Children's Home run by Norfolk County Council 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:

 The young people benefit from positive and rewarding short breaks receiving care that is personalised to their changing needs

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The children's home provision is good because:

 A staff team who know them well cares for the young people. A passionate and inspiring management team leads them.

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The children's home provision is good because:

 There are good relationships with families.

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The children's home provision is good because:

 The home has effective working relationships with social workers and other professionals. External professionals are positive about the quality of care provided.

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The children's home provision is good because:

 The young people make progress within the home.

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The children's home provision is good because:

 There is a concerted effort to gain the views and opinions of young people who use the service.

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The children's home provision is good because:

 The young people engage in a wide range of activities that they may not experience otherwise.

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The children's home provision is good because:

 Careful planning takes place when young people first come to the home, whether in an emergency or as part of a scheduled stay.

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The children's home provision is good because:

 Too few staff have received training in safeguarding disabled children.

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The children's home provision is good because:

 The service does not routinely capture the views of young people following physical interventions.

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The children's home provision is good because:

 Some staff have not received sufficient formal supervision.

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The children's home provision is good because:

 The location risk assessment is not sufficiently detailed.

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The children's home provision is good because:

 In one instance the managers did not share a recording in the child protection log with the placing social worker.

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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 staff gain and refresh skills in safeguarding. This relates to staff receiving training in safeguarding disabled children. (The Guide to the Quality Standards, page 43 paragraph 9.12)  Ensure that any record made in the child protection concerns log is shared with the young person's social worker. (The Guide to the Quality Standards, page 44 paragraph 9.17)  Ensure that when a restraint is carried out, the child involved has been given the opportunity to express their feelings about the experience as soon as reasonably practical, but within 5 days. (The Guide to the Quality Standards, page 49 paragraph 9.59 )  Ensure that all staff receive supervision as outlined in the homes workforce plan and that a record of that supervision is kept. ( The Guide to the Quality Standards,

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Recommendations

page 61 paragraph 13.2)  Ensure that the review of the premises includes the identification of any risks and opportunities presented by the homes location. (The Guide to the Quality Standards, page 64 paragraph 15.1)

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Information about this children's home

This children's home is run by a local authority. The home provides short breaks for a maximum of nine children or young people. Children and young people accommodated have a learning, physical or sensory disability, multiple disabilities, or complex health needs.

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Recent inspection history

Inspection date Inspection type Inspection judgement

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Recent inspection history

16/03/2015 Interim Sustained effectiveness

p.5

Good

A consistent staff team, led by an inspirational management team cares for the young people. Some staff have recently left the service and others are currently off. However, the management team have dealt with these pressures in such a way as not to avoid a significant impact on the quality of care provided. Consequently the young people continue to receive support from a dependable staff team.

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Good

The staff know the young people well. They are able to speak knowledgably about them. The handover observed was thorough with good structure. The staff methodically discussed the young people, their needs and the associated risks. An occupational therapist reinforced that this was not an exception: ‘When I have been in there is always a good handover.’ This is particularly important as the staff work with a large number of young people, all of whom have different needs. At the handover staff agreed the shape of the shift in a collaborative way. Each staff member had an input. As a result the shift was well-structured and met the needs of the young people.

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Good

Feedback from professionals was consistently positive. A social worker stated: ‘I have been involved with the home for a number of years and cannot speak too highly of them.’ A link family worker said: ‘The homes attention to detail has impressed us. Families benefit from a rich experience.’ The staff are reported as being able to challenge practice they feel is not good enough. A social worker said: ‘They are not afraid to raise anything. They do not pass the buck. They see protection of children as being their responsibility and are not afraid to raise things with schools or families and they do this appropriately.’ This enables the home to work effectively with a range of professionals, including social workers, occupational therapists and education staff to ensure that they meet young people’s needs.

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Good

Interactions between staff and young people were relaxed and positive. The young people appeared comfortable in the company of staff and vice versa. When young people were behaving in ways that necessitated staff intervention, staff intervened in a purposeful, gentle and kind way. A professional said: ‘They understand the young people’s behaviour here. They want to find ways forward. They are attuned and sensitive. They pick up on the young people’s mood on arrival. They are able to pick up and adjust their approach.’ As a result young people benefit from care that is personalised and responsive to their changing needs. Case files offer a good picture of young people who come to stay in the home. Whilst there is no stand-alone short break plan, the collated information within the case files describe the individual needs of the young people. The young people have pen pictures which offer a concise overview of the young person. These are

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Good

particularly useful during handovers when staff use them to refresh their knowledge of each young person.

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Good

The staff attend young people’s reviews. They provide high quality reports and reflect the young people’s views. The staff work with the young person to gather these in advance. Professionals were positive about the contribution made by staff to review meetings. A social worker said: ‘They come to all of her reviews and they prepare comprehensive, thorough reports.’ Another said: ‘We have regularly reviewed the young person and there is always a full report from the home.’ Consequently the views of both the carers and the young person inform reviews. This enables a more comprehensive analysis of the effectiveness of the service provided.

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Good

The young people benefit from a wide range of leisure opportunities. Professionals report that young people get to experience a range of new activities that they would not otherwise be able to do. A head teacher said: ‘They do lots of things that the families could not do with them. They have a far more active social life than they would at home.’ As a result young people are able to broaden their range of social skills and benefit from exposure to new and exciting activities.

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Good

The young people benefit from home cooked food. The staff cater for individual dietary needs and incorporate the likes and dislikes of young people when preparing menus. A parent said: ‘When I mentioned his foods likes dislikes they were accommodating.’ The young peoples have a range of health needs and many require a large amount of medication. There have recently been two medication errors. The manager has responded to these thoroughly. She has undertaken a review of the medication procedure. This led to changes in the process and the management team reassessing the competency of all staff to administer medication. As a result young people are less at risk of medication errors in the future.

