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

Inspection report for children’s home: 2772599 1 Registered provider: Prosperity Children’s services

p.1

Full inspection Inspected under the social care common inspection framework

p.1

Information about this children’s home

This home is operated by a private company. It provides care for up to two children who may have social and emotional difficulties.

p.1

Information about this children’s home

A manager is in post since and has submitted his application to register with Ofsted.

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

Date of last inspection: not previously inspected

p.1

requires improvement to be good

Overall judgement at last inspection: not applicable

p.1

requires improvement to be good

Enforcement action since last inspection: none Inspection report for children’s home: 2772599 2

p.1

improvement to be good

Since the home was registered with Ofsted, two children have moved into the home and one child has moved out. There is currently one child living at the home.

p.2

improvement to be good

A lack of consistent leadership in the home has had an impact on the progress and experiences of each child who has lived in the home, leading to unsettled and disruptive behaviours.

p.2

improvement to be good

Both children were admitted to the home very quickly. On arrival, staff made the children feel welcome, but the children had very little chance to prepare for their moves. It also meant that when the second child was admitted, there was limited opportunity for staff to help the child already living at the home to adjust to the change in circumstances. A requirement is made to address this.

p.2

improvement to be good

There is no plan for the child currently living at the home to return to education. This is confusing for the child and will have a detrimental effect on their education. Before the summer holidays, the child attended an alternative education provision on a reduced timetable. However, managers and staff have not ensured sufficient informal learning opportunities at the home to supplement this. Furthermore, the lack of a good daily routine for the child is a barrier to their re-engagement with education.

p.2

improvement to be good

One child has enjoyed taking part in new activities and experiences since moving to the home, for example going swimming with staff and on trips out to local beaches and parks. The child’s engagement in these activities was temporarily disrupted when another child came to live at the home. Staff struggled to engage both children in positive activities. A lack of planned, interesting and engaging activities may have contributed to children being bored and seeking opportunities to entertain themselves.

p.2

improvement to be good

One child was unhappy about living so far from their local area. The new manager sourced independent advocacy for this child to ensure they had support to have her voice heard. Staff help each child to maintain contact with their family and people who are important to them. This ensures that they remain close to their families and enables them to build on significant relationships.

p.2

improvement to be good

The home is spacious and provides a homely environment. Managers ensure that repairs and redecoration of the home take place in a timely manner. However, the garden is a bland and uninviting space to spend time in and there is little outdoor play equipment available. Inspection report for children’s home: 2772599 3

p.2

improvement to be good

Staff have managed unique, complex and challenging behaviours for each child. Staff have struggled to manage some incidents, some requiring support from the police to maintain control of the situation.

p.3

improvement to be good

Changes in leadership at the home had an impact on consistent behaviour management plans. Staff have lacked direction from their managers, and this has hindered their ability to manage challenging situations consistently and effectively.

p.3

improvement to be good

Managers recognised and responded to the need for increased staffing levels at the home. However, staff have struggled to manage one child’s behaviours. The child’s care plans lack clear strategies to guide staff to respond.

p.3

improvement to be good

The manager reviews risk assessments and behaviour support plans. However, there is limited guidance for staff on how to manage disruptive incidents in the home. Similarly, good practice has not been shared with staff to assist them in dealing with future incidents. This does not help staff develop their behaviour management skills.

p.3

improvement to be good

Staff have tried to use incentives to encourage each child to behave in a positive way. However, this approach has had limited success and managers have not reviewed the effectiveness of this strategy.

p.3

improvement to be good

Staff are trying to build positive relationships with the child. However, staff have not been able to ensure consistent boundaries and rules. In addition, some incidents have been caused by staff trying to impose rules and boundaries. The new manager has reviewed records of these incidents and is taking action to address inconsistent practice.

p.3

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

Since the home’s registration, there have been changes to management arrangements. The home has had a period without a registered manager. A new manager has recently joined the home and has applied to Ofsted to become registered. The frequency of changes to the leadership of the home has had an adverse impact on the progress and experiences of children.

