Children's Home run by Norfolk County Council 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 judges that it has sustained effectiveness .

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children and young people since the most recent full inspection

At the last inspection requirements and recommendations were made in relation to:

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children and young people since the most recent full inspection

 the standard of accommodation  risk assessments  the statement of purpose, monitoring  staff qualifications and training.

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children and young people since the most recent full inspection

Some work has been done to the accommodation: a bath panel has been painted, and the landing and stairs carpet has been cleaned. The cleaning has not been effective. The carpet still shows evident signs of long-standing staining. It does not look pleasant and does not make this area of the house homely. In addition, the heating in the lounge is inefficient. The staff and the children spoke of it being a cold room. Other than the kitchen/diner, this is the only communal room in the house, so it has an impact on children if this room is not warm and comfortable.

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children and young people since the most recent full inspection

The registered manager has done some work to make the risk assessments easier to read. However, some children’s risk assessments are still not clear. One states that two members of staff should work with a child ‘when possible’, as opposed to ‘when appropriate’, which is what the registered manager says it should say. It does not specify when it would be appropriate not to have two members of staff working with the child. Furthermore, the risk assessment that is written to inform the decision about a child moving into the home did not include information about a previous overdose, although people were aware of this and seemingly took it into account. Unclear or incomplete risk assessments do not provide clear information for staff to use to help them reduce the risk to children. However, one child has become significantly safer since being at the home. Her level of risk from sexual exploitation has reduced. She is not using alcohol or drugs, and her episodes of

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children and young people since the most recent full inspection

being missing from care have reduced. When she is missing the staff take appropriate action to try and find her.

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children and young people since the most recent full inspection

The children are supported in their moves in and out of the home. This helps the children to cope with transitions that have the potential to be traumatic. Both of the children currently in the home moved into the home since the last inspection. One was with plenty of notice, and the child involved had a thorough introduction into the home. The other was at much shorter notice. The child involved in this move said that although she did not have much notice, the move was ‘OK’. One child moved out of the home to a placement where she could have a mental health assessment. This was a long-term plan for her. When the children moved, they had looked after children reviews in line with the home’s statement of purpose.

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children and young people since the most recent full inspection

One member of staff who has worked in a children’s home for over two years has not completed his qualification at level 3 diploma, but he is currently working towards it. Overall, the staff team is well qualified and experienced to provide good care for the children. The staff do receive training and information to help them meet the children’s individual needs. One such current area of need is self-harm. Some staff have had training in this and others are booked onto a course in March 2017. While waiting for this, the staff have completed online training, and they have regular consultations with a psychologist who attends their team meetings. This helps to ensure that they can provide appropriate and effective care for the children.

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children and young people since the most recent full inspection

The registered manager has completed a review of the quality of care. He has included the views of the children, their parents, placing authorities and the staff in line with the previous requirement. However, these views are not evaluated so that they can effectively inform the review to help the registered manager to identify areas of strength and possible weakness, and improve the care for the children. There are regular visits to the home by an independent person who provides effective external monitoring.

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children and young people since the most recent full inspection

The children in the home form good relationships with the staff. This helps the children to move forward and to feel settled and ‘at home’. Placing authorities and schools say that the children speak highly of the staff and feel comfortable to speak to them. Other agencies consistently say that they have very good relationships with the manager and the staff. Education professionals said that they had found the manager and staff to be ‘excellent’ and always there when they needed them. This helps to support the children’s education. One child has made notable progress in her education since being at the home. The other child is not doing so well and has been excluded. However, staff are monitoring the plans for this child and are committed to ensuring that she receives suitable education provision. A child’s independent reviewing officer said that they were impressed with the home and that staff had shown a commitment to a child when other provisions might

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children and young people since the most recent full inspection

‘have washed their hands of her’. The good relationships with other agencies help to ensure that there is a consistent approach to meeting the children’s needs. However, due to recent incidents, one child frequently requires two staff to look after her. This means that there are times when the other child does not have the staffing level she needs. She does spend a lot of time with her family and does get an hour at bedtime with staff (if the other child who should go to bed earlier has settled). Both children receive regular external therapeutic support. However, the lack of staff support for a child means that she does not get the ongoing emotional support from staff that is identified in her plans. There have not been any incidents of physical intervention since the last inspection and only two sanctions. The records for one of these sanctions had not been completed. It lacked an evaluation of the effectiveness of the sanction. This makes

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children and young people since the most recent full inspection

it more difficult to monitor the effectiveness of behaviour management.

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Information about this children's home

This home provides emergency and time-limited residential care placements for up to two children who have emotional and behavioural difficulties. The home is owned and operated by the local authority.

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Recent inspection history

Inspection date Inspection type Inspection judgement 10/08/2016 Full Good 07/01/2016 Interim Declined in effectiveness 07/10/2015 Full Good 26/03/2015 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 within the given timescales.

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Requirement Due date

6. The quality and purpose of care standard: In order to meet the quality and purpose of care standard with particular reference to the landing carpet and heating, the registered person must: 2(c)(i) ensure that the premises used for the purposes of the home are designed and furnished so as to meet the needs of each child. 31/05/2017

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Requirement Due date

12. The protection of children standard: In order to meet the protection of children standard with particular reference to having clear and full risk assessments, the registered person must ensure that staff: 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. 14/04/2017

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Requirement Due date

13. The leadership and management standard: In order to meet the leadership and management standard with particular reference to having sufficient staff to meet the recorded needs of both children, the registered person must: 2(d) ensure that the home has sufficient staff to provide care for each child. 28/04/2017

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Requirement Due date

The registered person must ensure that each individual who works in the home in a care role has by the relevant date attained— (a) the level 3 diploma for residential childcare (England) ('the level 3 diploma'); or (b) a qualification which the registered person considers to be equivalent to the level 3 diploma. (Regulation 32(4)(a)(b)) 28/04/2017

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Requirement Due date

The registered person must ensure that within 24 hours of the use of a measure of control, discipline or restraint in relation to a child in the home, a record is made which includes all of the information required under this regulation. This relates in particular to effectiveness and consequences of the use of the 14/04/2017 measure. (Regulation 35(3)(a)(vii))

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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 the review of the quality of care enables the registered person to identify areas of strength and possible weakness in the home's care which will be captured in the written report. The report should clearly identify any actions required for the next six months of delivery within the home and how those actions will be addressed. ('Guide to the children's homes regulations including the quality standards', page 65, paragraph 15.4). This is a particular reference to evaluating the views of children, their parents, placing authorities and staff.

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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 that 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

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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