.1

Information about this children’s home

The registered manager left the home in December 2023. The home has another manager who is running the home. This was the first inspection of this children’s home.

p.1

Overall experiences and progress of

children and young people, taking into account

p.1

inadequate

How well children and young people are helped and protected inadequate

p.1

inadequate

The effectiveness of leaders and managers inadequate

p.1

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 and the care and experiences of children and young people are poor and they are not making progress.

p.1

inadequate

Date of last inspection: not previously inspected

p.1

inadequate

Overall judgement at last inspection: not applicable

p.1

inadequate

Enforcement action since last inspection: not applicable Inspection report for children’s home: 2749911 2

p.1

inadequate

Children are not sufficiently protected from harm, and their welfare is not promoted or safeguarded. As a result of serious safeguarding failures, one child has experienced preventable and serious adverse events while living at the home.

p.2

inadequate

Children’s care and experiences living at this home are poor. The three children who have lived at the home moved into the home in very quick succession. Staff knew little about the children and how to safely care for them together. Following an incident, one child had to move out of the home suddenly because leaders gave immediate notice to the placing local authority. This decision disregarded the child’s experiences, wishes, feelings and needs. There was no transition for this child moving out of the home.

p.2

inadequate

Staff do not act proactively to support children to make progress. Staff’s responses to children are reactive and place responsibility on children to be independent and to engage with the rules, rather than on the staff to ensure that children are safe. The children’s care plans are brief and basic, and this does not help the staff to know how to look after the children well. Children’s school attendance has been poor. The current child’s school attendance from their starting point has reduced significantly. Staff do not always support children, to get them to and from school. The responsibility for ensuring their attendance sits with children.

p.2

inadequate

There have been occasions when a child has taken responsibility for the safety and welfare of another child when this should sit with the staff. This was inappropriate and impacted negatively on their emotional well-being.

p.2

inadequate

The home environment is well presented and maintained. There is ample space and facilities to support children’s care. Children personalise their bedrooms to express their preferences. There are colourful, child-friendly sections in care plans for children’s views. However, the staff are not capturing children’s memories of their time at the home. Children who have moved out have no memorabilia of their time living at the home.

p.2

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

There are serious safeguarding failures that have resulted in children being harmed and their well-being not safeguarded.

p.2

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

When making decisions about children moving into the home, leaders did not consider the basic known risks that would affect the safety of the children. Staff did not identify or respond to serious and clear warning signs to protect children from harm. When a professional raised significant concerns about the safety and well- Inspection report for children’s home: 2749911 3 being of a child, staff and managers did not take any action. This has had a detrimental impact on children’s experiences and outcomes.

p.2

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

Staff and managers failed to respond to an allegation of abuse about one of the children. Information was omitted from an incident report and not shared with other safeguarding professionals, and there was no support provided to either of the children involved.

p.3

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

The management of internet safety is poor. One child is highly vulnerable online, and following a serious incident, there has been no checks completed to make sure the child is safe when using their mobile phone. Staff are not taking any other action when the child refuses to allow them to complete checks on the device. No checks have been conducted on the child’s games console either to explore whether any inappropriate relations or communication have taken place.

p.3

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

There has been growing concern about children being missing from home. Staff do not always look for them when they are missing from home. The onus is on children to make their own way back home. One child left the home in distress, and there were concerns for their welfare. Staff followed the child but returned to the home shortly after losing sight of the child, and another child living at the home who was concerned about their friend followed them and got on the bus with them. This child contacted staff to share their concerns about the first child’s emotional and mental health and physical safety. This inappropriately placed caring responsibilities on children.

p.3

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

Children’s plans and risk assessments provide conflicting information on what staff should do when children are missing from home. The plans to reduce risks do not provide staff with strategies or clear information on how to defuse incidents and manage children’s behaviours. Children’s records do not provide clear justification for the use of an external door alarm system.

p.3

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

Staff have completed safeguarding training. There is no use of physical restraint in the home. Staff hold some key-work sessions with children to help them learn about some of the dangers in the community and their health. Managers follow safe recruitment processes.

