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

Inspection report for children's home: SC397933 1 SC397933 Registered provider: Cove Care Residential 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 owned by a private company. It provides care for up to 2 children who may experience social and emotional difficulties.

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Information about this children’s home

The manager started in November 2025 and has applied to register with Ofsted.

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Information about this children’s home

The registered provider has recently appointed a new responsible individual, and Ofsted is currently checking that this person has the relevant capacity, experience and skills to carry out the role.

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Information about this children’s home

At the time of the inspection, one child was living in the home and spoke to the inspector. Another 2 children have left the home. This inspection focused on the experiences of all 3 children.

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Information about this children’s home

The inspector was aware during this inspection of a serious incident concerning a child that had occurred since the last inspection. While Ofsted does not have the power to investigate incidents of this kind, actions taken by the setting in response to the incident were considered (where appropriate) alongside other evidence available at the time of the inspection to inform the inspector’s judgements.

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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: 18 August 2025 Inspection report for children's home: SC397933 2 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: SC397933 3

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Inspection date Inspection type Inspection judgement

18/08/2025 Full Good 19/08/2024 Full Good 17/05/2023 Full Requires improvement to be good 08/06/2022 Full Good Inspection report for children's home: SC397933 4

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Summary of findings

Some children have positive experiences and make progress. However, shortfalls in leadership and management and in partnership working with external professionals impact on the quality of care provided to children. As a result, children are not being provided with a consistently good standard of care and support.

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improvement to be good

Since the last inspection, 2 children have moved out of the home, and one child is living in the home. The quality of care for some children is inconsistent, and some safeguarding and management systems require improvement. Consequently, these shortfalls have had some impact on children’s overall experiences of living in the home and their progress.

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improvement to be good

Care planning for children moving out of the home requires improvement. One child’s move out of the home was organised, and the child and their family member were involved in the planning. However, the change of plans for another child’s move was not managed sensitively, and communication with the local authority did not prioritise the child’s individual needs. As a result, the child did not experience a positive ending.

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improvement to be good

Staff are not consistent in helping children to develop positive relationships. This does not create a nurturing living environment where children feel safe and valued. Some staff do not have the necessary skills to help children share their views, wishes and feelings. This impacts on the quality of the care being provided to some children and their sense of belonging. One child said that ‘sometimes things are OK’.

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improvement to be good

When children experience difficulties in school, the manager liaises with education professionals to address these. However, when children experience barriers to accessing full-time education, the manager and staff team are not consistent in ensuring that children receive the appropriate support. This impacts on children’s learning and progress and has the potential to affect their future aspirations.

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improvement to be good

Children’s relationships with their family members are well supported by the manager and staff team. Two family members spoke positively about their communication with the manager and some staff members. Staff encourage children to take part in a variety of activities and day trips. One child said that they love going to the beach and swimming in the sea. This helps to develop children’s confidence and independence.

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improvement to be good

The home’s environment is comfortable, with decor and furnishings of a good standard. Children’s bedrooms are personalised with pictures, soft toys and photos. There is a spacious garden where children can relax and play. The child said that they enjoyed Inspection report for children's home: SC397933 5 exploring the garden and learning about the different trees. A family member said that the home’s location is ‘lovely’.

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improvement to be good

Leaders’ assessment processes for evaluating children’s needs and risks before they move in requires improvement. For example, before one child moved into the home, information relating to that child was 12 months out of date and the assessment of the child’s needs did not consider all the information provided. As a result, staff were not equipped with all the necessary information to help them understand the child’s needs and vulnerabilities.

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improvement to be good

Staff are supported by the clinical team to understand children’s needs. This includes reflective practice meetings and additional training to understand children’s needs. Despite this bespoke support, staff shared that boundaries for children are not consistent, and some staff did not know how the child’s clinical plan is being implemented. This does not help children to receive personalised care and support.

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improvement to be good

The manager communicates with the local authority designated officer when there are concerns and allegations about staff practice. However, the manager is not proactive in reporting their concerns when children’s social workers do not respond to allegations made by children. Also, they do not ensure that information from external professionals is received promptly to ensure children are being provided with the appropriate support. This does not help children to feel safe and confident in the adults responsible for their care.

