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

Assurance inspection report for children's home: SC038526 1 SC038526

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Registered provider: Progress Children’s Services Ltd

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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. The home provides care for up to nine children who may have learning disabilities, physical disabilities and/or sensory impairments.

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Information about this children’s home

The registered manager recently resigned from the home shortly after becoming registered; a voluntary cancellation form has not yet been submitted. A new permanent manager has been appointed to the home.

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Information about this children’s home

At the time of this inspection there were six children living at the home. Inspectors met all the children.

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Information about this children’s home

Judgement at last inspection: requires improvement to be good

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Information about this children’s home

Enforcement action since last inspection: none

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Information about this inspection

At these inspections, the inspectors evaluated:

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Information about this inspection

 the care of children  the safety of children  the effectiveness of leaders and managers. Inspectors have looked closely at the experiences and progress of children, using the social care common inspection framework. This assurance 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’. Assurance inspection report for children's home: SC038526 2

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Findings from the inspection

We did not identify any serious or widespread concerns in relation to the care or protection of children at this assurance inspection.

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Findings from the inspection

Overall, staff meet the day-to-day care needs of children well. They embed routines for children at the home that are supportive of their needs being met, including personal care, rest, and leisure activities. Children all attend school and are taken to their health appointments.

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Findings from the inspection

Staff are nurturing and attentive in their approach. They interact with children with great enthusiasm. As a result, children respond with delight, and they enjoy staff company. Staff understand children's communication methods and are responsive to their needs. Children are having nice experiences; recent highlights include visits to the Christmas illuminations and Disney on ice.

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Findings from the inspection

The home environment has some pleasant features such as children’s artwork being displayed, and children’s bedrooms reflect their interests. However, there are areas of the home that are worn and require maintenance. While these repairs and improvements have been requested, they are not always completed in a timely way.

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Findings from the inspection

Managers have taken action to learn lessons from medication errors and made changes to processes and routines to reduce the risk of further incidents.

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Findings from the inspection

Overall, progress in making improvements to the standard of care has been hampered by further changes in management. Senior leaders have taken action to improve communication with partner agencies. However, this does remain inconsistent, and the home continues to receive complaints with poor communication as a common theme.

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Findings from the inspection

There are weaknesses in the oversight of children’s care planning. Children's plans do not consistently set out their care needs in a clear and up to date way. This reduces the ability of staff to understand their needs and provide consistent care to children.

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Findings from the inspection

The home continues to have staff vacancies and most days half the staff are from an external agency. Agency staff are usually familiar people who the children know. However, this does reduce the overall continuity of care for children. Furthermore, these staff have not received formal supervision to support their development.

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Findings from the inspection

Currently, staff do not receive training in line with the homes statement of purpose. Furthermore, there is a lack of clarity about the frequency for staff to refresh training for key topics, including safeguarding. However, the manager and senior leaders do have plans to upskill the staff team through bespoke training and a series of workshops. Assurance inspection report for children's home: SC038526 3 Managers do understand the shortfalls and what actions are needed to improve the quality of care at the home. The new manager demonstrates a commitment to making the necessary improvements. The organisation’s senior leaders are fully involved and driving action planning at the home.

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Findings from the inspection

Some progress has been made with the requirements set at the last inspection. However, as shortfalls remain, three of these have been restated.

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Inspection date Inspection type Inspection judgement

03/07/2024 Full Requires improvement to be good

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Inspection date Inspection type Inspection judgement

28/06/2023 Full Requires improvement to be good

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Inspection date Inspection type Inspection judgement

01/03/2022 Full Requires improvement to be good Assurance inspection report for children's home: SC038526 4

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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 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—

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Requirement Due date

ensure that staff work as a team where appropriate;

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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

ensure that the home's workforce provides continuity of care to each child.

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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. (Regulation 13(1)(a)(b) (2)(b)(c)(e)(f))

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Requirement Due date

This specifically relates to ensuring that the home is staffed to ensure continuity of care to children. This also relates to ensuring that staff are provided with current and clear guidance to provide safe care to children, and that this is reflected in children's plans.

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Requirement Due date

This also relates to managers ensuring that plans for improvements to the quality of care are embedded without delay.

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Requirement Due date

This also relates to staff being trained to meet children’s needs, and in line with the homes statement of purpose. 28 February 2025 Assurance inspection report for children's home: SC038526 5 In meeting the quality standards, the registered person must, and must ensure that staff—

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Requirement Due date

seek to involve each child's placing authority effectively in the child's care, in accordance with the child's relevant plans;

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Requirement Due date

seek to secure the input and services required to meet each child's needs;

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Requirement Due date

seek to develop and maintain effective professional relationships with such persons, bodies or organisations as the registered person considers appropriate having regard to the range of needs of children for whom it is intended that the children's home is to provide care and accommodation. (Regulation 5(a)(b)(d))

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Requirement Due date

This specifically relates to ensuring that managers and staff have effective and consistent communication with professionals including local authorities, health services and education staff. 28 February 2025

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Requirement Due date

The registered person must ensure that all employees—

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Requirement Due date

receive practice-related supervision by a person with appropriate experience. (Regulation 33(4)(b))

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Requirement Due date

This specifically relates to casual staff as well as permanent staff. 28 February 2025

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Recommendations

 The registered person should ensure that the children’s home is a nurturing and supportive environment that meets the needs of their children. The home should be a homely and domestic environment. This includes ensuring that the home is decorated and furnished to a good standard and that all maintenance, and repairs are completed without delay. (‘Guide to the Children's Homes Regulations, including the quality standards’, page 15, paragraph 3.9) Assurance inspection report for children's home: SC038526 6

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Children’s home details

Registered provider: Progress Children’s Services Ltd

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Children’s home details

Registered provider address: Progress House, 127 Millfields Road, Wolverhampton WV4 6JG

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Inspectors

Alison Snell, Social Care Inspector Joanne Vyas, Regulatory Inspection Manager Assurance inspection report for children's home: SC038526 7 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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Inspectors

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Inspectors

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Inspectors

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Inspectors

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