Children's Home run by Ivory Cottage Limited in Worcestershire

Assurance inspection report for children’s home: 2633744 1 Registered provider: Ivory Cottage Ltd

p.1

Inspected under the social care common inspection framework

p.1

Information about this children’s home

A private company operates this home. It provides care for up to three children who may have experienced childhood instability resulting in trauma and associated complex behaviour.

p.1

Information about this children’s home

The registered manager post has been vacant since January 2023. A new manager is in post who has applied to register with Ofsted.

p.1

Inspection date: 11 December 2023

Date of last inspection: 12 September 2023

p.1

Inspection date: 11 December 2023

Judgement at last inspection: requires improvement to be good

p.1

Inspection date: 11 December 2023

Enforcement action since last inspection: none

p.1

Information about this inspection

At this inspection, the inspector evaluated:

p.1

Information about this inspection

 the care of children  the safety of children  the effectiveness of leaders and managers. Inspectors have looked closely at the experiences and progress of children, using the social care common inspection framework. This assurance 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’. Assurance inspection report for children’s home: 2633744 2

p.1

Outcome from the inspection

We identified the following serious and widespread concerns in relation to the care or protection of children at this assurance inspection:

p.2

Outcome from the inspection

 Poor safeguarding practice that leaves children at risk of harm.  Ineffective risk management strategies.  Poor care planning arrangements.  Significant shortfalls in the leadership and management of the home.  Poor arrangements for the education of children.  Lack of support and supervision for staff.

p.2

Outcome from the inspection

This assurance inspection was conducted due to the police raising concerns with Ofsted about children going missing from the home and the ability of staff to manage and respond to children’s escalating behaviour.

p.2

Outcome from the inspection

This inspection found serious and widespread concerns in the protection of children and the leadership and management of the home. Ofsted is not assured that managers and staff have a clear understanding of their safeguarding responsibilities to ensure that children remain safe from harm. As a result, a compliance notice under Regulation 12 (The protection of children standard) has been issued.

p.2

Outcome from the inspection

Since the previous inspection, one child has moved out of the home and two children have moved in. At the time of this inspection, three children were living at the home.

p.2

Outcome from the inspection

Risk management is inadequate. Despite being provided with relevant information from children’s placing authorities, managers do not ensure that staff have clear and accurate guidance to help them safely care for and support the children in their care if a child goes missing.

p.2

Outcome from the inspection

Information provided to staff about how to respond to children going missing is inaccurate and of poor quality. In addition, staff have failed to follow the guidance that has been provided. For example, failure to follow guidance has resulted in staff waiting three hours after they lost sight of children to report them missing. These shortfalls leave children at risk of significant harm.

p.2

Outcome from the inspection

Managers failed to thoroughly consider information provided at the point of referral about one child’s behaviour and the associated risks. Consequently, the assessment of the risk and impact of the child moving into the home was weak. The poor assessment of, planning for and response to risk has contributed to two children going missing from care together. On one occasion, this resulted in them being found in a different county. Another child has been subjected to emotional abuse through bullying and racial abuse. As a result, managers have decided that one child Assurance inspection report for children’s home: 2633744 3 will leave the home despite only recently moving in. The impact of this poor planning has compromised children’s experiences and safety.

p.2

Outcome from the inspection

Management arrangements are inconsistent. Since the last inspection, four managers have been in post. This has resulted in a lack of effective oversight of the operation of the home. Managers’ oversight of the care and safety of children is poor. Managers have not sufficiently reviewed incidents to assure themselves that children are being protected from harm or to identify learning to improve practice. This increases the risk of harm to children.

p.3

Outcome from the inspection

The arrangements to promote children’s education are poor. None of the children attend full-time education despite one child living at the home for four months. A lack of daily routine and structure means that opportunities for meaningful activities that enhance children’s learning have been lost.

p.3

Outcome from the inspection

Supervision of practice for staff is poor and does not provide staff with guidance and direction to support children effectively. Staff have not received supervision since August or September 2023. This is despite some members of the team being in their probationary period and requiring fortnightly supervision. These shortfalls do not provide reassurance that staff have the skills, ability and guidance to safeguard children.

p.3

Outcome from the inspection

A new management team is now in place at the home. Managers have accepted the findings of this inspection and plan to address the shortfalls. Assurance inspection report for children’s home: 2633744 4

p.3

Inspection date Inspection type Inspection judgement

12/09/2023 Full Requires improvement to be good 22/11/2022 Full Requires improvement to be good 15/02/2022 Full Requires improvement to be good 24/11/2021 Full Inadequate Assurance inspection report for children’s home: 2633744 5

p.4

Statutory requirements

This section sets out the actions that the registered person(s) must take to meet the Care Standards Act 2000, The 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.

p.5

Requirement Due date

*The protection of children standard is that children are protected from harm and enabled to keep themselves safe.

