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

Inspection report for children’s home: 2807058 1 Registered provider: Prosperity Children’s Services

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Inspected under the social care common inspection framework

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Information about this children’s home

This privately owned home provides care for one child who may experience social and emotional difficulties.

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Information about this children’s home

The home and manager registered with Ofsted in October 2024. This is the first inspection of the home since registration.

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Information about this children’s home

The registered provider has recently appointed a new responsible individual, and we are currently checking this person has the relevant capacity, experience, and skills to carry out the role.

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Information about this children’s home

One child was living in the home at the time of the inspection.

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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: 2807058 2 Inspection report for children’s home: 2807058 3

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

The child moved into the home in a well-planned way. Staff spent time getting to know the child when they moved in. This has helped the child to develop positive relationships with the staff team. The manager liaised with professionals involved with the child before they moved in to understand their individual needs. This means that the staff team had the knowledge and understanding to meet the child’s needs. As a result, the child is making good progress.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Staff provide the child with opportunities to enjoy new and existing hobbies. The child spoke of the positive experiences they have enjoyed since living in the home. They enjoy a well-maintained and personalised home. Photographs of activities the child has enjoyed, and their achievements are displayed throughout the home.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Staff support the child to maintain relationships with people who are important to them. They make arrangements to ensure that the child still sees their family, despite living a distance away from their hometown. This helps the child to maintain a sense of belonging and identity through their family relationships.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

The child’s health needs are met. Staff support the child to access health services relevant to their needs. This includes the child seeing the home’s therapist on a weekly basis to address their childhood trauma. The therapist also works with staff to ensure they understand the child’s needs and how best to support them.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

The child’s attendance at school has improved since living at the home. The manager and staff work together with school professionals. This promotes a consistent approach between professionals to ensure that the child’s educational needs are met.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

The child says that they have good relationships with the manager and most of the staff. They say that the manager is helpful and supportive, and that they would go to them if they had any concerns or wished to make a complaint. This means that the child is confident that the manager will listen to them and ensure that their needs are met. The manager supports the child through mediation to overcome difficulties in relationships with staff.

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

Staff understand the child’s risks well. The child’s records include detailed plans which give clear strategies for staff to follow. Staff know the child well and understand their previous life experiences. This means that staff recognise the child’s vulnerabilities and how best to support them in managing their emotions.

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

Staff implement positive behaviour management strategies to support the child when they are struggling with their emotions. They manage the child’s behaviour through Inspection report for children’s home: 2807058 4 effective de-escalation techniques and meaningful conversations with the child. Staff are therapeutic in their approach to supporting the child at times of distress. Incidents of staff physically holding the child are rare and restraint is only used as a last resort to prevent the child from harming themselves or others.

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

Staff promote positive behaviour through praise and rewards. The use of consistent boundaries and routines supports the child to understand their behaviour. The child knows how to make a complaint. The manager takes appropriate action to safeguard the child following any allegations. Information is shared with partner agencies to ensure that appropriate action is taken to investigate concerns.

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

Recruitment of new staff is safe. The manager is thorough in exploring reasons why staff wish to work in the home. This means that the child is cared for by a suitable and safe staff team.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

The home is managed by a suitably qualified and experienced manager. The provider has recruited a new responsible individual from within the organisation. He is enthusiastic about his role and is aspirational for the child and staff team. The manager knows the child well and has spent time getting to know them. Staff speak fondly of the support provided by the manager and say that they enjoy their roles.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

The manager ensures that staff have opportunities for regular supervision and team meetings. These provide staff with opportunities to reflect and consider their practice and learning needs.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

The manager has invested time to develop the staff team’s knowledge and skills. He has implemented plans to allow him to have improved oversight of the home. However, the child’s documentation had not been reviewed in a timely manner. This is a missed opportunity for the manager to consider the child’s quality of care and their progress, due to gaps in records not being identified.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

The manager has ensured that staff have engaged in a range of training opportunities to support their understanding of the child’s needs. Staff use the support of a therapist who also provides additional insight into the child’s needs and how staff can support them. However, some staff members are not yet qualified, despite their time spent working in residential care.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

The manager and senior leaders have developed new systems and monitoring tools to evaluate the quality of care being provided. However, these are not yet embedded in practice. The manager is proactive in his learning and has sought opportunities to expand his knowledge through forums in which good practice examples are shared. Inspection report for children’s home: 2807058 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, 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.

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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 have the experience, qualifications, and skills to meet the needs of 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;

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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)(f)(h))

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Requirement Due date

Specifically, the manager must ensure that systems are in place to ensure that the child’s local authority documents are received and reviewed in a timely manner and that the child’s plans are developed in line with these. 25 June 2025

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Requirement Due date

The registered person must recruit staff using recruitment procedures that are designed to ensure children’s safety.

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Requirement Due date

employ an individual to work at the children’s home; or

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Requirement Due date

if an individual is employed by a person other than the registered person to work at the home in a position in which the 25 June 2025 Inspection report for children’s home: 2807058 6 individual may have regular contact with children, allow that individual to work at the home,

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Requirement Due date

if the individual satisfies the requirements in paragraph (3).

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Requirement Due date

the individual has the appropriate experience, qualification, and skills for the work that the individual is to perform;

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Requirement Due date

For the purposes of paragraph (3)(b), an individual who works in the home in a care role has the appropriate qualification if, by the relevant date, the individual has attained—

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Requirement Due date

a qualification which the registered person considers to be equivalent to the Level 3 Diploma.

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Requirement Due date

in the case of an individual who starts working in a care role in a home after 1st April 2014, the date which falls 2 years after the date on which the individual started working in a care role in a home. (Regulation 32 (1) (2)(a)(b) (3)(b) (4)(b) (5)(a))

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Requirement Due date

Specifically, that staff have the relevant qualification to undertake their roles.

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Recommendation

 The registered person should ensure that staff have the capacity and competence to build constructive, warm relationships with children that actively promote positive behaviour and provide the foundations for managing any negative behaviour. Staff should have the skills to respond to each child’s individual behaviour. When necessary, they should manage conflict, maintain constructive dialogue, and react appropriately if challenged by a child in their care. (‘Guide to the Children’s Homes Regulations, including the quality standards,’ page 39, paragraph 8.14) Inspection report for children’s home: 2807058 7

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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: 2807058 8

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Children’s home details

Registered provider: Prosperity Children’s Services

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Children’s home details

Registered provider address: Prosperity Children’s Services Ltd, 8 Mercury Rise, Altham Business Park, Altham, Accrington BB5 5BY

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Inspector

Nicola Rutherford, Social Care Regulatory Inspector Inspection report for children’s home: 2807058 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 children looked after, safeguarding and child protection.

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Inspector

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Inspector

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Inspector

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