Children's Home run by Coventry City Council in Coventry

Unique reference number SC414347 Inspector Jo Stephenson Type of inspection Full Provision subtype Children's home

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Registered person Coventry City Council Registered person address Coventry City Council, Council House Earl Street COVENTRY CV1 5RR

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Responsible individual

Registered manager Donna Michele Wale Date of last inspection 24/03/2014 2 of 11 Inspection date 26/11/2014

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Responsible individual

Previous inspection good progress Enforcement action since last inspection none

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Overall effectiveness adequate

Outcomes for children and young people adequate Quality of care adequate Keeping children and young people safe adequate Leadership and management adequate

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Overall effectiveness

The home provides young people with adequate care and support. Some young people make appropriate progress in their development, taking account of their starting point. This is because staff devise individualised care plans for young people that reflect their identified needs. Nevertheless, risk assessment processes in place to consider the suitability of young people to be admitted to the home are often disregarded. Some young people are admitted to the home when it is known that the challenging behaviours they present place those already living in the home at risk of harm. This means that young people’s safety and welfare is not continually promoted. This potentially significantly compromises the quality of care young people receive.

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Overall effectiveness

Young people have positive relationships with staff and say they feel safe in the home. Staff ensure that young people are consulted on their care. Personalised 'placement assessment reviews' are used to demonstrate to young people the progress they have made, and to identify suitable ‘move on’ accommodation. Young people’s views and opinions are embedded in these reviews. As a result, young people are appropriately involved in care planning processes in the home.

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Overall effectiveness

The home is well maintained and staff complete regular health and safety checks to ensure that young people are safe from known hazards. However, young people do 3 of 11 not regularly participate in fire drills and practices. This means that staff are unaware of how young people may respond in the event of a fire. This is detrimental to young people’s safety.

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Overall effectiveness

The Registered Manager regularly monitors the quality of care provided by the home. Systems in place highlight service shortfalls and action plans are put in place to address these. Although feedback is sought from young people, their families and the local authority regarding the quality of care in the home, this feedback is not incorporated into documents used for this purpose. A requirement has been made to address this issue. In addition, monitoring systems have failed to identify administration shortfalls in the home. For example, notifications of significant events have been forwarded to the incorrect address and therefore Ofsted has not received them. Also, the revised Statement of Purpose for the home has not been sent to Ofsted as required. This means that the regulator is unable to validate the aims and objectives of the home. Two further requirements have been raised to ensure these shortfalls are addressed.

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Information about this children’s home

The home provides short-term placements to a maximum of 12-weeks for up to five children or young people. The service is operated by the local authority.

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Inspection date Inspection type Inspection judgement

24/03/2014 Interim good progress 15/01/2014 Full good 26/03/2013 Interim good progress 16/08/2012 Full good

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Statutory Requirements

This section sets out the actions which must be taken so that the registered person/s meets the Care Standards Act 2000, Children's Homes Regulations 2001 and the National Minimum Standards. The registered person(s) must comply with the given timescales.

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Reg. Requirement Due date

4 (2001) shall provide a copy of the statement of purpose to HMCI (Regulation 4(2)) 05/01/2015

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Reg. Requirement Due date

(2001) ensure that the children's home is conducted so as to promote and make proper provision for the safeguarding and welfare of children accommodated there (Regulation 11(1)(a)) 05/01/2015

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Reg. Requirement Due date

(2001) ensure that children accommodated in the home are provided at all reasonable times with access to the following facilities which they may use without reference to persons working in the home; a telephone on which to make and receive call in private (regulation 15(4)(a)) 05/01/2015

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Reg. Requirement Due date

30 ensure if, in relation to a children's home, any of 05/01/2015 5 of 11 (2001) the events listed in column 1 of the table in Schedule 5 takes place, the registered person shall without delay notify the persons indicated in respect of the event in column 2 of the table (Regulation 30(1))

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Reg. Requirement Due date

(2001) ensure, by means of fire drills and practices at suitable intervals, that the persons working in the home and children accommodated there, are aware of the procedures to be followed in case of fire (Regulation 32(1)(e)) 05/01/2015

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Reg. Requirement Due date

(2001) ensure that the system referred to in paragraph (1) shall provide for consultation with children accommodated in the home, their parents and placing authorities (Regulation 34(3)) 05/01/2015 6 of 11

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Outcomes for children and young people adequate

Young people are afforded the opportunity to reflect on their backgrounds and make sense of their previous experiences. They work with staff to identify the circumstances surrounding their placement and how to take responsibility for their actions and behaviours. Young people regularly participate in one-to-one sessions with staff. They are encouraged to discuss their personal aims and consider the negative impact their risk-taking behaviours have on their development and well- being. These sessions form the basis of placement assessment documents that identify young people’s future care, support and accommodation needs. Subsequently, young people gain confidence in their skills and abilities, because they recognise the progress they make.