p.5

Requirement Due date

In particular, the standard in paragraph (1) requires the registered person to ensure—

p.5

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;

p.5

Requirement Due date

help each child to understand how to keep safe;

p.5

Requirement Due date

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

p.5

Requirement Due date

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

p.5

Requirement Due date

understand the roles and responsibilities in relation to protecting children that are assigned to them by the registered person;

p.5

Requirement Due date

take effective action whenever there is a serious concern about a child’s welfare. (Regulation 12 (1) (2)(a)(i)(ii)(iii)(iv)(v)(vi))

p.5

Requirement Due date

This specifically relates to ensuring that children have clear and effective risk management plans that staff understand and act upon. 20 December Assurance inspection report for children’s home: 2633744 6 The leadership and management standard is that the registered person enables, inspires and leads a culture in relation to the children’s home that—

p.5

Requirement Due date

helps children aspire to fulfil their potential; and promotes their welfare.

p.6

Requirement Due date

In particular, the standard in paragraph (1) requires the registered person to—

p.6

Requirement Due date

lead and manage the home in a way that is consistent with the approach and ethos, and delivers the outcomes, set out in the home’s statement of purpose;

p.6

Requirement Due date

ensure that staff have the experience, qualifications and skills to meet the needs of each child;

p.6

Requirement Due date

ensure that the home has sufficient staff to provide care for each child;

p.6

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;

p.6

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)(a)(c)(f)(h))

p.6

Requirement Due date

This specifically relates to the registered person ensuring that there are stable and suitable management arrangements in place and that there is effective oversight of the quality of care for children. 24 January 2024

p.6

Requirement Due date

The care planning standard is that children—

p.6

Requirement Due date

receive effectively planned care in or through the children’s home; and

p.6

Requirement Due date

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

p.6

Requirement Due date

In particular, the standard in paragraph (1) requires the registered person to ensure—

p.6

Requirement Due date

ensure the effective induction of each child into the home; 24 January 2024 Assurance inspection report for children’s home: 2633744 7 manage and review the placement of each child in the home; and

p.6

Requirement Due date

plan for, and help, each child to prepare to leave the home or to move into adult care in a way that is consistent with arrangements agreed with the child’s placing authority. (Regulation 14 (1)(a)(b) (2)(b)(i)(ii)(iii))

p.7

Requirement Due date

This specifically relates to the registered person ensuring that there is an effective planning and admission protocol that is implemented in practice.

p.7

Requirement Due date

The education standard is that children make measurable progress towards achieving their educational potential and are helped to do so.

p.7

Requirement Due date

In particular, the standard in paragraph (1) requires the registered person to ensure—

p.7

Requirement Due date

help each child to achieve the child’s education and training targets, as recorded in the child’s relevant plans;

p.7

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;

p.7

Requirement Due date

help each child to understand the importance and value of education, learning, training and employment;

p.7

Requirement Due date

promote opportunities for each child to learn informally;

p.7

Requirement Due date

maintain regular contact with each child’s education and training provider, including engaging with the provider and the placing authority to support the child’s education and training and to maximise the child’s achievement;

p.7

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;

p.7

Requirement Due date

help each child to attend education or training in accordance with the expectations in the child’s relevant plans; and 24 January 2024 Assurance inspection report for children’s home: 2633744 8 that each child has access to appropriate equipment, facilities and resources to support the child’s learning. (Regulation 8 (1) (2)(a)(i)(iii)(iv)(v)(vi)(vii)(x)(b))

p.7

Requirement Due date

This specifically relates to the registered person ensuring that children are offered and access suitable education provision.

p.8

Requirement Due date

The registered person must ensure that all employees—

p.8

Requirement Due date

undertake appropriate continuing professional development;

p.8

Requirement Due date

receive practice-related supervision by a person with appropriate experience. (Regulation 33 (4)(a)(b))

p.8

Requirement Due date

This specifically relates to the registered person ensuring that staff receive regular, good-quality, reflective supervision. 24 January 2024

p.8

Requirement Due date

*This requirement is subject to a compliance notice. Assurance inspection report for children’s home: 2633744 9

p.8

Children’s home details

Registered provider address: Skytax, 37th Floor, One Canada Square, Canary Wharf, London E14 5AA

p.9

Inspector

Kev Brammer, Social Care Inspector Assurance inspection report for children’s home: 2633744 10 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.

p.9

Inspector

If you would like a copy of this document in a different format, such as large print or Braille, please telephone 0300 123 1231, or email enquiries@ofsted.gov.uk .

p.10

Inspector

You may reuse this information (not including logos) free of charge in any format or medium, under the terms of the Open Government Licence. To view this licence, visit www.nationalarchives.gov.uk/doc/open-government-licence , write to the Information Policy Team, The National Archives, Kew, London TW9 4DU, or email: psi@nationalarchives.gsi.gov.uk .

p.10

Inspector

Interested in our work? You can subscribe to our monthly newsletter for more information and updates: http://eepurl.com/iTrDn .

p.10

Inspector

T: 0300 123 1231 Textphone: 0161 618 8524 E: enquiries@ofsted.gov.uk W: www.gov.uk/ofsted

p.10