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

Inspection report for children’s home: 2700241 1 Registered provider: Prosperity Children’s Services Limited

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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 privately owned home provides care for up to two children with social and emotional difficulties.

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Information about this children’s home

At the time of this inspection, two children were living at the home.

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Information about this children’s home

The registered managers post is vacant. There is suitable responsible individual in post.

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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: 29 January 2025

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requires improvement to be good

Overall judgement at last inspection: good

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requires improvement to be good

Enforcement action since last inspection: none Inspection report for children’s home: 2700241 2

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Inspection date Inspection type Inspection judgement

29/01/2025 Full Good 13/02/2024 Full Good Inspection report for children’s home: 2700241 3

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improvement to be good

Two children currently live at the home. Since the last inspection, one child has moved into the home and one child has moved out as part of a planned transition and in line with their plans. The children say that they feel happy and safe living at the home.

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improvement to be good

The home provides a large, comfortable environment for children to live and grow. However, there are several maintenance issues. Repairs are required in children’s bedrooms and bathrooms and some carpets need cleaning. In addition, external areas of the property require further attention to ensure that the home is maintained to a high standard.

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improvement to be good

The children are settled and making progress in their development. They receive care from a stable and committed staff team. This has helped children to build trusting relationships with staff and develop a sense of belonging. Staff support children to have routine and boundaries, which provide them with stability.

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improvement to be good

Staff enable children to influence their day-to-day care experiences. Staff provide opportunities for children to engage in recreational activities and spend time talking and listening to children about their care.

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improvement to be good

The interim manager is a good advocate for children’s education to ensure that they receive appropriate education in line with their assessed needs. One child who had not engaged in education for a significant period of time now engages with a tutor at the home. The interim manager works with local authorities to source appropriate educational provision for children who are not in formal education.

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improvement to be good

Staff actively encourage children to participate in a range of activities. For example, the children enjoy fishing and one child is supported with their particular interest in football. However, due to the rural location of the home, opportunities for children to develop their independence skills and build new friendships in the wider community are limited. While this has not had a negative impact on the children’s experiences to date, it remains an important consideration, particularly when children access education in the home.

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improvement to be good

Children are encouraged to see the important people in their lives. One child’s parent is pleased about the progress their child is making and said, ‘We have seen a massive change’ and ‘We are happy in how he is cared for.’

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improvement to be good

Key-work sessions are effective in supporting children’s understanding of how to keep themselves safe. Staff use these sessions to explore a wide range of important topics with children, including peer relationships, personal hygiene and emotional regulation. Inspection report for children’s home: 2700241 4 This targeted support helps children to build their knowledge, develop practical skills and strengthen their ability to make safe and informed choices.

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improvement to be good

Children have access to relevant health services, and the home also has an allocated therapist who supports the children with emotional health needs. The therapist also provides ongoing support and guidance to the staff team.

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improvement to be good

There have been several significant incidents that compromise the safety of children living at the home. During one serious incident, a child was able to access the home’s vehicle at night without staff being aware. A full and comprehensive investigation has since taken place and safeguards have been implemented to reduce the risk of harm. However, there has been a significant delay in convening a strategy meeting. Therefore, multi-agency information-sharing between key professionals and risk consideration had not taken place at the time of this inspection.

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improvement to be good

Staff practice is not consistently effective in preventing or de-escalating incidents. For example, on several occasions, a child has accessed the roof of the home, creating significant risks to their safety. Staff do not consistently demonstrate a proactive approach to managing and supporting children’s behaviour. Therefore, opportunities are missed to reduce the likelihood of incidents escalating and minimising risks to children’s safety. However, the interim manager maintains oversight of incidents and takes effective action when shortfalls in staff practice are identified.

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improvement to be good

Not all staff involved in physical holds of children receive support to reflect on the incident and identify areas for learning and development. While managers evaluate each incident and children are offered the opportunity to speak with someone independent, this gap in reflective practice limits opportunities for improvement. However, staff actively support children to manage their behaviour and, in some cases, have held children to ensure their own or others’ safety. Each incident is clearly recorded and subject to management oversight.

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improvement to be good

Staff have a good understanding of each child’s vulnerabilities and any concerns about their safety. Written assessments and plans provide clear information and guidance for staff and are regularly reviewed.

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improvement to be good

The interim manager and staff take decisive action when concerns arise about children’s welfare, including incidents of children going missing from home. Staff follow established missing-from-home protocols, ensuring that appropriate steps are taken to safeguard children. As a result, children return home safely following these incidents.

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improvement to be good

Staff support children to understand the boundaries and expectations for their standards of behaviour. Staff deal with negative behaviours constructively and use therapeutic parenting. Consequences are used to manage children’s behaviour and there is evidence Inspection report for children’s home: 2700241 5 of management oversight and evaluation to confirm if the measures used are appropriate and proportionate.

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improvement to be good

Children know how to make complaints. One child raised a complaint with the manager which was managed appropriately. Allegations against staff are thoroughly investigated and promptly resolved.

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improvement to be good

Leaders and managers follow safer recruitment processes. This ensures that only suitable adults are employed to work with children.

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

The home has not had a registered manager for a significant period of time. The interim manager started working at the home in July 2025 and has not submitted a full and complete application to register with Ofsted.

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

The changes in the management arrangements at the home have created some inconsistency for staff and in the care of children.

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

Staff raised some concerns about the level of support they received prior to the current manager starting to work at the home. However, the interim manager has demonstrated a commitment to developing staff practice and making continued improvements at the home. He has developed strong relationships with staff and children. The staff say that they feel supported by the interim manager.

