Children's Home run by Coventry City Council in Coventry

Inspection report for children's home: 1278806 1 Registered provider: Coventry City Council Full inspection Inspected under the social care common inspection framework

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Information about this children's home

This local authority managed children's home provides care for up to 4 children who may experience social and/or emotional difficulties.

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Information about this children's home

The manager registered with Ofsted in March 2024 and is suitably qualified.

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Information about this children's home

At the time of this inspection, 2 children were living in the home and spoke with the inspector.

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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

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: 1278806 2

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Inspection date Inspection type Inspection judgement

16/07/2025 Full Good 30/09/2024 Full Good 27/06/2023 Full Requires improvement to be good 23/11/2022 Full Requires improvement to be good Inspection report for children's home: 1278806 3

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Summary of findings

Children are settled and making some progress. However, shortfalls within leadership systems and management oversight have had an impact on children's overall experiences. For example, shortfalls relating to children's risk management, staffing arrangements and children's relationships with staff have impacted on the quality and consistency of the care that children receive. As a result, there have been a high number of significant incidents in the home, and staff and leaders are not yet delivering a consistently good standard of care for all children.

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improvement to be good

Overall, children are safe in the home. Both children said they felt safe and that they have positive relationships with staff. However, there have been prolonged periods of absence within the management team. This has had a detrimental impact on the consistency of leadership, staffing and team morale, which has had an impact on children's experiences. The leadership team is aware of, and has taken steps to address, these shortfalls, but these systems are not yet fully imbedded.

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improvement to be good

Children do not always receive consistent care. At times, they have been cared for by staff who are unfamiliar to them and who do not always have a clear understanding of their individual needs. As a result, staff responses are inconsistent and vary in approach. The lack of consistency and meaningful relationships with children have contributed to an increase in significant incidents within the home, which, at times, has caused a disruptive and chaotic atmosphere for children.

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improvement to be good

Staff do not consistently help children to establish and maintain positive daily routines. They are not proactive in ensuring that children are up and ready to attend education or to engage in meaningful extracurricular activities. As a result, children do not benefit from the structure and routine needed to support their daily lives.

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improvement to be good

The home's environment is clean, tidy and generally well maintained. However, some areas remain bare and lack personalisation. In addition, window restrictors on downstairs windows, which are not always needed, and excessive health and safety signage create an institutional feeling within the home.

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improvement to be good

Children's moves into and out of the home are well planned. Staff work collaboratively with children, ensuring that they are involved in planning their moves in a way that reflects their individual needs. Children are provided with clear, accessible information about their new homes and, where possible, are given opportunities to visit and meet staff in advance. As a result, children are well prepared for change, which minimises anxiety and supports their emotional wellbeing. Inspection report for children's home: 1278806 4 Children are supported to develop independent living skills and receive appropriate support when moving on. Staff help children to develop their skills in areas such as cooking, budgeting, managing appointments and maintaining a home effectively. Additionally, staff maintain supportive relationships with children after they leave the home. This provides children with reassurance and helps them to feel more confident as

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improvement to be good

Since the last inspection, there has been a high number of significant incidents. At times, an inconsistent, inexperienced and insufficiently skilled staff team has been unable to manage these incidents effectively. Staff interactions with children do not consistently align with the therapeutic approach promoted by leaders. Staff do not implement clear boundaries and are inconsistent in their responses to children. As a result, children's experiences can be unsettled and unpredictable.

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improvement to be good

Physical intervention is rarely used with children. However, staff do not consistently demonstrate the skills or confidence to de-escalate challenging situations or to use physical intervention when required. As a result, incidents have been frequent and prolonged, leading to staff sustaining injuries and children being exposed to episodes of physical and verbal aggression, which has led to police involvement. Children are not supported to manage their emotions effectively and are at risk of potential criminalisation due to a reliance on police intervention to manage incidents.

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improvement to be good

Children do not consistently receive consequences that are proportionate or meaningful. Staff do not always demonstrate sufficient understanding of children's individual needs or the impact of the strategies they use. For example, one child was prevented from travelling in a car, despite this being identified as a strategy to support their emotional wellbeing. As a result, children can feel resentful towards staff, which impacts on relationships and limits opportunities for meaningful learning. Despite these shortfalls, children's achievements are recognised and celebrated through praise, rewards and activities. This helps children to feel valued and promotes their self-esteem and positive sense of achievement.

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improvement to be good

When children go missing from the home, staff respond appropriately. They take prompt action to search for children, notify the police and relevant professionals, and ensure that children receive appropriate support and reassurance when they return. This helps children to feel wanted, cared for and safe.

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

Since the last inspection, on occasion, the registered manager and deputy manager have been absent from the home. This has reduced the consistency of oversight and management presence within the home. This has caused children to feel unsettled and had a detrimental impact on staff morale and team dynamics, leading to staff leaving Inspection report for children's home: 1278806 5 and being absent from work. As a result, the quality of care provided to children has not been consistently good, and their experiences have been affected. However, senior leaders are aware of these issues and are taking action to address these concerns through the recruitment of new staff and by changing the culture within the team.

