Children's Home run by Covy Children's Homes Ltd in Oldham

Inspection report for children’s home: 2750008 1 Registered provider: Covy Children’s Homes Limited

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Full inspection Inspected under the social care common inspection framework

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Information about this children’s home

The home is registered to provide care for up to four children with learning disabilities. The home is privately owned.

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Information about this children’s home

There is a new manager in post, who started work at the home in May 2023. She has applied to register with Ofsted.

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Information about this children’s home

At the time of this inspection, one child was living in the home.

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Overall experiences and progress of

children and young people, taking into account

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good

How well children and young people are helped and protected good

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good

The effectiveness of leaders and managers good

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good

The children’s home provides effective services that meet the requirements for good.

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good

Date of last inspection: not previously inspected

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good

Overall judgement at last inspection: not applicable

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good

Enforcement action since last inspection: not applicable Inspection report for children’s home: 2750008 2

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

This was the first inspection of the home since its registration in May 2024. The child has settled into the home quickly and has developed a good relationship with the staff.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Staff work hard to ensure that the child lives in a safe, caring and supportive environment. This coordinated approach helps the child to have improved outcomes, especially in their behaviour and communication.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

The child’s health and well-being needs are met well. The child attends routine and specialist health appointments. This ensures that they receive suitable support and intervention to meet their physical and emotional health needs.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Appropriate arrangements are in place for the safe administration and management of medicines to promote the safety and well-being of children.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

The child attends an appropriate educational setting in line with their needs and abilities. Staff work in partnership with education departments and other relevant professionals to make sure that the child has every opportunity to increase their academic achievement and reach their full potential.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Staff encourage the child to use picture reference cards and craft play to communicate with staff. This means that the child can have a say in the care he receives.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Arrangements are in place that support the child to maintain positive relationships with their family and friends. Staff work closely with the child and their family to ensure that time spent together is a safe and positive experience.

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

Staff have a good understanding of safeguarding practice and the ways that they can protect the welfare of the child. There is good partnership working with external agencies, such as the local authority and health professionals, to ensure that there is a strong multi-agency approach to safeguarding the child.

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

Staff understand the risks for the child and follow the guidance set out in risk assessments to help them to manage and reduce these risks. The review and development of safety plans are ongoing to keep pace with the child’s changing circumstances and needs.

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

The child sometimes displays complex and difficult behaviour when feeling anxious. Staff manage this very well to minimise the duration and severity of incidents. Inspection report for children’s home: 2750008 3 Physical intervention has been used on one occasion. The manager had oversight of the incident and supported staff to reflect and debrief afterwards. However, the child did not receive a debrief following this incident. This is a missed opportunity for the child to receive the appropriate support and reflect on the incident. Furthermore, the manager was unable to review the strategies in place to manage the child’s behaviours.

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

There have been no occasions when the child has gone missing from the home. Nevertheless, managers and staff are acutely aware of the child’s significant vulnerabilities should they wander off from staff. To reduce these risks, there is a high staffing ratio available to support the child during external activities. This enables the child to safely access the local community.

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

The child lives in a physically safe environment. There are measures in place to ensure that the home is free from hazards. Regular fire drills are carried out to ensure that the child knows what they need to do in the event of a fire.

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

Staff are vetted and assessed as suitable before any appointment is confirmed. These procedures promote the safety of the child by preventing unsuitable adults from working at the home.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

The new manager is beginning to develop a greater understanding of the strengths and weaknesses of the home. She is supported by a team of staff who are committed to helping children and improving their life chances and opportunities. This means that the child in the home is supported by staff who strive to ensure that their experiences are positive.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

Although there have been some recent changes in the staff team, a core group of staff remain who have continued to provide continuity of care. New staff become familiar with their role and develop the required skills and competencies through induction processes and training.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

Staff benefit from a range of training courses to help them develop their knowledge, skills and professional practice. New staff receive an induction programme, and they are subsequently enrolled on their qualification in residential childcare. As a result, staff are trained to meet the needs of the child in their care and gain the required qualification within timescales.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

Managers support staff through regular supervision and appraisal. This enables staff to talk about the child, reflect on their working practice and discuss their own development needs.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

The manager is a strong advocate for children. The manager and staff have established good working relationships with other professionals, such as teachers Inspection report for children’s home: 2750008 4 and social workers. Effective communication ensures that information is shared quickly, which helps to keep the child safe. Inspection report for children’s home: 2750008 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

within 5 days of the use of the measure, the registered person or the authorised person adds to the record confirmation that they have spoken to the child about the measure. (Regulation 35 (3)(c)) 11 November

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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: 2750008 6

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Children’s home details

Registered provider: Covy Children’s Homes Limited

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Children’s home details

Registered provider address: 97 High Street, Lees, Oldham OL4 4LY

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Inspector

Dave Carrigan, Social Care Inspector Inspection report for children’s home: 2750008 7 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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