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

Inspection report for children’s home: 1231311 1 Registered provider: Cove Care Residential Limited Full inspection Inspected under the social care common inspection framework

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Information about this children’s home

This home is registered to provide care for up to three children with social, emotional and complex mental health difficulties.

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Information about this children’s home

The home is led by a manager who registered with Ofsted in February 2021.

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Overall experiences and progress of

children and young people, taking into account

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inadequate

How well children and young people are helped and protected inadequate

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inadequate

The effectiveness of leaders and managers inadequate

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inadequate

There are serious failures that mean children and young people are not protected or their welfare is not promoted or safeguarded, and the care and experiences of children and young people are poor and they are not making progress.

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inadequate

Date of last inspection: 21 February 2022

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inadequate

Overall judgement at last inspection: sustained effectiveness

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inadequate

Enforcement action since last inspection: none Inspection report for children’s home: 1231311 2

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Inspection date Inspection type Inspection judgement

21/02/2022 Interim Sustained effectiveness 03/11/2021 Full Requires improvement to be good 11/02/2020 Interim Sustained effectiveness 18/09/2019 Full Requires improvement to be good Inspection report for children’s home: 1231311 3

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inadequate

Serious failures in administering medication impact on children’s welfare. Staff failed to collect a prescription for a child’s medication for 48 hours. This meant that a child, already vulnerable to infection, did not receive antibiotics in a timely way. The child subsequently needed to be admitted to hospital to receive treatment for an infection. This could have been avoided. A shortfall in staff practice seriously compromised a child’s health and well-being and this contributes to the inadequate judgement.

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inadequate

Staff do not accurately record the dosage of medication as prescribed, which leaves children at risk. This error was only identified at inspection, which shows that management oversight of medication has been poor. The registered person took immediate action by introducing a new recording system which includes a medical consultant periodically overseeing medication.

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inadequate

Children are registered with local health services and they can also access therapeutic support from specialist clinicians. The registered manager is making great efforts to register a new child with a dentist, despite a shortage of places at local dental surgeries. However, children who need to wear glasses are not always well supported to do so.

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inadequate

The registered manager considers the needs of new children who move into the home in relation to the needs of those already living there. Children visit the home and meet staff before they move in. In most cases, children are helped to prepare for their move to their new home to reduce some of their anxieties. Local factors relating to the nearby main road and transport links are not always taken into account when matching new children to the home.

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inadequate

Despite a child moving into the home in a planned way, insufficient thought has been given to education. The registered manager has not followed this up promptly. This means that a child does not yet have an identified school place. Two children experienced unplanned moves on from the home. Staff continued to provide support for one child in difficult circumstances until an appropriate placement could be identified for her.

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inadequate

Children keep in touch with people who are important to them. This helps them to understand their journey in life and develop their identity. Children’s views about spending time with their families are well considered by staff. This helps the children to feel that their views are important and acted on.

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inadequate

Children have some positive experiences. For example, they enjoy baking with staff, taking part in hair and beauty activities, and going on trips to the cinema and to an adventure park. Inspection report for children’s home: 1231311 4 One child has made good progress with different aspects of their development from their starting point. For example, they attend school every day and have won the ‘Pupil of the Week’ award several times. They have developed positive relationships with the adults caring for them. In addition, with staff support, the child is developing their independence skills and learning how to look after themselves.

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

Risks relating to children who self-harm are not managed effectively by staff. For example, on more than one occasion, one child has been able to give another child razor blades that they have then used to cut themselves with. Neither the registered manager nor the staff have explored how this happened and what action could be taken to reduce the risk of this happening again. This lack of professional curiosity and effective follow-up action has left children at risk of harm.

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

At the time of this inspection, a safeguarding concern was being investigated by a child’s placing authority. The registered manager and responsible individual were unaware of what was happening with the investigation and its current status. Record-keeping in relation to this matter is poor and managers have taken insufficient action to reduce the risk to children while the investigation is ongoing and the outcome is unknown.

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

It is rare that children go missing from the home. Staff look for children who are not where they should be. However, staff do not always follow the guidance set out in risk assessments. For example, they do not always contact individuals identified in the child’s risk assessment to find out if they have had contact with the child.

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

Managers, including senior managers, have not learned from an incident when a child went missing from home during the night without staff knowing. This incident happened prior to the last inspection. Because managers did not take effective action to reduce the risk of this happening again, a further incident has occurred. Failure to take prompt action to reduce risk compromises children’s safety.

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

Physical intervention is used as a last resort when needed to keep children safe. Children and staff involved in restraint incidents are supported to reflect on the incident and develop strategies to avoid the situation reoccurring. However, staff do not always clearly record a description of the restraint technique used and managers reviewing the record do not pick up on this and address it.

