Children's Home run by Coventry City Council in Coventry

Inspection report for children's home: 2507724 1 Registered provider: Coventry City Council Full inspection Inspected under the social care common inspection framework

p.1

Information about this children’s home

This local authority home provides care for up to four children who may have social and/or emotional difficulties.

p.1

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.

p.1

Information about this children’s home

Due to COVID-19, at the request of the Secretary of State, we suspended all routine inspections of social care providers on 17 March 2020. We last visited this setting on 9 February 2021 to carry out an assurance visit. This report is published on the Ofsted website.

p.1

Overall experiences and progress of

children and young people, taking into account

p.1

requires improvement to be good

How well children and young people are helped and protected requires improvement to be good

p.1

requires improvement to be good

The effectiveness of leaders and managers requires improvement to be good

p.1

requires improvement to be good

The children’s home is not yet delivering good help and care for children and young people. However, there are no serious or widespread failures that result in their welfare not being safeguarded or promoted.

p.1

requires improvement to be good

Overall judgement at last inspection: sustained effectiveness

p.1

requires improvement to be good

Enforcement action since last inspection: none Inspection report for children's home: 2507724 2

p.1

Inspection date Inspection type Inspection judgement

06/03/2020 Interim Sustained effectiveness 14/10/2019 Full Good Inspection report for children's home: 2507724 3

p.2

improvement to be good

The overall progress and experience of children requires improvement. This is because there are shortfalls in the monitoring and oversight of the home and in the processes put in place to safeguard children.

p.3

improvement to be good

Children’s progress in education is varied. Two children’s attendance at school is good. However, one child has been placed on a reduced timetable at school and, as a result, he has missed significant amounts of learning. The managers were unable to evidence how they have been challenging the school to support the child to return to full-time education.

p.3

improvement to be good

At the time of this inspection, there were four children living at the home. A new child moved into the home in January 2022. Her transition to the home was well supported by staff and, as a result, she has settled well into the home. However, not all of the important paperwork was in place quickly enough to be effective.

p.3

improvement to be good

Independent plans are in place to help children develop skills; however, these are not frequently reviewed. This means that some plans are not updated to support children to develop skills in areas they struggle with. In addition, children’s plans do not clearly record the progress children make. This can result in children’s progress not being recognised or celebrated.

p.3

improvement to be good

Children are not supported to access and contribute to their records and care plans. This oversight prevents children from understanding their needs and risks. In addition, it also prevents children from having the opportunity to inform how they are cared for.

p.3

improvement to be good

Some children have made progress from their starting points. Staff support children to access a variety of activities in the home and in the community. This includes horse riding, boxing and martial arts. One child told the inspector that they have done more here in a few weeks than they have ever done in their life. Children are highly committed to these sports and feel proud of their achievements.

p.3

improvement to be good

Staff understand the importance of relationships and support children to see their relatives and others that are important to them. Staff work closely with children’s families and social workers to promote family time. Two children are working towards moving back to their family homes.

p.3

improvement to be good

Children like the staff team and can talk to staff if they have concerns. Children know how to make a complaint if they are not happy about any aspect of their care. Feedback from professionals and family is very positive. One social worker told the inspector that the home has superseded her expectations. Children told the Inspection report for children's home: 2507724 4 inspector that they feel safe and happy living at the home. Children seek staff out to spend time with them.

p.3

improvement to be good

Children feel supported and are settled in the home. The home environment is clean, tidy and welcoming. Children have personalised their bedrooms and helped pick colours and furnishings for communal areas of the home.

p.4

improvement to be good

Children’s risk assessments are not all up to date or do not capture all known risks for children. The registered manager has failed to risk assess children smoking a vape or children’s access to lighters. These shortfalls mean that there is no guidance in place for staff to follow or address these ongoing behaviours.

p.4

improvement to be good

Staff reward children for their achievements and positive behaviours. This helps children learn to make positive choices. However, when sanctions are imposed on children, the registered manager is not reviewing their use to assure himself that those sanctions are appropriate. In addition, not all sanctions have been recorded.

p.4

improvement to be good

Staff know the children well and, as a result, children are settled and there are very few incidents. However, children’s missing-from-care protocols do not provide staff with sufficient guidance on what to do when children go missing. On the rare occasion when children have gone missing, overnight staff have not made adequate attempts to keep in contact with children to try and bring about their safe return.

p.4

improvement to be good

Staff provide children with regular key-work sessions. However, conversations are not always linked to children’s care plans or risks. There is a lack of professional curiosity around some behaviours, such as drug misuse and sexual relationships. This creates missed opportunities for staff to explore with children their difficulties and risks, and how to keep themselves safe.

p.4

improvement to be good

The registered manager has not notified Ofsted of all serious incidents. This prevents Ofsted’s oversight of staff’s safeguarding practice between inspections.

p.4

improvement to be good

The registered manager has not always ensured that room searches take place when this is required. For example, in July 2021, a child threatened to stab another child. Staff failed to search the child’s bedroom for any weapons; this was despite two knives being found in his room a few days earlier. This oversight has the potential to put children and staff at risk.

p.4

good

The registered manager does not monitor the home effectively. His oversight of recording and reporting are poor, and he has failed to identify and address gaps in paperwork or errors in documentation. On occasion, the registered manager has not Inspection report for children's home: 2507724 5 ensured that all essential paperwork relating to children was in place quickly enough to be of use and did not escalate this to the relevant professionals.

