Children's Home run by Coventry City Council in Coventry

Inspection report for children’s home: SC414347 1 SC414347 Registered provider: Coventry City Council

p.1

Full inspection Inspected under the social care common inspection framework

p.1

Information about this children’s home

This local authority managed children’s home provides care for up to four children who may experience social and/or emotional difficulties.

p.1

Information about this children’s home

At the time of this inspection, three children were living in the home, and two children spoke with the inspector.

p.1

Information about this children’s home

The manager has been registered since July 2012 and is suitably qualified.

p.1

Overall experiences and progress of

children and young people, taking into account

p.1

good

How well children and young people are helped and protected good

p.1

good

The effectiveness of leaders and managers good

p.1

good

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

p.1

good

Date of last inspection: 11 November 2024

p.1

good

Overall judgement at last inspection: good

p.1

good

Enforcement action since last inspection: none Inspection report for children’s home: SC414347 2

p.1

Inspection date Inspection type Inspection judgement

11/11/2024 Full Good 06/03/2024 Full Good 23/01/2023 Full Good 15/03/2022 Full Good Inspection report for children’s home: SC414347 3

p.2

Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

All children are making progress from their individual starting points. Staff have a good understanding of each child’s needs and are committed to supporting them to make progress across all areas of their lives.

p.3

Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Staff prioritise children’s education. They encourage them to engage in education on a daily basis. They use creative approaches to spark children’s interest by exploring their aspirations with them. For example, staff supported one child to visit local garages and meet with car mechanics to learn more about the profession. This helped the child understand the qualifications needed to become a mechanic and led to them engaging with a tutor once a week. One child who previously struggled to stay in school is now attending full time. Another child has completed their GCSEs and is preparing to attend college.

p.3

Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Children’s wishes and feelings are valued and acted on. Staff use a variety of methods to capture children’s wishes and feelings. Children are also involved in the recruitment and annual appraisals of staff. Children provide questions for prospective members of staff and feedback on existing staff, which the manager uses to inform decisions. As a result, children feel heard and are actively involved in decisions about their home and the staff who care for them. This promotes children’s sense of inclusion and enhances their self-worth.

p.3

Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Staff offer children a variety of activities and experiences in line with their interests. Children have been on holidays, attended football clubs, concerts, darts and laser tag. Children are able to enjoy new experiences and develop hobbies while also enhancing their social skills. These experiences help children to feel worthy and valued while having fun.

p.3

Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Staff support children to spend time with people that are important to them. Staff are proactive in planning for children to meet friends and family. This enables children to maintain family connections and develop their sense of identity.

p.3

Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Children have positive, trusting relationships with staff. Children speak to staff about how they are feeling and ask for support when needed. Children present as relaxed and comfortable in the presence of staff. One child said the best thing about the home was ‘feeling cared for by staff’.

p.3

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

Staff have a good understanding of children’s risks and manage them well. Staff consistently follow risk management protocols to ensure children’s safety and well- being within the home and in the community. Staff communicate all concerns with children’s professional network to ensure that safeguarding responses are consistent. Inspection report for children’s home: SC414347 4 This helps children feel cared for and supported to manage situations that potentially pose a risk to them.

p.3

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

Children rarely go missing from the home. When one child did go missing, staff followed the correct procedures and worked closely with other professionals to share information and locate the child swiftly. Staff provide children with opportunities to reflect and learn from incidents, which helps to support their understanding.

p.4

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

Allegations made by children are responded to appropriately. The manager investigates all concerns thoroughly, takes necessary action and ensures that children are provided with clear outcomes. This helps children to feel listened to and confident in raising any worries or concerns they may have.

p.4

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

Physical interventions are low in level and generally well managed. However, some staff lack the necessary skills in de-escalation, which has resulted in incidents escalating unnecessarily and requiring physical intervention. On occasion, staff do not respond effectively to children when they are in a heightened state. Consequently, staff do not always provide the emotional support children need to help them regulate their feelings effectively.

p.4

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

Staff recognise and celebrate children’s achievements and positive behaviours. Children receive small gifts, activities and positive praise to recognise and reinforce their achievements. This supports children in developing their self-esteem. However, children receive some consequences that are not always proportionate to their actions. This can be confusing for children and does not offer consistency. The manager maintains a good oversight of the use of consequences and will intervene when they consider a response to be inappropriate or disproportionate.

p.4

The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

The registered manager is highly experienced, confident and child focused. She is reflective and strives to improve staff practice while providing strong leadership. She has a genuine desire to improve the outcomes and experiences for children. The registered manager actively spends time with children and has positive relationships with them.

p.4

The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

The registered manager has strong oversight of the home. Her oversight is reflective and ensures that learning is taken from all incidents and interactions between children and staff. Staff receive regular supervision sessions. These are used as an opportunity to share information, reflect and address staff practice.

p.4

The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

Staff receive a wide range of training, including specialist training tailored to meet the individual needs of children. The manager promotes a culture of reflection and continuous learning, which supports staff to develop their practice and improve the quality of care provided. Inspection report for children’s home: SC414347 5 Staff feel well supported and able to approach the manager with any issues they have. Staff speak warmly about the manager and their experiences in the home. Feedback from external professionals is very positive. A teacher shared that communication and collaborative working are strengths of the home.

p.4

The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

There has been a shortage of permanent staff due to sickness and staff turnover. This has placed additional pressure on the existing team. The manager is actively recruiting, and although progress has been made, some vacancies remain. To minimise disruption, the manager ensures that each shift includes a permanent or senior member of staff. This helps to maintain consistency and continuity of care for children.

p.5

The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

Due to staff shortages, the manager has worked within the home to cover shifts. This has limited her capacity to complete some management tasks, such as updating the home’s statement of purpose, which is currently out of date. The manager receives informal supervision as needed but has not had formal supervision for six months, and her annual appraisal has not been completed. As a result, the manager does not have regular opportunities to reflect on her practice or receive structured support from senior leaders. Inspection report for children’s home: SC414347 6

p.5

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.6

Requirement Due date

The registered person must compile in relation to the children’s home a statement (“the statement of purpose”) which covers the matters listed in Schedule 1.

p.6

Requirement Due date

keep the statement of purpose under review and, where appropriate, revise it; and

p.6

Requirement Due date

notify HMCI of any revisions and send HMCI a copy of the revised statement within 28 days of the revision. (Regulation 16 (1) (3)(a)(b)) 30 July 2025

p.6

Recommendations

 The registered person should ensure that staff are supported to gain skills and experience that enable them to actively support each child to achieve their potential. They should ensure that staff understand and can meet each child’s needs, in line with their responsibilities. In particular, this is related to the registered manager ensuring that all staff have the skills to de-escalate situations effectively. (‘Guide to the Children’s Homes Regulations, including the quality standards’, page 52, paragraph 10.5)  The registered person should ensure that they have systems in place so that all staff, including the manager, receive supervision of their practice from an appropriately qualified and experienced professional, which allows them to reflect on their practice and the needs of the children assigned to their care. In particular, this relates to the registered manager receiving regular supervision. (‘Guide to the

p.6

Recommendations

Children’s Homes Regulations, including the quality standards’, page 61, paragraph 13.2) Inspection report for children’s home: SC414347 7

p.6

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: SC414347 8

p.7

Children’s home details

Registered provider: Coventry City Council

p.8

Children’s home details

Registered provider address: Po Box 7097, Coventry CV6 9SL

p.8

Inspector

Menaka De Silva, Social Care Inspector Inspection report for children’s home: SC414347 9 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 children looked after, safeguarding and child protection.

p.8

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 . 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.9

Inspector

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

p.9

Inspector

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

p.9