Coniston House

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

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Information about this children’s home

This privately owned children‘s home offers care for up to five young people who may have a combination of mental health, psychological, emotional or complex care needs.

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Information about this children’s home

The registered manager is currently undertaking his level 5 qualification in leadership and management and has worked for the company for 10 years.

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Information about this children’s home

Inspection date: 13 February 2019 and 11 March 2019

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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

Date of last inspection: 24 September 2018

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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 declined in effectiveness.

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and young people since the most recent full inspection

The registered manager and senior managers within the organisation have failed to respond effectively to requirements made at the previous full inspection on 24 September 2018. Of the 12 areas requiring development, seven remain unmet and new shortfalls have been identified at this inspection.

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and young people since the most recent full inspection

Serious concerns remain regarding the administration and recording of medication. Staff have administered the wrong medication to young people, including controlled drugs that are not prescribed to them. Medication records contain inaccuracies and do not identify whether medication has been given to young people. The registered manager‘s Inspection report children‘s home: SC379123 2 ineffective oversight of medication means that he is unable to fully explain medication errors and make the necessary improvements to minimise the risk of such errors happening again.

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and young people since the most recent full inspection

Poor care planning hinders young people‘s welfare and progress. For example, plans for young people reaching adulthood and preparing to move on from the home are unclear. The registered manager does not challenge placing authorities about drift and delay and told the inspector that he was unaware that he could request a meeting to review young people‘s care. As a result, young people experience uncertainties about what their next steps will be. This fails to promote young people‘s progress and welfare.

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and young people since the most recent full inspection

Since the last inspection, one young person has moved on after an increase in her challenging behaviours. Staff reported that this was a planned move that went well. One young person has moved into the home, from one of the organisation‘s other children‘s homes. Although the young person has settled well, she did not visit the home before moving in and there is no documentation to provide an understanding of her transition to the home. As a result, it is not clear how well staff prepare young people for moving into the home to allay any anxieties they may have. However, the registered manager does assess the compatibility of young people prior to them moving in.

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and young people since the most recent full inspection

Staff do not have the necessary skills and experience to meet all young people‘s needs well. For example, staff lack sufficient understanding about gender identity. As a result, staff do not respond appropriately to the complex issues young people are trying to manage and do not ensure that young people receive appropriate medical and psychological support.

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and young people since the most recent full inspection

Young people‘s care plans do not contain adequate guidance to staff about how to respond to some young people‘s individual needs. Plans contain inaccurate information about young people‘s wishes and feelings. This has the potential to negatively affect young people‘s health, identity and emotional well-being.

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and young people since the most recent full inspection

Some young people could administer their own medication, and do so when they visit their family. However, the staff have not considered empowering young people to administer their own medication within the home to promote their independence and prepare them for adulthood.

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and young people since the most recent full inspection

Complaints made by young people continue to lack rigor. The manager has failed to fully investigate complaints, actions taken are not thoroughly recorded and lessons learned are not always considered or implemented. Consequently, the manager has been unsuccessful in showing how he has responded to concerns raised or how practice will be improved or amended following a complaint or concern.

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and young people since the most recent full inspection

The registered manager has failed to safely recruit agency staff. Recruitment records continue to be incomplete and do not fully ensure that these staff are safe to work with young people.

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and young people since the most recent full inspection

Poor management monitoring and oversight limit the capacity of the home to improve. Inspection report children‘s home: SC379123 3 The registered manager does not fully understand his responsibilities in running a children‘s home and this has the potential to compromise young people‘s progress and welfare. Furthermore, senior managers fail to effectively oversee the management of the home. As a result, significant shortfalls remain in the quality of care provided to young people.

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and young people since the most recent full inspection

Inspectors found that some improvements have been made. The registered manager has shown some ability to challenge professionals who are not offering a service that meets young people‘s needs. This led to a swift response to concerns relating to inappropriate contact a young person was having with an unknown male.

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and young people since the most recent full inspection

Staff have received fire safety training and so know what to do, and how to evacuate the home safely, in the event of such an emergency.

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and young people since the most recent full inspection

Staff now receive an annual appraisal enabling them to reflect on their performance and development.

