Children's home run by Norfolk County Council in Norwich

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:

 There is careful matching of young people stay together, reduces risks and also helps to ensure that young people’s needs can be met.  Young people build friendships and develop social skills through their stays at the home.  Young people have opportunities to take part in a wide range of activities which provide new experiences for them and help them to develop self-esteem.  Young people get real benefits from staying at the home and their families are also supported.  Introductions to the home are planned and take part at the young person’s pace.  Young people’s views are listened to and acted upon.  The home is very settled, so provides a calm and safe environment for young people to stay in.  There are good relationships between young people and staff.  Staff are effectively meeting the needs of young people with a wide range of needs. The young people are actively benefiting from their stays at the home.

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The children's home provision is good because:

 The home is well managed, with experiences and well qualified managers and staff.  Staff are trained to help them meet young people’s needs, this includes specific and individual needs.  Young people are at the centre of the work of the home  There are records including short break care plans and risk assessments, but in some cases these are not full and consistent.

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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

In order to meet the protection of children standard, with particular reference to risk assessments being full and accurate, the registered provider must ensure that staff:

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Requirement Due date

(2)(a)(i) 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. 31/03/2016

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Requirement Due date

The registered person must maintain records for each child which are kept up to date and signed and dated by the author of each entry. (Regulation 36(1)(b)(c)) 31/03/2016

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Information about this children's home

This local authority children’s home provides short-term breaks for young people of either gender with emotional and/or behavioural difficulties. Up to four young people can stay at the home at any one time.

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Recent inspection history

Inspection date Inspection type Inspection judgement

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Recent inspection history

07/12/2015 Interim Improved effectiveness

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Recent inspection history

09/07/2014 Interim Improved effectiveness

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Good

This service has been providing short-term breaks for young people with emotional and/or behaviour difficulties for nearly a year. They are providing these services for a wide range of young people, both in terms of age and need. By careful assessment and matching of which young people stay together they are providing effective and individualised care for young people. By the nature of short term breaks, young people spend the vast majority of their time being cared for by other people, mostly parents, but in some cases foster carers. These people remain responsible for many areas of the young people’s lives, such as health and education. The home’s input involvement in these areas can be quite limited. They have clear aims of what they set out to provide for young people and are effectively meeting these.

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Good

Young people take part in a wide range of activities including arts and crafts, watching DVDs with staff, cooking, trips to the cinema and roller skating, going out for a meal with staff and other visits. One young person spoke about a trip to London and a camping trip as two things they had enjoyed. The camping trip took place last summer. The camp was set up and young people came for their short stays as they would have done if they were going to the home. The young person said they played games and had campfires which they had enjoyed. This was a particularly good experience for young people to have. There are lots of photographs in the home of the trip and young people are also given photographs as keepsakes and reminders of what they have done. A worker from another agency spoke about the experiences which the young person had while staying at the home as ‘big things’ for him.

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Good

These activities are beneficial for young people in their own right and help them to develop self-esteem. Taking part in them with other young people, along with staying with them at the home helps to build friendships and develop social skills. This is a key aim for some of the young people who use the service. Staff encourage young people to come to joint decisions over things such as what they want to do. They also help them to manage disagreements. Consequently, some young people are able to develop social skills which will benefit them when at home, at school and in their wider lives. One young person spoke about a particular close friendship they had made while staying at the home. Taking part in activities with staff helps young people to build good relationships with those staff. Young people said they get on with staff and can talk to them. Other agencies and parents also spoke about the good relationships between young people and staff.

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Good

Parents spoke about how beneficial the stays have been. One said that: ‘It has been good for us and helped a lot.’

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Good

For some young people who use the service, a benefit is to have some space to themselves, emotionally and physically. In a comment for the review of the quality of care, one member of staff spoke about the importance for some young people of being able to spend time alone in their rooms. A worker from another agency said that the young person they work with benefits from going to the home and being able to be himself. Some young people also learn independence skills such as using public transport, cooking and shopping.

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Good

There is a process for referrals and introduction to the home. This allows young people to find out about the home before they visit and to visit before they stay. A placing social worker said that it has: ‘Been really good how staff included the young person in referral and planning process.’ They also said that the paperwork was very child-friendly and child-focused. The young person had an opportunity to talk to staff about his worries and ask his questions before he went to look around the home. Introductions are at the pace that young people can manage. For some this can be very slow, so that they can get to know staff and the home and feel comfortable before they begin overnight stays. Young people’s views are key in decisions about their stays at the home. Young people are able to give their views on matters such as their food preferences, the activities they do and the room that in which they stay. There are regular residents meetings, these have been moved

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Good

to week-ends so that more young people are able to take part in them.

