Children's home run by Coventry City Council

Inspection report for children's home: 2529639 1 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 run by a local authority. It is registered to provide care for up to four children who may have emotional and/or behavioural difficulties.

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Information about this children’s home

The registered manager has been in post since September 2021.

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Overall experiences and progress of

children and young people, taking into account

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requires improvement to be good

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

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requires improvement to be good

The effectiveness of leaders and managers requires improvement to be good

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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.

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requires improvement to be good

Date of last inspection: 14 September 2021

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requires improvement to be good

Overall judgement at last inspection: good

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requires improvement to be good

Enforcement action since last inspection: none Inspection report for children's home: 2529639 2

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Inspection date Inspection type Inspection judgement

14/09/2021 Full Good 06/02/2020 Full Requires improvement to be good Inspection report for children's home: 2529639 3

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improvement to be good

Children’s progress at the home varies. For example, one child has missed significant periods of school. The staff team has failed to promote informal learning or provide meaningful activities while the child was not attending school. However, the other three children have good attendance at school and are making progress in this area.

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improvement to be good

Staff do not adequately support children to prepare for independence. One child has an independence plan in place. However, this has not been reviewed or updated. In addition, staff have not completed sufficient direct work with the child to support her to develop her skills. This approach does not prepare children for adult life.

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improvement to be good

A new child moved into the home in April 2022. Despite this being a planned admission, important paperwork from the placing authority was not obtained quickly enough. This means that staff do not have access to all the information they need to meet the child’s needs.

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improvement to be good

Children’s records do not demonstrate the progress children have made. Despite staff implementing incentives for children to encourage them to meet their goals, children’s targets are not reviewed regularly or updated. As a result, children may not be making as much progress as they could be.

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improvement to be good

Children are not encouraged to read or contribute to their care plans. This is a missed opportunity to help children inform how they are cared for.

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improvement to be good

Children have positive relationships with the staff. They enjoy spending time with the staff and are able to talk to them if they have concerns. In addition, children know how to make a complaint if they are not happy about any aspect of their care.

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improvement to be good

Staff create a warm and nurturing environment which children respond to positively. Staff have supported children to personalise their bedrooms and there are photos of children across the home. This helps children to feel at home.

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improvement to be good

Staff are not always following processes put in place to record and dispense medication. A new medication log has been put in place to address this shortfall; however, the twice daily checks of medication do not always take place. As a result, recording and dispensing errors have continued. This places children at risk of not receiving their medication correctly.

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improvement to be good

Children occasionally go missing from home. The quality of the recording of such incidents varies. It is not always clear from records if staff have taken sufficient Inspection report for children's home: 2529639 4 action to bring about the children’s safe return. This does not promote children’s welfare.

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improvement to be good

There are times when staff have to physically intervene to keep children safe. On occasion, staff have failed to sufficiently document these interventions and the registered manager’s review has not addressed this recording issue. As a result, it is not always clear if the intervention was necessary. This shortfall has the potential to put children at risk.

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improvement to be good

Staff have regular key-working sessions with children. However, these conversations are not always linked to children’s care plans or risks. While this has improved in recent weeks, there are still occasions when staff have not explored with children important issues such as bullying, healthy relationships and risks. This does not support children to learn how to keep themselves safe.

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improvement to be good

Risk assessments are in place and have been reviewed. However, they are not all up to date or accurate. However, staff know the children well and this has not had an impact.

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improvement to be good

The registered manager’s review of the home’s location risk assessment did not include consultations with relevant individuals as part of the process. As a result, there may be risk factors in the local area that have not been considered.

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improvement to be good

Staff know the children well and, as a result, children are generally settled. Children told the inspector they have everything they need. They feel safe and are comfortable in the home.

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good

The shortfalls identified at this inspection demonstrate that the registered manager does not yet have good oversight of the home. The leadership and management of the home have not been sufficient to drive forward improvements. One of the two requirements raised at the September 2021 inspection has not been met and is reissued. In addition, eight further requirements have been raised following this inspection. The progress noted at the September 2021 inspection has not been sustained.

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good

The registered manager’s monitoring of the home is insufficient. For example, his oversight of recording and reporting is poor. He has failed to identify and address poor recording in documentation or gaps in paperwork.

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good

The registered manager has not ensured that a full and accurate record of complaints is maintained. As a result, these records are incomplete and it is not clear if concerns raised by others have been fully explored.

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good

On occasion, there has been a delay in the registered manager notifying Ofsted of incidents. In addition, the registered manager has not ensured that there is a clear Inspection report for children's home: 2529639 5 chronology of actions taken following every serious incident. As a result, records do not detail what action has been taken to protect children.

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good

The registered manager was unable to provide the inspector with full and accurate information in relation to Annex A form which is required by the regulator on a full inspection. This shortfall hinders the regulator’s oversight of the inspection period.

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good

One member of staff has not attained the diploma in residential childcare within the required time frame. However, staff have access to a variety of training courses that support them to care for the children.

