Children's Home run by Prosperity Children’s Services Limited in Lancashire

Inspection report for children’s home: 2701412 1 Registered provider: Prosperity Children’s Services Full inspection Inspected under the social care common inspection framework

p.1

Information about this children’s home

This home is privately owned and provides care for up to two children who experience social and emotional difficulties.

p.1

Information about this children’s home

The interim manager has applied to Ofsted to become the registered manager.

p.1

Overall experiences and progress of

children and young people, taking into account

p.1

requires improvement to be good

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

p.1

requires improvement to be good

The effectiveness of leaders and managers requires improvement to be good

p.1

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.

p.1

requires improvement to be good

Overall judgement at last inspection: good

p.1

requires improvement to be good

Enforcement action since last inspection: none Inspection report for children’s home: 2701412 2

p.1

Inspection date Inspection type Inspection judgement

16/08/2023 Full Good Inspection report for children’s home: 2701412 3

p.2

improvement to be good

Since the last inspection, three children have moved into the home and two children have moved out. The two children currently living in the home told the inspector that they are happy living there.

p.3

improvement to be good

The children receive care from a stable and committed staff team. Staff have demonstrated resilience and are committed to meeting the children’s needs. Children are spoken of positively and staff enjoy watching them make progress. This helps children to develop trusting relationships and feel a sense of belonging.

p.3

improvement to be good

Initial assessments for children moving into the home are ineffective. They do not fully assess how children’s identified needs and risks will be managed and how leaders and managers feel able to meet their needs. As a result, one child’s placement ended in an unplanned way after they had only lived at the home for a short period. Furthermore, children’s needs and risks when moving into the home are not robustly assessed for compatibility with the child already living there. This means that children do not always have a positive experience of living together.

p.3

improvement to be good

One child living in the home benefits from healthy daily routines. The child engages in a range of activities, including ice skating and football. The child enjoys playing online games, and access is well considered with clear boundaries. However, one child does not have routines in place, particularly around the use of mobile phones and sleeping patterns. The child spends considerable time alone in their bedroom during the day. Staff offer a range of activities, and some progress is being made with the child engaging with staff.

p.3

improvement to be good

One child now attends a mainstream school. The manager visited a range of schools to find the most appropriate provision to meet the child’s needs. The child told the inspector that they enjoy going to school. However, one child does not currently attend school. A tutor visits the home daily; however, educational progress is limited due to a lack of engagement.

p.3

improvement to be good

Staff promote the children’s health needs, and they are registered with relevant health professionals. Staff have carried out key-work sessions with children around the importance of maintaining their health. One child had a fear of visiting the dentist, and staff have supported them to attend and build trust. Children’s medication is appropriately stored and administered.

p.3

improvement to be good

The provider has recently employed a full-time therapist. This will support children’s emotional development and staff’s understanding of their emotional well-being. Inspection report for children’s home: 2701412 4 Staff support children to see family and friends. This ensures that children maintain established relationships.

p.3

improvement to be good

Staff work well with other professionals. One social worker said, ‘The staff have spent time getting to know [name of child]’s needs, been proactive in trying to build relationships and have worked with the family and social worker well.’

p.4

improvement to be good

The practice of managing risk is not consistent. One child who previously lived in the home was being transported by staff to a high-risk area. Children’s risk management plans do not identify all known risks or provide staff with the written guidance they need to follow to keep children safe.

p.4

improvement to be good

There have been incidents when children have been missing from the home. Staff actively search for children and report children as missing in line with agreed protocols. However, return home interviews are not always carried out following an incident of a child going missing from the home. This means that there is a missed opportunity for the child to speak to an independent person about any risks or concerns.

p.4

improvement to be good

There has been a high number of incidents in the home. Staff try and de-escalate situations. The use of physical holds has been required to safeguard children and staff. All staff have received training in relation to holding children. However, children and staff are not receiving a debrief after each incident. This does not give children the opportunity to raise any concerns. This also does not allow staff to reflect on their practice.

p.4

improvement to be good

Consequences are used infrequently in the home. However, not all recordings of consequences include all the detail required by regulation. This includes oversight from the manager to ensure that they are appropriate and effective for children.

p.4

improvement to be good

Staff have completed safeguarding training and additional training in relation to the children’s risks and needs. The staff also understand whistle-blowing procedures.

p.4

improvement to be good

The home requires cosmetic updates and redecoration. There are marks and stains on some of the walls in the living areas. Additionally, staff struggle to support one of the children to maintain their bedroom. The bedroom is unclean, untidy and does not provide a nurturing environment for the child.

p.4

improvement to be good

Fire drills are not carried out when children move into the home. Furthermore, when children have not evacuated the home, no follow-up work has been carried out with the children. This does not ensure that children would be safe or know what to do if there was a fire in the home. Inspection report for children’s home: 2701412 5

p.4

The effectiveness of leaders and managers: requires improvement to be good

An interim manager has been in post since September 2023, when the registered manager left. There has been a delay in the manager submitting a complete application to be registered.

p.5

The effectiveness of leaders and managers: requires improvement to be good

The manager is passionate and child centred. The manager advocates for the children and is committed to improving outcomes for the children in her care.

p.5

The effectiveness of leaders and managers: requires improvement to be good

The home has a consistent team of staff who feel supported by managers. Staff attend regular team meetings to discuss children’s needs.

p.5

The effectiveness of leaders and managers: requires improvement to be good

Staff have completed all mandatory training. This helps them to understand their role in safeguarding and promoting the children’s welfare. Staff are either qualified or are currently enrolled and working towards an appropriate qualification. However, one staff member has not completed their diploma within an appropriate time frame.