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

The interim manager has not consistently escalated concerns when required. Specifically, he failed to escalate effectively the delay in convening a strategy meeting following a serious incident involving a child. In addition, concerns were not escalated when a child’s statutory formal review minutes were still outstanding at the time of this inspection. While the manager works collaboratively with a range of professionals to support children’s needs, these missed escalations have limited timely multi-agency decision- making.

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

The home’s statement of purpose has not been reviewed to ensure that it remains accurate and reflective of current practice.

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

The manager uses various monitoring and review tools. The responsible individual has oversight of the home and has completed a recent audit. However, the monitoring and oversight of leaders and managers have not identified the shortfalls found during this inspection.

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

Staff hold appropriate qualifications for their roles. They receive regular supervision and undertake relevant training to enhance their skills and knowledge, enabling them to meet children’s needs and address their vulnerabilities effectively. Inspection report for children’s home: 2700241 6

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

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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

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;

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Requirement Due date

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

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Requirement Due date

manage relationships between children to prevent them from harming each other;

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Requirement Due date

understand the roles and responsibilities in relation to protecting children that are assigned to them by the registered person;

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Requirement Due date

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

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Requirement Due date

that the home’s day-to-day care is arranged and delivered so as to keep each child safe and to protect each child effectively from harm. (Regulation 12 (1) (2)(a)(i)(iii)(iv)(v)(vi)(b)

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Requirement Due date

In particular, leaders and managers must ensure that staff working at the home have the necessary skills, experience and competence to meet children’s needs and take effective action to de-escalate situations to promote children’s safety.

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Requirement Due date

Leaders and managers must ensure that action is taken when safeguarding concerns are identified and make sure that any concerns are escalated to other professionals when required. 2 January 2026 Inspection report for children’s home: 2700241 7 The registered person must ensure that—

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Requirement Due date

within 24 hours of the use of a measure of control, discipline or restraint in relation to a child in the home, a record is made which includes—

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Requirement Due date

details of the child’s behaviour leading to the use of the measure;

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Requirement Due date

the date, time and location of the use of the measure;

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Requirement Due date

a description of the measure and its duration;

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Requirement Due date

details of any methods used or steps taken to avoid the need to use the measure;

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Requirement Due date

the name of the person who used the measure ("the user"), and of any other person present when the measure was used;

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Requirement Due date

the effectiveness and any consequences of the use of the measure; and

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a description of any injury to the child or any other person, and any medical treatment administered, as a result of the measure;

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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")—

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Requirement Due date

has spoken to the user about the measure; and

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Requirement Due date

has signed the record to confirm it is accurate; and

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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)(a)(i)(ii)(iii)(iv)(v)(vi)(vii)(viii)(b)(i)(ii)(c))

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Requirement Due date

In particular, leaders and managers should ensure that all staff involved in holding a child are provided with an opportunity to discuss the incident and reflect on their practice. 2 January 2026

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Requirement Due date

The quality and purpose of care standard 2 January 2026 Inspection report for children’s home: 2700241 8 In particular, the standard in paragraph (1) requires the registered person to—

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Requirement Due date

ensure that the premises used for the purposes of the home are designed and furnished so as to—

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Requirement Due date

enable each child to participate in the daily life of the home (Regulation 6 (2)(c)(i)(ii))

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Requirement Due date

In particular, leaders and managers must ensure that the home is maintained to a good standard and repairs are completed in a timely way. Specifically, this relates to replacing and repairing broken items in children’s bedrooms and bathrooms, ensuring that carpets are cleaned and maintenance is carried out to the exterior of the home.

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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

ensure that the home’s workforce provides continuity of care to each child and

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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)(e)(h))

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Requirement Due date

In particular, leaders and managers must ensure that there is effective and consistent management oversight of the home.

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Requirement Due date

Leaders and managers must ensure that the interim manager submits a full and complete application to register with Ofsted.

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Requirement Due date

Leaders and managers must ensure that there are effective monitoring and review systems in place to enable managers to 2 January 2026 Inspection report for children’s home: 2700241 9 review and evaluate the quality of care that staff provide to the children and that any shortfalls in the quality of care are identified and addressed.

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Requirement Due date

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 and

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Requirement Due date

if the registered person considers, or staff consider, a placing authority’s or a relevant person’s performance or response to be inadequate in relation to their role, challenge the placing authority or the relevant person to seek to ensure that each child’s needs are met in accordance with the child’s relevant plans. (Regulation 5 (a)(c))

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Requirement Due date

In particular, leaders and managers must escalate effectively delays in convening strategy meetings when a child is at risk of harm.

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Requirement Due date

Additionally, leaders and managers must escalate delays in receiving children’s written minutes following reviews of children’s care. 2 January 2026

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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

keep the statement of purpose under review and, where appropriate, revise it; and

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Requirement Due date

notify HMCI of any revisions and send HMCI a copy of the revised statement within 28 days of the revision. (Regulation 16 (1) (3)(a)(b) 2 January 2026

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Recommendation

 The registered person should ensure that the location of the home does not hinder children’s well-being, personal development and opportunities to develop relationships and friendships outside of the home. (‘Guide to the Children’s Homes Regulations, including the quality standards’, page 17, paragraph 3.23) Inspection report for children’s home: 2700241 10

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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: 2700241 11

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Children’s home details

Registered provider: Prosperity Children’s Services Limited

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Children’s home details

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

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Inspectors

Suzanne Birchall, Social Care Inspector Vicky Byron, Social Care Inspector Inspection report for children’s home: 2700241 12 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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Inspectors

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Inspectors

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Inspectors

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

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