Children's Home run by Ivory Cottage Limited in Worcestershire

Inspection report for children’s home - monitoring visit: 2633744 1 Registered provider: Ivory Cottage Limited

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Monitoring visit Inspected under the social care common inspection framework

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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.

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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.

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This monitoring visit

An assurance inspection on 11 December 2023 found serious and widespread concerns in relation to the care or protection of children. As a result, a compliance notice under Regulation 12, the protection of children standard, was issued.

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This monitoring visit

The purpose of this visit was to review the progress made by managers in meeting the steps of the compliance notice raised under Regulation 12. Inspectors found that sufficient progress has been made to meet the compliance notice.

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This monitoring visit

Two children live at the home. Managers have served notice on a third child due to being unable to meet their needs. It is an uncertain time for this child, who is living in accommodation away from the home while plans are confirmed for them to move on from the organisation’s care. During the inspection, the inspector observed positive interactions between the children living at the home and the staff.

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This monitoring visit

Managers have reviewed the children’s safety and behaviour management plans. Children’s plans now include key information relating to the children’s risks and behaviour. Furthermore, the plans provide staff with guidance to help them safely care for and support the children in their care. Managers have oversight of the plans and intend to further develop the risk-management approach. Inspection report for children’s home - monitoring visit: 2633744 2 Staff have undertaken training regarding reporting and recording when children go missing. All the children have individual missing-from-care protocols that provide staff with step-by-step guidance should a child go missing. Positively, since the last inspection, no children have gone missing from the home.

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This monitoring visit

The manager has held a team meeting with the staff team, which focused on additional support and training for staff about safeguarding. This has helped to better equip staff with the understanding they need to meet the children’s needs.

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This monitoring visit

The other requirements raised at the last inspection were not reviewed and have been restated. Inspection report for children’s home - monitoring visit: 2633744 3

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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 Inspection report for children’s home - monitoring visit: 2633744 4

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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, 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 with the given timescales.

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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

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;

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Requirement Due date

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

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Requirement Due date

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

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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 improvements in the quality of care provided in the home. (Regulation 13 (1)(a)(b) (2)(a)(c)(d)(f)(h))

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Requirement Due date

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

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Requirement Due date

This requirement was made at the last inspection and is restated. 24 January 2024 Inspection report for children’s home - monitoring visit: 2633744 5 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

ensure the effective induction of each child into the home;

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Requirement Due date

manage and review the placement of each child in the home; and

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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))

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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.

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Requirement Due date

This requirement was made at the last inspection and is restated. 24 January 2024

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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; 24 January 2024 Inspection report for children’s home - monitoring visit: 2633744 6 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

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;

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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

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Requirement Due date

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))

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Requirement Due date

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

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Requirement Due date

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

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Requirement Due date

The registered person must ensure that all employees—

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Requirement Due date

undertake appropriate continuing professional development;

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Requirement Due date

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

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Requirement Due date

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

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Requirement Due date

This requirement was made at the last inspection and is restated. 24 January 2024 Inspection report for children’s home - monitoring visit: 2633744 7

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Information about this inspection

The purpose of this visit was to monitor the action taken and the progress made by the children’s home since its last Ofsted inspection.

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Information about this inspection

This inspection was carried out under the Care Standards Act 2000. Inspection report for children’s home - monitoring visit: 2633744 8

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Children’s home details

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

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Inspector

Lydia Isaac, Social Care Inspector Inspection report for children’s home - monitoring visit: 2633744 9 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 looked after children, safeguarding and child protection.

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Inspector

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Inspector

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Inspector

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