Norwich Road (15)

Inspection report for children’s home - monitoring visit: SC034480 1 SC034480

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Norfolk County Council Children’s Services

Monitoring visit Inspected under the social care common inspection framework

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Information about this children’s home

A local authority owns and operates this home. The home provides emergency and short-term placements for up to four children who have emotional and/or behavioural difficulties.

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This monitoring visit

This children’s home was judged inadequate at the full inspection on 24 and 25 September 2017. Following this monitoring visit, Ofsted has made a new full inspection judgement in line with the inspection framework. The children’s home’s new full inspection judgement requires improvement to be good. The provider has taken immediate action to address the concerns that led to the judgement of inadequate at the full inspection.

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This monitoring visit

The home is undergoing a thorough refurbishment. Some of the refurbishment tasks have yet to be completed. These include fitting carpets and curtains in most of the communal areas and the children’s rooms. Soft furnishings are being replaced. Fittings such as pictures and posters are yet to be displayed. There has been a significant investment to improve the fabric of the building and make it more homely. Until this work is completed, the regulatory requirement will remain in place. It will be monitored through future inspections. The staff have undertaken comprehensive refresher training on safeguarding. The training focused on the procedures and policy that the staff need to follow to keep the children safe. All of the staff have had one-to-one meetings with the manager to reflect on the policy and procedures. This has reassured the manager that the staff are now fully aware of their responsibilities. The supervision and reassurance has

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This monitoring visit

helped to motivate the staff and to ensure that they follow the correct protocols, in particular, that safeguarding concerns are followed up. During this monitoring visit, the staff were able to describe the action that they would take, demonstrating an Inspection report for children’s home - monitoring visit: SC034480 2 understanding of the processes. There have been no notifiable events since the last inspection. There is confidence that the refresher safeguarding training has served to remind the whole staff team of the importance of safeguarding and safe-care principles. Although it could not be tested out because there have not been any notifiable incidents, the action taken demonstrates that the provider is likely to comply with the regulations the next time an incident occurs. The provider is identifying suitable diploma level 3 training for bank staff. There has been an increase in the number of dedicated bank staff to the home. Plans are in

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This monitoring visit

place to help the current staff who are required to obtain the diploma to do so. Although action is being taken to meet this requirement, it is not yet met. The requirement remains and will be monitored at future inspections. The provider is reviewing and updating processes. Therefore, the remaining regulatory requirements set at the last inspection remain unmet. The deadline for these requirements has not yet passed. The progress made will be monitored at the next inspection.

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Recent inspection history

Inspection date Inspection type Inspection judgement 24/08/2017 Full Inadequate 24/01/2017 Interim Sustained effectiveness 03/05/2016 Full Good 19/01/2016 Interim Sustained effectiveness Inspection report for children’s home - monitoring visit: SC034480 3

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Statutory requirements

This section sets out the actions that the registered person must take to meet 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 must comply within the given timescales.

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Requirement Due date

The quality and purpose of care standard is that children receive care from staff who understand the children’s home’s overall aims and the outcomes it seeks to achieve for children and use this understanding to deliver care that meets children’s needs and supports them to fulfil their potential. In particular, the standard in paragraph (1) requires the registered person to ensure that the premises used for the purposes of the home are designed and furnished to meet the needs of each child. (Regulation 6(1)(a)(b)(2)(c)(i)) 29/12/2017

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Requirement Due date

The leadership and management standard is that the registered person enables, inspires and leads a culture in relation to the children’s home that helps children to aspire to their full potential and promotes their welfare. In particular, the standard in paragraph (1) requires the registered person to lead and manage the home in a way that is consistent with the approach and ethos, and delivers the outcomes, set out in the home’s statement of purpose, and understand the impact that the quality of care provided in the home is having on the progress and experiences of each child and use this understanding to inform the development of the quality of the care provided in the home. (Regulation 13(1)(a)(b)(2)(a) 29/12/2017

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Requirement Due date

The care planning standard is that children receive effectively planned care in or through the children’s home and have a positive experience of arriving at or moving on from the home. In particular, the standard in paragraph (1) requires the registered person to ensure that arrangements are in place to manage and review the placement of each child in the home. (Regulation 14(1)(a)(b)(2)(b)(ii)) 29/12/2017

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Requirement Due date

The registered person must ensure that an individual who works in the home in a care role has the appropriate 31/01/2018 Inspection report for children’s home - monitoring visit: SC034480 4 qualification, the level 3 diploma for residential childcare (England) (‘the level 3 diploma’), or a qualification which the registered person considers to be equivalent to the level 3 diploma, by the relevant date. (Regulation 32(4)(5)) The registered person must notify HMCI and each other relevant person without delay if a child is involved in, or subject to, or is suspected of being involved in or subject to, sexual exploitation. (Regulation 40(4)(a))

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Recommendations

 Ensure that staff help children to understand how to protect themselves, feel protected and be protected from significant harm in relation to e-safety. (‘Guide to the children’s homes regulations including the quality standards’, page 43, paragraph 9.9)  The registered person should only accept placements for children when they are satisfied that the home can respond effectively to the child’s assessed needs as recorded in the child’s relevant plans and when they have fully considered the impact that the placement will have on the existing group of children. (‘Guide to the children’s homes regulations including the quality standards’, page 56, paragraph 11.4)

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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.

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Information about this inspection

This inspection was carried out under the Care Standards Act 2000. Inspection report for children’s home - monitoring visit: SC034480 5

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Children’s home details

Registered provider: Norfolk County Council Children’s Services

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Children’s home details

Registered provider address: Norfolk County Council, Chief Executives, County Hall, Martineau Lane, Norwich NR1 2DH

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Inspector(s)

Michael Mulvaney, social care inspector Clive Lucas, social care inspector Inspection report for children’s home - monitoring visit: SC034480 6 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, further education and skills, adult and community learning, and education and training in prisons and other secure establishments. It assesses council children’s services, and inspects services for children looked after, safeguarding and child protection.

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Inspector(s)

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Inspector(s)

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Inspector(s)

T: 0300 123 1231 Textphone: 0161 618 8524 E: enquiries@ofsted.gov.uk W: http://www.gov.uk/ofsted

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