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

A concern regarding the security of the premises that was raised at the last inspection had not been addressed by managers. This compromised children’s safety and that of staff because strangers or unauthorised people could access the children’s home through an unsecured door. Managers did take action during this inspection to secure the premises appropriately. Inspection report for children’s home: 1231311 5 Positive rewards and consequences are used to help children to learn to manage their behaviour. Mostly these are used well. However, staff do not always record when a consequence involves restricting a child’s access to their mobile phone.

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

Children will talk to staff when they are worried about something. When an allegation was raised about staff that implicated the registered manager, procedures were followed and the matter was investigated. The manager informed the child of the outcome of the investigation. Given that the manager was involved in the concern, this is not good practice and may deter a child raising questions or further concerns.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: inadequate

Some of the systems in place to monitor the quality of care provided to children are weak. This is because when significant incidents happen, including safeguarding concerns, managers do not take swift and effective action to protect children from harm. This inaction has, on occasion, compromised children’s safety, health and well-being.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: inadequate

On two occasions, managers have not notified Ofsted about safeguarding concerns, in line with regulation. This means that the regulator does not have all relevant information to understand what is happening at the home.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: inadequate

Children are cared for by a consistent staff team. Five staff are qualified. The COVID-19 pandemic has led to delays in some staff achieving their level 3 qualification. Although staff are continuing to work towards this, managers do not have a clear plan which is kept under review to ensure that staff complete this as soon as possible.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: inadequate

All staff have completed training in core subjects, including mental health first aid. This provides staff with some understanding of the complex needs of the children they care for.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: inadequate

Permanent staff receive regular supervision from the registered manager. However, this is not used to address practice issues to help staff understand what they need to do to develop, and to help to prevent incidents from reoccurring. In addition, agency staff do not receive regular supervision, despite working in the home frequently. Inspection report for children’s home: 1231311 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; and

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Requirement Due date

children are helped to lead healthy lifestyles.

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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 has access to such dental, medical, nursing, psychiatric and psychological advice, treatment and other services as the child may require. (Regulation 10 (1)(a)(b)(c) (2)(c)) 4 December 2022

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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.

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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

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

manage relationships between children to prevent them from harming each other.

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Requirement Due date

understand the roles and responsibilities in relation to protecting children that are assigned to them by the registered person. (Regulation 12 (1) (2)(a)(i)(ii)(iv)(v)(vi)(vii)(d)) 4 December 2022 Inspection report for children’s home: 1231311 7 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

understand the impact that the quality of care provided in the home is having on the progress and experiences of each child and use this understanding to inform the development of the quality of care provided in the home;

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Requirement Due date

use monitoring and review systems to make continuous improvement in the quality of care provided in the home. (Regulation 13 (1)(a)(b)(f)(h)) 4 December 2022

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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. (Regulation 14 (1)(a))

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Requirement Due date

In particular, ensure that when planning for new children to come to live at the home, the education needs of children are given due attention so that an appropriate placement is identified and plans are made for the child to return to school as soon as possible. 4 December 2022

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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))

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Requirement Due date

In particular, ensure that new systems in place to monitor the handling, recording and administration of medicines are fully implemented and monitored regularly. 4 December 2022

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Requirement Due date

The registered person must ensure that all employees—

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Requirement Due date

receive practice-related supervision by a person with appropriate experience. (Regulation 33 (1)(a))

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Requirement Due date

In particular, ensure that agency staff who work at the home regularly receive supervision. 4 December 2022 Inspection report for children’s home: 1231311 8 The registered person must prepare and implement a policy which—

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Requirement Due date

is intended to safeguard children accommodated in the children’s home from abuse or neglect, and

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Requirement Due date

sets out the procedure to be followed in the event of an allegation of abuse or neglect.

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Requirement Due date

The procedure to be followed in the event of an allegation of abuse or neglect must, in particular,

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Requirement Due date

provide for liaison and co-operation with any local authority which are, or may be, making a child protection enquiry in relation to a child accommodated in the home;

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Requirement Due date

provide for records to be kept of an allegation of abuse or neglect, and the action taken in response. (Regulation 34 (1)(a)(b) (2)(a)(d)) 4 December 2022

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Requirement Due date

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

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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

a child protection enquiry involving a child—

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Requirement Due date

concludes (in which case, the notification must include the outcome of the child protection enquiry); or

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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)(c)(c)(i)(ii)(e) 4 December 2022

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Recommendation

 The registered person should maintain good employment practice. They must ensure that recruitment of staff safeguards children and minimises potential risks to them. In particular, ensure that records clearly show that the registered person, or someone with suitable authority, has seen each staff member’s original Disclosure and Barring Service certificate. In addition, that any checks on the update service are linked to that certificate and any discussion about the information is clearly recorded as part of employment checks. (‘Guide to the Inspection report for children’s home: 1231311 9 Children’s Homes Regulations, including the quality standards’, page 61, paragraph 13.1)

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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: 1231311 10

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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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Inspectors

Helen Malanaphy, Social Care Inspector Jackie Line, Social Care Inspector Inspection report for children’s home: 1231311 11 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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Inspectors

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Inspectors

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Inspectors

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