Children's home run by Norfolk County Council in Norwich

Inspection report children’s home: SC450045 1 SC450045 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 runs the home, which is registered to care for up to six children who have emotional and/or behavioural difficulties. The home is a crisis intervention, assessment and reunification service.

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Information about this children’s home

Judgement at last inspection: requires improvement to be good

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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 requires improvement to be good at the last full inspection. At the interim inspection, Ofsted judges that it has improved effectiveness.

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and young people since the most recent full inspection

The manager and the staff at the home have worked to meet the shortfalls raised at the last inspection. The action taken has resulted in the following improvements:

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and young people since the most recent full inspection

 The manager reviews potential placements thoroughly. A planning meeting is held, within three days of a new admission, with the professionals involved with the child’s well-being. At this meeting, it is agreed how much free time a child may have. The arrangements are reviewed regularly.  The home’s statement of purpose has been reviewed and updated to reflect the function of the home and the staff who are employed.  The independent visitor’s reports are now submitted to Ofsted in a timely way.  There are systems in place to ensure that medication is safely handled and that Inspection report children’s home: SC450045 2 emergency medication is taken out of the home with the children when needed.  Safeguarding guidance is up to date. The manager addresses individual performance through monthly supervision meetings.  Staff receive in-depth core training. Additional training is identified and provided

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and young people since the most recent full inspection

to meet the children’s needs as required. Despite an increase in the levels of challenging behaviour presented by the children recently, there have only been two incidents of physical intervention since the last inspection. Staff use consequences for behaviour appropriately and proportionately with the children to help them to understand why some behaviours are not acceptable. Internal and external systems monitor the care that the home provides. Monthly reports from the independent visitor are submitted to Ofsted in a timely way. The reports offer challenge and raise actions for the home to address. Strengths and areas for development were identified in the manager’s recent comprehensive review of the care that the home provides. Staff value the training and support that they receive, and they speak positively about their manager. One member of staff said, ‘The staff are settled and are consistent as

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and young people since the most recent full inspection

[the manager] provides stability and structure.’ The staff are well equipped to provide a good level of care to meet the children’s needs. The staff are positive about the children for whom they care and have good relationships with them. The children speak positively about the staff. One child said, ‘I like the staff. I do activities like skating and going to the cinema. I feel safe here.’ Children know how to make a complaint, their views are listened to and responded to. This means that children feel valued. The staff provide a range of activities, including educational trips and opportunities for children who are not in full-time education. One of the children is in full-time education at a local school. One child is due to start a full-time placement imminently, and the other child has sessional tuition at the home twice per week while an education placement is being sought. The staff encourage the children to socialise and they promote contact between the

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and young people since the most recent full inspection

children and their friends and family. However, this contact is not always risk assessed fully. Although discussions with a social worker took place to confirm contact for one child, there was no record of the decisions and the checks that had been undertaken. This has the potential to put children at risk and it means that the decision-making process is not transparent. The updated location risk assessment considers crime statistics and information about some local areas, and assesses the risk of local building work. However, it does not consider specific information about the direct locality in sufficient detail. Consequently, some potential risks to children may not be adequately identified.

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Inspection date Inspection type Inspection judgement

Inspection report children’s home: SC450045 3 17/05/2017 Full Requires improvement to be good 10/03/2017 Interim Sustained effectiveness 22/06/2016 Full Requires improvement 16/10/2015 Interim Sustained effectiveness

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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 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 staff 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. (Regulation 12(1)(2)(a)(i)) In particular, assess and record the risks and checks undertaken relating to children having overnight stays with their friends. 13/03/2018

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Recommendations

 Under regulation 46, the registered person should review the appropriateness and suitability of the location and premises of the home at least once a year. The review should include the identification of any risks and opportunities presented by the home’s location and strategies for managing these. Providers should refer to the non-statutory advice about the location assessment process: Children’s homes regulation amendments 2014: Advice for children’s homes providers on new duties under regulations that came into effect in January and April 2014. (‘Guide to the children’s homes regulations including the quality standards’, page 64, paragraph 15.1)

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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 Inspection report children’s home: SC450045 4 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 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

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

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Inspector(s)

Ricky D’Arcy, social care inspector Louisa Bayley, regulatory inspection manager Inspection report children’s home: SC450045 5 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 looked after children, 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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