p.3

The effectiveness of leaders and managers: inadequate

There are significant shortfalls in leadership, management and oversight systems and processes. The registered manager left the home shortly after the home opened, and there is an acting manager that leads the home.

p.3

The effectiveness of leaders and managers: inadequate

Managers are not effective in their review, evaluation and oversight of staff practice and key documents relating to the care of children. This includes key-work sessions, daily records, incident reports and the use of consequences for children.

p.3

The effectiveness of leaders and managers: inadequate

Managers have not amended documentation to reflect the registered manager leaving the home, including the statement of purpose and the children’s guide. This Inspection report for children’s home: 2749911 4 means that children, families, professionals and the regulator do not have clear information about who is leading the home.

p.3

The effectiveness of leaders and managers: inadequate

Leaders failed to ensure that an independent person was visiting the home each month since the home was registered. The day of this inspection was the first visit from an independent person. This means that opportunities have been missed to ensure that children are being safeguarded effectively and that their well-being is promoted. In addition, the provider has not informed Ofsted of serious incidents that warrant notification.

p.4

The effectiveness of leaders and managers: inadequate

Leaders are not child-focused. The feedback from external professionals was that leaders do not act in a child-focused way but instead put the needs of the organisation above children. The development of the home is focused on staff and team development, and there is limited evidence of how children’s views and wishes are being used to develop the home.

p.4

The effectiveness of leaders and managers: inadequate

The home has enough staff. Staff feel supported and receive regular supervision and training. Inspection report for children’s home: 2749911 5

p.4

Statutory requirements

This section sets out the actions that the registered person must take to meet the Care Standards Act 2000, The Children’s Homes (England) Regulations 2015 and the ‘Guide to the Children’s Homes Regulations, including the quality standards’. The registered person must comply within the given timescales.

p.5

Requirement Due date

*The protection of children standard is that children are protected from harm and enabled to keep themselves safe.

p.5

Requirement Due date

In particular, the standard in paragraph (1) requires the registered person to ensure—

p.5

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;

p.5

Requirement Due date

have the skills to identify and act upon signs that a child is at risk of harm;

p.5

Requirement Due date

manage relationships between children to prevent them from harming each other;

p.5

Requirement Due date

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

p.5

Requirement Due date

are familiar with, and act in accordance with, the home’s child protection policies;

p.5

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)(a)(i)(iii)(iv)(vi)(vii)(b))

p.5

Requirement Due date

The registered person must assess the risk of harm to children and put in place suitable arrangements to reduce the risk of harm to the children in the home, out of the home and in the community. Children’s risk assessments and risk management plans must provide clear and comprehensive information and strategies to reduce the risks to children’s safety and to defuse incidents. 10 March 2024 Inspection report for children’s home: 2749911 6 The registered person must make sure that staff have the skills to identify and act on signs that children are at the risk of harm.

p.5

Requirement Due date

The registered person must make sure that when concerns are raised about the protection of children, these are acted on immediately and reported to relevant organisations without delay.

p.6

Requirement Due date

The registered person must make sure that children are prevented from harming each other.

p.6

Requirement Due date

The registered person must make sure that when children are missing from the home, all practicable steps are taken to locate the child and help them to safely return home.

p.6

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—

p.6

Requirement Due date

helps children aspire to fulfil their potential; and

p.6

Requirement Due date

In particular, the standard in paragraph (1) requires the registered person to—

p.6

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;

p.6

Requirement Due date

ensure that staff have the experience, qualifications and skills to meet the needs of each child;

p.6

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;

p.6

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)(f)(h))

p.6

Requirement Due date

The registered provider must ensure that there are effective monitoring and review systems in place.

p.6

Requirement Due date

The registered person must make sure that managers have clear oversight of the care provided to children, both in 10 March 2024 Inspection report for children’s home: 2749911 7 practice and in the records. This must include analysis and evaluation. This includes one-to-one sessions, care plans, risk assessments, daily records, consequences and incidents.

p.6

Requirement Due date

The registered person must ensure that staff follow the training and the registered provider’s policies and procedures in relation in practice. Specifically, this applies to when children are missing from home and safeguarding children.

