Children's home run by Prosperity Children’s Services Limited

Inspection report for children’s home: 2812359 1 Registered provider: Prosperity Children’s Services

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Full inspection 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 company and is registered to care for up to two children with learning disabilities.

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Information about this children’s home

The manager registered with Ofsted in December 2024. He also manages another setting.

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Information about this children’s home

This is the home’s first full inspection since registration in December 2024.

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Information about this children’s home

At the time of this inspection, no children were living in the home.

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Overall experiences and progress of

children and young people, taking into account

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requires improvement to be good

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

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requires improvement to be good

The effectiveness of leaders and managers requires improvement to be good

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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.

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requires improvement to be good

Date of last inspection: not previously inspected

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requires improvement to be good

Overall judgement at last inspection: not applicable

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requires improvement to be good

Enforcement action since last inspection: not applicable Inspection report for children’s home: 2812359 2

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improvement to be good

Shortfalls in the leadership and management of the home have led to two children moving into, and on, from the home in an unplanned way. Assessments to consider whether children’s needs could be met were not robust. The progress children made was limited as they only lived in the home for a short period of time. The impact of external factors on the children’s ability to settle was significant.

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improvement to be good

Managers and staff understand the importance of education. Barriers to children attending education are recognised and understood. Staff talked to children about educational opportunities. One professional said, ‘Staff really encouraged the children and tried to get them involved in educational activities. They tried their best.’

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improvement to be good

Children’s health needs are supported. Staff speak to children about the importance of attending health appointments. Staff supported one child to attend the GP when this became necessary. When one child experienced dental pain, an emergency appointment was made. However, managers did not have details of all health services children were registered with prior to them moving into the home.

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improvement to be good

Staff provide care that is sensitive to children’s identity and cultural beliefs. Children’s views about living in the home were regularly sought. Staff encouraged children to talk to external professionals and express their wishes and feelings safely. Children were supported to spend time with family and friends when it was safe and in line with the placing authority plans.

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improvement to be good

The home is welcoming and provides a pleasant space for children to live. Some areas of the home have been redecorated where this has been needed.

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improvement to be good

Staff understand their safeguarding responsibilities. Plans set out what action staff should take to keep children safe, and these plans are followed. However, the lack of robust assessment prior to children moving into the home meant that risks were not fully understood and could not be proactively managed. Risk management plans were updated as risks became known.

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improvement to be good

Incidents in the home are well managed. Staff de-escalate incidents effectively, without the need for police involvement. Staff ensured that children were protected from unsafe adults when they attended the home. Professionals stated that managers kept them informed of relevant information. This ensured that there was a multi-agency approach to safeguarding. Inspection report for children’s home: 2812359 3 Staff provide children with consistent rules and boundaries. Children know what is expected of them and they are praised when they do well. Staff helped one child understand the conditions placed on them by the Court. When the child struggled to comply with the conditions, staff helped them to understand the consequences.

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improvement to be good

The in-house therapist spends time in the home. One child met with the therapist and time was spent exploring difficult feelings. When children experienced distress, staff provided reassurance and maintained a consistent approach.

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improvement to be good

Safer recruitment practices are in place, which means that only suitable adults are working in the home.

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

The manager is suitably qualified and experienced. He is supported by an experienced deputy, and they have worked together for some time. Staff say that they feel supported by managers, and they have a visible presence in the home.

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

Leaders and managers have not ensured that children’s needs align with the care that can be provided, as set out in the home’s statement of purpose. Important information about children’s needs, risks and vulnerabilities was not obtained prior to children coming to live at the home. Consequently, their needs could not be met safely, and children experienced an unplanned move on from the home.

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

Independent oversight of the home has not been consistent. Arrangements for an independent person to visit the home were not made until several months after the home was registered. No children were living in the home during this period. However, the lack of independent scrutiny does not allow for an impartial assessment of the home’s arrangements for caring for children.

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

The manager ensures that the staff complete all mandatory training. Staff receive support to help them understand children’s individual needs. However, some staff have not completed the relevant qualification in the time frame specified in regulation.

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

The emotional impact of caring for children is understood by managers. When children moved on from the home, staff were provided with an opportunity to reflect on their experiences. Staff are supportive of each other. Managers use supervisions to support reflective practice. Inspection report for children’s home: 2812359 4

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Statutory requirements

This section sets out the actions that the registered person must take to meet the Care Standards Act 2000, The 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.

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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.

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Requirement Due date

Subject to paragraph (6), the registered person must ensure that the home is at all times conducted in a manner which is consistent with its statement of purpose.

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Requirement Due date

Nothing in paragraph (5) or regulation 46 (review of premises) requires or authorises the registered person to contravene or not comply with—

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Requirement Due date

any other provision of these Regulations; or

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Requirement Due date

any conditions in relation to the registration of the registered person under Part 2 of the Care Standards Act 2000. (Regulation 16 (1) (5) (6)(a)(b))

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Requirement Due date

Specifically, the registered manager must ensure that children are only admitted to the home if their primary need meets the conditions of registration and the care that can be provided, as outlined in the statement of purpose. 4 July 2025

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Requirement Due date

The care planning standard is that children—

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Requirement Due date

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

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Requirement Due date

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

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Requirement Due date

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

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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 4 July 2025 Inspection report for children’s home: 2812359 5 that the home is to provide care and accommodation, as set out in the home’s statement of purpose;

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Requirement Due date

ensure the effective induction of each child into the home. (Regulation 14 (1)(a)(b) (2)(a)(b)(i))

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Requirement Due date

Specifically, the registered manager must ensure that documents relating to how children need to be cared for are received prior to their admission. This includes a referral document and care plan.

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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

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;

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Requirement Due date

ensure that staff have the experience, qualifications and skills to meet the needs of each child. (Regulation 13 (1)(a)(b) (2)(a)(c))

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Requirement Due date

Specifically, the registered manager must ensure that staff are provided with support to achieve their qualification at the earliest opportunity. 15 August

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Requirement Due date

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

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Requirement Due date

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

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Requirement Due date

are signed and dated by the author of each entry. (Regulation 36 (1)(a)(b)(c)) 15 August Inspection report for children’s home: 2812359 6 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

the Level 3 Diploma for Residential Childcare (England) ("the Level 3 Diploma"); or

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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; or

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Requirement Due date

in the case of an individual who was working in a care role in a home on 1st April 2014, 1st April 2016.

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Requirement Due date

The registered person may defer the relevant date if the individual—

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Requirement Due date

does not work, or has not worked, in a care role in a home for a prolonged period; or

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Requirement Due date

works, or has worked, in a care role in a home on a part-time basis. (Regulation 32 (4)(a)(b) (5)(a)(b) (6)(a)(b)) 5 September

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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)) 18 July 2025

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Recommendation

 The registered person should ensure that records relating to children are carefully recorded, accurate and hold the correct information. (‘Guide to the Children’s Homes Regulations, including the quality standards’, page 62, paragraph 14.4) Inspection report for children’s home: 2812359 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: 2812359 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: 8 Mercury Rise, Altham Business Park, Altham, Accrington BB5 5BY

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Inspector

Anna Belshaw, Social Care Inspector Inspection report for children’s home: 2812359 9 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.

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Inspector

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Inspector

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Inspector

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