Norwich Road (15)

Inspection report children’s home: SC034480 1 SC034480 Registered provider: Norfolk County Council Children’s Services Interim inspection 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 and provides emergency and short-term placements for up to four children who have emotional and/or behavioural difficulties.

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Information about this children’s home

Judgement at last inspection: inadequate

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Information about this children’s home

Enforcement action since last inspection: none

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and young people since the most recent full inspection

This home was judged inadequate at the last full inspection. The judgement was changed at the monitoring visit in line with the inspection framework to require improvement to be good.

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and young people since the most recent full inspection

At the interim inspection, Ofsted judges that it has declined in effectiveness.

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and young people since the most recent full inspection

Since the last inspection, serious concerns have been raised from information the police have given Ofsted, about the level of call-outs by staff and the risk-taking behaviour and management of the children at the home. There have been several serious notifications received from the home, all for events which took place over a short period of time. The inspector found, through discussion with the home’s management and the staff, and through examination of records, that the admission and ending of placements of children is undertaken in quick succession with insufficient preparation for the children involved. For example, one child had their placement ended on 1 January 2018, another child on 5 January 2018 and a third child on 8 January 2018. Within two hours of the third child’s placement ending, another child was admitted. Another emergency referral was received Inspection report children’s home: SC034480 2

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and young people since the most recent full inspection

on the day of the inspection (10 January 2018) with an agreement for the child to be admitted at the end of that week. None of the three children whose placements were ended were given any prior warning. This left the children feeling shocked and upset, causing further incidents. Some of the children who have been admitted to the home were not informed of their placement changing until they were moved. This childcare practice does not allow for any planned ending of placements, or preparation for placements for the children involved. This makes it more difficult for children to forge trusting relationships with staff and invest fully in their placements from the outset. Children’s needs are not matched or assessed effectively. Four out of the last five children admitted to the home have had like-for-like histories of challenging behaviours. The inspector was seriously concerned that there appears to be a lack of consideration

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and young people since the most recent full inspection

given to the children already accommodated when new placements are being made, and the detrimental impact that further placements would have on them. It is of serious concern that, from the evidence gathered, vulnerable children have been placed at the home who should not have been. The placement for one child, who was excelling in their education, who had never been missing or had any criminal background, came to an unplanned end after they repeatedly went missing from the home, were bullied, exploited and subsequently arrested for criminal behaviour. Another recently placed child is known to be easily led. Despite this, the child was still admitted to the home at a time of ongoing significant behaviour incidents in the home. Staff have been unable to properly address an increasing pattern of significant incidents and risk-taking behaviour, or to take effective action when serious incidents occur. The

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and young people since the most recent full inspection

failure of the home’s management and staff to make effective matching decisions has resulted in a significant escalation of behaviour incidents. This puts children at risk of harm. There has been a high level of calls to the police from the home to report incidents of serious risk-taking behaviour involving all the children accommodated at the home. For example, there have been 57 reported incidents of children missing from the home and 51 calls for other offences in the last seven weeks alone. The incidents requiring police assistance have included criminal damage, assaults and arson. The police have also reported that the staff seem ‘disheartened and demoralised, and from their accounts it seems they feel there is little they can do for these children and that their efforts are largely worthless’. Staff informed the inspector that they feel disempowered, as decisions they make to decline requests for admissions are ignored, and children whose needs

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and young people since the most recent full inspection

they feel they could not meet are still admitted. The inspector observed that staff appeared tired and deflated. It is of serious concern that staff working at the home are not able to provide safe and effective care for the children accommodated. This puts children at risk of harm. The inspector found a number of records which demonstrated a lack of effective day-to- day management oversight and monitoring of the service. For example, the records showed a lack of oversight of physical restraint, poor response to children going missing, poor record-keeping and a weakness in transition planning. The manager has not fully addressed or met the requirements and recommendations raised at the last inspection to good effect. Of the five requirements raised, two Inspection report children’s home: SC034480 3 requirements have been met, which are in relation to notifications to Ofsted, which are now being sent, and in respect of repairing damage to the home. Of the two

