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 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. It has had two monitoring visits since opening and an assurance visit on 23 and 24 September 2020.

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Information about this children’s home

A manager is in post but has not yet registered with Ofsted.

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This monitoring visit

Staff do not effectively safeguard children who are at potential risk of child exploitation. There are no effective systems in place to monitor a child’s safety when accessing the internet. For example, although staff turn the internet off at night, the young person still has access to data on their phone. The risk assessment states that the child’s phone is monitored by her parent. However, staff are aware that this does not happen. As such, the child’s internet use and phone use are not monitored, despite concerns that the child has been talking to an older male during the night.

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This monitoring visit

Risk assessments do not provide staff with clear guidance on how to respond when children go missing from home. This is because risk assessments do not reflect known intelligence about children’s previous missing from home incidents. Known contacts, or information about where staff should look for children when they are missing, are not detailed in risk assessments. This leaves staff uncertain about their roles and responsibilities in keeping children safe.

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This monitoring visit

Staff are not kept up to date when changes are made to children’s risk assessments. For example, one staff member was not aware of the protocols to be followed for one child when visiting her boyfriend or how she should be transported there. Inspection report for children’s home - monitoring visit: 2586067 2 Furthermore, they were unaware of child exploitation risks relating to one child. This lack of awareness has the potential to impact on the safety of the child.

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This monitoring visit

Staff do not have appropriate training to meet the children’s needs. Professionals have raised concerns about staff training and their ability to identify risks posed to children. The training records for the home confirm that the manager and some staff have only recently completed online child sexual exploitation awareness training. Furthermore, only the manager has completed self-harm and online safety training.

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This monitoring visit

Staff have responded effectively to support children’s health needs. For one child, they have worked closely with health professionals to ensure that she receives the appropriate advice and support to protect her.

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This monitoring visit

The responsible individual has started to think about areas for improvement and things that need to be implemented to raise standards. A plan is in place for workshops to commence in team meetings, but these have not yet taken place. Staff will restart induction processes to develop their understanding and learning. However, this has not yet taken place.

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This monitoring visit

The home is welcoming, clean and tidy and raises no concerns. Inspection report for children’s home - monitoring visit: 2586067 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 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—

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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

have the skills to identify and act upon signs that a child is at risk of harm;

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Requirement Due date

understand the roles and responsibilities in relation to protecting children that are assigned to them by the registered person. (Regulation 12(1)(2)(a)(i)(iii)(v))* 24 January 2021

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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—

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Requirement Due date

helps children aspire to fulfil their potential; and promotes their welfare.

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Requirement Due date

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

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Requirement Due date

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;

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Requirement Due date

ensure that staff have the experience, qualifications and skills to meet the needs of each child; 24 January 2021 Inspection report for children’s home - monitoring visit: 2586067 4 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. (Regulation 13 (1)(a)(b)(2)(a)(c)(f))

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Requirement Due date

*These requirements are subject to a compliance notice.

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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

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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Inspectors

Dean Wilton, Social Care Inspector Lisa O’Donovan, Social Care Inspector Inspection report for children’s home - monitoring visit: 2586067 5 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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