Children's Home run by BREAK in Norfolk

Good

The children's home provides effective services that meet the requirements for good.

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The children's home provision is good because:

 Young people benefit from individual care that is focused on their individual needs.  Attendance and support of education is good.  Young people are unanimously positive about their experience of living in the home.  There are strong, supportive and established relationships between young people and staff.  There is a permanent experienced staff team providing young people with continuity of care.  The standard, quality and upkeep of the physical environment is good.  The staff team are directed and led by a manager who demonstrates good leadership and a strong drive to improve the home.  The complaints record in the home has not been maintained in one instance.  External monitoring lacks depth and consultation.  Records in particular key working records are not consistent in quality.  There are aspects of the environment that have been restricted following risk assessment, however, the review and record of this assessment has not

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The children's home provision is good because:

been made clear.  The shortfalls detailed relate to monitoring and records. Priority has been given to improving outcomes for young people and this has been successful.

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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 (England) Regulations 2015 and the Guide to the children's homes regulations including the quality standards. The registered person(s) must comply with the given timescales.

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Requirement Due date

The registered person must ensure that a record is made of any complaint, the action taken in response and the outcome of any investigation (Regulation 39 (3)) 30/11/2015

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Requirement Due date

The registered person must help the independent person interview in private such of the children, their parents, relatives and persons working at the home (Regulation 44 (2)(a)) 31/12/2015

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Recommendations

To improve the quality and standards of care further the service should take account of the following recommendation(s):  Ensure that just as in a family home, children should be able to access all shared areas of their home unless there are specific reasons why this would not meet a child's needs. Limits on privacy and access may only be put in place to safeguard each child in the home (regulation 21(c)(i)). Any decisions to limit a child's access to any area of the home and any modifications to the environment of the home, must only be made where this is intended to safeguard the child's welfare. All decisions should be informed by a rigorous assessment of that individual child's needs, be properly recorded and be kept under regular review (The Guide to the Quality Standards, page 15 paragraph 3.10)

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Recommendations

 Ensure staff are familiar with the home's policies on record keeping and understand the importance of careful, objective, and clear recording. Staff should record information on individual children in a non- stigmatising way that distinguishes between fact, opinion and third-party information. Information about the child must always be recorded in a way that will be helpful to the child. (The Guide to the Quality Standards, page 62 paragraph 14.4)

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Information about this children's home

The home is operated by a charitable organisation and provides care for up to four young people who have emotional and behavioural difficulties.

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Recent inspection history

Inspection date Inspection type Inspection judgement

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Recent inspection history

16/02/2015 Interim Improved Effectiveness

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Good

Young people receive highly individualised care. They have all made good progress in relation to their starting points. Staff are proud of young people and the progress they have made. Young people are confident in the knowledge that staff actively support them and genuinely care about them. The rapport and relationships staff have with young people are very positive. Young people thoroughly enjoy a variety of activities and quality time in the local community and further afield. This gives young people new experiences and helps them build positive memories.

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Good

Staff generally capture quality time spent with young people in key working records. Although, the quality of these records vary and while some are reflective and raise action point others do not resulting in objectives for some young people being unclear.

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Good

Young people are comforted in the knowledge that staff are all genuine and caring. One young person said: ‘Every single staff member in this home has a heart’. Young people all named staff that have made a significant difference to their lives likening these attachments to parental support. This helps young people feel secure and valued.

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Good

Young people all attend educational provision. Attendance is good for most young people and improving for those who did not previously attend. Routines in the home support attendance well. Particularly the manager who comes in early and in the words of young people: ‘Pesters us until we get up’. This helps young people benefit from a structured daily routine that supports achievement.

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Good

Young people are encouraged by staff to make their feelings known, however minor. These issues are recorded and responded to. Despite this the logging and record of these does not meet requirements as a complaint made by a young person was not made available. As the young person had received a response this does not presently impact on their care. Colourful and creative touches give the home a cosy and welcome feel. Bedrooms are furnished. This gives young people comfort in their environment and pride in their surroundings.

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Good

Belongings are safe and young people respect one another’s property and the house. There are some restrictions placed on access to food cupboards to support young people’s health and welfare. However, clear guidance on this has not been reviewed or made clear enough to staff. This has resulted in restrictions to areas that have not been discussed properly.

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Good

Young people all benefit from leading safer lifestyles since moving to the home. Individual and environmental risks are recognised and discussed with young people. This helps them increase their personal safety and awareness of danger. Staff implement risk assessments when incidents necessitate, however, these are occasional. There is no use of physical restraint although staff are trained in the event of needing to use this.

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Good

Young people’s risk taking behaviours have radically improved since being at the home. There have no incidents of self-harm for a continuous period, a reduction in incidents of young people missing from the home and no bullying incidents. Young people irritate one another at times, and staff respond with interventions and distractions that work successfully. At times consequences are given to help deter young people from unhelpful behaviours and help them take responsibility for their actions. These interventions are well thought through and non-punitive. Young people say that staff are fair and kind. They understand when they have made mistakes and are helped in a compassionate way to recognise these. This holistic approach helps contain behaviours and results in a settled home where all young people feel safe.