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and young people since the most recent full inspection

recommendations raised, one has been met, as staff have completed training in the safe use of the internet. The management oversight of the home has not been sufficient to ensure effective care and support for children. The failure to keep accurate and reliable records of all incidents undermines the ability of managers to take prompt, effective action to deal with problems and to understand their impact on children’s well-being. This prevents Ofsted as the regulator from fully understanding what is happening in the home and assessing whether any regulatory action is required in order to ensure that the children are safeguarded effectively. Children make minimal progress in key areas, such as their education. For example, one child who moved into the home was unable complete school work online, in the home as there is no internet access. Other children do not attend any form of education due to their risk-taking behaviour. For example, children go missing from the home, meaning

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and young people since the most recent full inspection

that there is drift and delay for children. Plans are in place to help the current staff who are required to obtain the diploma 3 to do so. Although action is being taken to meet this requirement, the deadline for this requirement has not yet passed and will, therefore, be monitored at the next inspection. Damage caused by children in the home is quickly repaired and items replaced. The manager and the staff team have worked tirelessly to continue to keep on top of this. At times, this is on a day-to-day basis. Due to staff’s hard work and commitment, the home is decorated and furnished to a high standard and is clean and tidy.

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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 children’s home: SC034480 4

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Statutory requirements

This section sets out the actions that the registered person(s) 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(s) must comply within the given timescales.

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Requirement Due date

The education standard is that children make measurable progress towards achieving their education potential and are helped to do so. In particular, the standard in paragraph (1) requires the registered person to ensure that each child has access to appropriate equipment, facilities and resources to support the child’s learning. (Regulation 8(1)(2)(b)) This is in particular reference to the children not having access to the internet. 16/03/2018

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Requirement Due date

The protection of children standard is that children are protected from harm and enabled to keep themselves safe. In particular, the standard in paragraph (1) requires the registered person to ensure that the home’s day to day care is arranged and delivered so as to keep each child safe and to protect each child effectively from harm; that the effectiveness of the home’s child protection policies is monitored regularly. (Regulation 12 (1)(2)(b)(e)) 12/02/2018

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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. Use monitoring and review systems to make continuous improvements in the quality of care provided in the home. (Regulation 13 (1)(a)(b)(2)(a)(f)(h)) 12/02/2018

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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. 12/02/2018 Inspection report children’s home: SC034480 5 In particular, the standard in paragraph (1) requires the registered person to ensure that arrangements are in place to ensure the effective induction of each child into the home; manage and review the placement of each child in the home; and plan for and help, each child to prepare to leave the home or to move into adult care in a way that is consistent with arrangements agreed with the child’s placing authority. (Regulation 14 (1)(a)(b)(2)(b)(i)(ii)(iii)) The registered person must ensure that an individual who works in the home in a care role has the appropriate qualification, the level 3 diploma for residential childcare (England) (‘the level 3 diploma’), or a qualification which the registered person

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Requirement Due date

considers to be equivalent to the level 3 diploma, by the relevant date. (Regulation 32 (4)(5)) 31/01/2018

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Requirement Due date

The registered person must keep the behaviour management policy under review and, where appropriate, revise it. The registered person must ensure that within 48 hours of the use of the measure, the registered person, or a person who is authorised by the registered person to do so ("the authorised person") has spoken to the user about the measure; and signed the record to confirm it is accurate; and within 5 days of the use of the measure, the registered person or the authorised person adds to the record confirmation that they have spoken to the child about the measure. (Regulation 35 (2)(3)(b)(i)(ii)(c)) 12/02/2018

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Requirement Due date

* The requirement is subject to a compliance notice.

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Recommendations

 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

Inspectors have looked closely at the experiences and progress of children and young people. Inspectors considered the quality of work and the differences made to the lives of children and young people. They watched how professional staff work with children and young people and each other and discussed the effectiveness of help and care provided. Wherever possible, they talked to children and 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 whom it is trying to help, protect and look Inspection report children’s home: SC034480 6 after.

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Information about this inspection

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

Using the ‘Social care common inspection framework’, this inspection was carried out under the Care Standards Act 2000 to assess the effectiveness of the service, how it meets the core functions of the service as set out in legislation, 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’.

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Children’s home details

Unique reference number: SC034480 Inspection report children’s home: SC034480 7 Provision sub-type: Children’s home

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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

Cathy Russell, social care inspector Inspection report children’s home: SC034480 8 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

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Inspector

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Inspector

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