Children's Home run by BREAK in Norfolk

children and young people since the most recent full inspection

This home was judged Good at the full inspection. At this interim inspection Ofsted judge that it has Improved effectiveness .

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children and young people since the most recent full inspection

At the full inspection in November 2015 two requirements and two recommendations were raised. One requirement has been raised again and the other has been met. The two recommendations have been met.

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children and young people since the most recent full inspection

All areas in the home are accessible to young people. The food cupboards are open and contain healthy choices. Calorific and high sugar items are limited and kept in the utility room for storage. This supports young people to have a healthy diet. Young people access fruit, bread and healthy snacks as they like. The food cupboard in the utility room is locked and this decision has been made with a risk assessment. This is to support young people’s health. The risk assessment is kept under regular review.

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children and young people since the most recent full inspection

External monitoring has completely changed. A new visitor makes a thorough critique of the home and scrutinises documentation. This is a change for staff and, in light of this, training has been provided to ensure that staff and managers understand the benefit of a critical overview. Reports are detailed and objective and practice issues are raised with the manager. This encourages discussion and reflection and promotes change.

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children and young people since the most recent full inspection

The quality of records has improved. There is a new template designed to capture key worker sessions. Staff make a log of other spontaneous discussions to ensure they are captured and recorded. They send an electronic record of key worker records to the manager for overview. Consequently, the manager has better oversight of the quality of the recording. Young people are usually supported to make complaints. At the last inspection the young people made a complaint directly to the head office of the organisation, but this was not logged in the home as a complaint. Since then, young people have made a complaint about a member of staff to another member of staff. Staff did not log this as a complaint. However, they did address the issue and discuss it with the young people concerned. The young people complained about the house rules and about a member of staff to the responsible individual. This was referred to the

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children and young people since the most recent full inspection

local authority designated officer (LADO) and closed following an internal investigation. The LADO has concluded that the investigation was thorough and detailed, while identifying some action points. Managers have since addressed the points, which are now established in practice. These include, ensuring that staff team meetings address views raised by young people in their resident’s meetings. Incident reports sampled detail clearly that staff support young people to make complaints about staff where young people have felt acrimonious following an altercation. The home has been very settled since the last inspection. There are no physical interventions, no incidents of young people going missing and no risk taking behaviours. This demonstrates that young people are secure and stable.

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children and young people since the most recent full inspection

Young people all attend school, college or work regularly. They have established routines and varied and active lives. Staff work closely with school staff to address barriers to learning and support attendance and progress. This has resulted in two young people making good progress. One young person attends afterschool catch up club for core subjects. Another plays extracurricular sport after school.

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children and young people since the most recent full inspection

Staff proactively promote young people’s health using support groups in the community, regular activity and nutritional guidance. The promotion of active lives and healthy food benefits all of the young people.

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children and young people since the most recent full inspection

Young people are able to have trusted time away from the home and invite peers back to the home. Staff support them with transport and monitor their whereabouts to ensure their safety. This helps young people to build a social network outside the home and start to take responsibility for their personal safety in the community.

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children and young people since the most recent full inspection

Staff are not consistent in their recording of behavioural incidents and consequences. Individual record books capture positive and negative behaviours. These are brief and lack details of the behaviours and the effectiveness of the intervention. A central sanction log prompts required detail but is rarely used. This is because staff are unclear about what to put in each record. The result makes it difficult to pin down the detail or identify patterns and triggers to young people’s behavioural incidents.

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children and young people since the most recent full inspection

The manager left the home suddenly in January. Interim cover arrangements were immediately put in place. A new manager has been appointed without delay and during the appointment period, a deputy from another home is providing managerial cover. The existing staff team have maintained a stable equilibrium in the home throughout this period of change. Disruption has been minimal, the home remains settled and calm with an abundance of evidence of how young people grow and progress. This is a result of a strong core team of staff who nurture young people in a family type environment.

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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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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)) 22/04/2016

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Requirement Due date

The registered person must ensure that within 24 hours of the use of a measure of discipline in relation to a child in the home, a record is made which includes details of the child’s behaviour leading to the use of the measure, a description of the measure and its duration, details of any methods used or steps to avoid the need to use the measure and the effectiveness and any consequences of the use of the measure. (Regulation 35 (3) (ii) (iv)(v)(vii)) 22/04/2016

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What the inspection judgements mean

At the interim inspection 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.

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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 focused on the effectiveness of the home and the progress and experiences of children and young people since the most recent full inspection.

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Information about this inspection

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 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

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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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