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and young people since the most recent full inspection

Young people make some good progress with regard to their education. Young people engage readily in education. When young people have a reduced timetable, the reasons for this are clearly documented. As a result, young people receive bespoke education that suits their individual needs and this enables them to make progress with their learning.

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and young people since the most recent full inspection

Four compliance notices have been issued. This is to support leaders and managers to take effective action to improve standards of care.

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Inspection date Inspection type Inspection judgement

24/09/2018 Full Requires improvement to be good 27/02/2018 Interim Improved effectiveness 23/05/2017 Full Requires improvement to be good 11/01/2017 Interim Sustained effectiveness

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What does the children’s home need to do to improve?

Inspection report children‘s home: SC379123 4

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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 staff, 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))* 15/04/2019

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Requirement Due date

The quality and purpose of care standard is that children receive care from staff who—

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Requirement Due date

understand the children‘s home‘s overall aims and the outcomes it seeks to achieve for children;

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Requirement Due date

use this understanding to deliver care that meets children‘s needs and supports them to fulfil their potential.

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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

help each child to develop resilience and skills that prepare the child to return home, to live in a new placement or to live independently as an adult. (Regulation 6 (1)(a)(b)(2)(vi)) 30/04/2019

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Requirement Due date

The children‘s views, wishes and feelings standard is that children receive care from staff who—

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Requirement Due date

take their views, wishes and feelings into account in relation to matters affecting the children‘s care and welfare and their lives.

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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

ascertain and consider each child‘s views, wishes and feelings, and balance these against what they judge to be in the child‘s best interests when making decisions about the child‘s care and welfare; and help each child to express views, wishes and feelings. (Regulation 7 (1)(c)(2)(a)(i)(ii)) 30/04/2019 Inspection report children‘s home: SC379123 5 The health and well-being standard is that children receive advice, services and support in relation to their health and well- being. In particular, the standard in paragraph (1) requires the registered person to ensure—

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Requirement Due date

that each child has access to such dental, medical, nursing, psychiatric and psychological advice, treatment and other services as the child may require. (Regulation 10 (1)(b)(2)(c)) 30/04/2019

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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 helps children aspire to fulfil their potential and promotes their welfare.

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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;

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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

demonstrate that practice in the home is informed and improved by taking into account and acting on feedback on the experiences of children, including complaints received; 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)(a)(c)(f)(g)(ii)(h))* 15/04/2019

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Requirement Due date

The care planning standard is that children 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. (Regulation 14 (1)(a)(b)) 15/04/2019

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Requirement Due date

The registered person must make arrangements for the handling, recording, safekeeping, safe administration and disposal of medicines received into the children‘s home. (Regulation 23 (1))* 15/04/2019

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Requirement Due date

A person may only manage a children‘s home if the person has the appropriate experience, qualification and skills to manage the home effectively and lead the care of children. (Regulation 28 (1)(ii)) 15/04/2019 Inspection report children‘s home: SC379123 6 The registered person must recruit staff using recruitment procedures that are designed to ensure children‘s safety.

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Requirement Due date

The registered person may only, if an individual is employed by a person other than the registered person to work at the home in a position in which the individual may have regular contact with children, allow that individual to work at the home, if the individual satisfies the requirements in paragraph (3).

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Requirement Due date

The requirements are that full and satisfactory information is available in relation to the individual in respect of each of the matters in Schedule 2. (Regulation 32 (1)(2)(b)(3)(d))* 15/04/2019

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Requirement Due date

The registered person must maintain records (―case records‖) for each child which include the information and documents listed in Schedule 3 in relation to each child and are kept up to date. (Regulation 36 (1)(a)(b)) 30/04/2019

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Requirement Due date

The registered person must ensure that a record is made of any complaint, the action taken in response, and the outcome of any investigation. (Regulation 39 (1)(3)(5)) 15/04/2019

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Requirement Due date

* These requirements are subject to a compliance notice.

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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 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

Unique reference number: SC379123 Inspection report children‘s home: SC379123 7 Provision sub-type: Children‘s home

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Children’s home details

Registered provider: Cove Care – Residential Limited

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Children’s home details

Registered provider address: 16 Waterloo Road, Wolverhampton, West Midlands WV1 4BL

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Inspectors

Andrew Hewston, social care inspector Lisa O‘Donovan, social care inspector Inspection report children‘s home: SC379123 8 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

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