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Good

Young people who use this service show very little risk taking behaviour. There have not been any instances of police involvement, young people going missing or making complaints. There have not been any physical interventions or sanctions since the last full inspection. For a very few young people there are some concerns over risky behaviours such as using drugs and alcohol, self-harming and being at potential risk of sexual exploitation. These are risks which they have shown in their substantive placements. For the most part these are recorded in their files and in particular in their risk assessments so that staff know about how to manage these risks. However, there are some issues which are not included in risk assessments and some records are not full or not consistent. Detailed handovers and regular discussions at team meetings help staff to know about young people, their needs and their potential risks. This goes some way to minimising the potential impact of

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Good

insufficiently clear or detailed records. However, due to the nature of short breaks, some staff may go for significant periods without working with an individual young person, so it is important that they have accurate and easy to refer to plans and risk assessments. There is good assessment of the potential impact that young people will have on each other. This allows the registered manager to make safe and effective decisions about the groups of young people who stay together.

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Good

Staff know about the potential risks for young people using the internet and social media. They supervise young people’s use of the internet and talk to them about using it safely. For some young people this is an area where they have been thought to be at risk, so the work which staff do helps to reduce this. There are safety procedures in place to make the home a safer place for young people to stay in. These include fire safety procedures and regular maintenance of the building. One parent described the home as a safe place for their child to go to. The good relationships which staff form with young people help to increase safety. Young people are more likely to take notice of the work which staff do and the conversations they have about keeping safe. Further, young people are more likely to be able to raise any areas of concern or any worries with staff. Young people said that they felt safe in the home.

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Good

There is not high level of challenging behaviour, as young people have a choice in whether they stay at the home. Nevertheless, if young people do show behaviour which can be challenging and staff manage this well. For some young people one of the aims of their time at the home is to be more able to manage their behaviour, so reducing the chances of their family or foster placements breaking down and the risk that they may have to become looked after or move placement. One parent spoke about how well this was working in their case. Staff impose boundaries which echo the parents so that the young person has consistent expectations of his behaviour. He is able to make improvements to his behaviour at the children’s home which he can replicate at his family home. His parent said he was initially on the point of going into care, but that things have worked well. They said that the staff ‘are on it’.

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Good

The home has a registered manager who has recently completed the Level 5 Diploma in Leadership and Management for Residential Childcare. She is also a qualified social worker. She is well experienced to carry out her role and has been at this home since it opened three years ago. Staff are appreciative of the management of the home, they feel well supported and clearly led. They are very much enjoying their new role in providing short-term breaks as they feel that they are able to make a significant difference to young people’s lives. The staff team is also well experienced and well qualified with eight out of twelve having completed their Level 3 National Vocational Qualification and three working towards it. There is a programme of training for staff which covers the core areas, but also includes specific training to meet young people’s individual needs. This includes training in delivering personal care and working with young people with epilepsy. The training

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Good

and experience of the managers and staff supports them to deliver effective care as set out in the home’s statement of purpose. Young people are making significant progress as a result of their stays at the home. Placing social workers and parents said that things are going really well. One parent said: ‘I can’t recommend (the home) highly enough.’ Young people are at the centre of practice and decisions made in the home. Staff show a high level of commitment to young people. Some staff went to see a young person in a play she was taking part in, even though this was not a part of the planned care which the home was providing. This meant a lot to the young person.

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Good

The home is now working with a much higher number of young people and maintaining effective case records for them has been a challenge for the manager and staff. The recording system is mostly effective in providing appropriate information for staff and to give young people an understanding of their past, should they wish to read their files in the future. However, some records are not dated and some are inconsistent, with information being recorded in one document, but not another.

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Good

There is effective monitoring of the progress that young people make and of the operation of the home which contributes to high levels of care for young people. External monitoring through an independent visitor takes place once a month. Reports are detailed and contain an explicit view how well the home safeguards young people and promotes their wellbeing. The manager carries out internal monitoring which includes monthly monitoring and reports as well as a six-monthly review of the quality of care. Managers have a good understanding of the strengths and areas for development in the home. For example, there are two requirements set in this report, both of which relate to recording. The recording system has been devised to meet the needs of this home and this group of young people. The registered manager is aware that while it is mostly effective in doing this, there are areas which need to be further developed. These are included on

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Good

the home’s development plan. The monitoring and development plans help increase the standard of care provided in the home.

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Good

There are good working relationships between the home and others such as social workers, other agencies and importantly, parents. They all say that the staff are friendly and good at communicating with them. This helps to ensure that young people receive consistent care and that they have their needs identified and met.

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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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