Children's Home run by Cove Care – Residential Limited in Worcestershire

Inspection report children‟s home: SC403789 1 SC403789 Registered provider: Cove Care - Residential 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 children‟s home offers care for up to four 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 started working for the company in May 2016 and is currently on maternity leave. There is an interim manager in place who has recently been registered with Ofsted.

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Overall experiences and progress of

children and young people, taking into account

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good

How well children and young people are helped and protected requires improvement to be good

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good

The effectiveness of leaders and managers good

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good

The children’s home provides effective services that meet the requirements for good.

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good

Overall judgement at last inspection: improved effectiveness

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good

Enforcement action since last inspection: none Inspection report children‟s home: SC403789 2

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Inspection date Inspection type Inspection judgement

13/03/2019 Interim Improved effectiveness 28/08/2018 Full Requires improvement to be good 24/01/2018 Interim Improved effectiveness 08/08/2017 Full Requires improvement to be good Inspection report children‟s home: SC403789 3

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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

The health and well-being standard is that— the health and well-being needs of children are met; children receive advice, services and support in relation to their health and well-being; and children are helped to lead healthy lifestyles. (Regulation 10(1)(a)(b)(c)) 01/11/2019

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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 the premises used for the purposes of the home are designed, furnished and maintained so as to protect each child from avoidable hazards to the child’s health. (Regulation 12(1)(2)(d)) 01/11/2019

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Requirement Due date

The registered person may only employ an individual to work at the children’s home; or 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). 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(2)(a)(b)(3)(d))

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Requirement Due date

Specifically, when individuals have lived abroad before coming to the UK, ensure that satisfactory criminal record checks are undertaken. 01/11/2019

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Requirement Due date

The registered person must ensure that— 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— details of the child’s behaviour leading to the use of the measure; details of any methods used or steps taken to avoid the need to use the measure; 01/11/2019 Inspection report children‟s home: SC403789 4 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)(ii)(iii)(v)(b)(i))

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Recommendations

 The registered person must have systems in place so that all staff, including the manager, receive supervision of their practice from an appropriately qualified and experienced professional, which allows them to reflect on their practice and the needs of the children assigned to their care. Professionally qualified staff employed by the home, e.g. teachers or social workers, should be provided with relevant professional or clinical supervision by an appropriately qualified and experienced professional.

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Recommendations

A record of supervision should be kept for staff, including the manager. The record should provide evidence that supervision is being delivered in line with regulation 33(4)(b). (‘Guide to the children’s homes regulations including the quality standards’, page 61, paragraphs 13.2 and 13.3)

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Young people make excellent progress in many aspects of their lives, including their education, making positive relationships and enjoying positive experiences. Examples of progress include young people becoming more outgoing and more self-aware, gaining qualifications, making friends and being more independent.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

All young people attend education and have made significant progress from their starting points. Most young people have progressed from attending education on a reduced timetable to full-time hours, or have moved from alternative provision to mainstream school. Other young people have been able to attain college placements, and they feel proud of this achievement.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Staff advocate for young people to spend quality time with close friends and family, and support young people well. As a result, young people enjoy greatly improved relationships with their families and make and sustain friendships.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Staff undertake regular key-work sessions with young people, and there are further opportunities for young people to express their wishes and feelings at young people’s meetings. As a result, young people discuss issues which cause them, or others, concern, and they contribute to their daily care and the running of the home. Inspection report children‟s home: SC403789 5 Young people participate in a variety of activities, which improve their self-esteem and confidence. For example, young people have recently been on a week’s holiday in Devon, they go out to the cinema and have meals out, and one young person completed a work placement.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Staff manage young people’s transitions from the home extremely well. With support from staff, young people gain good independence skills that prepare them well for their next steps. Young people who have moved on from the home have maintained their education and continue to do well.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Staff generally support young people well with attending health appointments. However, one young person’s immunisations are overdue. Staff and the manager could not evidence educational work being done with young people in relation to smoking cessation and the potential risks to their health and well-being. Food menus viewed during the inspection did not show that staff consistently promote healthy and balanced meals for young people. This does not fully promote young people’s health.

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improvement to be good

Staff mostly use restraint as a last resort to keep young people safe. However, some restraint records require improvement because they lack sufficient detail. For example, they do not describe the young person’s behaviour before the restraint or the de- escalation strategies used by staff to try to prevent physical intervention being necessary. In addition, records do not detail information discussed during staff debriefs. Management oversight has not identified these shortfalls. As a result, it is not clear how well staff managed these particular restraints, and this lack of clarity has the potential to compromise young people’s safety.

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improvement to be good

The registered manager does not consistently follow safer recruitment practice to ensure that suitable adults are employed to work with young people. For example, the registered manager did not ensure that satisfactory checks were completed for staff that recently moved to the UK from abroad. This has the potential to compromise young people’s safety. Senior managers started to address this shortfall during the inspection.

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improvement to be good

On the first day of the inspection, the inspector managed to access different areas in the home without staff noticing. The inspector went into the dining room, lounge, conservatory and hallway. This lack of vigilance does not promote young people’s safety.

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improvement to be good

The inspector observed that some young people’s bedrooms and the games rooms are not well maintained as carpets were dirty and stained. Two young people’s bedrooms were cluttered to the extent that they cannot use their desks, and there was an unpleasant smell emanating from these bedrooms. The garden, though generally well maintained, had an area where there were cigarette butts on the grass area and in a bucket. The manager and senior managers acknowledged this shortfall and began addressing it during the inspection. Inspection report children‟s home: SC403789 6 When young people go missing from the home, staff follow procedures and take the necessary steps to help young people to return quickly and safely, including trying to locate them and sharing information with relevant professionals.

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improvement to be good

Staff talk to the young people to try to understand the reasons behind their missing episodes. This positive work means that young people receive the help they need to stay safe. Young people’s missing episodes have subsequently reduced.

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improvement to be good

Staff use reward programmes and sanctions to help young people to understand how their behaviour affects themselves and other people. As a result, they begin to take responsibility for their behaviour and make better choices.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

The manager’s dedication and skill, together with that of the clinical team and all of the care staff, mean that young people receive a consistently good level of care.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

The manager is respected by staff, young people and partner agencies. She knows the children and staff team well and wants to achieve the best possible outcomes for young people. The manager has made some significant improvements at the home during the short period that she has been in post.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

The manager is generally clear about the home’s strengths and weaknesses. She has an aspirational action plan to address areas of development in the home. This work is being implemented and is designed to improve outcomes for young people and facilitate further development of the home.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

The home has a stable staff team, and this provides consistency for young people. Staff reported that they feel well supported by the manager. They generally receive high- quality supervision, which is focused on their well-being, development and practice. Staff meetings are used effectively to share research and conduct tailor-made expert training. This supports staff development and practice. However, one new staff member has not received supervision in line with the organisation’s policies and procedures. This is a missed opportunity for the manager to identify any practice issues or training gaps.

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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. Inspection report children‟s home: SC403789 7 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

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Information about this inspection

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 children‟s home: SC403789 8

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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: Heidi Pierce Sarah-Jayne Garbett

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Inspector

Rumbi Mangoma, social care inspector Inspection report children‟s home: SC403789 9 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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Inspector

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Inspector

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Inspector

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