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good

Staff feel supported by the managers and have access to regular team meetings and supervisions. This means that staff have the opportunity to discuss children’s needs and strategies to support them. Staff at the home appear motivated and passionate about their roles. Inspection report for children's home: 2529639 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 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

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;

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Requirement Due date

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;

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Requirement Due date

help each child to attend education or training in accordance with the expectations in the child’s relevant plans; and (Regulation 8 (1) (2)(a)(i)(iii)(iv)(v)(viii)(x))

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Requirement Due date

The registered person must ensure that children are helped to understand the importance of education and that staff provide children with support and encouragement for informal learning while they are not in formal education. 19 September

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Requirement Due date

The protection of children standard is that children are protected from harm and enabled to keep themselves safe. 19 September Inspection report for children's home: 2529639 7 In particular, the standard in paragraph (1) requires the registered person to ensure—

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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;

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Requirement Due date

have the skills to identify and act upon signs that a child is at risk of harm;

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Requirement Due date

take effective action whenever there is a serious concern about a child’s welfare; and

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Requirement Due date

are familiar with, and act in accordance with, the home’s child protection policies. (Regulation (12) (1) (2)(a)(i)(iii)(vi)(vii))

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Requirement Due date

This specifically relates to ensuring that risk assessments are up to date and include effective strategies for staff to follow. This also relates to supporting children to understand and reduce their own risks.

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Requirement Due date

In particular, the registered person must ensure that when there are concerns about the safety and welfare of children that effective action is taken.

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Requirement Due date

In addition, the registered person must ensure that they act on any shortfalls identified to improve practice.

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Requirement Due date

This requirement was issued at the last inspection and is restated.

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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 promotes their welfare.

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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. 19 September Inspection report for children's home: 2529639 8 (Regulation 13 (1)(a)(b) (2)(h))

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Requirement Due date

This specifically relates to the registered manager ensuring that internal monitoring systems are used effectively.

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Requirement Due date

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; and

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Requirement Due date

have a positive experience of arriving at or moving on from the home.

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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

that each child’s relevant plans are followed. (Regulation 14 (1)(a)(b) (2)(c))

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Requirement Due date

This specifically relates to ensuring that children’s care plans are in place quickly, to provide staff with key information about children. The registered person should obtain key information from the child’s placing authority upon admission to inform care. 19 September

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Requirement Due date

Restraint in relation to a child is only permitted for the purpose of preventing—

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Requirement Due date

injury to any person (including the child);

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Requirement Due date

serious damage to the property of any person (including the child);

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Requirement Due date

Restraint in relation to a child must be necessary and proportionate. (Regulation 20 (1)(a)(b) (2))

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Requirement Due date

In particular, the registered person must ensure that all physical interventions are necessary and that interventions are clearly documented. 19 September

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Requirement Due date

The registered person must make arrangements for the handling, recording, safekeeping, safe administration and disposal of medicines received into the children’s home. (Regulation 23 (1)) 19 September Inspection report for children's home: 2529639 9 This relates to ensuring that there is a robust process in place for the recording, handling and administration of all medication prescribed for children.

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Requirement Due date

For the purposes of paragraph (3)(b), an individual who works in the home in a care role has the appropriate qualification if, by the relevant date, the individual has attained—

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Requirement Due date

the Level 3 Diploma for Residential Childcare (England) ("the Level 3 Diploma"); or

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Requirement Due date

a qualification which the registered person considers to be equivalent to the Level 3 Diploma.

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Requirement Due date

in the case of an individual who starts working in a care role in a home after 1st April 2014, the date which falls 2 years after the date on which the individual started working in a care role in a home; or

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Requirement Due date

in the case of an individual who was working in a care role in a home on 1st April 2014, 1st April 2016.

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Requirement Due date

The registered person may defer the relevant date if the individual—

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Requirement Due date

does not work, or has not worked, in a care role in a home for a prolonged period; or

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Requirement Due date

works, or has worked, in a care role in a home on a part- time basis. (Regulation 32 (4)(a)(b) (5)(a)(b) (6)(a)(b))

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Requirement Due date

In particular, the registered person should ensure that staff obtain the relevant qualification within the required time frame. 19 September

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Requirement Due date

The registered person must ensure that a record is made of any complaint, the action taken in response, and the outcome of any investigation. (Regulation 39 (3))

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Requirement Due date

In particular, the registered manager must ensure that all complaints are fully documented. 19 September

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Requirement Due date

The registered person must notify HMCI and each other relevant person without delay if— 19 September Inspection report for children's home: 2529639 10 an incident requiring police involvement occurs in relation to a child which the registered person considers to be serious;

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Requirement Due date

there is an allegation of abuse against the home or a person working there;

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Requirement Due date

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

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Requirement Due date

The registered person must review the appropriateness and suitability of the location of the premises used for the purposes of the children’s home at least once in each calendar year taking into account the requirement in regulation 12(2)(c) (the protection of children standard).

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Requirement Due date

When conducting the review, the registered person must consult, and take into account the views of, each relevant person. (Regulation 46 (1) (2))

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Requirement Due date

This specifically relates to ensuring that relevant individuals are consulted with when the location of the home is reviewed. 19 September

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Recommendation

 The registered person should ensure that children are actively encouraged to read their records. These records should be age appropriate and child-friendly. (‘Guide to the Children’s Home Regulations, including the quality standards’, page 62, paragraph 14.6)

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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: 2529639 11

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Children’s home details

Registered provider: Coventry City Council

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Children’s home details

Registered provider address: Coventry City Council, Council House, Earl Street, Coventry CV1 5RR

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Inspector

Debbie Holder, Social Care Inspector Inspection report for children's home: 2529639 12 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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