Children's Home run by Ivory Cottage Limited in Warwickshire

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.

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Information about this children’s home

This home was registered in April 2020 and has had two monitoring visits.

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Information about this children’s home

Previous inspection date: Not previously inspected

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Information about this children’s home

Previous inspection judgement: Not previously inspected

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Information about this visit

Due to COVID-19 (coronavirus), Ofsted suspended all routine inspections in March 2020. As part of a phased return to routine inspection, we are undertaking assurance visits to children’s social care services that are inspected under the social care common inspection framework (SCCIF).

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Information about this visit

At these visits, inspectors evaluate the extent to which:

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Information about this visit

 children are well cared for  children are safe  leaders and managers are exercising strong leadership.

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Information about this visit

This visit was carried out under the Care Standards Act 2000, following the published guidance for assurance visits.

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Information about this visit

Her Majesty’s Chief Inspector of Education, Children’s Services and Skills is leading Ofsted’s work into how England’s social care system has delivered child-centred practice and care within the context of the restrictions placed on society during the COVID-19 pandemic. Assurance visit report: 2586067 2

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Findings from the visit

We did not identify any serious or widespread concerns in relation to the care or protection of children at this assurance visit.

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The care of children

Since the last monitoring visit, one child has remained living in the home and one child has moved out. The managers assessed that this child could not keep himself safe living in this area. Staff supported the child throughout the move and have subsequently visited him. Staff have presented him with a photograph album. This has helped the child to say goodbye and have positive memories of his time living in this home.

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The care of children

Three children have moved from a sister home in the organisation into this home. Although some staff have transferred with the three children, there have been staff changes across both homes which have impacted on all children living in this home. Children have asked about staff who they have not had the opportunity to say goodbye to. This does not provide children with the continuity of care which is important in helping children to develop attachments and trust in others.

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The care of children

Despite this, managers prepared all children well for this move. The three children attended a barbeque where they met other staff and had the opportunity to explore the home and choose their bedrooms.

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The care of children

The inspector observed that the children who have recently moved into the home looked relaxed and happy there. Staff support children to invest in the home by displaying photographs of all four children in the lounge and encouraging them to participate in decisions about the home and their care. Children are talking about pets they would like to have, and they enjoy preparing meals alongside staff. Children talk positively about staff and the home.

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The care of children

Social workers confirmed that all three children have settled quickly. One social worker stated to inspectors that a child had commented ‘it feels like a home here’. The child states that staff meet her cultural needs, and this has helped her to settle into the home.

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The care of children

Children enjoy activities with staff. They have been on a short holiday, which they enjoyed. Children also enjoy going to the cinema, shopping, and activities around the home with staff.

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The care of children

Two of the new children have maintained their school placements. This helps them to continue to progress with their education. The provider’s education lead is supporting one child in seeking apprenticeship and training opportunities. She advocates for children, promotes learning and provides excellent education support. As a result, three of the young people have access to mainstream school provision. Children did not attend school during the COVID-19 lockdown, but work was set. The education lead encouraged children to complete this work and attended Assurance visit report: 2586067 3 reintegration meetings to support children returning to school. Staff help children to maintain their learning and the education lead provides additional support as necessary to help children. The inspector observed one child preparing for his keyboard lesson when he got home from school. The education lead joins the lesson, which the tutor delivers virtually. This provides the child with additional

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The care of children

reassurance and encouragement to achieve.

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The care of children

Staff support children to stay well. Children attend health appointments and staff model healthy lifestyles. Children receive key-worker support, which addresses individual and specific areas relevant to them. Staff talk to children about COVID-19 and help them understand the risks of the virus and how to prevent this spreading.

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The care of children

Staff work hard to maintain children’s relationships with key people in their lives. Some of the children have families who live in areas of local lockdown due to COVID-19 infection rates. Staff support children to understand why restrictions are in place and support them continuing to keep in touch virtually, which reassures children. Staff support and encourage children to visit their families and friends where this is appropriate and safe to do so. One child has enjoyed having a friend for tea and overnight stays.

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The care of children

Where staff have concerns about interactions with friends, they report their assessment of risk to social workers and partner agencies. This promotes joint working to keep children safe.

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The safety of children

At the last monitoring visit, the inspector found that staff failed to follow the manager’s direction to ensure that a child was safe. On this assurance visit, inspectors found that there has been one further incident. The provider has investigated and responded appropriately, however, this is a continuing shortfall of practice. Once again, a member of staff did not monitor as requested to ensure that a child was safe. Managers have taken action to address this with staff.

