Children's Home run by Coven Care Homes Ltd in Staffordshire

Inspection report for children’s home: 2732578 1 Registered provider: Coven Care Homes Ltd

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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 home is operated by a private company. It is registered to provide care for up to 2 children who experience social and emotional difficulties and/or have learning disabilities.

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Information about this children’s home

The registered manager left the home in June 2026. A new permanent manager has been appointed, and they have applied to become registered.

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Information about this children’s home

At the time of the inspection, 1 child was living at the home. The child was present and spoke with inspectors.

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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: 17 December 2024

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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: Ofsted carried out a monitoring visit at the home on 1 April 2026. This was because the home had a 3-month condition attached to their registration, as they ceased to operate for a short period. This condition was lifted at the monitoring visit. Inspection report for children’s home: 2732578 2

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Inspection date Inspection type Inspection judgement

17/12/2024 Full Good 16/01/2024 Full Good Inspection report for children’s home: 2732578 3

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Summary of findings

Overall, the child has had a variable experience living at the home. While staff care has provided some good experiences for the child, their time at the home has been marked with a high level of instability. There has been a change of manager and some staff changes. This has reduced the consistency of care provided to the child. As a new staff team, there are weaknesses in staff experience and skills. This has led to shortfalls in their ability to manage the extent of the child’s needs and risks. As a result, the child will be moving on from the home. Leaders and managers are highly reflective and understand the areas for development at the home.

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improvement to be good

Leaders’ and managers’ assessments of the child’s needs and risks were insufficient when deciding to move the child to the home. Furthermore, they have not considered the inexperience of the newly formed staff team. As a result, staff do not currently have the level of skill or experience to meet the child’s needs, and the child will be moving on from the home after just a few months.

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improvement to be good

Staff have helped the child to build trusted relationships with them, and therefore, the child is keen to spend time in staff company. Staff provide care to the child that is respectful and nurturing. They create a sense of safety and acceptance where the child is able to express their identity in their chosen way.

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improvement to be good

Managers are working with partner agencies to establish education plans for the child. In the meantime, staff help children to access education in the home, including sitting an exam. Staff help the child to access routine and specialist health care. This ensures that they sustain good health and receive health care and services, as necessary.

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improvement to be good

Staff help the child to enjoy a range of activities and to pursue their interests. This has provided the child with some good experiences; this includes visits to the farm and zoo. Staff are interactive and spend time in activities with the child, such as playing ball games, doing art and craft and obstacle courses in the garden.

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improvement to be good

Managers and staff place a high emphasis on listening to the child’s views, wishes and feelings. This means the child has made day-to-day choices. For example, when choosing their bedroom décor, they enjoyed taking part in painting the wall in their chosen colour.

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improvement to be good

Staff promote the child’s use of verbal communication; however, they respect when the child adopts alternative methods of communication and take time to understand this approach. Managers have listened to the child’s views and advocated for them in relation Inspection report for children’s home: 2732578 4 to the time they spend with those important to them, helping to make this a positive experience.

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improvement to be good

Overall, the child’s plans identify key risks and outline what action staff must take to keep the child safe. Staff closely monitor the child to ensure their wellbeing and act when there are concerns. For example, when the child stops responding to their communication, they will enter the room to provide a visual check on their wellbeing. However, despite a known ligature risk, managers have not implemented routine room searches. This is a missed opportunity to increase the safety of the environment. During the inspection, a bag with a long strap was observed in the child’s bedroom. This could place the child at risk of harm.

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improvement to be good

Despite a high staffing ratio, the child has gone missing from staff supervision on 3 occasions. There are safeguarding concerns about their experiences during these times, which are yet to be fully understood. However, staff have acted in accordance with the child’s plans when they have been missing from the home. This includes actively searching for them and informing all relevant people of the incident. Managers have been thorough in their reflections, and additional measures have been implemented to reduce the risk of them going missing, for example planning the timing of walks and varying the locations.

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improvement to be good

There has been a very high number of times staff have physically intervened in the child’s behaviour. Managers do review all incidents and are appropriately concerned about the frequency. However, this does not provide a good experience for the child.

