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

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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 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

Inspection dates: 18 to 19 September 2019

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Overall experiences and progress of

children and young people, taking into account

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requires improvement to be good

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

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requires improvement to be good

The effectiveness of leaders and managers requires improvement to be good

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requires improvement to be good

The children’s home is not yet delivering good help and care for children and young people. However, there are no serious or widespread failures that result in their welfare not being safeguarded or promoted.

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requires improvement to be good

Overall judgement at last inspection: declined in effectiveness

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requires improvement to be good

Enforcement action since last inspection: none Inspection report children‘s home: 1231311 2

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Inspection date Inspection type Inspection judgement

20/03/2019 Interim Declined in effectiveness 30/07/2018 Full Requires improvement to be good 05/03/2018 Interim Sustained effectiveness 19/09/2017 Full Requires improvement to be good Inspection report children‘s home: 1231311 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 education standard is that children make measurable progress towards achieving their educational potential and are helped to do so. In particular, the standard in paragraph (1) requires the registered person to ensure that staff understand the barriers to learning that each child may face and take appropriate action to help the child to overcome any such barriers. (Regulation 8 (1)(2)(a)(iii)) 29/11/2019

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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; In particular, the standard in paragraph (1) requires the registered person to ensure— that staff help each child to— achieve the health and well-being outcomes that are recorded in the child’s relevant plans. (Regulation 10 (1)(a)(2)(a)(i)) 29/11/2019

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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 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)) 29/11/2019

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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. In particular, the standard in paragraph (1) requires the registered person to— use monitoring and review systems to make continuous improvements in the quality of care provided in the home. (Regulation 13 (1)(a)(b)(2)(h)) 29/11/2019

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Requirement Due date

The registered person may only employ an individual to work at 29/11/2019 Inspection report children‘s home: 1231311 4 the children’s 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)) 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 any methods used or steps taken to avoid the need to use the measure; the effectiveness and any consequences of the use of the measure; and 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 authoris ed person”) )— has spoken to the user about the measure.

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Requirement Due date

(Regulation 35 (3)(a)(v)(vii)(b)(i)) 29/11/2019

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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. (Regulation 36 (1)(a)(b)) 29/11/2019

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Recommendations

 Ensure that the home meets the child’s basic needs in the way that a good parent would, recognising that many children in residential care have experienced environments where these needs have not been consistently met. Doing so is an important aspect of demonstrating that the staff care for the child and value them as an individual. (‘Guide to the children’s home regulations including the quality standards’, page 15, paragraph 3.7) In particular, ensure that staff support young people to keep their bedrooms clean and tidy.

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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. (‘Guide to the children’s homes regulations including the quality standards’, page 61, paragraph 13.2) In particular, ensure that agency staff working regularly at the home receive supervision.

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Inspection judgements

Inspection report children‘s home: 1231311 5

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improvement to be good

Young people do not have up-to-date health assessment reports. This shortfall was identified at the previous inspection and has not been addressed. Consequently, the manager and staff do not know whether there are any outstanding health needs for all young people arising from these health assessments. This does not fully promote young people’s health. Access to in-house therapy promotes young people’s emotional well- being, and incidents of young people harming themselves have reduced.

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improvement to be good

Two young people are attending full-time education. One young person is not in education, but staff provide in-house educational activities for them. Young people’s educational attendance has improved. However, the two young people in education are not making measurable academic progress. Staff and the manager could not evidence the work they are doing with young people to help them to understand the barriers they have to learning, to enable them to make progress.

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improvement to be good

Young people do not receive enough support to help them to keep their bedrooms clean and tidy. This does not help young people to learn to look after their personal spaces and possessions well.

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improvement to be good

Staff develop positive relationships with young people. Young people can express their wishes and feelings through key-worker sessions and young people’s meetings. Staff act on what young people say and, as a result, young people feel listened to.

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improvement to be good

Staff support young people to spend quality time with close friends and family. Young people form good support networks, which reduces social exclusion and isolation.

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improvement to be good

Young people engage in key-work sessions and young people’s meetings. They have the opportunity to express their wishes and feelings about what they enjoy and about the day-to-day running of the home. Young people know how to make a complaint and are confident that they can talk to staff about any worries they may have.

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improvement to be good

Young people participate in a variety of activities within their community, such as cycling, volunteering at a local animal sanctuary, going on holiday, shopping and going out on day trips. They also enjoy activities at home with staff, such as pamper evenings and looking after two pet rabbits. This range of activities improves young people’s social skills, self-esteem and confidence.

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improvement to be good

Staff and the manager support young people’s transitions to and from the home well. Young people are comfortable and happy.

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improvement to be good

Inspection report children‘s home: 1231311 6 Behaviour management plans and risk assessments do not contain detailed, individualised information to provide staff with clear guidance about how to manage young people’s behaviour appropriately and minimise risks. Furthermore, young people’s missing-from-home plans do not give staff clear guidance about how to respond should young people go missing from the home. This does not fully promote young people’s safety.

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improvement to be good

Staff and the manager do not consistently undertake health and safety checks within the home. This shortfall was raised at the last monitoring inspection. The inspector observed that there was out-of-date food in the fridge, which poses a potential health and safety hazard that may compromise young people’s well-being and safety within the home.

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improvement to be good

Staff and the manager use restraint as a last resort. However, restraint records lack detailed information about the de-escalation techniques used by staff to try to prevent the need for physical intervention. In addition, there are no staff debriefs being completed and management oversight is not consistent. This is a missed opportunity to review and evaluate staff’s practice to ensure that restraints are consistently used safely and appropriately at all times.

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improvement to be good

Safer recruitment practice requires improvement. For example, the manager does not explore gaps in staff’s employment history. This does not ensure that only suitable people are employed to work with young people.

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improvement to be good

The manager could not evidence what work staff have undertaken with young people around sexual health and internet safety. Although this has not had a direct impact on young people, it does not enable young people to learn how to keep themselves safe.

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improvement to be good

Staff are now using more restorative consequences, which support young people to learn and improve their behaviours. In addition, staff use praise and rewards effectively and this encourages young people to behave appropriately and positively.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: requires improvement to be good

Managers have failed to meet two requirements raised at the last monitoring visit. Furthermore, health assessment reports that were outstanding at the last interim inspection have yet to be provided. This raises questions about whether managers understand the areas that need to be developed to improve the quality of care given to young people.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: requires improvement to be good

Staff and the manager do not fully understand young people’s education progress and what actions they can take to support young people to meet their education targets. In addition, communication with school is not consistent and not always recorded well. This does not promote young people’s educational needs.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: requires improvement to be good

The manager has not identified shortfalls in the lack of detailed information in young people’s risk assessments. This shows that the manager’s monitoring of the service is Inspection report children‘s home: 1231311 7 not consistently effective.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: requires improvement to be good

Permanent staff reported that they feel supported by the manager. They are receiving good-quality supervision, which enables them to reflect and improve on practice. However, the manager does not supervise regular agency staff who work at the home. This is a missed opportunity for the manager to identify and address any practice issues for these staff.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: requires improvement to be good

The manager and staff use team meetings well to discuss what is working well and what needs to improve. They discuss and agree different approaches to care, which improves consistency for young people. Managers and staff also reflect on their training needs and have opportunities for continued professional development.

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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

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’. Inspection report children‘s home: 1231311 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: Colleen Davies Jones

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Inspector

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