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

Management oversight of children's care and safety is improving but is not yet consistently embedded. The registered manager's monitoring systems lack sufficiently robust evaluation and analysis to identify patterns, provide clear guidance to staff and drive sustained improvements in staff practice. As a result, opportunities to learn from incidents and improve the quality of care are not fully utilised. However, leaders recognise these shortfalls and have begun to take appropriate steps to address them.

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

Feedback from professionals about the care that children receive is mixed. Professionals reported that a lack of suitably skilled and experienced staff available to meet children's needs has, at times, impacted on the consistency and quality of care. However, professionals also acknowledge the recent changes implemented by leaders and managers and speak positively about the early impact these improvements are starting to have on children's experiences.

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

Leaders and managers have implemented additional training to develop staff practice. For example, staff are now completing training in relation to therapeutic practice, effective recording and reflective, clinical supervision. In addition, leaders are using supervision to upskill and support staff to deliver care that is in line with children's needs. Inspection report for children's home: 1278806 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

have the skills to identify and act upon signs that a child is at risk of harm;

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Requirement Due date

manage relationships between children to prevent them from harming each other; and

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Requirement Due date

take effective action whenever there is a serious concern about a child's welfare. (Regulation 12 (1) (2)(a)(i)(iii)(iv)(vi))

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Requirement Due date

In particular, the registered person must ensure that staff have the skills, experience and knowledge to meet children's individual needs. Staff must understand how best to communicate with children in line with their needs and ensure that their responses are appropriate. Staff must be skilled in managing risk and de- escalating incidents in a manner that does not place themselves or children at risk of harm. 11 June 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

promotes their welfare. 11 June 2026 Inspection report for children's home: 1278806 7 In particular, the standard in paragraph (1) requires the registered person to—

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Requirement Due date

lead and manage the home in a way that is consistent with the approach and ethos, and delivers the outcomes, set out in the home's statement of purpose;

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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;

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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)(a)(f)(h))

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Requirement Due date

In particular, the registered person must ensure that they have effective oversight of children's incidents in the home. Leaders must ensure that they identify opportunities to address and improve staff practice through their monitoring and oversight.

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Requirement Due date

This requirement was made at the last inspection and is restated.

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Requirement Due date

No measure of control or discipline which is excessive or unreasonable may be used in relation to any child. (Regulation 19 (1))

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Requirement Due date

In particular, the registered person must ensure that consequences used with children are proportionate, restorative and related to the behaviours that warrant the consequence.

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Requirement Due date

This requirement was made at the last inspection and is restated. 11 June 2026

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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— 11 June 2026 Inspection report for children's home: 1278806 8 that staff—

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Requirement Due date

meet each child's behavioural and emotional needs, as set out in the child's relevant plans;

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Requirement Due date

help each child to develop socially aware behaviour;

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Requirement Due date

encourage each child to take responsibility for the child's behaviour, in accordance with the child's age and understanding;

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Requirement Due date

help each child to develop and practise skills to resolve conflicts positively and without harm to anyone;

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Requirement Due date

communicate to each child expectations about the child's behaviour and ensure that the child understands those expectations in accordance with the child's age and understanding;

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Requirement Due date

strive to gain each child's respect and trust;

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Requirement Due date

understand how children's previous experiences and present emotions can be communicated through behaviour and have the competence and skills to interpret these and develop positive relationships with children;

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Requirement Due date

de-escalate confrontations with or between children, or potentially violent behaviour by children; and

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Requirement Due date

that each child is encouraged to build and maintain positive relationships with others. (Regulation 11 (1)(a)(b)(c) (2)(a)(i)(ii)(iii)(iv)(v)(viii)(ix)(xi)(b))

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Requirement Due date

In particular, the registered person must ensure that staff build positive, trusting relationships with children. Staff must understand children's past experiences and the connection between past traumas and their presenting behaviours to allow them to be able to offer children trauma-informed responses. Staff must also ensure that they communicate with children in line with their level of understanding to develop meaningful relationships.

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Recommendations

 The registered person should ensure that children are offered a wide range of activities both inside and outside of the home and are encouraged to participate in those activities. Staff should support children to take part in hobbies and leisure Inspection report for children's home: 1278806 9 activities. ('Guide to the Children's Homes Regulations, including quality standards', page 31, paragraph 6.5)  The registered person should ensure that the home is a nurturing environment that meets the needs of the children. In particular, they should ensure that the home is maintained to a good standard and furniture in children's bedrooms is repaired or replaced as necessary. The home should seek as far as possible to maintain a domestic rather than institutional impression, specifically in relation to ground floor window restrictors. ('Guide to the Children's Homes Regulations, including the quality standards', page 15, paragraph 3.9)

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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: 1278806 10

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Children's home details

Registered provider: Coventry City Council

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Children's home details

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

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Inspector

Menaka De Silva, Social Care Inspector Inspection report for children's home: 1278806 11 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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Inspector

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