Children's Home run by Break Charity 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:

 Staff build strong relationships with children in the home so that they are able to discuss things that are concerning them with staff.  Staff meet children’s individual needs well.  Children are supported to attend school and do well.  Children’s health needs, including their emotional and psychological health needs are met.  Staff listen to children so that they can express their views and have them taken seriously.  Staff help children to develop self-care and independence skills.  Staff identify safeguarding concerns and make appropriate referrals to other agencies so that children can be protected.  Staff work with children to help them reduce risk-taking behaviours.  Staff address bullying and support children who are bullied.  There is good communication and work with other agencies to provide effective and consistent care for children.  No children have been restrained since before the previous full inspection.

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The children's home provision is good because:

 There is a comprehensive system to check fire safety equipment, but an issue with fire extinguishers being serviced has not been identified.  Managers have responded robustly to shortfalls identified during a compliance visit and put some new structures in place to ensure more effective monitoring, but the most recent quality of care review has not been sufficiently comprehensive, accurate and evaluative. Independent visitor reports have not been sent to Ofsted.  There is good training for staff, but appraisals of staff performance have not taken place regularly enough.  Complaints are responded to, but the records do not identify the action taken in all cases.

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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 within the given timescales.

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Requirement Due date

The registered person must ensure that the requirements of Regulatory Reform (Fire Safety) Order 2005 and any regulations made under it, except for article 23 (duties of employees), are complied with in respect of the home. This relates to ensuring that fire extinguishers are regularly serviced. (Regulation 25 (2)(b)) 21/10/2016

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Requirement Due date

The registered person must complete a review of the quality of care provided for children at least once every six months. The system used in order to complete a quality of care review must include evaluation and provide for ascertaining and considering the opinions of staff and include accurate information. (Regulation 45 (1)(2)(5)) 31/12/2016

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Requirement Due date

The independent person who visits the home must produce a report about a visit which sets out, in particular, the independent person’s opinion as to whether children are effectively safeguarded and whether the conduct of the home promotes children’s well-being. The independent person must provide a copy of the independent person’s report to HMCI. (Regulation 44 (4)(a)(b)(7)(a)) 21/10/2016

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Requirement Due date

The registered person must ensure that all employees have their performance and fitness to perform their roles appraised at least once every year. (Regulation 33 (4)(c)) 21/10/2016

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Requirement Due date

The registered person must ensure that a record is made of the action taken in response to any complaint. (Regulation 39 (3)) 21/10/2016

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Requirement Due date

The registered person must compile in relation to the children’s home a statement which covers the matters listed in Schedule 1. 21/10/2016 This relates in particular to a description of the home’s approach to the monitoring and surveillance of children (the use of bedroom door alarms). (Regulation 16 (1) Schedule 1 (16))

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Recommendations

To improve the quality and standards of care further, the service should take account of the following recommendation:  Ensure that there are enough suitably trained staff (including someone in a management role) on duty to meet the assessed needs of all children in the home. This relates to the presence of a manager or deputy with sufficient knowledge of the home, the children and the staff. (‘Guide to the children’s homes regulations including the quality standards’, page 51, paragraph 10.1)

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Information about this children's home

This children's home provides accommodation for up to four young people with emotional and/or behavioural difficulties. The home is owned by a registered charity that also owns a number of other children's homes.

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Recent inspection history

Inspection date Inspection type Inspection judgement 16/03/2016 Interim Improved effectiveness 25/11/2015 Full Good 24/03/2015 Interim Improved effectiveness 07/01/2015 Full Good

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Good

Children build trusting relationships with staff. They are able to talk to staff about issues which are important and sometimes concerning them. There has been a period of some disruption in the home over the summer, but the relationships which children have with staff and their previously settled time at the home are helping them to begin to overcome this. There have been some changes to the staff team, but these are not at a level where they have disrupted the consistency of care for children. The care plans for children show that staff and managers have a good understanding of the individual children and their needs. The plans are clear and provide information for staff on meeting those needs. A placing social worker has spoken about staff meeting children’s needs to a high standard. Another social worker said that staff got to know a child quickly and that they seem to be meeting her needs. This knowledge of children as individuals and what their needs are

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Good

helps staff to provide appropriate care for children. Children make good educational progress. One child is in full-time, mainstream education. Staff from the school said that she is ‘really quite settled’, she is well turned out every day, becoming more confident and making the academic progress that they feel she should be. The other child is in the process of moving school to be closer to the home. This has hit a snag, but the home is working with the virtual school team and is well on the way to sorting this out quickly. Children’s health needs are well met by staff. Children attend routine appointments and have more specific needs met through the provision of specialist services, including emotional and psychological needs. Children have their wishes and feelings listened to and where appropriate this leads to changes in their daily lives or care. Children have spoken to staff about their views on their care plans and asked for issues to be raised and discussed at their

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Good

looked after children reviews, this has happened. They have also asked to take part in specific groups and activities as well as expressing views on their contact with families. Staff have helped to make these things happen. The attention paid to children’s views indicates the value which staff put on them. It also helps children to feel empowered and have a sense of worth. Children are able to pursue their chosen interests and attend clubs and groups. They also do lots of activities with staff. These help staff and children to build relationships and share experiences. They also provide children with opportunities to have fun and enjoy childhood experiences. Staff support children in their transitions into and out of the home. Since the previous inspection, children have left the home in both planned and unplanned ways. One child has had a planned move to semi-independence, which has gone well. She is in supported lodgings close to her family, doing well and keeping in

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Good

contact with the home. Neither of the children currently in the home are preparing for independence, but staff do help them to begin developing self-care skills which they will need in later life. One recent move was unplanned. The manager was in the process or trying to arrange a planned move, but some extreme circumstances meant that the move took place in an unplanned way. Staff have kept in contact with the child and are trying to help her to understand the reasons for the move. One child has moved into the home since the previous inspection. She was able to have a planned move into the home, although the registered manager has since reflected on the pace of this move and in future would look to provide a longer introduction. Moves of home, even planned ones, can be worrying and upsetting for children. Providing support helps to reduce this and increases the chances of moves being successful.

