Children's Home run by Ivory Cottage Limited in Warwickshire

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

p.1

Ivory Cottage Ltd

Monitoring visit Inspected under the social care common inspection framework

p.1

Information about this children’s home

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

p.1

Information about this children’s home

This is the home’s first inspection since registration.

p.1

Information about this children’s home

The registered manager has recently left her post.

p.1

This monitoring visit

Ofsted completed a remote monitoring visit following escalating concerns about events in the home. The inspection was completed remotely due to COVID-19 (coronavirus). The inspector found shortfalls in the management of the home. In addition, poor decisions about care planning have had an impact on children’s experiences and left children at risk of harm.

p.1

This monitoring visit

Ofsted registered this home and the manager in April 2020. The registered manager has now left her post. The provider has interim management arrangements in place. This has helped to improve the oversight of care and record-keeping, including the updating of risk assessments.

p.1

This monitoring visit

The inspector found that children living in this home are not matched adequately to each other or to the staff’s skill-set. Impact risk assessments for children living in the home are of a poor quality, and the registered manager has not reviewed them as new children have moved into the home. Despite social workers providing detailed histories of children, the registered manager and responsible individual placed children together within a short time period when their care needs were high and the new team’s skills and experiences were low. Few staff hold the level 3 diploma in residential childcare qualification or equivalent. Inspection report for children’s home - monitoring visit: 2586067 2 The registered manager agreed to children moving into the home regardless of concerns about their assessed compatibility with children already living in the home. This has resulted in increased risky behaviour for one vulnerable child and a physical

p.1

This monitoring visit

altercation between peers in which one child was hurt. Staff have not helped children to resolve conflicts positively. The provider recognised that the home was unable to meet the needs of one child and ended the placement. He has not had a positive experience living in this home.

p.2

This monitoring visit

Managers and staff have rarely shared their knowledge, skills and experiences in supervisions or team meetings. This means that staff have had limited day-to-day learning and developmental opportunities. The registered manager has not effectively guided staff to use previously successful strategies to de-escalate children’s behaviour. As a result, children have threatened staff and neighbours and damaged property.

p.2

This monitoring visit

Children have not received continuity of care. Staff have left, and new staff have joined. Managers have not allocated keyworkers to children. Children are therefore not developing significant relationships to help them progress and reach their potential.

p.2

This monitoring visit

Managers do not ensure that children receive the support they need to progress their care plans. The inspector found missed opportunities to engage with children in keyworker sessions to reduce risks associated with cannabis use, fire-setting, gang membership and peer interactions in the home. It is Ofsted’s view that the poor evaluation of the needs of children who live in this home and ineffective care planning have resulted in children experiencing instability and increased risk of harm.

p.2

This monitoring visit

Staff have responded proactively to a child who was missing. The child’s social worker and the police recognise that their responses reduced risk and reassured the child that they were keeping him safe. This child went missing again during the monitoring visit. Staff completed welfare checks. However, on this occasion they did not follow the safety plan in place. This led to a delay in recognising and reporting the child as missing. During this episode, there was an incident and the child became involved with the police. Consequently, he did not return home as quickly as he should have.

p.2

This monitoring visit

Management monitoring and oversight are poor. The registered manager has not completed health and safety audits in line with the provider’s policy. Not all staff who work in this home have participated in a fire drill. As a result, staff are not all trained to the provider’s required standards to keep children who live in this home safe in the event of a fire.

p.2

This monitoring visit

Following the departure of the registered manager, those in day-to-day charge at the home have failed to notify Ofsted of serious incidents that have occurred involving Inspection report for children’s home - monitoring visit: 2586067 3 young people. This has reduced Ofsted’s oversight of children’s safety and welfare while living in the home.

p.2

This monitoring visit

Despite this being a new team, staff told the inspector that team members support each other and feel valued. Social workers reported that staff are friendly and helpful. The provider equips and maintains the house well and damage is promptly repaired. These elements create a welcoming home for children.

p.3

Recent inspection history

Inspection date Inspection type Inspection judgement

p.3

Recent inspection history

This is the home’s first inspection since registration. Inspection report for children’s home - monitoring visit: 2586067 4

p.3

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.