p.4

good

Managers have failed to ensure that there is an accurate roster in place that records the planned and actual hours worked by staff. As a result, these documents cannot be relied on to identify when staff have been at work and that children have received safe and suitable care.

p.5

good

The home has experienced significant staffing issues over the past year. The manager and deputy manager have covered gaps in the rota to ensure that the care of children is prioritised. While this has not impacted directly on children, there has been a decline in standards in other areas. For example, managers have not ensured that monthly team meetings have taken place. In addition, managers have not ensured that staff receive regular supervision, and there are gaps in staff’s training and development. This has the potential to compromise the quality of care children receive.

p.5

good

Managers have not ensured that the home’s statement of purpose is updated and shared with Ofsted within the required time frames. This prevents the regulator from having oversight of changes within the home in between inspections.

p.5

good

Despite the shortfalls identified, staff told the inspector that they feel well supported by the managers and work well as a team. New members of staff are provided with an induction and probation programme to help them understand their roles and responsibilities, which supports them to meet the needs of children.

p.5

good

Managers were aware of some of the shortfalls but had not had sufficient time to make changes in practice. Inspection report for children's home: 2507724 6

p.5

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.6

Requirement Due date

The protection of children standard is that children are protected from harm and enabled to keep themselves safe.

p.6

Requirement Due date

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

p.6

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; and

p.6

Requirement Due date

help each child to understand how to keep safe. (Regulation 12 (1) (2)(a)(i)(ii))

p.6

Requirement Due date

In particular, the registered person must ensure that children’s risk assessments are in place, up to date, accurate and include effective strategies for staff to follow. In addition, ensure that staff support children to learn to identify risks and how to keep themselves safe. 4 April 2022

p.6

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—

p.6

Requirement Due date

helps children aspire to fulfil their potential; and

p.6

Requirement Due date

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

p.6

Requirement Due date

ensure that staff have the experience, qualifications and skills to meet the needs of each child; and

p.6

Requirement Due date

use monitoring and review systems to make continuous improvements in the quality of care provided in the home. 4 April 2022 Inspection report for children's home: 2507724 7 (Regulation 13 (1)(a)(b) (2)(c)(h))

p.6

Requirement Due date

In particular, the registered person should ensure that there are effective monitoring and oversight of all aspects of the home and that shortfalls in practice are identified and addressed. In addition, ensure that staff undertake all relevant training to meet children’s needs.

p.7

Requirement Due date

keep the statement of purpose under review and, where appropriate, revise it; and

p.7

Requirement Due date

notify HMCI of any revisions and send HMCI a copy of the revised statement within 28 days of the revision. (Regulation 16 (3)(a)(b))

p.7

Requirement Due date

In particular, the registered person should ensure that they provide Ofsted with an updated statement of purpose within the required time frame. 4 April 2022

p.7

Requirement Due date

The registered person must ensure that all employees—

p.7

Requirement Due date

receive practice-related supervision by a person with appropriate experience. (Regulation 33 (4)(b))

p.7

Requirement Due date

In particular, the registered person must ensure that all staff receive regular supervision. 4 April 2022

p.7

Requirement Due date

Within 24 hours of the use of a measure of control, discipline or restraint in relation to a child in the home, a record is made which includes—

p.7

Requirement Due date

the effectiveness and any consequences of the use of the measure. (Regulation 35 (3) (a)(vii))

p.7

Requirement Due date

This relates to ensuring that there is appropriate management oversight of sanctions and that all sanctions are recorded. 4 April 2022

p.7

Requirement Due date

Schedule 4 sets out the other information that the registered person must keep in relation to a children’s home. The registered person must—

p.7

Requirement Due date

maintain in the home the records in Schedule 4; 4 April 2022 Inspection report for children's home: 2507724 8 ensure that the records are kept up to date. (Regulation 37 (1) (2)(a)(b))

p.7

Requirement Due date

In particular, the registered person should ensure that the staff rota shows planned and actual hours worked by all staff.

p.8

Requirement Due date

The registered person must notify HMCI and each other relevant person without delay if—

p.8

Requirement Due date

an incident requiring police involvement occurs in relation to a child which the registered person considers to be serious; and

p.8

Requirement Due date

there is any other incident relating to a child which the registered person considers to be serious. (Regulation 40 (4)(b)(e))

p.8

Requirement Due date

The registered person should ensure that the registered manager notifies Ofsted of all incidents considered serious. 4 April 2022

p.8

Recommendation

 The registered person should ensure that staff encourage children to see the home records as living documents, supporting them to view and contribute to the record in a way that reflects their voice on a regular basis. (‘Guide to the Children’s Homes Regulations, including the quality standards’, page 58, paragraph 11.19)

p.8

Information about this inspection

Inspectors have looked closely at the experiences and progress of children and young people, using the ‘Social care common inspection framework’. This inspection was carried out under the Care Standards Act 2000 to assess the effectiveness of the service, how it meets the core functions of the service as set out in legislation, and to consider how well it complies with the Children’s Homes (England) Regulations 2015 and the ‘Guide to the children’s homes regulations including the quality standards’. Inspection report for children's home: 2507724 9

p.8

Children’s home details

Registered provider: Coventry City Council

p.9

Children’s home details

Registered provider address: Coventry City Council, Children’s Services, The Council House, 42C New Union Street, Coventry CV1 2NH

p.9

Inspector

Debbie Holder, Social Care Inspector Inspection report for children's home: 2507724 10 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.9

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 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.10

Inspector

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

p.10

Inspector

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

p.10