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Good

General maintenance of the home is very good. The environment is consistently kept in good working order and free from hazards. Fire practise evacuations are held as part of young people’s induction to the home. This protects young people from accidents and prepares them for potential incidents. Judgement grade

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Good

The home is led by a permanent registered manager who holds a Level 4 in management and has long term experience of managing services for children with emotional and behavioural difficulties. The manager leads staff by good example. He has worked consistently to drive the home forward providing a clear structure and focus on young people’s needs. This has succeeded in taking the home to a good judgment.

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Good

This home has had a number of managers who have failed to improve the quality of care; this previously contributed to low morale in the team. In contrast staff energy and enthusiasm is good resulting in an upbeat and confident team who work cohesively to help each young person make positive life changes.

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Good

The current staff team are fully complimented and supported by a good number of regular bank staff. This provide continuous care from known adults helping young people feel secure. Recruitment of new staff has been undertaken with the involvement and participation of the young people giving young people a role within the running of the home.

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Good

Staff are qualified and regularly upskilled to provide planned considered care that meets the need of each individual young person. Staff spoken to say they feel well supported and monitored by line managers. This ensures their performance is monitored. Training is on-going and equips staff for their role.

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Good

Staff advocate strongly for individuals representing their views and supporting young people to make their feelings known and raise their concerns. Young people are fully supported to record concerns and action has been taken to address these. Despite this, the investigating records of one complaint were not made available in the home’s complaint log. While these were made available on additional request, this does not provide a transparent overview of complaints made about the home.

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Good

The independent monitoring visits have been identified as poor and this has been addressed by appointment of a new visitor. However, monthly reports do not yet capture the views of young people their parents or professionals. Reducing opportunities to use feedback to assist improvement.

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Good

Feedback from social workers is very good. Social workers spoken to highlight good transition planning, high calibre staff and good quality care that has impacted positively on young people’s lives.

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What the inspection judgements mean

The experiences and progress of children and young people are at the centre of the inspection. Inspectors will use their professional judgement to determine the weight and significance of their findings in this respect. The judgements included in the report are made against Inspection of children's homes: framework for inspection.

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What the inspection judgements mean

An outstanding children's home provides highly effective services that contribute to significantly improved outcomes for children and young people who need help and protection and care. Their progress exceeds expectations and is sustained over time. A good children's home provides effective services that help, protect and care for children and young people and have their welfare safeguarded and promoted. In a children's home that requires improvement , there are no widespread or serious failures that create or leave children being harmed or at risk of harm. The welfare of looked after children is safeguarded and promoted. Minimum requirements are in place, however, the children's home is not yet delivering good protection, help and care for children and young people. A children's home that is inadequate is providing services where there are widespread or serious failures that create or leave children and young people being

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What the inspection judgements mean

harmed or at risk of harm or result in children looked after not having their welfare safeguarded and promoted.

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Information about this inspection

Inspectors have looked closely at the experiences and progress of children and young people living in the children's home. Inspectors considered the quality of work and the difference adults make to the lives of children and young people. They read case files, watched how professional staff work with children, young people and each other and discussed the effectiveness of help and care given to children and young people. Wherever possible, they talked to children, young people and their families. In addition the inspectors have tried to understand what the children's home knows about how well it is performing, how well it is doing and what difference it is making for the children and young people who it is trying to help, protect and look after. This 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 Children's

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Information about this inspection

Homes (England) Regulations 2015 and the Guide to the children's homes regulations including the quality standards. procedures set out in the guidance raising concerns and making complaints about Ofsted, which is available from Ofsted's website: www.gov.uk/government/organisations/ofsted . If you would like Ofsted to send you a copy of the guidance, please telephone 0300123 4234, or email enquiries@ofsted.gov.uk .

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Information about this inspection

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, workbased learning and skills training, adult and community learning, and education and training in prisons and other secure establishments. It inspects services for looked after children and child protection. If you would like a copy of this document in a different format, such as large print or Braille, please telephone 0300 123 4234, or email enquiries@ofsted.gov.uk . You may reuse this information (not including logos) free of charge in any format or medium, under the terms of the Open Government Licence. To view this licence, visit www.nationalarchives.gov.uk/doc/open-government-licence , write to the Information

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Information about this inspection

Policy Team, The National Archives, Kew, London TW9 4DU, or email: psi@nationalarchives.gsi.gov.uk . Interested in our work? You can subscribe to our monthly newsletter for more information and updates: http://eepurl.com/iTrDn .

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Information about this inspection

Store Street Manchester M1 2WD T: 0300 123 1231 Textphone: 0161 618 8524 E: enquiries@ofsted.gov.uk W: www.gov.uk/government/organisations/ofsted

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