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Outcomes for children and young people adequate

Education is central to daily routines in the home. Young people are supported to engage with their education whilst in placement and work with staff to identify barriers to learning. For some young people, this means that they re-engage in formal education. One young person said, ‘I hadn’t been to school for ages before I came here but now I have a new school and I’m doing really well.’ When young people struggle to attend their educational placements on a regular basis, they are provided with practical support to smooth their daily transition. For example, some young people are taken to and collected from school by staff; others benefit from reduced timetables. These educational support plans allow young people to reintegrate into education by reducing their feelings of anxiety. This suitably supports young people’s development.

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Outcomes for children and young people adequate

Young people are able to access all primary health care services. They are encouraged to arrange doctors and dentist appointments and take responsibility for their own health. When young people require specialist health interventions, such as mental health support, they are provided with easy access to these agencies. Furthermore, young people are encouraged to discuss their health issues and concerns with staff. For example, young people are provided with up-to-date information regarding drug and alcohol abuse and the negative impact this has on their development. As a result, young people are able to make informed life-style choices and understand the long term effects this behaviour has on their physical and emotional health.

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Outcomes for children and young people adequate

Appropriate routines in the home support young people to spend time with their friends and families, and participate in community activities. For some young people, this means joining local sports clubs and accessing community leisure facilities. Contact between young people and their families is promoted. Staff provide practical assistance and emotional support to allow young people to progress these relationships. Nevertheless, young people do not have access to a phone without reference to staff. This means that young people in effect need to seek the 7 of 11 permission of staff to make phone calls to their families, friends and others who are important to them. This hinders young people’s personal development and sense of responsibility.

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Outcomes for children and young people adequate

Young people are able to demonstrate their independence skills when living in the home. Their skills are assessed and evaluated to determine if semi-independent living is a viable option when young people leave this short-term placement. However, staff do not support young people to complete basic tasks such as keeping their bedrooms clean and tidy. As a result, young people’s personal space is not conducive to supporting their development or encouraging them to take responsibility for their own environment. One young person said, ‘I never clean my room and staff don’t either; it’s a mess.’ This is detrimental to young people’s welfare because they are not taught the necessary skills to support their personal development.

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Quality of care adequate

The home provides short-term accommodation for young people with the purpose of assessing their needs and identifying long-term placement options. The function of the home means that young people are often admitted to the home on an emergency basis. In these circumstances, compatibility risk assessments are completed to ascertain the suitability of each young person admitted to the home. However, there have been occasions when young people who are assessed as unsuitable to live in the home, have been admitted. The behaviours these young people present place other young people at risk of harm. This potentially significantly compromises the quality of care provided by the home and means that young people’s welfare and safety is not consistently promoted.

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Quality of care adequate

Young people have generally good relationships with staff and say they enjoy spending time in their company. One young person said, ‘I like talking to staff because they understand me and how I feel.’ Staff devise internal placement plans for young people. These are supported by regular one-to-one sessions with young people regarding their risk-taking behaviours, future placement options and support needs. Young people’s views and wishes are incorporated into these records and therefore they are therefore suitably involved in decisions about their care.

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Quality of care adequate

Staff work in partnership with allocated schools and learning providers to support young people to engage with their education. When young people face barriers to learning, such as poor concentration skills, staff liaise with allocated teachers to find solutions to these issues. Staff continually praise young people for their educational achievements and this supports young people’s self-confidence and self-esteem. One young person said, ‘Staff are always telling me how well I’m doing in school.’

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Quality of care adequate

Young people participate in regular young people’s meetings to discuss the development of the home, healthy eating menu choices and leisure activities. Staff encourage young people to join local sports and leisure clubs, such as local football 8 of 11 teams. This gives young people a sense of inclusion and allows them to develop their social interaction skills and widen their social circles. In addition, staff complete one- to-one sessions with young people regarding their general and specialist health needs. These sessions mean that young people understand the links between maintaining a healthy life-style and their own physical and emotional development.

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Quality of care adequate

The service operates a robust complaints procedure and staff ensure that young people are provided with information on how to make a complaint. Young people say that they know how to make a complaint and understand how this will be addressed. One young person said, ‘If I was unhappy I would make a complaint and the managers would deal with it and get back to me.’ There have been no complaints since the last inspection, although records demonstrate that previous complaints have been recorded in detail. Young people receive written and verbal feedback on any issue they raise. This means that young people are confident that any issues they raise will be taken seriously and resolved.

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Quality of care adequate

The home is located within a residential community close to local amenities. The environment is maintained and decorated to a reasonable standard. Young people are involved in decisions regarding the decoration of the home and say they find the home ‘comfortable and cosy’. As a result, young people live in a suitable environment.

