Children's Home run by Ivory Cottage Limited in Warwickshire

Assurance inspection report for children's home: 2586067 1 Registered provider: Ivory Cottage Ltd

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Inspected under the social care common inspection framework

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Information about this children’s home

This home is privately owned and provides care for up to four children who may experience social and emotional difficulties.

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Information about this children’s home

The registered manager post is currently vacant. A manager has been appointed and has applied to register with Ofsted.

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Inspection date: 3 January 2024

Judgement at last inspection: requires improvement to be good

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Inspection date: 3 January 2024

Enforcement action since last inspection: none

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Information about this inspection

At this inspection, the inspector evaluated:

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Information about this inspection

 the care of children  the safety of children  the effectiveness of leaders and managers. The inspector has 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: 2586067 2

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Findings from the inspection

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

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Findings from the inspection

 Poor safer recruitment practices by leaders and managers.  Some staff have not had training to raise their awareness in key areas relevant to the safety of children.  Inconsistent management oversight of the operation of the home and children’s care.  Lack of support and supervision for staff.

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Findings from the inspection

Since the previous inspection, three children have moved out of the home and one child has moved in. There are currently two children living in the home. The children say that they are happy living at the home.

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Findings from the inspection

This inspection found serious and widespread concerns in relation to the protection of children and the leadership and management of the home. The inspector identified poor safer recruitment practices by leaders and managers. As a result, a compliance notice under regulation 32, fitness of workers, has been issued.

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Findings from the inspection

The recruitment of staff is not safe. Leaders and managers have failed to ensure that overseas criminal record checks have been obtained for all staff who have lived overseas within the last five years. In addition, the responsible individual was unable to demonstrate that the current manager had been safely recruited. Failure to ensure the safe recruitment of staff could leave children at risk of being cared for by unsuitable adults.

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Findings from the inspection

The arrangements for the management of the home are inconsistent. Since the last inspection, two managers have started work at the home and have then left after a short period. The change in managers has resulted in a lack of effective oversight of the operation of the home. A new manager has been appointed and has submitted their application to register.

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Findings from the inspection

The current manager has implemented monitoring systems to help her understand and track children’s progress. However, these systems are not yet sufficiently embedded to enable her to confidently review the quality of care provided to children and put arrangements in place to help improve the progress that children make.

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Findings from the inspection

Not all staff have the skills and experience to meet the children’s needs. Some staff have not received training to raise their awareness of child criminal exploitation, county lines and missing from care. This means that staff may not have the skills to identify and reduce any risk to children. Assurance inspection report for children's home: 2586067 3 Not all staff have achieved the level 3 diploma within the timescales required by regulation. This means that staff may not have the required skills and knowledge to carry out their roles effectively. Leaders and managers have taken action to address this.

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Findings from the inspection

The professional supervision of staff by managers is inconsistent. Staff have not received supervision in accordance with the frequency required by the organisation’s own policy. For example, members of the team in their probation period have not received supervision fortnightly, as set out in the policy. This means that staff are not receiving the support required to reflect on and develop their practice.

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Findings from the inspection

The independent person’s external monitoring of the home does not always provide a detailed and thorough assessment of the quality of care provided. The absence of feedback from external professionals hinders the regulator, as well as the manager, in monitoring the service.

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Findings from the inspection

The home environment is maintained to a good standard. The children are happy with their bedrooms, which they have personalised to their tastes, supporting them to develop a sense of belonging.

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Findings from the inspection

The children are encouraged to try out new experiences in keeping with their interests. For example, one child is enjoying going to the gym and being part of a boxing club. Another child has enjoyed trips to the cinema with staff.

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Findings from the inspection

Despite the shortfalls identified during the inspection, children’s social workers are positive about the care provided to children. Assurance inspection report for children's home: 2586067 4

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Inspection date Inspection type Inspection judgement

26/07/2023 Full Requires improvement to be good 07/06/2022 Full Requires improvement to be good 01/02/2022 Interim Sustained effectiveness

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Inspection date Inspection type Inspection judgement

09/06/2021 Full Requires improvement to be good Assurance inspection report for children's home: 2586067 5

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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 within the given timescales.

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Requirement Due date

*The registered person must recruit staff using recruitment procedures that are designed to ensure children’s safety.

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Requirement Due date

employ an individual to work at the children’s home; or

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Requirement Due date

if an individual is employed by a person other than the registered person to work at the home in a position in which the individual may have regular contact with children, allow that individual to work at the home, if the individual satisfies the requirements in paragraph (3).

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Requirement Due date

full and satisfactory information is available in relation to the individual in respect of each of the matters in Schedule 2. (Regulation 32 (1) (2)(a)(b) (3)(d))

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Requirement Due date

This specifically relates to the manager ensuring overseas criminal record checks have been undertaken. 19 January 2024

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Requirement Due date

The registered person must recruit staff using recruitment procedures that are designed to ensure children’s safety.

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Requirement Due date

The registered person may only— employ an individual to work at the children’s home; or if an individual is employed by a person other than the registered person to work at the home in a position in which the individual may have regular contact with children, allow that individual to work at the home, if the individual satisfies the requirements in paragraph (3).

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Requirement Due date

the individual has the appropriate experience, qualification and skills for the work that the individual is to perform; 4 March 2024 Assurance inspection report for children's home: 2586067 6 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— 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

The relevant date is— 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. (Regulation 32 (1) (2)(a)(b) (3)(b) (4) (a)(b) (5)(a)(b))

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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

have the skills to identify and act upon signs that a child is at risk of harm. (Regulation 12 (1) (2) (a)(iii))

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Requirement Due date

This specifically relates to the manager ensuing that all staff have the required skills to support children with high-risk behaviours. 19 January 2024

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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 (4)(b)) 19 January 2024

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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 4 March 2024 Assurance inspection report for children's home: 2586067 7 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

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

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)(f)(h))

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Requirement Due date

This specifically relates to the manager ensuring that they have monitoring and reviewing systems in place that identify shortfalls effectively.

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Requirement Due date

have the capacity, experience and skills to supervise the management of the home, or the homes, in respect of which the responsible individual is nominated. (Regulation 26 (7))

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Requirement Due date

This specifically relates to the responsible individual having oversight of the home. 4 March 2024

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Requirement Due date

The registered person must ensure that an independent person visits the children’s home at least once each month.

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Requirement Due date

When the independent person is carrying out a visit, the registered person must help the independent person—

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Requirement Due date

if they consent, to interview in private such of the children, their parents, relatives and persons working at the home as the independent person requires; and

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Requirement Due date

to inspect the premises of the home and such of the home’s records (except for a child’s case records, unless the child and the child’s placing authority consent) as the independent person requires. 4 March 2024 Assurance inspection report for children's home: 2586067 8 The independent person must produce a report about a visit (“the independent person’s report”) which sets out, in particular, the independent person’s opinion as to whether—

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Requirement Due date

children are effectively safeguarded; and

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Requirement Due date

the conduct of the home promotes children’s well-being. (Regulation 44 (1) (2)(a)(b) (4)(a)(b))

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Requirement Due date

*These requirements are subject to a compliance notice. Assurance inspection report for children's home: 2586067 9

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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 Assurance inspection report for children's home: 2586067 10 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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