Children's Home run by Cove Care – Residential Limited in Telford and Wrekin

Inspection report for children’s home: SC397933 1 SC397933 Registered provider: Cove Care Residential Limited Interim inspection Inspected under the social care common inspection framework

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Information about this children’s home

This children’s home is privately owned. It provides care for two children with complex mental health and emotional and behavioural needs. The home was registered in July 2009.

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Information about this children’s home

The registered manager left in March 2021. The responsible individual and a registered manager from another home in the organisation were supporting the day- to-day running of the home while a new manager was recruited. The new manager started working in the home in November 2021 and her application to register is being processed by Ofsted.

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Inspection date: 15 February 2022

Judgement at last inspection: requires improvement to be good

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Inspection date: 15 February 2022

Enforcement action since last inspection: none Inspection report for children’s home: SC397933 2

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children and young people since the most recent full inspection

This home was judged requires improvement to be good at the last full inspection. At this interim inspection, Ofsted judged that it has improved effectiveness.

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children and young people since the most recent full inspection

Management oversight and improved leadership means the effectiveness of the home has improved since the last inspection. A new manager has recently joined the home and is beginning to shape practice. This is leading to improvements in completing tasks such as safe transportation and storage of medication and homely remedies. In addition, completing fire risk assessment actions promptly, keeping the statement of purpose up to date and recording when children’s money and valuables are stored for them. This creates a safer environment for children.

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children and young people since the most recent full inspection

The manager and staff develop caring and trusting relationships with children. One child has moved into the home since the last inspection. The initial period after her arrival was unsettled as staff sought to understand the child’s needs and behaviour. During this period, the child was able to go missing from care despite having two to one staffing. However, improvements to practice and strengthening relationships with the child have contributed to the child’s improved emotional regulation and there have been no further episodes of going missing from care. This child’s social worker and family are pleased with the improved experiences for their child. Her parent stated: ‘There is a big positive improvement. I am glad she has the opportunity to be cared for by this manager and her team.’

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children and young people since the most recent full inspection

Children’s experiences are improving. Both children are making progress from their starting points. Staff are successful in encouraging them to engage with their education and therapy. Staff promote children’s time with their family and friends well so that children’s identifies are maintained and developed. As a result, children’s networks are strengthened in preparation for adulthood.

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children and young people since the most recent full inspection

Staff are effective in partnership working. They communicate in a timely manner with social workers and families to ensure that there is consistency in safeguarding children. Staff celebrate important life events with children such as birthdays. One child said: ‘I had a great birthday! We went go-karting and for a meal.’ However, there is a lack of clarity about other significant events in children’s lives such as court hearings, which has the potential to undermine the quality of care.

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children and young people since the most recent full inspection

Staff have the skills and confidence to communicate easily with children and to listen to them. They complete direct work with children around specific issues or goals and in response to children’s immediate needs. The quality of how this is recorded is inconsistent. Better examples demonstrate well how children are feeling and are supported by staff. Weaker examples do not which is not helpful to the child in understanding how they are supported when they view their records now or in the future. Inspection report for children’s home: SC397933 3 Management oversight has improved since the last inspection with new monitoring systems in place to support the manager’s review of practice. However, there remain some shortfalls in the level of scrutiny of practice. As a result, children’s documents are not always up to date or dated which means that it is not always clear when actions have been taken, or why more up-to-date assessments have not been

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children and young people since the most recent full inspection

undertaken. This limits the scope of improvements to the quality of care. Inspection report for children’s home: SC397933 4

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Inspection date Inspection type Inspection judgement

07/07/2021 Full Requires improvement to be good 10/09/2019 Full Requires improvement to be good 22/03/2019 Interim Sustained effectiveness 11/09/2018 Full Good Inspection report for children’s home: SC397933 5

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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 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

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

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Requirement Due date

In particular, that there is consistent and detailed oversight of practice and knowledge about children’s circumstances to support the quality of practice to improve. 31 March 2022

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Recommendation

 The registered person should ensure that staff are familiar with the home’s policies on record-keeping and understand the importance of careful, objective, and clear recording. Staff should record information on individual children in a non-stigmatising way that distinguishes between fact, opinion and third-party information. Information about the child must always be recorded in a way that will be helpful to the child. (‘Guide to the Children’s Homes Regulations, including the quality standards’, page 62, paragraph 14.4) Inspection report for children’s home: SC397933 6

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Information about this inspection

This inspection focused on the effectiveness of the home and the progress and experiences of children and young people since the most recent full inspection.

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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: SC397933 7

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Children’s home details

Registered provider: Cove Care Residential Limited

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Children’s home details

Registered provider address: 16 Waterloo Road, Wolverhampton, West Midlands WV1 4BL

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Inspector

Rebecca Quested, Social Care Inspector Inspection report for children’s home: SC397933 8 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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