Children's Home, Residential special school run by Cotswold Chine School in Gloucestershire

Inspection report for children’s home: SC030367 1 SC030367 Registered provider: Cotswold Chine School

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Full inspection Inspected under the social care common inspection framework

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Information about this children’s home

This independent charitable school is also registered as a children’s home. It provides care for up to 42 children who have experienced social and emotional difficulties. The accommodation for children is provided across eight houses that are located at or near the school. The inspectors only inspected the social care provision at this site.

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Information about this children’s home

At the time of this inspection, 35 children were living at the home. Inspectors spent time with the children during their lunchtime and in the evenings.

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Information about this children’s home

There are two registered managers. One manager registered in May 2023 and is having some planned time off work. The second manager registered in May 2025.

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Overall experiences and progress of

children and young people, taking into account

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requires improvement to be good

How well children and young people are helped and protected requires improvement to be good

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requires improvement to be good

The effectiveness of leaders and managers requires improvement to be good

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requires improvement to be good

The children’s home is not yet delivering good help and care for children and young people. However, there are no serious or widespread failures that result in their welfare not being safeguarded or promoted.

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requires improvement to be good

Date of last inspection: 21 January 2025

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requires improvement to be good

Overall judgement at last inspection: good

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requires improvement to be good

Enforcement action since last inspection: none Inspection report for children’s home: SC030367 2

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Inspection date Inspection type Inspection judgement

21/01/2025 Full Good 24/01/2024 Full Good 29/11/2022 Full Requires improvement to be good 03/11/2021 Full Good Inspection report for children’s home: SC030367 3

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improvement to be good

All homes where children live were visited during this inspection.

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improvement to be good

Children’s progress and experiences are mixed. While some children are making good progress, other children’s progress has stalled. Children’s varied experiences are reflected in their feedback about what it is like to live at their home. Some children feel listened to, whereas others say that there are ‘too many rules’ and limited opportunities to spend time with their friends. Some children say that they feel safe, but others do not due to insufficient support from staff.

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improvement to be good

When staff spend time with children, their interactions are warm, friendly and kind. Children are supported to talk about the things that matter to them. However, when children make requests or raise concerns, they are not consistently shared with the relevant people in a timely way. As a result, children are not always kept informed about what is happening, and responses and resolutions are delayed.

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improvement to be good

Children are supported to engage positively in their learning and achieve in education. They are provided with opportunities to gain a range of qualifications and skills that are tailored to their age and ability. Children are also encouraged to consider their future career aspirations, and opportunities to participate in work experience placements are promoted.

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improvement to be good

Children are provided with access to child-focused services, including therapy, life-story work and activities that help them to build positive routines and a sense of stability. Flexible, personalised support helps children to understand their family relationships, experiences and identity.

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improvement to be good

The quality of the environments across the homes varies. Children are supported to personalise their bedrooms, which helps them to develop a sense of belonging. However, in some homes, institutionalised features and restrictive practices, such as sofa cushions and children’s games being locked away, detract from the homely environment. Repairs and refurbishments are not always completed in a timely manner or to a good standard.

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improvement to be good

Although staff know the children well, they do not always have the skills to reduce risk and help children to stay safe effectively. While some children are more able to express themselves and make safer choices, staff’s support for other children has been less effective and impactful. Inspection report for children’s home: SC030367 4 As the support that is offered to children is not always effective, the risk that they are exposed to can escalate and affect other children by redirecting staff’s attention. When staff provide additional support to individual children, others temporarily lose the support that they were receiving. As a result, children’s relationships with each other and staff become fractured.

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improvement to be good

When children go missing from home, staff do not always follow the agreed procedures due to gaps in staff’s understanding and insufficient staffing levels. There is a pattern of children going missing from home, particularly at night and without staff being aware. Although leaders and managers have identified this pattern, they have not taken robust action to prevent missing-from-home episodes. Leaders, managers and staff have not thoroughly considered the reasons for children going missing from home and have not made effective arrangements to reduce the push-and-pull factors.

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improvement to be good

When children raise concerns about their safety, swift action is taken to ensure that they receive the support they need. There is a strong multi-agency response, which involves children’s family members, carers and social workers. However, the learning from incidents and concerns identified by leaders and managers is not consistently shared with the wider staff team. This limits staff’s ability to proactively improve their practice to help children stay safe.

