Coniston House

Inspection report children’s home: SC379123 1 SC379123 Registered provider: Cove Care Residential Ltd Interim inspection Inspected under the social care common inspection framework

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Information about this children’s home

The home offer placements for up to five young people who may have a combination of mental health, psychological, emotional or complex care needs. The service is designed to offer medium- to long-term care placements. The home is operated by a private organisation.

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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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and young people since the most recent full inspection

This home was judged requires improvement to be good at the last full inspection. At the interim inspection, Ofsted judges that it has improved effectiveness.

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and young people since the most recent full inspection

Young people who have highly complex needs are settled, feel secure and say that staff really care about them. They have developed warm and trusting relationships with staff and enjoy a welcoming, comfortable and well-maintained home. Young people make good progress in engaging and achieving in education and developing their independence skills. Young people’s emotional well-being has improved, as have their confidence and self-esteem. Staff support young people to move on effectively, and one young person has been able to successfully return to her family home sooner than originally planned or expected. Her father said, ‘She’s done really well there. They did everything they said they would. They were the best place she’s been. She was very happy here and misses it.’ One young person said that she wants to remain here for the next two years until she becomes independent. She likes all of the staff and says that

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and young people since the most recent full inspection

they listen to her and help her. Inspection report children’s home: SC379123 2 The new registered manager came into post in July 2017. He is child-focused and has worked hard to address the previous shortfalls in the care provided to young people. The registered manager has responded positively to the requirements raised at the last inspection, resulting in the improved effectiveness in young people’s progress and experience, keeping safe and the management of the home. He has taken some action to challenge other professionals when they are not taking the required action to meet young people’s needs. Risk assessments are more detailed and provide staff with clear strategies to reduce risks. The registered manager monitors and reviews the effectiveness of the home to identify shortfalls and make continuous improvements to the quality of care. An area for further improvement is the need to escalate concerns

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and young people since the most recent full inspection

when placing authorities fail to provide the home with copies of young people’s plans.

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and young people since the most recent full inspection

The registered manager talks knowledgeably and confidently about his team’s skills in caring for young people and the positive impact that this is having on the young people’s progress. He has given individual staff more responsibilities within the home, which supports his own role and promotes their development. Furthermore, this enables him to focus on driving up standards further. Staff receive regular monthly supervision, which is reflective. Handovers are detailed, and staff have ongoing discussions about how to respond to young people’s care and safeguarding needs. Staff involve young people in their care plans and risk assessments. As a result, the assessments of young people’s health, safety and education needs are more effective, enabling young people to make significant progress. Staff work with a wide range of professionals to identify and meet the needs of young people. One professional commented that the staff are very good at

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and young people since the most recent full inspection

talking to young people, speaking to them in a respectful way and being open and honest with them.

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and young people since the most recent full inspection

Highly trained staff keep young people safe, and this is acknowledged by young people, parents and professionals. When young people self-harm, staff respond by seeking medical attention and undertaking key-work sessions to review what has happened and why. Incidents of self-harm have reduced since the last inspection. In key-work sessions the staff also talk to young people about how to keep themselves safe online. The police have been to the home to talk to the young people about the dangers of going missing and of child sexual exploitation. Staff remain vigilant and if young people go missing staff follow them. The registered manager reviews and updates young people’s individual risk assessments to ensure that these are detailed and effective. However, although staff sign the initial risk assessments, they do not sign the updated versions to evidence that they have read and fully understood them. This is an area for further

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and young people since the most recent full inspection

improvement, which the registered manager is keen to address.

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Inspection date Inspection type Inspection judgement

23/05/2017 Full Requires improvement to be good 11/01/2017 Interim Sustained effectiveness Inspection report children’s home: SC379123 3 20/09/2016 Full Requires improvement 26/01/2016 Interim Sustained effectiveness

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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

In meeting the quality standards, the registered person must, and must ensure that 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(c))

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Requirement Due date

Specifically, ensure that the registered manager escalates concerns when placing authorities fail to provide updated plans for young people’s files. 06/04/2018

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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. In particular, the standard in paragraph (1) requires the registered person to ensure that staff 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. (Regulation 12(1)(2) (a)(i))

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Requirement Due date

In particular, ensure that all staff sign each young person’s updated risk assessment to show evidence that they have read the most up-to-date document and are aware of current risks and strategies to these risks. 06/04/2018

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Information about this inspection

Inspectors have looked closely at the experiences and progress of children and young people. Inspectors considered the quality of work and the differences made to the lives of children and young people. They watched how professional staff work with children and young people and each other and discussed the effectiveness of help and care provided. Wherever possible, they talked to children and young people and their families. In addition, the inspectors have tried to understand what the children’s home knows about how well it is performing, how well it is doing and what difference it is Inspection report children’s home: SC379123 4 making for the children and young people whom it is trying to help, protect and look after.

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Information about this inspection

This inspection focused on the effectiveness of the home and the progress and experiences of children and young people since the most recent full inspection.

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Information about this inspection

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’.

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Children’s home details

Registered provider: Cove Care Residential Ltd

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Children’s home details

Registered provider address: Cove Care Residential Ltd, 16 Waterloo Road, Wolverhampton WV1 4BL

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Inspector

Louise Whittle, social care inspector Inspection report children’s home: SC379123 5 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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