Children's Home run by Ivory Cottage Limited in Worcestershire

Inspection report for children's home - monitoring visit: 2633744 1

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Information about this children’s home

This home is operated by a private company. It provides care for up to three children who may have experienced childhood instability, resulting in trauma and associated complex behaviours.

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Information about this children’s home

A suitably experienced and qualified manager recently commenced her role.

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This monitoring visit

This children’s home was judged inadequate at a full inspection on 24 and 25 November 2021. Following this inspection, two compliance notices and 11 requirements were issued. In addition, a notice of restriction was issued on 26 November 2021 to prevent any further children from being admitted to the home.

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This monitoring visit

The purpose of this visit was to evaluate the provider’s progress in meeting the compliance notices and to ensure that it is complying with the restriction notice.

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This monitoring visit

The inspector found that no further children have been admitted to the home. Therefore, the restriction notice has been adhered to.

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This monitoring visit

At this monitoring visit, the inspector found that the provider had made good progress in meeting the compliance notice in relation to the protection of children standard. As a result of these improvements, this compliance notice is met.

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This monitoring visit

Some progress has been made in meeting the other compliance notice in relation to the leadership and management standard. However, not all the required steps have been completed. Consequently, this compliance notice has been reissued and the notice of restriction remains in place.

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This monitoring visit

The provider has developed an action plan and is making some progress to meet the requirements raised at the previous inspection. As a result, four requirements have Inspection report for children's home - monitoring visit: 2633744 2 been met. The remaining requirements will be considered at a subsequent inspection.

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This monitoring visit

Staff have completed safeguarding and whistle-blowing training. In addition, they have completed further behaviour management and restraint training. This has provided staff with the knowledge and skills to understand their roles in keeping children safe. Staff were able to articulate a clear understanding of their responsibilities in keeping children safe to the inspector. Furthermore, the manager and staff have refreshed their knowledge of safeguarding procedures during team meetings.

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This monitoring visit

The provider has followed child protection procedures in response to concerns about children’s welfare. For example, the manager has worked alongside the local area designated officer and social workers in response to a child’s allegation. As a result, the provider has taken the necessary steps to keep children safe.

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This monitoring visit

The manager has updated children’s risk assessments and behaviour management plans. Staff know these plans well and follow them when necessary. For example, a child has gone missing from the home on a number of occasions. Staff provide a robust response by searching all known areas. Staff contact the police in line with the protocol when the child cannot be located. This collaborative approach supports staff to locate the child swiftly and return him home safely. In addition, the manager has put a plan in place to manage another child’s unsupervised free time in the community. Staff follow this plan closely and ensure that they maintain regular contact with the child. This proactive approach helps to keep the child safe.

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This monitoring visit

The manager has reviewed the quality of one-to-one support provided to children. She has provided staff with guidance to improve the frequency and quality of this support. However, the inspector found that the quality of one-to-one support is variable and does not yet consistently meet children’s needs. In addition, one child remains out of education. Staff have been unable to engage the child in any formal education support in the interim. As a result, this step of the compliance notice remains unmet. It is acknowledged that the child is due to commence a new school imminently.

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This monitoring visit

The manager understands the strengths and areas of development in the home. However, she has not yet established a system to regularly capture and review this information. This means that monitoring systems are not sufficiently robust to identify potential shortfalls in care arrangements. As a result, this step remains unmet.

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This monitoring visit

The provider has made some progress in meeting the requirements raised at the previous inspection. For example, a child now regularly enjoys a range of activities and experiences. The provider has scrutinised staff recruitment files and embedded robust recruitment processes to ensure that children are not exposed to unsafe adults. In addition, all staff benefit from good quality supervision and support. Inspection report for children's home - monitoring visit: 2633744 3 Furthermore, the provider has responded appropriately to a child’s complaint and has taken effective action to address the issue. As a result of this progress, four requirements have been met.

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Recent inspection history

Inspection date Inspection type Inspection judgement 24/11/2021 Full Inadequate Inspection report for children's home - monitoring visit: 2633744 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—

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Requirement Due date

understand the children’s home’s overall aims and the outcomes it seeks to achieve for children;

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Requirement Due date

use this understanding to deliver care that meets children’s needs and supports them to fulfil their potential.

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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

provide to children living in the home the physical necessities they need in order to live there comfortably. (Regulation 6 (1)(a)(b) (2)(b)(vii))

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Requirement Due date

This relates to the provider ensuring that the home environment is well presented and maintained. 21 February 2022

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Requirement Due date

The children’s views, wishes and feelings standard is that children receive care from staff who—

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Requirement Due date

develop positive relationships with them;

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Requirement Due date

take their views, wishes and feelings into account in relation to matters affecting the children’s care and welfare and their lives.