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improvement to be good

There are arrangements for the safe administration of medication. However, the child’s plans do not provide staff with guidance for the administration of ‘as and when required’ medication. This does not provide assurances that this is being used in accordance with clinical advice.

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improvement to be good

Managers and staff actively listen when the child shares disclosures and allegations. They take these very seriously and take necessary action in response. This includes providing reassurance and nurture to the child and reporting information to relevant agencies.

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improvement to be good

Staff understand the home’s therapeutic model of care, and they actively use this day to day. For example, staff are professionally curious when the child shares information, and they use playfulness to de-escalate heightened emotions. Staff help the child to develop strategies to support them to manage their emotions and anxieties, such as using journalling. Staff talk to the child about important and relevant topics to help them learn to keep safe, for example healthy and safe relationships. Inspection report for children’s home: 2732578 5

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

The members of the staff team were all new to the organisation when the home became operational in April 2026. There have since been further changes and use of staff from other homes and from an external agency. While these staff receive suitable introductions to the home, this reduces the quality and consistency of care. The child also voices that they are unsettled by unfamiliar staff being in their home.

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

The members of the current staff team are relatively inexperienced and there are a low number of qualified staff. This reduces the overall expertise of the staff team. Managers are taking action to promote their development through supervision, training, team reflection and workshops. However, there are delays in staff completing important training. For example, three staff members have not completed their deprivation of liberty training, which limits their understanding in this area.

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

The quality of management oversight is variable. At times, this is comprehensive and reflective. At other times, there can be a lack of clarity if learning is embedded, for example following incidents. The capacity of leaders and managers to have effective oversight is reduced due to the level of instability at the home.

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

Senior leaders responded swiftly when the registered manager left, redeploying another manager and a senior therapeutic lead to the home. This quickly stabilised the staff team. The manager at the home is being well supported by the responsible individual. Staff also feel well supported in their roles by leaders and managers at the home.

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

Leaders and managers, including the senior therapeutic practitioner, are excellent role models to the staff team, particularly in building and sustaining relationships with the child and embedding nurturing care in line with the home’s model of care. Managers and staff work effectively with partner agencies.

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

Leaders and managers have begun to reflect on the child’s journey and identify what lessons can be learned for future development at the home. Inspection report for children’s home: 2732578 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 that staff -

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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; 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)(v)(vi))

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Requirement Due date

This specifically relates to managers ensuring that the child’s plans clearly set out all actions staff must take to keep children safe.

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Requirement Due date

This also relates to ensuring that staff understand their responsibilities and act to keep the child safe at all times. 3 December 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 promotes their welfare.

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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; 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)(c)(e)(h)) 3 December 2026 Inspection report for children’s home: 2732578 7 This specifically relates to managers ensuring that the staff have the necessary level of skills and experience to meet the needs of the child living at the home.

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Requirement Due date

This also relates to managers having effective oversight of children’s experiences in order to develop the quality of care and make continuous improvements.

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Requirement Due date

The care planning standard is that children—

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Requirement Due date

receive effectively planned care in or through the children’s home; and

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Requirement Due date

have a positive experience of arriving at or moving on from the home.

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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

that children are admitted to the home only if their needs are within the range of needs of children for whom it is intended that the home is to provide care and accommodation, as set out in the home’s statement of purpose. (Regulation 14 (1)(a)(b) (2)(a))

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Requirement Due date

This specifically relates to managers ensuring that they make a thorough and realistic assessment before making the decision for a child to move to the home. 3 December 2026

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Recommendations

 The registered person should ensure that medicines, including ‘as and when required’ medication are administered in line with a medically approved protocol. (‘Guide to the Children’s Homes Regulations, including the quality standards’, page 35, paragraph 7.15)

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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: 2732578 8

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Children’s home details

Registered provider: Coven Care Homes Ltd

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Children’s home details

Registered provider address: 9 Cairns Drive, Stafford ST16 3PW

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Inspectors

Alison Snell, Social Care Inspector Nus Bibi, Social Care Inspector Inspection report for children’s home: 2732578 9 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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Inspectors

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Inspectors

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Inspectors

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