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 registered manager in post, who started work at the home in February 2025. She was registered with Ofsted in June 2025.

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Information about this children’s home

At the time of this inspection, two children were 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

Overall judgement at last inspection: good

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good

Enforcement action since last inspection: none Inspection report for children’s home: 2750008 2

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Inspection date Inspection type Inspection judgement

02/10/2024 Full Good Inspection report for children’s home: 2750008 3

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Children receive consistently good care from staff who understand their individual needs. Children’s views, wishes, and feelings are central to daily life, enabling them to enjoy varied experiences and develop socially within a nurturing and respectful environment.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Strong, positive relationships exist between staff and children, even in the face of challenging behaviours. Staff remain committed and resilient, ensuring that these difficulties do not undermine the quality of care or the emotional connections they build with the children.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Staff demonstrate a good understanding of each child’s individual needs and show genuine interest in how best to support their development. This knowledge informs care planning and daily interactions that promote emotional well-being and personal growth, seeing children make progress.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Children benefit from clear, structured routines and planned activities, both within and outside the home. These experiences support their social development, emotional regulation, and sensory needs, helping them to feel secure and engaged. One child attends school regularly, while the other has experienced barriers to academic progress. Since the child’s placement, the manager has proactively supported their educational needs, leading to a coordinated response from professionals that secured specialist tuition in the home and updates to the child’s education plan.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Staff receive training to meet the specialist health needs of children. This includes specific training in areas such as diabetes management, ensuring children’s health needs are safely and competently supported. Family members are included in training to ensure that care is delivered with consistency and expertise, aligning the home’s approach with that of the family.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Children are supported to see family and those important to them. Where contact is not taking place, managers work with the local authority to advocate for appropriate planning and arrangements that prioritise the child’s emotional and relational needs.

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

Staff understand the specific needs of each child, including associated risks and how these may present in complex behaviours. Staff respond calmly and effectively to challenging situations, maintaining a child-centred approach that prioritises safety. As a result, the home provides a secure environment that supports children in developing their own sense of safety.

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

Children do not go missing from home. However, staff are trained and understand how to respond should this happen. Inspection report for children’s home: 2750008 4 Positive behaviour support plans are regularly updated to reflect each child’s evolving needs. These plans are shared across the staff team to ensure a consistent and informed approach to behaviour management.

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

Physical intervention has been used on several occasions, carried out solely by trained staff and only when necessary. Children receive debriefs following incidents, and the manager maintains oversight of all interventions, monitors staff practice, and promotes strategies to reduce the need for physical intervention.

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

For children in this setting, consistency is vital, as changes to routine can trigger emotional dysregulation. Staff recognise this and work proactively to maintain agreed schedules, reducing the likelihood of harmful incidents and promoting a sense of stability for children.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

The registered manager has introduced positive developments in the home. These improvements are recognised by external agencies, particularly in enhanced communication and greater staffing continuity for children.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

Despite ongoing challenges with staff retention and leadership transitions, the recent appointment of a new manager has brought much needed stability and positively influenced the home’s overall environment. Working closely with the deputy manager, they are actively implementing changes aimed at better meeting the needs of children and enhancing the consistency and quality of care.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

Leaders are aware of the home’s ongoing challenges and are taking steps to address them. This includes targeted recruitment, with roles tailored to meet specific needs, such as waking night support for health-related care.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

Staff speak positively about the leadership team. They describe the support as consistently available, contributing to a calmer, more welcoming working environment.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

Staff receive supervision, though its quality and effectiveness vary. Supervision records do not always reflect the depth of discussion or provide evidence of reflective practice. Improving the quality and documentation of supervision is a key area for development.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

Leaders have a strong understanding of each child’s needs and work collaboratively with external agencies. Where support falters, the manager advocates to ensure responses remain child focused and outcome driven.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

Family members and professionals speak positively about the registered manager and deputy manager’s proactive and hands-on approach, noting improvements since the change in management of the home. They are actively involved in care planning, attend key meetings, and maintain regular communication with external agencies. The Inspection report for children’s home: 2750008 5 responsible individual provides visible and effective support through routine visits to the home, oversight of practice, and direct engagement with staff and children.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

Managers respond swiftly and effectively to any inappropriate staff conduct or communication, ensuring a safe and respectful environment. This includes following safeguarding procedures, conducting thorough investigations, and, where necessary, dismissing staff following substantiated allegations. The registered manager maintains oversight of these processes to uphold high standards of care. Inspection report for children’s home: 2750008 6

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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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Recommendation

 The registered person should have systems in place to ensure that when staff receive supervision, they are reflective and structured. Staff should be given the opportunity to regularly reflect on their practice and the needs of the children assigned to their care, and for this to be reflected within their supervision record. (‘Guide to the Children’s Homes Regulations, including the quality standards’, page 61, paragraph 13.2)

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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 7

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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: 103 High Street, Lees, Oldham OL4 4LY

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Inspector

Paul McKay-Smith, Social Care Inspector Inspection report for children’s home: 2750008 8 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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