p.5

The effectiveness of leaders and managers: requires improvement to be good

Staff are not receiving regular supervision. This does not provide staff with an opportunity to reflect on their practice or discuss the needs of the children. Furthermore, yearly appraisals have not been carried out. This means that opportunities are missed to develop staff’s skills and practice.

p.5

The effectiveness of leaders and managers: requires improvement to be good

Safe recruitment procedures are in place to ensure that only suitable people work with the child living in the home. However, there are discrepancies in employment dates, which have not been identified by the manager. There is no evidence that attempts have been made to obtain references when staff have previously worked in a position involving children.

p.5

The effectiveness of leaders and managers: requires improvement to be good

The manager uses various monitoring and review tools. However, the monitoring and oversight of leaders and managers has not identified the shortfalls found during the inspection. This means that action has not always been taken to improve the quality of care. Inspection report for children’s home: 2701412 6

p.5

Statutory requirements

This section sets out the actions that the registered person(s) 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(s) must comply within the given timescales.

p.6

Requirement Due date

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

p.6

Requirement Due date

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

p.6

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.6

Requirement Due date

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

p.6

Requirement Due date

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

p.6

Requirement Due date

that the premises used for the purposes of the home are designed, furnished, and maintained so as to protect each child from avoidable hazards to the child’s health. (Regulation 12 (1) (2)(a)(i)(iii)(vi)(d))

p.6

Requirement Due date

In particular, leaders and managers should ensure that risk management plans include strategies to be used to keep children safe from harm. Additionally, ensure that staff help children to maintain their bedroom so that it is a safe and healthy environment for them to sleep in. 2 August 2024

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

promotes their welfare. 2 August 2024 Inspection report for children’s home: 2701412 7 In particular, the standard in paragraph (1) requires the registered person to—

p.6

Requirement Due date

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

p.7

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)(c)(h))

p.7

Requirement Due date

In particular, the registered person must ensure that staff have completed training relevant to their role and that there are effective monitoring systems in place to ensure that all aspects of the day-to-day running of the home are undertaken.

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. (Regulation 14 (1)(a)(b))

p.7

Requirement Due date

In particular, leaders and managers should only accept placements for children where they are satisfied that the home can respond effectively to the child’s assessed needs. Additionally, assessments should include the impact that the placement will have on children who already live in the home. 2 August 2024

p.7

Requirement Due date

within 48 hours of the use of the measure, the registered person, or a person who is authorised by the registered person to do so (“the authorised person”)—

p.7

Requirement Due date

has spoken to the user about the measure;

p.7

Requirement Due date

has signed the record to confirm it is accurate; and

p.7

Requirement Due date

within 5 days of the use of the measure, the registered person or the authorised person adds to the record confirmation that they have spoken to the child about the measure. (Regulation 35 (3)(b)(i)(ii)(c))

p.7

Requirement Due date

In particular, leaders and managers must ensure that staff and children have the opportunity for a debrief by someone not 2 August 2024 Inspection report for children’s home: 2701412 8 involved in the measure. Additionally, consequences should include all matters as required by regulation.

p.7

Requirement Due date

If the Regulatory Reform (Fire Safety) Order 2005(a) applies to the home—

p.8

Requirement Due date

the registered person must ensure that the requirements of that Order and any regulations made under it, except for article 23 (duties of employees), are complied with in respect of the home. (Regulation 25 (2)(a)(b))

p.8

Requirement Due date

In particular, leaders and managers must ensure that staff carry out fire drills when a child moves into the home. Additionally, follow-up work must be carried out with children when required. 2 August 2024

p.8

Requirement Due date

The registered person must ensure that all employees—

p.8

Requirement Due date

undertake appropriate continuing professional development;

p.8

Requirement Due date

receive practice-related supervision by a person with appropriate experience; and

p.8

Requirement Due date

have their performance and fitness to perform their roles appraised at least once every year. (Regulation 33 (4)(a)(b)(c)) 2 August 2024

p.8

Requirement Due date

The registered person must maintain records (“case records”) for each child which—

p.8

Requirement Due date

include the information and documents listed in Schedule 3 in relation to each child;

p.8

Requirement Due date

are signed and dated by the author of each entry. (Regulation 36 (1)(a)(b)(c))

p.8

Requirement Due date

In particular, leaders and managers should ensure that records include all information in relation to incidents when children go missing from the home. Additionally, records relating to consequences should include all information as required by regulation. 2 August 2024

p.8

Requirement Due date

Schedule 4 sets out the other information that the registered person must keep in relation to a children’s home. 2 August 2024 Inspection report for children’s home: 2701412 9 The registered person must—

p.8

Requirement Due date

maintain in the home the records in Schedule 4;

p.9

Requirement Due date

ensure that the records are kept up to date; and

p.9

Requirement Due date

retain the records for at least 15 years from the date of the last entry. (Regulation 37 (1) (2)(a)(b)(c))

p.9

Requirement Due date

In particular, leaders and managers should have a record of all matters as required by regulation in relation to admissions and discharges of children.

p.9

Recommendation

 The registered person should ensure that when a child returns to the home after being missing from care or away from the home without permission, the responsible local authority provides an opportunity for the child to have an independent return home interview. The home should take account of information provided by such interviews when assessing risks and putting arrangements in place to protect each child. (‘Guide to the Children’s Homes Regulations, including the quality standards,’ page 45, paragraph 9.30)

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: 2701412 10

p.9

Children’s home details

Registered provider: Prosperity Children’s Services

p.10

Children’s home details

Registered provider address: 8 Mercury Rise, Altham Business Park, Altham, Accrington BB5 5BY

p.10

Inspectors

Suzanne Birchall, Social Care Inspector Genevieve O’Reilly, Social Care Inspector Inspection report for children’s home: 2701412 11 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.

p.10

Inspectors

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

Inspectors

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

p.11

Inspectors

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

p.11