Children's Home run by PCT Care Services Limited in Norfolk

This monitoring visit

Ofsted judged this home as inadequate following inspections on 8 June 2016 and 28 August 2016. Following a further inspection it was judged as requires improvement on 31 October 2016. Ofsted undertook a monitoring visit, due to a rise in notifications during February 2017 and the ongoing absence of a registered manager.

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This monitoring visit

A manager has been appointed to the home but has not yet submitted an application to Ofsted for registration. The deputy manager has also left recently, and a new deputy manager has been appointed. Over the last eight months there have been three managers including an acting manager and two deputy managers. This has not provided stability for the staff and the children. However, the staff are feeling positive about the current arrangements. They say that they feel in the best position they have been in, with more structure, routine and support. As a staff team they feel more in control, and stronger.

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This monitoring visit

Two new children have moved into the home since the last inspection. The managers have recorded assessments of their placements to consider if their needs could be met along with those of the existing group of children. These assessments are not robust. They do not show full consideration of some important aspects of behaviour. The assessment for one child was not written until they had moved into the home. This does not allow for appropriate consideration of the mix of the children in the home, nor does it help the managers to identify any actions or resources that may make the mix more manageable and beneficial for the children.

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This monitoring visit

The managers have introduced a new format for recording risk assessments for the children. These are clearer to read than the previous ones. Ofsted has identified shortfalls over the use of risk assessments previously, and these were the subject of a compliance notice on 2 September 2016. Some improvements were made, but now, notwithstanding the new format, there are some omissions and errors in the risk assessments. A risk assessment for the children using candles in their bedrooms still exists and was updated on 10 March 2017, despite the manager saying that this practice was stopped around six weeks previously, as it was considered too high a risk. This leads to a question over whether all staff are clear that the children should not be burning candles in their bedrooms. There are risk assessments for children’s use of drugs. These do not consider all areas, such as the potential impact of having three children using drugs in the home.

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This monitoring visit

Some actions that were identified to reduce the risk regarding drug use are not being carried out, or are not realistic. This limits the impact of any identified actions to reduce the risks to children. Risk assessments for children’s access to the internet are inconsistent. They state that each child’s browsing history on the home’s laptop should be monitored due to potential risks to the children, but the same does not happen for their internet use on their mobile telephones through the home’s wireless internet access. This leaves some of the children at risk through inappropriate internet use. Ofsted has issued a compliance notice in respect of risk assessments.

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This monitoring visit

One of the children moved into the home five weeks before the inspection. He has not had any formal education since then, although this is being sorted out with the placing authority. There is no structure provided for him during school hours. Consequently, he spends much of his time in his bedroom playing computer games or watching television. This does not maintain any routine for him and is likely to make his return to education more difficult.

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This monitoring visit

There are some instances of children going missing from care. For one of the new children, in particular, this is at a much lower rate than before she moved into the home. There are clear missing-from-care protocols in place for the children. The staff take appropriate action when children do go missing, including following them, calling them on their mobile phones and taking note of any cars they get into. This has helped the police to take strong action against some people who have been involved in these incidents. The records of the children going missing contain some mistakes and inconsistencies. In particular, these relate to the times when the children have gone missing and been reported to the police, and when placing authorities have been informed. While staff action is helping to protect children, unclear recording can make it difficult to monitor practice and identify any trends.

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This monitoring visit

The staff do not often use physical intervention or sanctions. However, since the beginning of the year there has been a rise for one of the children who has been at the home for some time. Records of physical interventions do not always include details of the staff and the children being spoken to after the incident. Records of sanctions do not always include an evaluation of their effectiveness. The lack of this information for physical interventions and sanctions can make it more difficult to review the incidents and find ways of reducing them.

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This monitoring visit

The inspection did not monitor compliance with the all of the requirements made at the last inspection conducted on 31 October 2016. The outstanding requirements will be reissued with amended dates, and monitored through future regulatory activity.

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Information about this children's home

This children’s home provides care and accommodation for up to six children who have emotional and/or behavioural difficulties. The home is owned by a private company.

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Statutory requirements

This section sets out the actions that 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

5. Engaging with the wider system to ensure that each child's needs are met (a) In meeting the quality standards, the registered person must, and must ensure that staff, seek to involve each child's placing authority effectively in the child's care, in accordance with the child's relevant plans. This relates to jointly reviewing the risks and plans for children. 14/04/2017

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Requirement Due date

8. The education standard In order to meet the education standard, with particular reference to knowing children's educational targets and areas of development, and supporting them to make progress in these areas, the registered person should: 2(i) help each child to achieve the child's education and training targets, as recorded in the child's relevant plans; (ii) support each child's learning and development, including helping the child to develop independent study skills and, where appropriate, helping the child to complete independent study; (iii) understand the barriers to learning that each child may face and take appropriate action to help the child to overcome any such barriers. 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 the monitoring of the service, the registered person should: (2)(h) use monitoring and review systems to make continuous improvements in the quality of care provided in the home. 14/04/2017

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Requirement Due date

14. The care planning standard 14/04/2017 In order to meet the care planning standard, with particular reference to plans including the ways children's education will be supported and their daily routines, the registered person should ensure that children: 1(a) receive effectively planned care in or through the children's home. 14. The care planning standard In order to meet the care planning standard, with particular reference to decisions about whether a child should move into the home, the registered person should ensure: (2) (a) that children are admitted to the home only if their needs are within the range of needs of children for whom it is intended that the home is to provide care and accommodation, as set out in the home's statement of purpose. 14/04/2017

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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 accurate risk assessments, the registered person should ensure: (2)(a) that staff (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. 31/03/2017*

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Requirement Due date

8. The education standard: In order to meet the education standard, with particular reference to having structure and expectations for children not in education, the registered person should: (viii) help a child who is excluded from school, or who is of compulsory school age but not attending school, to access educational and training support throughout the period of exclusion or non-attendance and to return to school as soon as possible. 14/04/2017

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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 of any consequences of the use of the measure. Further, that within 48 hours of the use of the measure, that the registered person, or a person who is authorised by the registered person to do so, has spoken to the user about the measure; and has signed the record to confirm it is accurate, and within five days of the use of the measure, the registered person or the authorised person adds to the record 14/04/2017 confirmation that they have spoken to the child about the measure. (Regulation 35(3)(a)(vii)(b)(i)(ii)(c)) The independent person must produce a report about a visit ("the independent person's report") which sets out, in particular, the

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Requirement Due date

independent person's opinion as to whether children are effectively safeguarded and whether the conduct of the home promotes children's well-being. (Regulation 44(4)(a)(b)) 14/04/2017

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Requirement Due date

The registered person must maintain records for each child which include the information and documents listed in Schedule 3 of The Children’s Homes (England) Regulations 2015. This relates in particular to the date and circumstances of all incidents where a child goes missing from the home. (Regulation 36(1)(a)) 14/04/2017

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Requirement Due date

* These requirements are subject to statutory requirement notice.

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Information about this inspection

The purpose of this visit was to monitor the action taken and the progress made by the children's home since its last Ofsted inspection. This inspection was carried out under the Care Standards Act 2000. out in 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 this guidance, please telephone 0300 123 4234 or email enquiries@ofsted.gov.uk .

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Information about this inspection

to 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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