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Good

There is a concerted effort to gain the views and opinions of young people who use the service. There are routine weekly meetings that take place each Sunday as well a young people’s forum that occurs 3-4 times a year. Managers respond to these and it is clear that staff seek, hear and, crucially, act upon the views of young people. The young person’s guide is available in DVD. This is a very positive step. Judgement grade

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Good

A staff team who want to ensure they are safe supports the young people. The staff are aware of whistleblowing procedures and who to contact if they have concerns. New staff undergo appropriate recruitment checks. The young people are involved in the recruitment process. They have an input on who the manager appoints to work with them. These factors lessen the potential for the employment of inappropriate people, whilst reinforcing the message to young people that their views are important. Professionals report no concerns regarding safeguarding practice within the home.

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Good

When young people first come to the home, it is usually in a planned manner. A series of tea visits take place. The staff work in partnership with families and other professionals to plan these well. The parent of a young person who is in the process of being introduced to the home said: ‘The staff have got all the info they need. They are a lovely bunch of people.’ The home also provides emergency accommodation at short notice. A social worker spoke highly of the response from the home when an emergency admission needed to take place: ‘They were absolutely fabulous. She had not been here before but they got to know her really well. By the time she arrived they had decorated her room with things she liked. They made the transition so smooth for her during what was a very unsettling time.’

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Good

A missing from care protocol is in place with the local police. No young people have gone missing from the home. The level of staffing makes such an event unlikely but not impossible. There is no complacency and the staff are clear about what they would do if a young person did go missing. Regular fire drills and tests take place. This includes night time drills. Each young person has a personal emergency evacuation plan. The manager has completed a location risk assessment. This lacks depth and does not sufficiently reflect on some known issues or the risks or opportunities presented by the homes location.

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Good

The staff endeavour to promote positive behaviour. De-escalation techniques are used and staff are aware of the motivators that drive young people. The young people sometimes behave in such a way that a negative consequence occurs. The consequences imposed on young people are carefully considered. The link to the behaviour that has occurred is clear. The staff record these incidents in the consequences log. The records capture the young person’s perception of the sanction or their refusal to comment. On occasion it is necessary for staff to use physical interventions to ensure that they keep young people safe. The staff only use these interventions when it is appropriate to do so, and use them proportionately. However, there is little evidence of the team seeking young people’s views regarding the intervention. There are some practical difficulties in achieving this as a number of these instances have occurred at the transition point

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Good

into transport, leaving little opportunity for consultation and review. However, others have taken place at different times. As a result young people are missing out on the additional protection this provides.

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Good

The managers generally share child protection concerns with agencies as appropriate. Social workers report confidence in the way the home responds to concerns. A social worker said: ‘What the home is particularly good at is immediately informing me of any concerns they have and they are very clear in their communication of this.’ Despite this, in one instance the managers did not share with placing social workers a discussion with a parent that staff recorded in the child protection log. This was because the parent said they would be discussing the issue with the social worker, when in fact they did not. As a result the social worker may not have been aware of important information regarding the family and the service.

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Good

A motivated, committed, ambitious and experienced registered manager manages the home. She has been in post since 2009. An equally passionate and experienced deputy manager supports her. Both hold nursing qualifications. The manager also holds the NVQ Level 4. Together they create a working environment in which high aspirations are evident. A member of staff said: ‘The managers are very supportive. A good team comes from the top and I feel very well supported.’

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Good

The young people make progress as a result of their stays at the home. Consistent individual progress is not always easy to capture in a short break provision, but the home endeavours to achieve this. The young people all have individual objectives that staff are supporting them to work towards. The staff agree these objectives in partnership with the young person’s school. This enables a joined up approach to supporting young people’s goals.

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Good

Well attended and clearly recorded staff meetings take place. They provide staff with regular opportunities to discuss practice as a group and for managers to convey important messages in an effective and timely manner.

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Good

Staff have access to a range of training opportunities. This includes generic safeguarding and child protection training. Few staff have attended training in safeguarding disabled children. This is a result of the infrequent availability of the course. This is a concern given the nature of the service provided. Whilst staff were able to outline some of the factors that contribute to an increased vulnerability to abuse for disabled children they are missing out on the opportunity to develop, reinforce or reflect upon this as a result of the course only running once a year. The manager is aware of the increased risks around child sexual exploitation for young people with learning difficulties and is liaising with an external organisation to identify training opportunities.

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Good

Supervisions have not happened as frequently as they should for some staff, night staff in particular. One new member of night staff only had her first supervision in August after starting in post in May. This is in conflict with the homes own workforce development plan that states, new employees: ‘will be offered regular formal and informal supervisions for the first 6 month period.’ The managers do not routinely monitor the quality of supervision records and were unaware that another member of night staff had only one supervision record on her file for the past year. Whilst the supervision log suggests that some additional supervision has taken place there is no record of these discussion on the staff members file. As a result some staff are not benefitting from the level of supervisory support that they should receive.

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Good

Notwithstanding the monitoring of the quality of supervision records, there are generally robust monitoring arrangements in place within the home. An independent person with considerable experience of working with people with learning disabilities undertakes monthly monitoring visits. The manager completes thorough six-monthly reviews of the quality of care and a development plan is in place. This monitors whether the home is achieving its aims and objectives as set out in its statement of purpose. The management team complete daily audits on some key tasks. As a result the management team are able to monitor practice and have an understanding of the homes strengths and areas for improvement.

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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. 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

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 Policy Team,

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Information about this inspection

The National Archives, Kew, London TW9 4DU, or email: psi@nationalarchives.gsi.gov.uk .

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Information about this inspection

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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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