p.7

Requirement Due date

*The care planning standard is that children—

p.7

Requirement Due date

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

p.7

Requirement Due date

have a positive experience of arriving at or moving on from the home.

p.7

Requirement Due date

In particular, the standard in paragraph (1) requires the registered person to ensure—

p.7

Requirement Due date

that children are admitted to the home only if their needs are within the range of needs of children for whom it is intended that the home is to provide care and accommodation, as set out in the home’s statement of purpose;

p.7

Requirement Due date

ensure the effective induction of each child into the home;

p.7

Requirement Due date

manage and review the placement of each child in the home; and

p.7

Requirement Due date

plan for, and help, each child to prepare to leave the home or to move into adult care in a way that is consistent with arrangements agreed with the child’s placing authority;

p.7

Requirement Due date

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

p.7

Requirement Due date

The registered provider must make sure that moving children into and out of the home is carefully planned and gradual to make sure that children have positive experiences.

p.7

Requirement Due date

The registered provider must make sure that there is a clear and fair approach to the management of children’s placements. This includes the cost and any notice periods. 10 March 2024 Inspection report for children’s home: 2749911 8 The registered provider must make sure that children’s care is well planned. Children’s care plans must clearly explain children’s needs and specify the care that staff should provide to meet their needs well.

p.7

Requirement Due date

The registered provider must make sure that staff deliver children’s care in line with their care plans. Where there are any difficulties in achieving this, this must be escalated appropriately.

p.8

Requirement Due date

The registered person must compile in relation to the children’s home a statement (“the statement of purpose”) which covers the matters listed in Schedule 1.

p.8

Requirement Due date

keep the statement of purpose under review and, where appropriate, revise it; and

p.8

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 (1) (3)(a)(b)) 10 March 2024

p.8

Requirement Due date

The registered person must notify HMCI and each other relevant person without delay if—

p.8

Requirement Due date

a child is involved in or subject to, or is suspected of being involved in or subject to, sexual exploitation. (Regulation 40 (4)(a)) 25 January 2024

p.8

Requirement Due date

The registered person must ensure that an independent person visits the children’s home at least once each month. (Regulation 44 (1)) 10 March 2024

p.8

Requirement Due date

*These requirements are subject to a compliance notice.

p.8

Recommendations

 The registered person should make sure that there is a rigorous assessment of children’s individual needs and that decisions to use surveillance methods, including door alarms, are kept under regular review. (‘Guide to the Children’s Homes Regulations, including the quality standards’, page 15, paragraph 3.10)  The registered person should make sure that the children’s guide is updated when there are any changes in line with the statement of purpose. In particular, they should ensure that the children’s guide clearly explains who the manager of the Inspection report for children’s home: 2749911 9 home is. (‘Guide to the Children’s Homes Regulations, including the quality standards’, page 24, paragraph 4.22)  The registered person should make sure that any consequences used are restorative in nature to help children recognise the impact of their behaviour on themselves and others. (‘Guide to the Children’s Homes Regulations, including the

p.8

Recommendations

quality standards’, page 46, paragraph 9.38)

p.9

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: 2749911 10

p.9

Children’s home details

Registered provider: Progressive Care Limited

p.10

Children’s home details

Registered provider address: 51 Attercliffe Common, Sheffield S9 2AE

p.10

Inspector

Honor Hamshaw, Social Care Inspector Inspection report for children’s home: 2749911 11 regulates and inspects 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.

p.10

Inspector

If you would like a copy of this document in a different format, such as large print or Braille, please telephone 0300 123 1231, or email enquiries@ofsted.gov.uk . You may reuse this information (not including logos) free of charge in any format or medium, under the terms of the Open Government Licence. To view this licence, visit www.nationalarchives.gov.uk/doc/open-government-licence , write to the Information Policy Team, The National Archives, Kew, London TW9 4DU, or email: psi@nationalarchives.gsi.gov.uk .

p.11

Inspector

Interested in our work? You can subscribe to our monthly newsletter for more information and updates: http://eepurl.com/iTrDn .

p.11

Inspector

T: 0300 123 1231 Textphone: 0161 618 8524 E: enquiries@ofsted.gov.uk W: www.gov.uk/ofsted

p.11