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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Inspected under the social care common inspection framework

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Information about this children’s home

This home is operated by a private company. It provides care for up to three children who may have experienced childhood instability resulting in trauma and associated complex behaviours.

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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

This monitoring visit 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.

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This monitoring visit

Since the last inspection, there has been an increase in one child going missing from the home. When the staff have been aware that the child has gone missing, staff have followed the child’s missing-from-care protocols and the child has returned to the home. However, on one occasion the child was able to leave the home during the night without the knowledge of the staff. On this occasion, the child was able to board a train and travel over 150 miles away from the home.

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This monitoring visit

Following this missing-from-home episode, the manager failed to put in place sufficient safeguarding measures to reduce the likelihood that the child would be able to leave the home during the night without staff being aware. During the inspection, the manager addressed this shortfall. This ensured that an appropriate risk reduction measure was in place to support the safety of the child.

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This monitoring visit

The manager did not demonstrate a clear understanding of how the child was able to leave the home without staff knowing. In part, this is because the manager had Inspection report for children’s home – monitoring visit: 2633744 2 not undertaken an internal review of what had happened. This was a missed opportunity to identify and address shortfalls in staff practice and review risk reduction measures.

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This monitoring visit

Staff do not always manage children’s behaviour effectively. On one occasion when a child was highly anxious and upset, staff responses resulted in the child’s behaviour escalating and the child and staff being placed in an unsafe situation. Staff called the police for assistance and the child was arrested and cautioned.

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This monitoring visit

Inspectors observed positive interactions between the children and the staff. Children enjoy a range of activities. This has included going to go-karting and a museum visit. Children say that they enjoy having the opportunity to take part in different activities.

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This monitoring visit

The action taken by managers to meet the statutory requirements issued at the last inspection will be reviewed at the home’s next inspection. These requirements these 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 within the given timescales.

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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

This specifically relates to staff understanding and implementing children’s risk assessments, their monitoring and supervision of children and their role in keeping children safe. 6 February 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

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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 24 January 2024 Inspection report for children’s home – monitoring visit: 2633744 5 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)(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 that there is effective oversight of the quality of care for children.

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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

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. 24 January 2024 Inspection report for children’s home – monitoring visit: 2633744 6 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

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. 24 January 2024 Inspection report for children’s home – monitoring visit: 2633744 7 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. 24 January 2024

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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: 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 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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