Children's Home run by Coventry City Council in Coventry

Inspection report for children’s home - monitoring visit: 2507724 1

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Coventry City Council

Monitoring visit Inspected under the social care common inspection framework

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Information about this children’s home

This local authority home provides residential care for up to four children who have experienced trauma which affects their emotional and behavioural development.

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Information about this children’s home

The manager holds a level 5 leadership and management qualification and has been registered with Ofsted since March 2019.

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This monitoring visit

Due to the COVID-19 (coronavirus) pandemic, routine inspections are paused. However, Ofsted is carrying out monitoring visits when necessary. The purpose of this monitoring visit was to review the quality of care provided to the three children who live in the home. This was because Ofsted does not receive independent visitor reports in a timely way, and this does not allow the regulator to monitor activity at the home easily.

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This monitoring visit

The visit was undertaken remotely. Inspectors undertook telephone calls to social workers and video calls with the manager, staff and one of the children. In addition, the inspector had a video tour of the home environment and reviewed records electronically.

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This monitoring visit

Staff support children to access education provisions that meet their individual learning needs. A social worker told inspectors that staff help children to overcome barriers to attending education. As a result, children enjoy going to school, and their attendance has improved.

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This monitoring visit

Staff understand children’s health needs well and ensure that children access routine and emergency healthcare services when needed. Managers and staff seek guidance from medically trained professionals to ensure that children maintain good health. Inspection report for children’s home - monitoring visit: 2507724 2 Children make good progress from their starting points. Staff support children to identify ‘goals to success’. These plans help children to focus on achieving their aspirations. Child-friendly memory books capture activities that children have enjoyed. This promotes children’s positive identity and self-esteem.

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This monitoring visit

Children benefit from positive relationships with staff and managers. This enables children to reflect on situations and develop strategies to help them make different choices about issues that cause them and others concern.

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This monitoring visit

Control measures to keep children safe online are effective and help staff to identify and respond appropriately to concerns. Key work sessions help children to understand online risks and how to protect themselves from exploitation. This allows children to enjoy the internet and keeps children safe.

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This monitoring visit

Children’s individual plans identify potential risks, early warning signs and triggers. The manager evaluates plans and ensures that these documents contain strategies to guide staff to be able to reduce and manage risk.

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This monitoring visit

Staff use physical intervention as a last resort to keep children safe. Four members of staff do not have up-to-date physical intervention training because this expired in July 2020. While this has not had a negative impact on children to date, a lack of up- to-date training in physical intervention has the potential to pose a risk to children and staff, if not addressed. The manager has experienced difficulties in sourcing this training due to the COVID-19 pandemic and could not access a suitably qualified trainer. As a result, the provider has invested in training a number of staff to become trainers, and a course is being devised currently with the aim of delivering this from March 2021.

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This monitoring visit

Descriptions of physical intervention techniques used to keep children and staff safe and to prevent damage to property are not clearly recorded by staff. This compromises the manager’s ability to review the effectiveness of these measures and evaluate practice.

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This monitoring visit

Managers supervise staff on a regular basis, and all staff receive annual appraisals. Team meetings provide staff with the opportunity to receive further guidance and support. This makes staff feel supported in their role to care for children.

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This monitoring visit

The home’s care team is made up of nine residential care workers. However, there is a high level of staff absence. At the time of the visit, five staff were absent from work for different reasons. These gaps are covered by the team, one consistent agency worker and a small number of staff from homes within the wider organisation. Managers are also undertaking direct work with children to provide consistent care. The manager explained to inspectors that the usual ratio of three staff working during the day is not consistently met. Despite this, the manager is resourceful with staff, ensuring that the key periods are covered. However, this has Inspection report for children’s home - monitoring visit: 2507724 3 been ongoing for several months and detracts from managers being able to focus on the oversight and development of the service.

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This monitoring visit

Children’s bedrooms are untidy. One child’s bedroom carpet is heavily stained, and their built-in wardrobe does not have doors. One child has removed wall stickers from her bedroom, as a result of which the wall requires painting. Managers have consulted with children about decorating their bedrooms and are keen to progress plans. The manager has had quotes for repairs to some damaged internal walls and is awaiting agreement from the organisation for more funding. Managers and staff do not keep the home to a reasonable standard that supports children to live in a nice environment. This does not help children to feel valued or to invest in their home.

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Recent inspection history

Inspection date Inspection type Inspection judgement 06/03/2020 Interim Sustained effectiveness 14/10/2019 Full Good Inspection report for children’s home - monitoring visit: 2507724 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 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 the premises used for the purposes of the home are designed and furnished so as to— meet the needs of each child. Regulation 6 (1)(a)(b) (2)(c)(i) 24 March 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— helps children aspire to fulfil their potential; and promotes their welfare. In particular, the standard in paragraph (1) requires the registered person to— ensure that the home has sufficient staff to provide care for each child. Regulation 13 (1)(a)(b) (2)(d) 24 March 2021

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Recommendations

 The registered person is responsible for ensuring that all their staff have been adequately trained in the principles of restraint. (‘Guide to the children’s homes regulations including the quality standards’, page 49, paragraph 9.57)  Records of restraint must be kept and should enable the registered person and staff to review the use of control, discipline and restraint to identify effective practice and respond promptly where any issues or trends of concern emerge. The review should provide the opportunity for amending practice to ensure it meets the needs of each child. (‘Guide to the children’s homes regulations including the quality standards’, page 49, paragraph 9.59)  Any individual appointed to carry out visits to the home as an independent person must make a rigorous and impartial assessment of the home’s arrangements for safeguarding and promoting the welfare of the children in Inspection report for children’s home - monitoring visit: 2507724 5

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Recommendations

the home’s care. (‘Guide to the children’s homes regulations including the quality standards’, page 65, paragraph 15.5) In particular, ensure that the independent visitor’s reports are sent to Ofsted in a timely way.

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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: Coventry City Council

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Children’s home details

Registered provider address: Coventry City Council, Council House, Earl Street, Coventry CV1 5RR

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Inspectors

Helen Malanaphy, Social Care Inspector Lydia Isaac, Social Care Inspector Inspection report for children’s home - monitoring visit: 2507724 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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Inspectors

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Inspectors

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Inspectors

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