Children's Home run by Norfolk County Council in Norfolk

Unique reference number SC068076 Inspector Michael Mulvaney Type of inspection Interim Provision subtype Children's home

p.1

Registered person Norfolk County Council Children's Services Registered person address Norfolk County Council, Chief Executives County Hall, Martineau Lane NORWICH NR1 2DH Responsible individual Peter James Ronan Registered manager Aaron Peter Napper Date of last inspection 22/10/2014 2 of 5 Inspection date 25/03/2015

p.1

Previous inspection good Enforcement action since last inspection none

p.2

This inspection

This home was judged good at the last full inspection. At this interim inspection Ofsted judge that it has sustained effectiveness .

p.2

This inspection

The Registered Manager has addressed the recommendations made at the previous inspection. Policies have been updated to reflect the current practice in the home. This is a good home that shapes its practice to meet the needs of the young people who live here. This inspection has highlighted a shortfall in the process for reporting the activity of the home to Ofsted.

p.2

This inspection

Young people are safe in the home. They say they have a very good relationship with staff and they can talk to them about any concerns that they have. Staff provide care that meets young people’s specific needs, including education.

p.2

This inspection

The staff have worked hard to develop a considerate and nurturing environment for the young people. On-going training supports them in working safely with young people. Through joint work with external professionals, the staff have developed practice to manage behaviour calmly and consistently. Consequently, there have been no restraints since the previous inspection.

p.2

This inspection

Social workers consider that the staff have been ‘very good’ at building meaningful relationships with young people who previously struggled with attachments and relationships. Social workers describe communication as ‘brilliant’ with regular updates on the developments for the young people. They say that progress is made in helping young people to reduce stress. This has resulted in a reduction in damage to property.

p.2

This inspection

Recently there has been a reduction in the use of sanctions; staff use a restorative approach. This has helped young people to better understand the consequences of negative behaviour. The Registered Manager has reviewed and reflected on these sanctions to ensure that they are effective. 3 of 5 Careful auditing of care plans and risk assessments by the Registered Manager ensures that the records are clear. As a result, young people’s needs are identified and any changes acted on. This means that they are well cared for.

p.2

This inspection

There have been no complaints since the previous inspection; young people know and understand the complaints process. The Registered Manager has appropriately managed the one notification made to Ofsted since the last inspection.

p.3

This inspection

The home is well-maintained and has a good standard of decoration. Health and safety checks, including the fire prevention equipment are regularly undertaken. This helps to safeguard young people from these risks. The Registered Manager has robust safe recruitment processes in place. This means that all staff employed in the home are thoroughly vetted. There are routine checks on visitors to the home, which helps to protect young people from exposure to unsuitable adults.

p.3

This inspection

The Registered Manager has excellent communication with parents, social workers and other professionals. As a consequence, they understand the young people’s care needs very well and dedicated work is taking place with external professionals to develop the care packages in the home.

p.3

This inspection

The Registered Manager has completed effective internal audits, which highlight the good practice in the home and ensure that any shortfalls in practice are minimised. However, he has not routinely submitted these reports to Ofsted. This prevents Ofsted, as the regulator, from effectively monitoring the home. There is no significant impact on the care provided to the young people. 4 of 5

p.3

Information about this children’s home

This children’s home provides short-term placements and is owned and run by the local authority. It is registered for two young people with emotional or behavioural difficulties.

p.4

Inspection date Inspection type Inspection judgement

22/10/2014 Full good 27/02/2014 Interim good progress 28/10/2013 Full good 08/01/2013 Interim good progress

p.4

Statutory Requirements

This section sets out the actions which must be taken so that the registered person/s meets the Care Standards Act 2000, Children's Homes Regulations 2001 and the National Minimum Standards. The registered person(s) must comply with the given timescales.

p.4

Reg. Requirement Due date

(2001) supply to HMCI a report in respect of any review conducted by him for the purposes of paragraph (1), and make a copy of the report available on request to placing authorities where the placing authority is not the parent of a child accommodated in the home. (Regulation 34 (2)) 27/04/2015 Website: www.ofsted.gov.uk

p.4

Reg. Requirement Due date

This document may be reproduced in whole or in part for non-commercial educational purposes, provided that the information quoted is reproduced without adaptation and the source and date of publication are stated.

p.5

What inspection judgements mean

At the interim inspections we make a judgement on whether the home has improved in effectiveness, sustained effectiveness, or declined in effectiveness since the previous full inspection. This is in line with the Inspection of children’s homes: framework for inspection.

p.5

Information about this inspection

The purpose of this inspection is to assure children and young people, parents, the public, local authorities and government of the quality and standard of the service provided. The inspection was carried out under the Care Standards Act 2000 to assess the effectiveness of the service and to consider how well it complies with the relevant regulations and meets the national minimum standards.

p.5

Information about this inspection

The report details the main strengths, any areas for improvement, including any breaches of regulation, and any failure to meet national minimum standards. The judgements included in the report are made against the framework of inspection for children's homes.

p.5