Children's Home run by Cove Care – Residential Limited in Telford and Wrekin

Inspection report for children's home - monitoring visit: 1231311 1 Registered provider: Cove Care Residential Limited

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Inspected under the social care common inspection framework

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Information about this children’s home

The home is owned by a private company. It provides care for up to three children who may experience social and emotional difficulties.

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Information about this children’s home

At the time of the visit no children were living at the home.

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Information about this children’s home

The manager has applied to register with Ofsted.

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This monitoring visit

In August 2025, Ofsted imposed a condition on the home’s registration, which meant that the provider had to give Ofsted three months’ notice of their intention to welcome children into the home. The reasons for this were: the provider had no plans to move children into the home for some time, there were insufficient staff to operate the home safely, and there was no manager in post.

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This monitoring visit

Since the condition was imposed, the home has been acquired by a new company. The provider subsequently notified Ofsted in September 2025 of their intention to move children into the home. The purpose of this visit was to review the home’s readiness to open.

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This monitoring visit

The provider also applied to vary the conditions of registration to provide care for up to 3 children with learning disabilities. The statement of purpose has been updated to reflect the requested variation.

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This monitoring visit

A suitable manager has been appointed who is experienced in supporting children with learning disabilities. A new responsible individual and staff team have been appointed. The staff team are currently working in other children’s homes in the company where they are gaining experience and developing their practice.

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This monitoring visit

The home has been designed and furnished to provide a comfortable living environment for children. All outstanding repairs have been completed. There are Inspection report for children's home - monitoring visit: 1231311 2 plans to decorate the external areas of the house. There is a spacious garden for children to play. The garden requires ongoing maintenance to ensure this is kept safe for children.

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This monitoring visit

The system for overseeing safer recruitment has been updated. This ensures that all new staff have been safely recruited. All staff will be supported to achieve the regulatory qualifications. As a result, children will be cared for by adults who are considered to be suitable to work at the home.

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This monitoring visit

A suitably trained and experienced staff team has now been appointed. The staff team are undertaking training to care for and support children with learning disabilities. The clinical team will provide bespoke training when this is required before children move in. There is an induction programme in place for new staff.

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This monitoring visit

Children living in the home will be supported by a clinical and education team. These services will also provide support and guidance to staff and be involved in planning children’s moves into and out of the home.

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This monitoring visit

A new electronic recording system has been installed. Also, a quality assurance team will provide support to the manager and responsible individual to ensure there is clear management oversight of the children’s care, staff practice and the home.

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This monitoring visit

As a result of this visit, Ofsted lifted the three-month condition. Also, the application to vary the conditions for registration is approved.

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This monitoring visit

The previous requirements and recommendations were not considered during this visit and will be reviewed as part of the next inspection. Inspection report for children's home - monitoring visit: 1231311 3

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Inspection date Inspection type Inspection judgement

24/09/2024 Full Requires improvement to be good 04/06/2024 Full Inadequate 27/02/2024 Full Requires improvement to be good 12/12/2022 Full Good Inspection report for children's home - monitoring visit: 1231311 4

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Statutory requirements

This section sets out the actions that the registered person 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 must comply with the given timescales.

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Requirement Due date

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

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. (Regulation 8 (1) (2)(a)(vi)(viii))

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Requirement Due date

This requirement was raised at the last inspection and has been restated. 20 December 2024

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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. (Regulation 12 (1) (2)(a)(i)) 20 December 2024 Inspection report for children's home - monitoring visit: 1231311 5 This requirement was raised at the last inspection and has been restated.

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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;

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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 have the experience, qualifications and skills to meet the needs of each child;

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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)(c)(h))

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Requirement Due date

This requirement was raised at the last inspection and has been restated. 20 December 2024

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Recommendations

 The registered person should ensure that each child has an up-to-date health plan, take steps to encourage children to attend their annual health review and provide children with support in line with their needs about sexual health and relationships. (‘Guide to the Children’s Homes Regulations, including the quality standards,’ page 35, paragraph 7.18).  The registered person should ensure that staff should understand, for each child, what the placing authority has recorded in the relevant plan as an appropriate level of contact with family and friends and help to implement this. (‘Guide to the Children’s Homes Regulations, including the quality standards,’ page 38, paragraph 8.3).  The registered person should maintain good employment practice. This includes verifying qualifications and a person’s right to work in the UK as needed. (‘Guide to the Children’s Homes Regulations, including the quality standards,’ page 61,

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Recommendations

paragraph 13.1). Inspection report for children's home - monitoring visit: 1231311 6

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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: 1231311 7

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Children’s home details

Registered provider: Cove Care Residential Limited

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Children’s home details

Registered provider address: 147 Stamford Hill, London N16 5LG

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Inspector

Siân Heffey, Social Care Inspector Inspection report for children's home - monitoring visit: 1231311 8 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.

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Inspector

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Inspector

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Inspector

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