Children's Home run by Ivory Cottage Limited in Warwickshire

Inspection report for children’s home - monitoring visit: 2586067 1

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Ivory Cottage Limited

Monitoring visit Inspected under the social care common inspection framework

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Information about this children’s home

The home is registered to provide care for up to four children who have social and emotional difficulties. The home is one of two children’s homes owned by a private provider.

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Information about this children’s home

This is the home’s second monitoring visit since its registration in April 2020.

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This monitoring visit

At the first monitoring visit conducted on 22 June 2020, serious shortfalls were found in the management of the home and in care planning that left children at risk. This monitoring visit resulted in two compliance notices being issued.

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This monitoring visit

The inspector found that managers have met both compliance notices and progress has been made in meeting four out of the five requirements raised.

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This monitoring visit

This was the inspector’s first visit to the home as the registration and first monitoring visit were both completed remotely due to COVID-19 (coronavirus) restrictions. The home is well furnished, and the staff are friendly. This creates a home for children where they feel welcomed.

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This monitoring visit

Despite this progress, concerns remain. The inspector reviewed an incident in which a member of staff had decided that it was not necessary to complete observations on a child, despite this requirement being stated in the child’s plan and directed by managers. Although managers have acted appropriately following this incident, this failure to follow a child’s plan resulted in the child being left at risk of harm.

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This monitoring visit

Managers have not reviewed a free time risk assessment following a significant event. Furthermore, one child does not have a risk assessment to cover the risks Inspection report for children’s home - monitoring visit: 2586067 2 associated with the use of illegal drugs and alcohol misuse, despite this being a known risk. These shortfalls mean that staff do not have all relevant guidance they need to safeguard children in their care.

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This monitoring visit

The provider has established interim management arrangements until a registered manager is successfully appointed.

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This monitoring visit

Not all staff who have previously worked in residential care hold the required residential childcare diploma at level 3.

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This monitoring visit

The children have continued to experience changes. However, managers have now allocated two members of staff from the original team as key workers for the children. This has helped to develop relationships and trust between the children and staff.

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This monitoring visit

Staff receive supervision on a regular basis, which explores their professional development and experiences of working in the home and caring for children who present with high-risk behaviours.

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This monitoring visit

Managers have addressed shortfalls in the impact risk assessments and reviewed the admissions process. Children have now participated in the development of their care plans. This gives staff an improved understanding of children’s experiences, their needs, and aspirations to support their journey through care.

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This monitoring visit

The staff have benefited from key-worker training. Staff now have discussions with children following bedroom searches or when opportunities arise to help children become more socially aware and able to consider risks and how to keep themselves safe. Children now feel safe to talk about relationships, identity, gang membership and substance misuse with staff. Children are also starting to spend more time in the home and enjoy playing pool or having a movie or pamper night. This demonstrates the development of positive relationships and trust between children and the adults who care for them.

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This monitoring visit

Managers continue to develop their working relationships with professionals. Managers will challenge plans when they have concerns about children’s safety. Positive relationships with other stakeholders, such as the police missing person coordinator, help to reduce risk. Staff are now more proactive when children go missing from the home and they will search local known places, including the train station, and explore different ways to make contact during welfare checks. Managers have notified Ofsted of all serious incidents. This has enabled the inspector to monitor how staff have responded to keep children safe and protect them from harm.

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This monitoring visit

The managers are completing audits, including environmental checks and regular fire safety checks, to ensure that children are safe in this home. All staff, including those who have transferred from the sister home, have participated in fire drills. Inspection report for children’s home - monitoring visit: 2586067 3 Staff and children have practised a night-time evacuation, which ensures that everyone is familiar with procedures at different times of the day. Inspection report for children’s home - monitoring visit: 2586067 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

The protection of children standard is that children are protected from harm and enabled to keep themselves safe.

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Requirement Due date

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

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Requirement Due date

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.

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Requirement Due date

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 individual has the appropriate experience, qualification and skills for the work that the individual is to perform.

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Requirement Due date

For the purposes of paragraph (3)(b), an individual who works in the home in a care role has the appropriate qualification if, by the relevant date, the individual has attained—

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Requirement Due date

the Level 3 Diploma for Residential Childcare (England) ("the Level 3 Diploma"); or

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Requirement Due date

a qualification which the registered person considers to be equivalent to the Level 3 Diploma.

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Requirement Due date

The relevant date is— 04/09/2020 Inspection report for children’s home - monitoring visit: 2586067 5 in the case of an individual who starts working in a care role in a home after 1st April 2014, the date which falls 2 years after the date on which the individual started working in a care role in a home.

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Requirement Due date

(Regulation 32 (1)(3)(b)(4)(a)(b)(5)(a))

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Information about this inspection

The purpose of this visit was to monitor the action taken and the progress made by the children’s home since its last Ofsted inspection.

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Information about this inspection

Ofsted is aware of the challenges that COVID-19 is currently posing to those it inspects. During this visit, the inspectors took into consideration the impact of any measures being taken to slow the spread of COVID-19 by the home. This has included the effect these have had on staffing arrangements.

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Information about this inspection

This inspection was carried out under the Care Standards Act 2000.

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Children’s home details

Registered provider: Ivory Cottage Limited

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Children’s home details

Registered provider address: Tamworth Enterprise Centre, Philip Dix House, Corporation Street, Tamworth, Staffordshire B79 7DN

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Children’s home details

Responsible individual: Caroline Wigmore

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Inspector

Joanna Warburton, social care inspector Inspection report for children’s home - monitoring visit: 2586067 6 to 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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