Children's Home run by Coventry City Council in Coventry

Inspection report for children’s home: SC414347 1 SC414347 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 in July 2012 and is suitably experienced and qualified.

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Information about this children’s home

At the time of this inspection, 3 children were living in the home, and 2 children spoke with the inspector.

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Information about this children’s home

Inspectors were aware during this inspection that serious child protection allegations were being investigated by the appropriate authorities. While Ofsted does not have the power to investigate allegations of this kind, actions taken by the setting in response to the allegations were considered (where appropriate) alongside other evidence available at the time of the inspection to inform inspectors’ judgements.

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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: SC414347 2

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Inspection date Inspection type Inspection judgement

18/06/2025 Full Good 11/11/2024 Full Good 06/03/2024 Full Good 23/01/2023 Full Good Inspection report for children’s home: SC414347 3

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Summary of findings

Since the last inspection, one child has moved into the home and one child has moved out. Two children have lived in the home for over 6 years; they are very settled and are making sustained progress. Children receive care that is in tune with their individual needs and promotes their safety and wellbeing. The registered manager has strong oversight of children’s care and is consistently striving to enhance staff practice and children’s overall experiences.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Children benefit from carefully planned transitions into the home. They are supported to visit beforehand, to meet staff and other children and to become familiar with their new environment. This approach helps to reduce anxiety and promotes a sense of inclusion, with children actively encouraged to contribute to decisions about their living arrangements.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Children are settled and make progress from their individual starting points. One child’s school attendance has significantly improved. In addition, staff have supported the child to manage their emotions more effectively. Another child is engaging well in college and, with staff support, has developed the skills and confidence to travel independently, cook, clean and budget in preparation for independence.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Children are provided with opportunities to pursue their interests, develop new skills and enjoy enriching activities. Children regularly attend football and rugby clubs, shared holidays with staff, outings to the cinema and various exhibitions. This contributes positively to their confidence, wellbeing and overall development.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Staff build trusting relationships with children and demonstrate a strong understanding of their individual needs. They respond appropriately, ensuring that children feel safe and supported. As a result, children are confident to share any worries or challenges, enabling staff to provide timely and effective support. Children speak positively of the staff, and one child described their experience of living in the home as ‘amazing’.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Staff maintain meaningful connections with children, including after they have moved on from the home. They offer continued support as children transition to independence, helping them to navigate new challenges successfully. Consequently, children feel well supported and develop a strong sense of belonging, both while living in the home and beyond.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

The home is clean and tidy and provides a welcoming and homely environment. Children’s bedrooms are personalised and reflect their individual tastes and personalities, which promotes a sense of identity and belonging. However, some areas Inspection report for children’s home: SC414347 4 of the home and garden require attention to ensure that the environment is consistently well maintained. In addition, the use of window restrictors on downstairs windows detracts slightly from the homely, family-style atmosphere that the registered manager seeks to provide.

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

Children rarely go missing from their home. When incidents do occur, staff respond promptly and take appropriate action to locate them. This includes actively searching for children, maintaining contact where possible and liaising with family members and the relevant professionals. When children return, staff welcome them back without judgement and ensure their safety and wellbeing. This supportive and nurturing approach helps children to feel cared for, valued and safe.

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

Children’s concerns and allegations are taken seriously and managed appropriately. Managers undertake thorough, robust investigations. Appropriate information is shared swiftly with the necessary professionals, and children are kept informed about the progress and outcomes of investigations. As a result, children are confident that their concerns are taken seriously.

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

When children become anxious, staff de-escalate situations and use their knowledge of children’s individual needs effectively. This reduces the need to use physical restraint. When this has been used, it is used safely and proportionately. However, on one occasion, a member of staff held a child incorrectly and failed to follow the necessary safeguarding procedures after the incident. As a result, the child was left vulnerable, without the appropriate support or care to ensure their safety and wellbeing.

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

Staff monitor children’s online safety through internet safety applications and regular phone checks. However, some staff lack confidence in completing robust phone checks to ensure that children are safe when using the internet. As a result, some children may be left vulnerable while using the internet.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

The home is led by an experienced registered manager who demonstrates a strong commitment to providing child-centred and therapeutic care. She has a clear focus on improving practice and consistently seeks opportunities to enhance the quality of care provided to children. She maintains a visible presence in the home and ensures that her oversight is reflected both in day-to-day practice and in written records. She has a thorough understanding of children’s individual needs alongside the strengths and development needs of her staff team, enabling her to lead the home effectively.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

Leaders and managers use monitoring systems to oversee all aspects of children’s care, and to drive improvements for children. This ensures that they have good oversight of children’s experiences and safety. As a result, managers were able to advocate for a Inspection report for children’s home: SC414347 5 child whose care plan was not in line with their needs and ensure the necessary changes were made.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

Staff report feeling well supported and speak positively about the manager and the deputy manager. There is an open culture that enables staff to raise concerns and seek guidance at any time. This promotes a transparent and supportive working environment.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

Staff receive regular supervision and attend team meetings, which provide opportunities to reflect on practice, share important information and develop their skills. As a result, staff feel valued and are better equipped to meet children’s needs.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

Feedback from professionals and family members is consistently positive. They highlight the staff’s and managers’ strong communication skills, understanding of children’s individual needs, advocacy and genuine care for the children. The stability provided by staff is also recognised as an important strength, alongside the progress that children have made.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

The manager has clear and purposeful plans in place to further develop the home. She ensures that staff are provided with a range of training and development opportunities, which supports their professional growth and strengthens their ability to meet the diverse needs of children. However, the manager does not yet receive consistent formal supervision, which limits the level of structured support and professional challenge and development available to her in her role. Inspection report for children’s home: SC414347 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

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

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Requirement Due date

understand the roles and responsibilities in relation to protecting children that are assigned to them by the registered person;

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Requirement Due date

take effective action whenever there is a serious concern about a child’s welfare; and

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Requirement Due date

are familiar with, and act in accordance with, the home’s child protection policies. (Regulation 12 (1) (2)(a)(iii)(v)(vi)(vii))

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Requirement Due date

In particular, the registered person must ensure that staff only use approved and trained holds when applying physical intervention. In addition, the registered person must ensure that staff report any allegations of harm or injury in line with the home’s child protection policies. The registered person must ensure that all staff have skills and knowledge regarding online safety and how to manage such risks, including effective device checks. 15 July 2026

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Requirement Due date

The registered person must ensure that all employees—

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Requirement Due date

undertake appropriate continuing professional development;

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Requirement Due date

receive practice-related supervision by a person with appropriate experience; and 15 July 2026 Inspection report for children’s home: SC414347 7 have their performance and fitness to perform their roles appraised at least once every year. (Regulation 33 (4)(a)(b)(c))

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Requirement Due date

In particular, the registered manager must be provided with formal supervision and an annual appraisal to ensure they have structured opportunities to reflect on their role and their practice and to maintain professional development.

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Recommendation

 The registered person should ensure that the home is a nurturing environment that meets the needs of the children. In particular, ensure that the home and garden are maintained to a good standard and that children have all necessary furniture in their bedrooms. The home should seek as far as possible to maintain a domestic rather than institutional impression, specifically in relation to the use of 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: SC414347 8

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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: SC414347 9 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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