Children's home run by Coventry City Council in Coventry

Inspection report for children’s home: SC033056 1 SC033056 Registered provider: Coventry City Council Full inspection Inspected under the social care common inspection framework

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Information about this children’s home

This home is owned and operated by a local authority. It provides a residential short-break service for up to four children with learning and/or physical disabilities. Currently 27 children access this service. The service offers overnight, day and tea breaks, depending on each child’s planned break.

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Information about this children’s home

The manager has been registered with Ofsted since May 2014 and holds a level 5 diploma in leadership.

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Overall experiences and progress of

children and young people, taking into account

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good

How well children and young people are helped and protected good

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good

The effectiveness of leaders and managers good

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good

The children’s home provides effective services that meet the requirements for good.

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good

Overall judgement at last inspection: good

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good

Enforcement action since last inspection: none Inspection report for children’s home: SC033056 2

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Inspection date Inspection type Inspection judgement

25/05/2021 Full Good 10/02/2020 Full Inadequate 22/01/2019 Full Good 12/02/2018 Full Good Inspection report for children’s home: SC033056 3

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

At the time of this inspection, four children were receiving their short break.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Children enjoy coming for their short breaks. They feel welcomed and settle quickly into their personalised bedrooms and enjoy their favourite activities. Relationships between children and staff are extremely positive. Staff are passionate about the children they care for and are attuned to their complex needs. They take the time to get to know children well and speak enthusiastically about their care and progress.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Staff work closely with children’s families, their teachers and health professionals. Because of well-coordinated care, each child’s short break is a well-planned part of their routine and development.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

The environment is a suitable, safe and welcoming space for children with complex physical and behavioural needs. Specialist equipment to meet the range of children’s health needs and disabilities is available. Children enjoy access to a large lounge and playroom with toys and games, as well as a large garden with play equipment. The environment reflects children’s individual needs as well as their tolerance to sensory stimulation. This creates a comfortable and relaxing home for children.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Children’s personalised care enables them to have new and exciting life experiences. Staff encourage children to participate in a range of leisure activities that enhance their social and emotional skills. These provide a mix of in-house and community activities that enable children to spend quality time with their friends and peers. As a result, children grow in confidence and make marked progress during their time in the home.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Children benefit from well-planned admissions to the home. Staff make sure that each child’s induction to the home reflects their individual needs. They work with children’s families and the placing authority to plan afternoon and teatime visits to the home with the aim of moving towards overnight stays. Managers continually review the progress of these introductions to ensure that children do not become overwhelmed or anxious and that their experience of the service is a positive one.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Staff and parents communicate regularly to provide children with continuity of care. For example, staff contact parents before their child’s short break starts and complete a diary outlining the child’s stay. Parents feel involved in the service and appreciate the support that staff provide.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Managers have worked hard to review and implement the process for administering daily medication in the home. Managers undertake competency checks on staff and have implemented clear protocols for children’s medication. However, inspectors observed that staff were unclear what the medication they were administering was for, believing it to be for allergies when it was prescribed as and when for anxiety. Inspection report for children’s home: SC033056 4 This lack of understanding of the safe administration of medicines presents a potential risk to children’s well-being.

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How well children and young people are helped and protected: good

Managers carefully match children with their peers. They also ensure that there are sufficient staff with the relevant skills and experience to care for the children. Children develop friendship groups through this considered approach to planning. It also helps to keep children safe and promotes a calm and settled environment.

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How well children and young people are helped and protected: good

Staff understand the children’s behaviours and vulnerabilities and they use this knowledge to manage risks well. The staff understand the triggers that result in children feeling anxious or distressed and they take sensitive and supportive action promptly to help children. As a result, significant incidents in the home are minimal.

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How well children and young people are helped and protected: good

Managers have good knowledge and understanding of safeguarding thresholds and referral processes. Staff understand their own responsibilities for protecting children.

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How well children and young people are helped and protected: good

Some children have specific health and behaviour needs which require daily medication. In some cases, children require emergency medication due to seizures. However, staff have not been trained to administer emergency medicine. Although the home has updated risk assessments to seek emergency advice in the event of a seizure, the lack of training and access to this medicine is an unnecessary risk to children’s health and well-being. The manager took immediate action to ensure this training would be delivered to staff.

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How well children and young people are helped and protected: good

Staff use a wide and varied range of verbal and non-verbal communication methods, including pictures, visual aids and sign languages to seek children’s views, opinions and wishes. This practice ensures that children are involved in decisions about their stay and their overall care and support. However, when children have displayed behaviour which challenges and staff have needed to physically intervene, their views and feelings have not always been captured following these incidents. This is a missed opportunity to help children reflect on and understand their behaviour.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

The registered manager has the skills, knowledge and experience necessary to manage the service effectively. She is a strong and enthusiastic leader with a focus on meeting children’s individual needs, supporting their progress and providing them with an enjoyable experience. Children, staff, parents and professionals speak highly of her management approach and passion for the service.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

Staff receive regular and good-quality supervision. Managers use these meetings to help staff to consider their own practice and learning needs. Supervisions are supportive, reflective and outcome-based, empowering staff to progress and achieve the best outcomes for children. Inspection report for children’s home: SC033056 5 Professionals provided positive feedback to the inspector about good communication and information-sharing between staff, the manager and themselves. The registered manager confidently challenges other professionals and agencies when their actions fall short of acceptable standards. This means that children receive integrated care and their short-break experiences are extremely positive.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

Good-quality individualised care plans reflect children’s complex communication and behaviour needs. However, staff have not received all the training required to ensure that they have the specialist skills needed to manage the communication needs of all the children. This is a missed opportunity to support children to develop their preferred communication system. Inspection report for children’s home: SC033056 6

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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 health and well-being standard is that—

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Requirement Due date

the health and well-being needs of children are met;

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Requirement Due date

children receive advice, services, and support in relation to their health and well-being.

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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

achieve the health and well-being outcomes that are recorded in the child’s relevant plans. (Regulation 10 (1)(a)(b) (2)(i))

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Requirement Due date

This specifically relates to ensuring all staff are trained to deliver rescue medication to children in line with their seizure protocols. 28 May 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

ensure that staff have the experience, qualifications and skills to meet the needs of each child. (Regulation 13 (1)(a)(b) (2)(c))

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Requirement Due date

In particular, this relates to ensuring that staff receive training in children’s various communication systems. 30 June 2022 Inspection report for children’s home: SC033056 7

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Recommendations

 During a short break, staff are responsible for maintaining a child’s ongoing health treatment, including the management of medication. This relates to the registered person ensuring that staff are clear about what children’s medication is for and when it should be administered. (‘Guide to the Children’s Homes Regulations, including the quality standards’, page 35, paragraph 7.20)  The registered person should ensure that any child who has been restrained be given the opportunity to express their feelings about their experience of the restraint as soon as is practicable, ideally within 24 hours of the restraint incident, taking the age of the child and the circumstances of the restraint into account. Children should be encouraged to add their views and comments to the record of restraint. This relates to capturing children’s views using their preferred communication system. (‘Guide to the Children’s Homes Regulations, including the

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Recommendations

quality standards’, page 50, paragraph 9.60)

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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: SC033056 8

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Children’s home details

Registered provider: Coventry City Council

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Children’s home details

Registered provider address: Adult Education, People Directorate, Southfields Old School, South Street, Coventry CV1 5UJ

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Inspector

James Tallis, Social Care Inspector Inspection report for children’s home: SC033056 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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