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improvement to be good

There is an ongoing, serious child protection allegation that is being investigated by external agencies. Although Ofsted does not have the power to investigate allegations of this kind, inspectors have requested updates to determine whether regulatory action is required. The immediate responses from leaders and managers have been appropriate, and they are working collaboratively with the multi-agency team. However, leaders and managers have not always shared relevant information with the team swiftly.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: requires improvement to be good

Children, their family members and staff consistently report that there are not always enough staff available to provide good-quality, consistent care to children. Although leaders and managers explain that staffing levels are sufficient, the variable skills and experiences of staff mean that children’s needs are not always met effectively.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: requires improvement to be good

The support that staff receive from leaders and managers is inconsistent. Management structures are complex, with responsibilities divided between several people. Consequently, the support provided to staff is disjointed, which impacts the quality of care that children receive.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: requires improvement to be good

Team meetings are not always helpful for staff. Opportunities to coordinate the care that is provided by staff across different homes are underdeveloped and ineffective. Staff are not always given sufficient opportunities to discuss and plan children’s care as a team. As a result, staff struggle to align their working practices, which leads to inconsistent care of children. Inspection report for children’s home: SC030367 5 Staff retention is an ongoing challenge, which further impacts stability for children. Leaders and managers are reviewing the processes for inducting new staff into the home. Although induction processes are comprehensive, some staff report that it can be overwhelming and does not equip them with the skills and knowledge that they require. Leaders and managers are reviewing the induction process and providing increased opportunities for staff reflection. Leaders and managers hope that this will help staff to

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: requires improvement to be good

feel more confident and supported in their role, reducing staff turnover and promoting continuity for children.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: requires improvement to be good

The registered manager is committed to improving the quality of care that is provided to children. Detailed staff development and performance plans have been implemented. While these improvements are necessary, they are not always welcomed by staff.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: requires improvement to be good

As some of the changes that have been made by leaders and managers are in their infancy, they cannot yet be tested for efficacy. Inspection report for children’s home: SC030367 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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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

help each child to understand how to keep safe; and

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Requirement Due date

that the home’s day-to-day care is arranged and delivered so as to keep each child safe and to protect each child effectively from harm. (Regulation 12 (1) (2)(a)(i)(ii)(b))

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Requirement Due date

In particular, the registered person must ensure that staff explore and understand the reasons that children go missing from home. Staff must provide care that mitigates these push- and-pull factors to reduce missing-from-home episodes. 27 February 2026

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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

ensure that staff work as a team where appropriate; 27 February 2026 Inspection report for children’s home: SC030367 7 ensure that staff have the experience, qualifications and skills to meet the needs of each child;

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Requirement Due date

ensure that the home’s workforce provides continuity of care to 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; and

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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)(b)(c)(e)(f)(h))

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Requirement Due date

In particular, the registered person must review and identify learning from incidents that occur. This learning must be shared with staff effectively. In addition, staff must be provided with opportunities to plan for and reflect on the care that they provide to ensure that children receive good-quality, consistent care that helps them to stay safe effectively.

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Requirement Due date

In addition, the registered person must ensure that staff have the skills and experience necessary to meet children’s needs and help them to stay safe effectively. There must always be a sufficient number of staff members available to promote predictability and continuity of care for children. Staff must be supported to work as a team.

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Requirement Due date

The positive relationships standard is that children are helped to develop, and to benefit from, relationships based on—

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Requirement Due date

an understanding about acceptable behaviour; and

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Requirement Due date

positive responses to other children and adults.

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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

meet each child’s behavioural and emotional needs, as set out in the child’s relevant plans; 27 February 2026 Inspection report for children’s home: SC030367 8 help each child to develop and practise skills to resolve conflicts positively and without harm to anyone; and

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Requirement Due date

help each child to develop the understanding and skills to recognise or withdraw from a damaging, exploitative or harmful relationship. (Regulation 11 (1)(a)(b)(c) (2)(a)(i)(iv)(b))

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Requirement Due date

In particular, the registered person must ensure that staff support children to express their thoughts and feelings in ways that prevent an escalation in risk. Staff must support children to understand the impact of their behaviours on others and take effective steps to mitigate this.

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Requirement Due date

The quality and purpose of care standard is that children receive care from staff who—

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Requirement Due date

understand the children’s home’s overall aims and the outcomes it seeks to achieve for children; and

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Requirement Due date

use this understanding to deliver care that meets children’s needs and supports them to fulfil their potential.

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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

provide personalised care that meets each child’s needs, as recorded in the child’s relevant plans, taking account of the child’s background; and

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Requirement Due date

provide to children living in the home the physical necessities they need in order to live there comfortably. (Regulation 6 (1)(a)(b) (2)(b)(iv)(vii))

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Requirement Due date

In particular, the registered manager must ensure that staff listen to children and provide them with safe and age- appropriate opportunities to spend time with their friends.

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Requirement Due date

In addition, the registered person must ensure that repairs and refurbishments to the home are completed swiftly and to a good standard. This includes children’s bedrooms. The registered person must seek to reduce the restrictions that are used in the home to promote a family-like environment for children. 27 February 2026 Inspection report for children’s home: SC030367 9

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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: SC030367 10

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Children’s home details

Provision sub-type: Residential special school

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Children’s home details

Registered provider: Cotswold Chine School

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Children’s home details

Registered manager: Valerie Gisselle Gomez Iraheta Timothy Makaruk

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Inspectors

Martin Brown, Social Care Inspector Karen Hallam, Social Care Inspector Clare Nixson, Regulatory Inspection Manager Inspection report for children’s home: SC030367 11 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.

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Inspectors

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Inspectors

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Inspectors

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