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. The home provides emergency and short-term placements for up to four children for whom, at the time of admission, family, foster care or other community-based placements are not possible.

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Information about this children’s home

The substantive registered manager is currently seconded to another home. An interim registered manager has been in post since April 2018.

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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 sustained effectiveness.

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and young people since the most recent full inspection

At the last inspection, the home was found to require improvement to be good. This is still the case. Risk assessments need to improve, and the management team needs to ensure that appropriately trained staff are deployed on every shift.

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and young people since the most recent full inspection

Since the last inspection, there has been a period of difficult behaviour at the home and in the local community. The manager and the responsible individual acknowledge that the group dynamics have contributed to several difficult incidents. In response to these incidents, the manager and the responsible individual are making sure that no new Inspection report children‟s home: SC034480 2 children are placed at the home until the all the children in the current group have moved on. The intention is to break the cycle of behaviours. At the time of the inspection, only one child was in placement.

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and young people since the most recent full inspection

The manager is ensuring that placement moves are not rushed, and that children experience a positive move on. The manager is actively pursuing suitable options. Since the last inspection, the children have moved on in a planned way to other residential services or back to their family homes. The staff are offering outreach support to increase the likelihood that these moves are sustained and successful.

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and young people since the most recent full inspection

The manager undertakes risk assessments for the children. However, a risk assessment that was on file that was viewed during the inspection had not been updated to incorporate a recent incident. Nor did the assessment include information about some known risky behaviours. The risk assessment of the grounds had not been updated following incidents that should have triggered a review. The children‟s needs, experiences and complexities mean that the level and nature of risks are frequently evolving, both increasing and decreasing. Therefore, it is crucial that risk assessments keep pace.

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and young people since the most recent full inspection

There have been instances when there have been no first-aid trained staff on shift. This is a concern given the risky behaviour that has been occurring at the home. However, the manager has since ensured that staff either have had this training or are booked to undertake it. There are no upcoming shifts planned that have no first-aid trained staff deployed.

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and young people since the most recent full inspection

Group risk assessments are undertaken prior to children moving into the home. These assessments include consultation with professionals and consideration of the needs of the other children at the home. However, these documents lack clarity in the overall evaluation and conclusion about the suitability of placements.

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and young people since the most recent full inspection

When the manager assesses a child as not being best suited to the home, she assertively stands her ground. The manager and the responsible individual have worked with senior managers in the local authority to increase senior managers‟ understanding of the effect that a poor planning decision can have.

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and young people since the most recent full inspection

Incident records do not always contain sufficient information about the incident or the actions that staff have taken. There is an inconsistent approach to what is considered to be a significant incident. For example, an incident in which a child got very drunk, behaved in a risky way in the car and disrupted the local community was not recorded as a significant incident. There is no guidance or clarity for staff on when they should record something as a significant incident. This makes monitoring and reviewing incidents difficult.

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and young people since the most recent full inspection

The child who is currently in placement spoke very positively about the staff. He said that they are kind and approachable. He said that he gets on well with the staff. This child feels cared for and supported. Inspection report children‟s home: SC034480 3 The home has sustained damage during incidents. The staff are working to improve the quality of the decor. However, the speed with which damage is repaired is not always fast enough.

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and young people since the most recent full inspection

The manager has responded thoroughly to complaints. She is realistic about the quality of the service. She is implementing improvements and addressing shortfalls. The manager has addressed some of the shortfalls that were identified at the last inspection. The improvements include:  The rota is now clear regarding who has worked and when.  There have been no further incidents when there has not been appropriate management cover for the home. Suitable management arrangements are in place.  The staff receive regular supervisions, which they value. The content of supervision records shows that supervisors identify areas for improvement and address these with the staff.

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and young people since the most recent full inspection

The timeframe for addressing the requirement regarding the quality of care reviews has not passed. Therefore, this requirement is restated.

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and young people since the most recent full inspection

The staff feel valued. They spoke positively about the service and the children. A member of staff said, „A year ago I was burnt out; the passion was gone. It is weird to feel that I want to come into work. The passion is back. I am feeling good, my colleagues are feeling good and that has to filter down to the kids.‟

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and young people since the most recent full inspection

The manager works proactively with a range of external professionals including the police and social care. A senior social worker said, „[The staff] are exceptionally supportive and responsive. They call in extra staff if need be. Overall, I am impressed with [the home] and what the staff are doing. What I have seen and how they manage complex needs is impressive. The staff work well to avoid situations.‟

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Inspection date Inspection type Inspection judgement

29/08/2018 Full Requires improvement to be good 10/01/2018 Interim Declined in effectiveness 24/08/2017 Full Inadequate 24/01/2017 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 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— that staff—

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Requirement Due date

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))

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Requirement Due date

In particular, ensure that risk assessments are comprehensive and up to date. 30/10/2018

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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.

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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

that the premises used for the purposes of the home are designed, furnished and maintained so as to protect each child from avoidable hazards to the child‟s health. (Regulation 12 (1)(2)(d))

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Requirement Due date

In particular, ensure that risk assessments relating to the grounds are up to date and implemented. 30/10/2018

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Requirement Due date

The registered person must ensure that— at all times, at least one person on duty at the home has a suitable first aid qualification. (Regulation 31 (1)(2)(a)) 17/10/2018

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Requirement Due date

The registered person must complete a review of the quality of care provided for children (“a quality of care review”) at least once every 6 months.

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Requirement Due date

In order to complete a quality of care review the registered person must establish and maintain a system for monitoring, reviewing and evaluating— 30/11/2018 Inspection report children‟s home: SC034480 5 the quality of care provided for children; the feedback and opinions of children about the children‟s home, its facilities and the quality of care they receive in it; and any actions that the registered person considers necessary in order to improve or maintain the quality of care provided for children.

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Requirement Due date

The system referred to in paragraph (2) must provide for ascertaining and considering the opinions of children, their parents, placing authorities and staff. (Regulation 45 (1)(2)(a)(b)(c)(5))

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Requirement Due date

In particular, ensure that the report evaluates information, including the views of children, their parents, placing authorities and staff, and identify actions to improve or maintain the quality of care.

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Recommendations

 For children‟s homes to be nurturing and supportive environments that meet the needs of their children, they will, in most cases, be homely, domestic environments. („Guide to the children‟s homes regulations including the quality standards‟, page 15, paragraph 3.9)  Ensure that assessments relating to new admissions have fully considered and captured the impact that the placement will have on the existing group of children and how this will be managed. („Guide to the children‟s homes regulations including the quality standards‟, page 56, paragraph 11.4)  Staff should be familiar with the home‟s policies on record keeping and understand the importance of careful, objective, and clear recording. Staff should record information on individual children in a non-stigmatising way that distinguishes between fact, opinion and third-party information. Information about the child must always be recorded in a way that will be helpful to the child.

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Recommendations

„Guide to the children‟s homes regulations including the quality standards‟, page 62, paragraph 14.4) This is with particular regard to ensuring that staff are clear about when to record incidents, and that records contain details regarding actions taken by staff.

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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 Inspection report children‟s home: SC034480 6 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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Children’s home details

Registered manager: Alan Barker Natalie Day

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Inspector

Ashley Hinson, social care inspector Inspection report children‟s home: SC034480 7 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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