Coniston House

Inspection report for children’s home: SC379123 1 SC379123 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 privately owned children’s home offers care for up to five children with mental health, psychological and/or emotional difficulties and associated complex care needs.

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Information about this children’s home

The registered manager left in June 2021. Since that time, there have been three different managers managing the home, with support from the responsible individual. While the provider has taken action to appoint a new manager when needed, the changes have led to the home not having a registered manager for a period of time. A new manager has been appointed and has now submitted their application to register with Ofsted.

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Inspection date: 22 March 2022

Judgement at last inspection: requires improvement to be good

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Inspection date: 22 March 2022

Enforcement action since last inspection : none Inspection report for children’s home: SC379123 2

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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 sustained effectiveness.

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young people since the most recent full inspection

Since the last inspection, two children have moved on from the home in an unplanned way. The unplanned moves were due to a deterioration in children’s mental health, requiring specialist hospital assessments and support. Staff supported the children to receive the specialist help they needed. Three children have had planned moves to the home since the last inspection. Matching records show that children are matched carefully.

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young people since the most recent full inspection

Four children were living in the home at the time of the inspection. Three children spoke to the inspector. Most children enjoy living in the home and have positive relationships with staff. One child recently celebrated a birthday and was made to feel special by the manager and staff. Children shared that on the whole they feel their views are listened to. However, one child does not always feel involved in activities or that staff ask them to participate. Although the manager explained to the inspector that staff do involve children in activities, this is not clearly recorded. When children feel they are not listened to and feel left out, this makes it harder for them to feel a sense of belonging. A regulatory shortfall was raised at the last inspection regarding children’s views. Although some aspects of this have been addressed, others have not and so this requirement has been raised again.

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young people since the most recent full inspection

There has been a period of instability with changes in managers and staffing, which has had an impact on the quality of care provided for children. Children shared with the inspector that this period was unsettling, and they did not feel they were being provided with consistent care from staff. Children told the inspector that the new manager has made some positive changes to their routines. This has made them feel more settled.

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young people since the most recent full inspection

Improvements have been made to the home environment. In addition, children’s bedrooms have been decorated and are individually personalised. The home environment is clean and homely.

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young people since the most recent full inspection

Managers and staff have improved the quality of physical intervention records. These now provide more detail about how staff tried to de-escalate the situation. Details of the restraint technique used are included, and children and staff are spoken to following the incident to understand why the intervention was used. The manager’s oversight is more reflective and effective.

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young people since the most recent full inspection

Risk assessments are well written by managers and staff and provide an overview of key risks. The documents are updated following any incidents of concern and include strategies for staff to follow in terms of what they need to do to keep children safe. When children go missing from care, staff follow the agreed procedures. However, children are not always offered return home interviews. This was the case on two occasions and the manager did not follow this up with the child’s placing authority. Inspection report for children’s home: SC379123 3 The manager is keen to learn and develop the service. She has made changes to records and children’s plans to ensure that staff adopt a more consistent approach to care. However, the changes made are still in their infancy and need to be further embedded. The manager has put in place some good monitoring systems to help them to understand the quality of care provided to children. For example, the manager is now monitoring how

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young people since the most recent full inspection

many times staff are undertaking key-work sessions with children. However, the manager’s review of the services lacks analysis and evaluation. As a result, improvements made to management oversight have not gone far enough. Consequently, a requirement in relation to leadership and management is raised again.

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young people since the most recent full inspection

Four requirements raised at the last inspection have been met, but two have not been fully met. Two recommendations raised at the last inspection have been met. One recommendation has not been met and is made again. Inspection report for children’s home: SC379123 4

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Inspection date Inspection type Inspection judgement

21/07/2021 Full Requires improvement to be good 04/03/2020 Interim Sustained effectiveness 05/06/2019 Full Good 13/02/2019 Interim Declined in effectiveness Inspection report for children’s home: SC379123 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 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. (Regulation 7 (1)(a)(b)(c)) 24 April 2022

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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)) 8 May 2022

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Requirement Due date

The registered provider must appoint a person to manage the children’s home if—

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Requirement Due date

there is no registered manager in respect of the home. (Regulation 27 (1)(a))

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Requirement Due date

Ensure that the person appointed to manage the home applies to register with Ofsted in a timely way. 30 April 2022

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Recommendations

Inspection report for children’s home: SC379123 6  The registered person should ensure that when a child returns to the home after being missing from care or away from the home without permission, the responsible local authority must provide an opportunity for the child to have an independent return home interview. Homes should take account of information provided by such interviews when assessing risks and putting arrangements in place to protect each child. Specifically, ensure that staff ask social workers to share relevant information from return home interviews that they undertake with children. (Guide to the Children’s Homes Regulations, including quality standards’, page 45, paragraph 9.30)

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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: SC379123 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

Shazana Jamal, Social Care Inspector Inspection report for children’s home: SC379123 8 regulates and inspects 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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