Children's home run by Norfolk County Council in Norwich

Outstanding

The children's home provides highly effective services that consistently exceed the standards of good. The actions of the home contribute to significantly improved outcomes for children and young people who need help, protection and care.

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The children's home provision is outstanding because:

 The home provides outstanding care for this group of children who have special educational needs and/or disabilities.  Staff skilfully use a range of verbal and non-verbal communication methods with the children to support them to make and build positive relationships.  Staff link the children’s learning needs and education targets. The highly positive relationships with the schools are particularly useful in ensuring that examples of good practice are pooled and developed between the professionals.  The manager engages with research groups to develop her own knowledge and to develop the staff’s practice. Her commitment to her own continual professional development is exceptional. The children benefit because the manager and staff use research-informed practice to provide ever-evolving, high quality care.  Dynamic risk assessments identify known and potential risks for each child. This supports the staff to keep the children safe and ensures that children

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The children's home provision is outstanding because:

benefit from positive experiences with their peers.  Staff are particularly proactive in supporting the gradual introduction of children for their short break. Children are able to adapt to their short breaks in the home because they know what to expect and have started to develop relationships with the staff.  The managers and staff have high aspirations for all of the children. The staff understand the important milestones for each of the children.  The home has a wide range of specially designed equipment and games. These are accessible to the children regardless of their specific need. The children participate in enjoyable activities and benefit from using equipment that enables them to have fun safely.  Children are central to the practice in the home. The external monitoring reports include the views of the children. The staff and manager listen to and act on the children’s views.

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Information about this children's home

This service provides short breaks for up to four young people who may have a learning disability, physical disability and/or sensory impairment. The local authority owns and operates this provision.

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Recent inspection history

Inspection date Inspection type Inspection judgement 11/03/2016 Interim Improved effectiveness 03/11/2015 Full Outstanding 04/03/2015 Interim Sustained effectiveness 19/11/2014 Full Outstanding

p.4

Outstanding

This home is providing outstanding care for the children who are receiving short breaks. The children make and build positive relationships with the staff who know and understand their needs well.

p.5

Outstanding

The children access specialist communication aids and a range of verbal and non- verbal communication methods to make their needs known. Staff have completed specific training to help them to understand these methods and the children’s needs. This supports all of the children to express themselves and to make considered choices. These communication tools are available to all of the children at any time and in any place throughout the home, including the grounds, as there are readily available signs and symbols that assist in proactive communication. Observation of staff during this inspection showed a considerate and caring approach in managing the children’s needs. Staff display a wide range of communication skills to work alongside the children. One parent said, ‘My child has been coming for short breaks for three years. He absolutely loves it there, he cannot wait to get there to spend time with his friends. There is so much for him to

p.5

Outstanding

do. The staff are excellent and they really know him so well.’

p.5

Outstanding

Staff reflect on the children’s needs ahead of each stay. They review the children’s care plans and risk assessments to ensure that they are fully prepared and have the necessary staffing ratio to meet the children’s needs. This helps the children to feel welcomed and at ease during every stay.

p.5

Outstanding

The children’s education targets are contained within the care plans. The staff link the children’s learning needs to the activities provided in the home. There is close liaison between the staff and the children’s schools to share important information. The highly positive relationships with the schools are particularly useful in ensuring that examples of good practice are pooled and developed between the professionals. Because of this the children experience consistent expectations between their short-break stays and school.

p.5

Outstanding

Children who are new to the home experience a gradual introduction that helps to reduce their anxiety and helps the staff to build up an understanding of the child’s individual needs. The use of social stories helps to prepare the children for their short breaks.

p.5

Outstanding

The children make significant progress because of their short breaks. Some of the children have developed verbal communication skills. A placing social worker commented, ‘The staff have been working really well to help him to develop his communication. Working to his behaviour plan has meant that there has been a reduction in incidents.’ Other children have reduced self-harmful behaviours and developed a wider, more varied diet. They have developed their social skills and they are able to make more informed choices.

p.5

Outstanding

The staff have been particularly proactive in supporting the gradual return of a child who had been distressed during a previous short break. The staff met as a group and completed home visits to explore the family’s approach to the behaviour. The staff also worked collectively with external agencies to enable a planned return. The outcome for this child has been encouraging as he is developing self-help skills, such as completing laundry tasks ahead of his planned transition to an adult provision. The child’s parents fed back that the relationships are positive and his short breaks are progressing well.

p.6

Outstanding

The children have the opportunity to have stays with friends and consequently they develop positive peer relationships and experiences together. Staff tailor the activities to meet the children’s wishes and needs so that they are fun and enjoyable. The home has a wide range of specially designed equipment and games that support this and facilitate learning and enjoyment. This is accessible to all children regardless of their specific need. The garden is a particular area of enjoyment. The staff use the garden as a place to build and develop the children’s abilities. Children are able to choose from a wide range of activities and experiences, some of which are community based.

p.6

Outstanding

The staff manage the children’s medical and health needs exceptionally well. Staff have specialist training to enable them to administer medication and feeds safely. The manager is a trained nurse and is highly experienced in managing health needs. There is excellent co-operation with the school nursing service and strong links to specialist medical advice if needed. During their short breaks the children make choices about who supports them with their personal care. This promotes their dignity and self-respect. The staff promote children’s ethnic and religious identity, including faith-led dietary requirements.

