Children's Home run by Cove Care – Residential Limited in Telford and Wrekin

Inspection report children‘s home: 1231311 1 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 home is registered to provide care and accommodation for up to three young people who have complex needs. The organisation states that it ‗offers particular expertise in looking after young people with suspected and enduring mental health needs‘. The organisation offers young people support from a variety of therapeutic staff. A private company runs this home. The manager has been registered with Ofsted since July 2018.

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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 declined in effectiveness.

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and young people since the most recent full inspection

Young people‘s progress in education continues to be variable. One young person is attending education but is often late, and staff have not thought about waking her up at an earlier time. Another young person is not enrolled in education. During the inspection, the young person did not do any educational activities. Staff are not consistent in providing young people with structured routines which promote effective engagement in educational activities. Young people‘s educational needs are not being effectively met.

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and young people since the most recent full inspection

The manager has failed to promptly escalate concerns with one young person‘s placing authority over their delay in securing a planned move into an adult social care Inspection report children‘s home: 1231311 2 placement. The young person has been uncertain about their future placement for the past seven months. The manager has not escalated concerns with the virtual school head in relation to another young person who is not enrolled in education. Consequently, young people‘s needs are not being adequately met at the home.

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and young people since the most recent full inspection

The recording of some physical restraint incidents is poor, as staff do not record the duration of each hold used during the restraint and there is no evidence of staff debriefs being completed. This creates a missed opportunity for the registered manager to evaluate and improve staff practice and to satisfy herself that restraint practice is safe.

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and young people since the most recent full inspection

Three requirements raised at the last full inspection have not been met and further shortfalls have been identified. This demonstrates a lack of management oversight and brings into question the capacity of the registered manager and the registered provider to make and maintain improvements to the quality of care provided for young people.

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and young people since the most recent full inspection

Shortfalls in bedroom search records that were identified by the independent visitor in September 2018 have not been addressed. The recording of some bedroom searches is poor. For example, the reasons for conducting the room searches are not always recorded in enough detail. Furthermore, records do not state whether young people were consulted about their bedrooms being searched and if not the reasons why they were not consulted. This poor practice, if unaddressed, could make young people feel that they are not valued and/or respected.

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and young people since the most recent full inspection

Young people‘s meetings do not have management oversight to evidence that the manager has read the minutes. Staff and the manager do not keep young people‘s health plans up to date with all the relevant information provided by other professionals. This has the potential to compromise the quality of care young people receive.

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and young people since the most recent full inspection

Staff use sanctions that are not restorative in nature. These do not support the young people to understand and/or improve their behaviour.

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and young people since the most recent full inspection

Despite these shortfalls, young people are making progress in many aspects of their lives. Some young people told the inspector that they feel settled and happy living at the home, and that they access a lot of leisure activities within the home and in the local community. They are building self-esteem and building friendships. The home is now beautifully decorated and well maintained, and provides a safe and warm living environment for young people.

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and young people since the most recent full inspection

Young people‘s risk-taking behaviour is reducing. When young people go missing from the home, staff make efforts to ensure their safe return to the home by trying to stay in contact with them; by following them or, if their whereabouts are unknown, by trying to locate them; and by sharing information with relevant professionals.

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and young people since the most recent full inspection

Complaints are dealt with meticulously by the manager. Partner agencies spoke positively about the manager, and reported that she keeps them updated about young people. Staff reported that they feel supported by the manager. Inspection report children‘s home: 1231311 3

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Inspection date Inspection type Inspection judgement

30/07/2018 Full Requires improvement to be good 05/03/2018 Interim Sustained effectiveness 19/09/2017 Full Requires improvement to be good 13/02/2017 Full Requires improvement

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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—

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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(c)) 21/04/2019

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Requirement Due date

The education standard is that children make measurable progress towards achieving their educational potential and are helped to do so.

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Requirement Due date

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

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Requirement Due date

understand the barriers to learning that each child may face and take appropriate action to help the child to overcome any such barriers;

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Requirement Due date

help a child who is excluded from school, or who is of compulsory school age but not attending school, to access educational and training support throughout the period of exclusion or non-attendance and to return to school as soon as 21/04/2019 Inspection report children‘s home: 1231311 4 possible. (Regulation 8(1)(2)(a)*(iii)(viii)*) 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

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; 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)*(f)(h)*) 21/04/2019

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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

a description of the measure and its duration;

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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‖) has spoken to the user about the measure. (Regulation 35(3)(a)(iv)(b)(i)) 21/04/2019

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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; are kept up to date; and are signed and dated by the author of each entry. (Regulation 36(1)(a)(b)(c)) 21/04/2019

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Requirement Due date

*These requirements are subject to a compliance notice.

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Recommendations

 Ensure that any sanctions used to address poor behaviour are restorative in nature, to help children recognise the impact of their behaviour on themselves, other children, the staff caring for them and the wider community. (‗Guide to the children‘s homes regulations including the quality standards‘, page 46, paragraph 9.38) Inspection report children‘s home: 1231311 5

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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

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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Children’s home details

Registered manager: Colleen Davies Jones

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Inspector

Rumbi Mangoma, social care inspector Inspection report children‘s home: 1231311 6 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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