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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

ensure that staff— 21 February 2022 Inspection report for children's home - monitoring visit: 2633744 5 ascertain and consider each child’s views, wishes and feelings, and balance these against what they judge to be in the child’s best interests when making decisions about the child’s care and welfare;

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Requirement Due date

help each child to express views, wishes and feelings;

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Requirement Due date

help each child to understand how the child’s views, wishes and feelings have been taken into account and give the child reasons for decisions in relation to the child;

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Requirement Due date

regularly consult children, and seek their feedback, about the quality of the home’s care;

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Requirement Due date

is enabled to provide feedback to, and raise issues with, a relevant person about the support and services that the child receives. (Regulation 7 (1)(a)(b)(c) (2)(a)(i)(ii)(iii)(iv)(b)(i))

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Requirement Due date

This relates to staff providing children with proactive care that supports children to fully engage and express their views.

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Requirement Due date

The education standard is that children make measurable progress towards achieving their educational potential and are helped to do so.

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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

help each child to achieve the child’s education and training targets, as recorded in the child’s relevant plans;

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Requirement Due date

support each child’s learning and development, including helping the child to develop independent study skills and, where appropriate, helping the child to complete independent study;

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Requirement Due date

understand the barriers to learning that each child may face and take appropriate action to help the child to overcome any such barriers;

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Requirement Due date

help each child to understand the importance and value of education, learning, training and employment; 21 February 2022 Inspection report for children's home - monitoring visit: 2633744 6 promote opportunities for each child to learn informally;

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Requirement Due date

help a child who is excluded from school, or who is of compulsory school age but not attending school, to access educational and training support throughout the period of exclusion or non-attendance and to return to school as soon as possible; and

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Requirement Due date

that each child has access to appropriate equipment, facilities and resources to support the child’s learning. (Regulation 8 (1) (2)(a)(i)(ii)(iii)(iv)(v)(viii)(b))

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Requirement Due date

This relates to staff providing children with appropriate education support during periods of non-school attendance.

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Requirement Due date

The positive relationships standard is that children are helped to develop, and to benefit from, relationships based on—

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Requirement Due date

an understanding about acceptable behaviour; and

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Requirement Due date

positive responses to other children and adults.

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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

meet each child’s behavioural and emotional needs, as set out in the child’s relevant plans;

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Requirement Due date

help each child to develop socially aware behaviour;

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Requirement Due date

encourage each child to take responsibility for the child’s behaviour, in accordance with the child’s age and understanding;

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Requirement Due date

help each child to develop and practise skills to resolve conflicts positively and without harm to anyone;

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Requirement Due date

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; 21 February 2022 Inspection report for children's home - monitoring visit: 2633744 7 help each child to understand, in a way that is appropriate according to the child’s age and understanding, personal, sexual and social relationships, and how those relationships can be supportive or harmful;

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Requirement Due date

help each child to develop the understanding and skills to recognise or withdraw from a damaging, exploitative or harmful relationship; and

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Requirement Due date

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 positive relationships with children. (Regulation 11 (1)(a)(b)(c) (2)(a)(i)(ii)(iii)(iv)(v)(vi)(vii)(ix))

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Requirement Due date

This relates to staff providing children with regular, good- quality one-to-one support in line with their needs, to support them to make sense of their challenging behaviours.

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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

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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 the home’s workforce provides continuity of care to each child; and

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Requirement Due date

use monitoring and review systems to make continuous improvements in the quality of care provided in the home. (Regulation 13 (1)(a)(b) (2)(a)(e)(h))

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Requirement Due date

This relates to the need for staff to provide children with consistent care and make the necessary improvements to their practice as identified by the manager. In addition, this relates to the need for effective monitoring systems. 13 February 2022 Inspection report for children's home - monitoring visit: 2633744 8 The care planning standard is that children—

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Requirement Due date

receive effectively planned care in or through the children’s home. (Regulation 14 (1)(a))

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Requirement Due date

This specifically relates to the need for admissions to be well planned and in the best interests of children. In addition, this relates to the need to appropriately assess and plan children’s free time in the community. 21 February 2022

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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: C/O Sky Tax Accounting, 37th Floor, 1 Canada Square, Canary Wharf, London E14 5AA

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Children’s home details

Responsible individual: Caroline Wigmore

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Inspector

Gareth Leckey, Social Care Inspector Inspection report for children's home - monitoring visit: 2633744 9 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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