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The safety of children

Staff follow missing-from-home protocols and ensure that independent return interviews are always completed with children. When children are away from the home as agreed with staff and their placing authority, staff complete regular telephone welfare calls in line with their care plan. However, managers have not escalated these to physical welfare checks in light of new information which suggests an increase in risk. Staff have, therefore, not responded to make appropriate additional arrangements to reduce the potential risk of harm to the children.

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The safety of children

In addition, children sometimes return home by taxi. This means that staff have not had the opportunity to assess children, or the environment they are in, when collecting them and take steps as necessary to reduce further harm.

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The safety of children

Managers completed impact risk assessments before the three children moved into the home. Managers did not consider one known risk. They did not, therefore, guide Assurance visit report: 2586067 4 staff in how to identify the signs of potential harm and respond to keep children safe. However, there has been no impact on the children from this omission. All children have relevant and updated risk assessments. Inspectors found the overall quality of assessments to be good.

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The safety of children

Staff supervise children in the home. They complete and record device checks, but not as robustly as stipulated in one child’s risk assessment. Staff are, therefore, not following arrangements in place to reduce the risk of harm to and from children living in the home.

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The safety of children

Staff encourage and incentivise children to work towards their individual targets, such as learning a new skill to prepare for independence. There are few incidents of damage towards property and there have been no episodes of aggression between children or directed at staff. As a result, staff manage children’s behaviour using natural consequences and there have been no physical interventions during this period.

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The safety of children

Inspectors reviewed strategy meeting minutes which confirmed that staff at this home continue to work well with partner agencies. Schools report good communication, which helps to address concerns as they arise. There continues to be excellent working with the police missing-from-home coordinator. As a result, managers escalate concerns from new information received to children’s social workers and advocate for a review of plans to ensure children are safe.

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The safety of children

The provider maintains a COVID-19 secure home. Staff complete regular checks on children, visitors and themselves. They maintain supplies of hand gel and masks and follow a house-cleaning routine. This helps children to stay safe.

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Leaders and managers

There is no registered manager in this home. The provider has appointed a permanent manager who is in the process of registering with Ofsted.

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Leaders and managers

There continues to be a high turnover of staff in this home. This does not provide workforce continuity of care to children. Staff have not always worked well with each other as a team or with the provider. There have been whistle-blowing complaints from staff. The provider has commissioned independent investigations in response to complaints and acted on the recommendations made.

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Leaders and managers

Managers told inspectors how staff changes have impacted on the well-being of individual children at the home, who have questioned whether they were responsible for staff leaving. The manager provides children with reassurance and is a role model to staff. This oversight is establishing an improved home culture created by the manager. Staff told the inspector that they enjoy coming to work now and they receive direction and support from the manager.

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Leaders and managers

The recent staff changes mean there are not always sufficient staff available in the home. Staff have, on occasion, been unable to act upon unplanned requests from Assurance visit report: 2586067 5 children. This does not meet children’s individual needs or ensure staff can respond to ensure that a child is safe. The provider is currently recruiting more staff to address this shortfall.

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Leaders and managers

The manager provides staff with regular supervision and includes discussion about practice issues. This encourages the continued professional development of the staff team.

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Leaders and managers

Staff attend training which either addresses the needs of children living in the home or improves areas of practice, such as reporting and recording. As COVID-19 restrictions have been lifted, external consultants have delivered this training. Staff value the opportunity to develop their child-focused practice.

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Leaders and managers

Managers respond proactively to address shortfalls identified in regulation 44 reports and monitoring visits. Inspectors found progress in the leadership of the home, quality of care planning and individual work with children.

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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. 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 have the skills to identify and act upon signs that a child is at risk of harm; understand the roles and responsibilities in relation to protecting children that are assigned to them by the registered person.

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Requirement Due date

(Regulation 12 (1)(2)(a)(i)(iii)(v)) 30/10/2020

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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— 30/10/2020 Assurance visit report: 2586067 6 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 work as a team where appropriate; ensure that the home has sufficient staff to provide care for each child; ensure that the home’s workforce provides continuity of care to each child.

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Requirement Due date

(Regulation 13 (1)(a)(b)(2)(a)(b)(d)(e))

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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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Inspectors

Joanna Warburton, Social Care Inspector Dean Wilton, Social Care Inspector Assurance visit report: 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.

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Inspectors

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Inspectors

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Inspectors

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Inspectors

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