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improvement to be good

When children go missing from home, staff carry out searches in the local area and work with the police to locate them. However, on 2 occasions, there were missed opportunities to help one child to learn about the risks in the community. The manager did not seek specialist external support for the child to reduce their risks and vulnerabilities.

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improvement to be good

Leaders have revised their safer recruitment processes. Staff are vetted and assessed as suitable before any appointment is confirmed. This helps to prevent unsuitable adults working with children.

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

The home has been without a registered manager since October 2025. The current manager has been supporting the home since November 2025 and became permanent in January 2026. Although the manager applied to register, they did not complete the application correctly which caused delay. This does not demonstrate effective leadership and has the potential to impact on children’s progress and their overall experiences in the home. Inspection report for children's home: SC397933 6 Staff speak positively about the support from the manager and the clinical team. This helps staff to feel valued and to develop their emotional resilience. This also enables the staff team to reflect on children’s individual needs. There are some concerns about staff sufficiency, as the home is being supported by staff from another home in the company. This has the potential to cause instability for children and impact on their quality of care.

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

Staff working in the home have either achieved their regulatory qualification or are enrolled to complete this within timescales. This ensures that children are being cared for by qualified staff. However, the manager recognises that further training for staff is required to develop their knowledge and practice in helping children to learn about the risks in the community.

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

Communication with external professionals is not consistent. One social worker said that communication had declined following the registered manager leaving. Another social worker shared concerns about the quality of communication and care being provided to some children. The manager, however, does attend and participate in multi-agency meetings to discuss the children’s needs.

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

Since the last inspection, leaders have revised their monitoring systems to review children’s progress and staff practice in the home. The reviews completed by senior managers are comprehensive and identify areas for improvement. However, the manager is not consistent in completing their reviews and identifies that this is an area for improvement. Inspection report for children's home: SC397933 7

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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;

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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

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)(iii)(v)(vi)(b))

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Requirement Due date

In particular, the registered person must ensure that staff understand children’s risks and vulnerabilities, how these may evolve and the support they need. Also, they must arrange specialist support for children when this is required to help reduce their risks and vulnerabilities. 30 June 2026 Inspection report for children's home: SC397933 8 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

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

ensure that staff work as a team where appropriate;

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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

ensure that the home has sufficient staff to provide care for 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;

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Requirement Due date

demonstrate that practice in the home is informed and improved by taking into account and acting on—

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Requirement Due date

research and developments in relation to the ways in which the needs of children are best met; and

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Requirement Due date

feedback on the experiences of children, including complaints received; 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)(a)(b)(c)(d)(e)(f)(g)(i)(ii)(h))

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Requirement Due date

In particular, the registered person must ensure that staff receive suitable training and support to enable them to have 30 June 2026 Inspection report for children's home: SC397933 9 the necessary skills to provide consistent care to children and protect them from harm. Also, monitoring systems must be used consistently to review children’s experiences and progress, staff sufficiency and practice.

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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

understand and apply the home’s statement of purpose;

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Requirement Due date

understand and apply the home’s statement of purpose;

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Requirement Due date

protect and promote each child’s welfare;

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Requirement Due date

treat each child with dignity and respect; and

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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. (Regulation 6 (1)(a)(b) (2)(a)(b)(i)(ii)(iii)(iv))

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Requirement Due date

In particular, the registered person must ensure that staff have the skills to support children’s equality, diversity and inclusion to ensure that they receive personalised care. Also, ensure that there is clear planning for children moving into and out of the home. 30 June 2026

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Requirement Due date

In meeting the quality standards, the registered person must, and must ensure that staff—

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Requirement Due date

seek to involve each child’s placing authority effectively in the child’s care, in accordance with the child’s relevant plans;

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Requirement Due date

seek to secure the input and services required to meet each child’s needs; 30 June 2026 Inspection report for children's home: SC397933 10 if the registered person considers, or staff consider, a placing authority’s or a relevant person’s performance or response to be inadequate in relation to their role, challenge the placing authority or the relevant person to seek to ensure that each child’s needs are met in accordance with the child’s relevant plans; and

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Requirement Due date

seek to develop and maintain effective professional relationships with such persons, bodies or organisations as the registered person considers appropriate having regard to the range of needs of children for whom it is intended that the children’s home is to provide care and accommodation. (Regulation 5 (a)(b)(c)(d))

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Information about this inspection

The inspector has 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: SC397933 11

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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: SC397933 12 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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