Children's home run by Break Charity

Inspection report children’s home: SC063814 1 SC063814 Registered provider: Break

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Full inspection Inspected under the social care common inspection framework

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Information about this children’s home

This home is owned by a registered charity. It provides care and accommodation for up to four children aged between seven and 17 who have experienced neglect, abuse and trauma, along with family and placement breakdowns. The manager has been registered since May 2007. She has relevant qualifications and experience for the role.

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Information about this children’s home

Inspection dates: 18 to 19 September 2018

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Overall experiences and progress of

children and young people, taking into account

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good

How well children and young people are helped and protected good

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good

The effectiveness of leaders and managers requires improvement to be good

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good

The children’s home provides effective services that meet the requirements for good.

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good

Date of last inspection: 13 December 2017

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good

Overall judgement at last inspection: good

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good

Enforcement action since last inspection: none

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Inspection date Inspection type Inspection judgement

13/12/2017 Full Good 15/12/2016 Full Good Inspection report children’s home: SC063814 2 21/03/2016 Interim Improved effectiveness 21/10/2015 Full Good Inspection report children’s home: SC063814 3

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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.

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Requirement Due date

In particular, the standard in paragraph (1) requires the registered person to ensure—

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Requirement Due date

understand the roles and responsibilities in relation to protecting children that are assigned to them by the registered person. (Regulation 12 (1)(2)(a)(v))

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Requirement Due date

In particular, ensure that any allegation of abuse against a person in a position of trust is referred to the designated officer in the local authority. 21/09/2018

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Requirement Due date

The registered person must recruit staff using recruitment procedures that are designed to ensure children’s safety.

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Requirement Due date

employ an individual to work at the children’s home; or

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Requirement Due date

if an individual is employed by a person other than the registered person to work at the home in a position in which the individual may have regular contact with children, allow that individual to work at the home, if the individual satisfies the requirements in paragraph (3).

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Requirement Due date

full and satisfactory information is available in relation to the individual in respect of each of the matters in Schedule 2. (Regulation 32 (1)(2)(a)(b)(3)(d)) 21/09/2018

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Requirement Due date

The registered person must notify HMCI and each other relevant person without delay if— 21/09/2018 Inspection report children’s home: SC063814 4 there is an allegation of abuse against the home or a person working there. (Regulation 40 (4)(c))

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Recommendations

 The registered person should ensure that the statement of purpose is kept under review and updated in response to management changes. (‘Guide to the children’s homes regulations including the quality standards’, page 14, paragraph 3.5)  The registered person should ensure that independent monitoring reports are shared with the registered manager promptly to enable the best use of the information in the reports. (‘Guide to the children’s homes regulations including the quality standards’, page 55, paragraph 10.24)  The registered person should ensure that case records and case files are kept up to date. (‘Guide to the children’s homes regulations including the quality standards’, page 62, paragraph 14.3)

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

This is a good home. The staff are caring and dedicated. They put the needs of the children first. The children feel that the staff care about them. A child said, ‘The staff make it good.’ Another child said, ‘[The staff] care. They get it.’ Although there are some shortcomings, these have had little effect on the safety of children or the quality of the service that they experience.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Feedback from professionals is very good. They value the service, the staff and the managers. A social worker said, ‘I think that [the staff] have been absolutely incredible. They have impressed me. They really care for [the child].’

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

The children develop strong and effective relationships with the staff. These relationships are central to the progress that the children make. A child, talking about her experience of moving into residential care, said, ‘This last year has been the biggest change, but the easiest experience. The staff have made it easy.’

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

The staff are passionate and enthusiastic about working at the home. They talk with excitement about the children, the challenges that the children face and the progress that they have made. The staff have a good understanding of the children’s needs. They use this knowledge to advocate on the children’s behalf.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

The children make social, emotional and educational progress because of the support that they receive. The children and professionals recognise this progress. A professional said, ‘The staff invest emotionally in the development of the children. The children pick up on this. They know that the staff care. [The child] has responded to this. The Inspection report children’s home: SC063814 5 situation has really turned around. We have seen a real difference in the child.’

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

One child’s educational progress has been seriously limited. The staff are working with relevant professionals to address this. An education professional said, ‘The home has been really supportive of the child. The staff have been his voice. They have been his champion.’

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

The staff support children to have a significant say in the care and support that they receive. The children and staff have regular meetings together.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

The staff support children to see their families and spend time with their brothers and sisters. Professionals are positive about the support that the staff provide in this aspect of children’s care.

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How well children and young people are helped and protected: good

The children are safer because of the support that the staff provide. The strong relationships between staff and children enable the children to share worries and concerns.

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How well children and young people are helped and protected: good

The staff have a good knowledge of the children. This increases the likelihood that the staff will recognise indications that children are feeling distressed.

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How well children and young people are helped and protected: good

The children feel safe and they talk about the staff making them feel safe. The staff manage difficult incidents without the need to use physical intervention. There have been no restraints since the last inspection. A child said, ‘The staff can control situations. I have confidence in the staff.’ Since the last inspection, there has only been one incident of a child going missing.

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How well children and young people are helped and protected: good

The service is not risk averse. The staff support the children to take measured risks to increase their independence and they work with the children to increase their understanding of internet safety.

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How well children and young people are helped and protected: good

When children make allegations, the manager shares these with professionals. However, until recently, the practice in relation to one child was to share allegations with the social work team manager instead of the designated officer. This conflicts with statutory guidance.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: requires improvement to be good

The manager is child focused and passionate about the service. She sees things through the child’s eyes. This ethos is reflected in the attitudes and approaches of staff, which contribute to children feeling that the staff care about them. However, there are several areas in which leadership and management need to improve. Inspection report children’s home: SC063814 6 There are sufficient staff to support the children, but recent shortages have resulted in the use of agency staff. The manager undertakes safe-recruitment interviews with agency staff. However, records provide insufficient assurance that all checks required by regulations take place.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: requires improvement to be good

Incidents are generally well managed. However, the manager has not notified Ofsted of some allegations made by one child. Although these allegations have been shared promptly with the placing authority, failure to notify means that Ofsted does not have a current view of incidents at the home.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: requires improvement to be good

The quality of case records is variable. Many records are accessible, positive and child friendly. However, other records could not be located, were not initially on file or were out of date. The absence of or lack of accessibility to up-to-date information has the potential to undermine the staff team’s knowledge of the children’s plans and needs. In addition, the statement of purpose has not been updated, despite significant staffing changes.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: requires improvement to be good

An independent person visits the home each month. However, the reports of these visits are not received by the manager in a timely way. This affects the timeliness of the manager’s responses to identified issues.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: requires improvement to be good

The staff receive regular supervision and annual appraisals. They have access to a range of training courses. All staff who should have a level 3 qualification have this or are working towards it within appropriate time frames.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: requires improvement to be good

The manager and senior managers challenge services when they feel that this is necessary. The staff ensure that children have access to an independent advocate.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: requires improvement to be good

The staff and the management team encourage a strong emphasis on promoting equality and challenging discrimination. The staff ensure that the children can access support groups relevant to their individual needs and identities.

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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 after.

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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 Inspection report children’s home: SC063814 7 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’. Inspection report children’s home: SC063814 8

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Children’s home details

Registered provider address: Spar Road, Norwich NR6 6BX

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Children’s home details

Responsible individual: Catherine Kenney

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Inspector

Ashley Hinson: social care inspector Inspection report children’s home: SC063814 9 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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