p.4

Requirement Due date

The quality and purpose of care standard is that children receive care from staff who— understand the children’s home’s overall aims and the outcomes it seeks to achieve for children; use this understanding to deliver care that meets children’s needs and supports them to fulfil their potential. In particular, the standard in paragraph (1) requires the registered person to— ensure that staff— protect and promote each child’s welfare. (Regulation 6(1)(a)(b)(2)(b)(ii)) 26/07/2020

p.4

Requirement Due date

The positive relationships standard is that children are helped to develop, and to benefit rom, relationships based on— mutual respect and trust; an understanding about acceptable behaviour; and positive responses to other children and adults. In particular, the standard in paragraph (1) requires the registered person to ensure— that staff— meet each child’s behavioural and emotional needs, as set out in the child’s relevant plans; help each child to develop socially aware behaviour; help each child to develop and practise skills to resolve conflicts positively and without harm to anyone; communicate to each child expectations about the child’s behaviour and ensure that the child understands those expectations in accordance with the child’s age and understanding; understand how children’s previous experiences and present emotions can be communicated through behaviour and have the competence and skills to interpret these and develop

p.4

Requirement Due date

positive relationships with children; are provided with supervision and support to enable them to understand and manage their own feelings and responses to the behaviour and emotions of children, and to help children to do the same; 26/07/2020 Inspection report for children’s home - monitoring visit: 2586067 5 de-escalate confrontations with or between children, or potentially violent behaviour by children. (Regulation 11(1)(a)(b)(c)(2)(a)(i)(ii)(iv)(v)(ix)(x)(xi) 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; help each child to understand how to keep safe;

p.4

Requirement Due date

that the home’s day-to-day care is arranged and delivered so as to keep each child safe and to protect each child effectively from harm. (Regulation 12(1)(2)(a)(i)(ii)(b)) 26/07/2020

p.5

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— 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; ensure that staff have the experience, qualifications and skills to meet the needs of each child; ensure that the home’s workforce provides continuity of care to each child; 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; use monitoring and review systems to make continuous improvements in the quality of care provided in the home.

p.5

Requirement Due date

(Regulation 13(1)(a)(b)(2)(a)(c)(e)(f)(h)) * 26/07/2020

p.5

Requirement Due date

The care planning standard is that children receive effectively planned care in or through the children’s home. (Regulation 14(1)(a)) * 26/07/2020

p.5

Requirement Due date

After consultation with the fire and rescue authority, the registered person must— make arrangements for persons working at the home to receive suitable training in fire prevention; and ensure, by means of fire drills and practices at suitable intervals, that persons working at the home and, so far as 26/07/2020 Inspection report for children’s home - monitoring visit: 2586067 6 reasonably practicable, children are aware of the procedure to be followed in case of fire. (Regulation 25(1)(c)(d)) The registered person must notify HMCI and each other relevant person without delay if— there is any other incident relating to a child which the registered person considers to be serious. (Regulation 40(4)(e)) 26/07/2020

p.5

Requirement Due date

*These requirements are subject to a compliance notice.

p.6

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.

p.6

Information about this inspection

Ofsted is aware of the challenges that COVID-19 is currently posing to those we regulate. 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. 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.

p.6

Information about this inspection

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

p.6

Children’s home details

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

p.6

Children’s home details

Responsible individual: Caroline Wigmore

p.6

Inspector

Joanna Warburton, social care inspector Inspection report for children’s home - monitoring visit: 2586067 7 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.

p.6

Inspector

If you would like a copy of this document in a different format, such as large print or Braille, please telephone 0300 123 1231, or email enquiries@ofsted.gov.uk . You may reuse this information (not including logos) free of charge in any format or medium, under the terms of the Open Government Licence. To view this licence, visit http://www.nationalarchives.gov.uk/doc/open-government-licence , write to the Information Policy Team, The National Archives, Kew, London TW9 4DU, or email: psi@nationalarchives.gsi.gov.uk .

p.7

Inspector

Interested in our work? You can subscribe to our monthly newsletter for more information and updates: http://eepurl.com/iTrDn .

p.7

Inspector

T: 0300 123 1231 Textphone: 0161 618 8524 E: enquiries@ofsted.gov.uk W: http://www.gov.uk/ofsted

p.7