p.3

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

The provider has not notified Ofsted of the changes in managers. This impairs the regulator’s ability to understand the effectiveness of the management arrangements in the home.

p.3

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

The new manager has not had an adequate handover of information from the previous manager. The manager is starting to identify areas for improvement and is making changes to the way the home operates. However, these changes have not had time to embed. Inspection report for children’s home: 2772599 4 There is an experienced and stable staff team in place. This provides children with continuity of care. Staff have confidence in the new management team and they feel that improvements are being made. One member of staff said: ‘Now new managements are in place everyone has a flow and knows what is expected of them, and if they are unsure of anything have the reassurance to ask each other and the management.’

p.3

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

There are shortfalls in staff training. Most staff, including the manager, have not received training in the therapeutic approach outlined in the home’s statement of purpose. This does not support staff to work in a cohesive and consistent way.

p.4

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

The new manager is supporting staff to start reflecting on their practice and to develop new ways of working with children. For example, he supplements formal supervision meetings with support sessions focused on specific areas of development. This is helping to build staff confidence. Inspection report for children’s home: 2772599 5

p.4

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.5

Requirement Due date

The care planning standard is that children—

p.5

Requirement Due date

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

p.5

Requirement Due date

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

p.5

Requirement Due date

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

p.5

Requirement Due date

ensure the effective induction of each child into the home;

p.5

Requirement Due date

that each child’s relevant plans are followed. (Regulation 14 (1)(a)(b) (2)(b)(i)(c)) 27 September 2024

p.5

Requirement Due date

The education standard is that children make measurable progress towards achieving their educational potential and are helped to do so.

p.5

Requirement Due date

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

p.5

Requirement Due date

help each child to achieve the child’s education and training targets, as recorded in the child’s relevant plans;

p.5

Requirement Due date

support each child’s learning and development, including helping the child to develop independent study skills and, where appropriate, helping the child to complete independent study;

p.5

Requirement Due date

help each child to understand the importance and value of education, learning, training and employment; 27 September 2024 Inspection report for children’s home: 2772599 6 promote opportunities for each child to learn informally;

p.5

Requirement Due date

maintain regular contact with each child’s education and training provider, including engaging with the provider and the placing authority to support the child’s education and training and to maximise the child’s achievement;

p.6

Requirement Due date

help a child who is excluded from school, or who is of compulsory school age but not attending school, to access educational and training support throughout the period of exclusion or non-attendance and to return to school as soon as possible.

p.6

Requirement Due date

help each child to attend education or training in accordance with the expectations in the child’s relevant plans. (Regulation 8 (1) (2)(a)(i)(ii)(iv)(v)(vi)(viii)(x))

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 promotes their welfare.

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 work as a team where appropriate;

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)(b)(c)(f)(h)) 27 September 2024 Inspection report for children’s home: 2772599 7 The registered person must give notice in writing to HMCI, as soon as it is reasonably practicable to do so, if any of the following events take place or are expected by the registered person to take place—

p.6

Requirement Due date

a person other than the registered person carries on or manages the children’s home;

p.7

Requirement Due date

a person ceases to carry on or manage the home. (Regulation 49 (a)(b)) 27 September 2024

p.7

Recommendations

 The registered person should ensure that in the future children’s records are written in a way that will be helpful to the child and avoid the use of jargon. (‘Guide to the Children’s Homes Regulations, including the quality standards’, page 62, paragraph 14.4)  The registered person should ensure that the garden is a well-maintained and well- equipped space for children to enjoy and use. (‘Guide to the Children’s Homes Regulations, including the quality standards’, page 15, paragraph 3.9)

p.7

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: 2772599 8

p.7

Children’s home details

Registered provider: Prosperity Children’s services

p.8

Children’s home details

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

p.8

Inspector

Sophie Thomson, Social Care Inspector Inspection report for children’s home: 2772599 9 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.8

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.

p.9

Inspector

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.9

Inspector

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

p.9

Inspector

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

p.9