p.6

Outstanding

The staff consistently provide an outstanding level of care and commitment to each of the children. They are continually developing their knowledge and skills through the implementation of research-based practice. One such approach supports children who have autism to learn to participate in activities and to develop their interactions. The staff consistently deliver carefully planned activities that are modelled on this approach. This leads to the development of positive relationships between the children and between the children and the staff.

p.6

Outstanding

The staff support the children to develop their independence skills in line with their individual pathway plans. The children learn to shop and to cook and they are encouraged to take on some household chores, such as doing their laundry, which for some has been a significant achievement. The staff manage transition planning well and they take time to work cohesively with other professionals to ensure that these plans are suitable.

p.6

Outstanding

Staff understand the importance of family relationships. During the school holidays siblings are invited to the home. The staff complete some direct work with this group, providing fun and informative sessions with the siblings of those children who attend this home for short breaks. This important work helps those siblings to begin to understand the specific issues that affect them and their families.

p.7

Outstanding

Children receive their short break in a specially designed home that is safe and spacious enough for them to explore comfortably, whether they are mobile or using a wheelchair.

p.7

Outstanding

Children’s safety is of paramount concern for all the staff. The manager and staff have recognised the importance of each child’s history and have adapted the children’s plans to include this information. This sharpens the staff’s awareness of all aspects of the child’s background and previous experience. This in turn helps the staff to recognise potential triggers for behaviours as well as the children’s likes and dislikes. The manager has developed this alongside a research project with an external organisation that specialises in the safe-care of children who have learning difficulties.

p.7

Outstanding

There have been no complaints since the previous inspection. Information about how to make complaints is available for the children in a range of communication methods. There have been no safeguarding allegations since the previous inspection. The manager takes robust action in response to potential concerns to reassure herself that the children are protected.

p.7

Outstanding

There have been no incidents of bullying. The staffing ratios and supervision of the children is in line with the children’s individual needs. The independent visitor spends time with children during the monitoring visit. This provides an additional layer of safeguarding should the children have concerns. Children do not go missing from this home. The staff are keenly aware of the risk in the community for these children and of the process to follow as directed by the missing from care protocol.

p.7

Outstanding

Robust risk assessments that identify known and potential risks for each child form the basis of staff practice in the home. The staff know and revisit these assessments for each short break. Staff are acutely aware of the children’s personalities and their responses to particular circumstances. If children respond in an unexpected way the staff show professional curiosity to identify any underlying concerns. The staff are clear about the procedure to follow if there is a safeguarding concern and they are confident in following these processes.

p.7

Outstanding

One physical intervention has taken place since the last inspection. A review of the incident shows that it was proportionate and justified. The staff have reflected on this event and reviewed the antecedent activities to learn to manage future issues without the need for physical intervention. Staff have a caring and proactive approach to the children’s behaviours. The manager reviews the records and staff responses meticulously as part of her monitoring of how the home is meeting the children’s needs. This further safeguards the children.

p.8

Outstanding

Staff have developed proactive working relationships with the police. A police officer came to the home to work with the children regarding internet safety to help them to identify potential online risks. This has helped the children to develop their understanding of e-safety.

p.8

Outstanding

The previous registered manager left the home for a one-year secondment. The highly experienced deputy manager, who has 17 years’ experience of working in this home, has been appointed to the role of manager and she registered with Ofsted in December 2016. She has a relevant level 5 diploma and is driven to improve the service through research and understanding developments in practice in this field. She deploys staff carefully and skilfully to ensure that the children have the level of support and staffing that they need.

p.8

Outstanding

Robust monitoring identifies the strengths in practice and the areas to develop. This has led, for example, to additional training for the staff in report writing, which helps the staff to be able to record to the highest standard. The manager’s monitoring considers the feedback from the children through resident’s meetings and the review of all incidents. The children contribute to their own reviews and decisions about their activities and experiences. The external monitoring includes the views of the children in the monthly report. Children are central to the practice of the home.

p.8

Outstanding

Feedback from a range of external individuals reflects that the care provided for the children is exceptionally good. Parents confirm this in consultation documents and they reinforced their views during this inspection. Feedback includes:

p.8

Outstanding

 ‘He loves coming [to the home].’  ‘His stays have been going very well. The action plans are discussed to alleviate any frustrations. This, along with [the home’s] excellent and continued understanding of him as he grows, will help, particularly with his emotions and his communication.’  ‘He enjoys being there.’

p.8

Outstanding

The managers and staff have high aspirations for all of the children. In particular, the manager understands the important milestones for the children. She is determined to help them to make as much progress as possible. She has developed an approach, based on research by an organisation working with children who have disabilities, to track individual progress. This is in addition to the processes already in place that enable the children to recognise their own achievements as well as highlight these to the staff and parents.

p.9

Outstanding

Staff benefit from effective and high quality supervision that focuses on children’s needs. All eligible staff have relevant qualifications. Newly appointed staff receive induction training that includes shadow shifts as well as formal basic training. All staff access a wide range of training, which includes managing child sexual exploitation for children who have disabilities. The detailed development plan sets out targets that are intended to further improve the services provided. The manager has delegated specific responsibilities to some of the staff team. This is helping the staff to contribute to the development of the service.

p.9

Outstanding

There were no regulatory requirements or recommendations raised at the last inspection and none have been raised at this inspection.

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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 children looked after 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, work- based learning and skills training, adult and community learning, and education and training in prisons and other secure establishments. It inspects services for children looked after 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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