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Good

Staff work to protect children and to help them keep themselves safe. Some children have shown risk-taking behaviours at times since the previous inspection, for example starting smoking and approaching adults for cigarettes. Staff have identified this and made appropriate referrals to other agencies so that children can be protected. They have also worked with children to try and help them to understand the risks of their behaviour and confronted adults who have been seen giving children cigarettes. At the time of this inspection, there were not any children in the home who smoked. There has been some bullying in the home. This was addressed by staff. A placing social worker has said that staff supported the child well through the bullying and helped her when she wanted to make a complaint about it. One child has recently left the home due to issues with the group dynamics and staff recognising that

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Good

they could not keep her safe. The manager feels that they were not provided with accurate information on the child’s needs before her placement. The organisation has made substantial changes to its processes for assessing potential referrals as a result of this. Children can and do make complaints. While feedback from social workers indicates that the complaints which have been made (about bullying) have been dealt with, the records of complaints do not all show what action has been taken. This makes monitoring and oversight of the process to make sure that it is effective more difficult. Children’s risk assessments have been reviewed and provide accurate and clear information that staff can use to help manage risk and keep children safer. The fire risk assessment has also been reviewed. There are regular checks of fire safety equipment and evacuation drills, which help to keep children safe from the risk of

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Good

fire. However, two fire extinguishers are showing as last having been serviced in February 2014 (the remainder were serviced in February 2016). It is not known if these two were missed, or the records were not updated. This does question to a degree the oversight of fire safety equipment checks, as this had not been picked up. However, in the context of the whole fire safety system, the potential impact on children is limited. There have been very few incidents of children being away from the home without authority and most of these have been children not returning to the home on time. Staff take appropriate action to find children by telephoning them, going to look for them and encouraging them to return. When this is unsuccessful, they report the missing child to the police. These actions help to keep children safer. The way that staff work with children to encourage appropriate behaviour is mostly

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Good

effective in ensuring that the home is settled and children are helped to manage their behaviour. There is good communication and liaison with the police and other agencies such as schools. When one child’s behaviour at school and the home was causing concern, a joint meeting was held with the school and children and adolescent mental health services (CAMHS) to look for effective strategies in addressing the behaviour. The school and CAMHS have been invited to a team meeting at the home to develop this further. There has been a period of very challenging behaviour by children in the home which was linked to the placement of a child who has since moved on. This level of challenging behaviour has now reduced significantly. Generally, the home is settled, staff use very few sanctions and consequences and those used are appropriate. There has not been an incident of restraint of a child since before the last full inspection.

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Good

Staff help children to take age-appropriate risks and learn how to keep themselves safer. This has included helping children to have time in the community with clear expectations and safeguards in place. Some staff have training on online safety which they say has been very effective at helping them to guide children to safe internet and social media use.

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Requires improvement

There is a suitably qualified and experienced registered manager who has been in post for five years. Staff have commented positively about the management of the home and the desire to constantly improve. Previously, the home has been managed well, but there has been a period recently when practice and oversight have slipped. This was linked in part to a placement decision which was made. The home was not provided with full information about a child, but neither were they robust in asking appropriate questions and insisting that some documents were provided. They have fully recognised this. There have not been any new placements since that time, but the process for looking at referrals and making decisions on placements has been significantly revised. There was also a time of change in senior management which may have contributed to some recording issues not being identified and addressed. Ofsted undertook a compliance visit to

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Requires improvement

the home on 2 August 2016 and raised some statutory requirements. The service and the manager have worked hard to address these and have reflected honestly and effectively on the situation. This has led to an overall improvement, but there are still some shortfalls in leadership and management. There was a period during the summer, when the deputy manager, manager and operations manager were all on holiday at the same time. While the registered manager from another home provided cover, there was a lack of management, support and oversight from anyone who knew the children, staff and home well. The registered manager has put plans and structures in place to provide greater oversight of the operation of the home. These are in their early stages. There is external monitoring of the home through monthly visits by an independent person. The independent person writes detailed reports which are sent to the home and

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Requires improvement

senior managers. These reports do not always include the independent person’s opinion as to whether children are effectively safeguarded and whether the conduct of the home promotes children’s well-being as required by the Children’s Homes (England) Regulations 2015. Furthermore, the reports have not been sent to Ofsted. This prevents Ofsted as the regulator from having an oversight of the operation of the home between inspections. The registered manager has undertaken a review of the quality of care and produced a report on this. The report is detailed but does not contain evaluation of the operation of the home. Also, it states that there had not been any incidents of bullying, when a child had made a complaint about bullying during the period. The review has not included the views of staff. Consequently, the manager has not considered full information and evaluated it to help identify areas in which improvements can be made and the

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Requires improvement

care of children improved. Staff receive appropriate training to help them provide suitable care for children. They also have regular supervision, but appraisals are not taking place for all staff within 12 month periods. One member of staff was five months overdue in their appraisal. This means that staff performance and development needs are not being reviewed regularly enough. Managers and staff have effective relationships with other agencies and will challenge plans or arrangements for children if these are not meeting their needs appropriately. This all helps to ensure that there is effective multi-agency care for children. Bedroom door alarms have been fitted to help keep children safe in the home. However, the home’s statement of purpose has not been updated to reflect this. Consequently, people who may be considering placing a child in the home are not fully informed of the home’s approach to monitoring and surveillance of children.

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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 that 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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