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Keeping children and young people safe adequate

Young people say that they feel safe but that bullying has previously been an issue in the home. However, they are confident that staff will address this behaviour if it occurs again. One young person said, ‘When bullying was going on the staff sorted it out and we talked about it.’ Staff record all incidents of bullying and young people participate in one-to-one and group sessions relating to this behaviour. This means that young people understand the negative impact bullying has on the physical and emotional well-being of themselves and others. This suitably supports their welfare and self-esteem.

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Keeping children and young people safe adequate

Incidents of young people going missing from the home continue to occur. Staff work in partnership with local police and the home has a joint protocol in place. Young people have individual ‘safeguarding plans’ that identify their individual risk-taking behaviours and potential antecedents to these events. However, these plans do not specify the actions to be taken by staff to reduce the risks. Risk assessments do not provide staff with clear guidance on when young people should be reported as missing from the home or if staff should search the local area to locate young people. Although young people’s individual risks are identified, they do not benefit from a comprehensive approach to reducing their risk-taking behaviours. Consequently, young people’s welfare and safety is not effectively promoted.

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Keeping children and young people safe adequate

Staff undertake regular training in safeguarding and child protection. They have a 9 of 11 good knowledge and understanding of the varied factors that impact on young people’s safety, such as child sexual exploitation. Staff practice is supported by multi- agency safeguarding policies that detail reporting procedures should young people be at risk of harm. This partnership approach to safeguarding and child protection helps to promote young people’s safety.

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Keeping children and young people safe adequate

Staff complete training in physical restraint and de-escalation techniques. This measure of control is only used as a last resort and records of restraint are detailed and include the comments of young people. This means that young people are encouraged to reflect on their behaviour and the impact restraint has on them. As a result, the Registered Manager is able to review the effectiveness and suitability of the use of physical restraint.

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Keeping children and young people safe adequate

The Registered Manager adheres to local authority recruitment procedures. Staff files are well maintained. These include all necessary documentation to assess the suitability of staff employed in the home. This means that young people work with suitably vetted staff.

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Keeping children and young people safe adequate

Staff complete regular fire safety and health and safety checks. However, fire safety records do not demonstrate that young people participate in fire drills or practice evacuations. Furthermore, when young people are admitted to the home they are not provided with information on how to exit the home safely in the event of a fire. This compromises young people’s safety, because it is not known how young people will respond in these circumstances.

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Leadership and management adequate

The home benefits from having a permanent manager in post who has been registered with Ofsted since April 2012. The Registered Manager holds suitable and relevant qualifications in leadership and management, and children social care. Furthermore, the Registered Manager has a number of years’ experience of working in and managing children’s residential care services. There were no requirements or recommendations made at the last inspection, although historically the Registered Manager effectively responds to any service shortfalls. This means that the home demonstrates the capacity to improve the quality of care provided.

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Leadership and management adequate

The Statement of Purpose details the aims and objectives of the home. Young people, their families and the placing authority confirm that they understand the range of services the home offers. Nevertheless, revised editions of the Statement of Purpose have not been sent to Ofsted as required. This means that the regulator is unable to review the operation of the service against this document.

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Leadership and management adequate

The Registered Manager works in partnership with allocated social workers. This ensures that young people are able to access the services they need to move forward with their lives. Social workers speak highly of the commitment and dedication of the 10 of 11 Registered Manager and the staff team. One social worker said, ‘The manager and the staff team are truly amazing; they never give up on young people.’

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Leadership and management adequate

Staff receive regular supervision that takes account of their development and monitors their practice and performance. The Registered Manager ensures that staff training is regularly refreshed and changes to work practices are disseminated during team meetings. As a result, young people work with staff who have the skills and experience to meet their needs and this supports their welfare.

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Leadership and management adequate

The Registered Manager monitors the quality of care provided by the home. This regular review is supported by visits from an independent person. Monitoring systems in place identify the strengths and weaknesses of the services, and form the basis of the home’s development plan. The Registered Manager seeks feedback from young people and their families regarding the quality of care proved by the home. Nevertheless, this feedback is not incorporated into service review documents. As a result, the views of young people are not central to on-going development of the home. Website: www.ofsted.gov.uk

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Leadership and management adequate

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Judgement Description

Outstanding A service of exceptional quality that significantly exceeds minimum requirements.

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Judgement Description

Good A service of high quality that exceeds minimum requirements.

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Judgement Description

Adequate A service that only meets minimum requirements.

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Judgement Description

Inadequate A service that does not meet minimum requirements.

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Information about this inspection

The purpose of this inspection is to assure children and young people, parents, the public, local authorities and government of the quality and standard of the service provided. The inspection was carried out under the Care Standards Act 2000 to assess the effectiveness of the service and to consider how well it complies with the relevant regulations and meets the national minimum standards.

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Information about this inspection

The report details the main strengths, any areas for improvement, including any breaches of regulation, and any failure to meet national minimum standards. The judgements included in the report are made against the framework of inspection for children's homes.

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