Children's home run by Norfolk County Council in Norwich

Inspection report children's home: SC034419 1 SC034419 Registered provider: Norfolk County Council Children’s Services

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Inspected under the social care common inspection framework

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Information about this children’s home

This local authority-run home provides short breaks for up to four children who have a learning disability and/or physical disability and/or sensory impairment.

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Information about this children’s home

The registered manager has been in post for 15 months.

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Overall experiences and progress of

children and young people, taking into account

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outstanding

How well children and young people are helped and protected outstanding

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outstanding

The effectiveness of leaders and managers outstanding

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outstanding

The children’s home provides highly effective services that consistently exceed the standards of good. The actions of the children’s home contribute to significantly improved outcomes and positive experiences for children and young people who need help, protection and care.

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outstanding

Date of last inspection: 14 September 2017

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outstanding

Overall judgement at last inspection: outstanding

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outstanding

Enforcement action since last inspection: none Inspection report children's home: SC034419 2

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Inspection date Inspection type Inspection judgement

14/09/2017 Full Outstanding 08/03/2017 Interim Improved effectiveness 12/12/2016 Full Outstanding 11/03/2016 Interim Improved effectiveness Inspection report children's home: SC034419 3

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: outstanding

The children who use this service benefit from an exceptional standard of care from staff who are trained to meet their complex needs very well. The staff are highly skilled in communicating with children, including those who are non-verbal, in a wide variety of ways. Because of this, the children’s voices are heard and they are involved in decisions about their activities and care. The children contributed to some of the ideas for developments to the garden.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: outstanding

The home is exceptionally well resourced, with adaptations and play equipment to provide the children with enjoyable and beneficial experiences. These include a specialist sensory bath and lots of sensory play equipment. The garden is particularly well planned, maintained and equipped so that the children can enjoy using it all year round. The play equipment in the garden is designed to enable children who have limited mobility and those who use wheelchairs to be able to access it. The garden includes a gym area, a wheelchair swing, a story-telling corner and a wheelchair-accessible raised play area, from which the children can see ships going up the river. There are hard- paved tracks, go-carts and trikes. These resources enable children to have fun and break down physical barriers to participation.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: outstanding

The staff give the children high levels of support when they start using the service and when they move on to other services. This is very beneficial for the children as these can be times of great uncertainty for them. A parent of a child who is just starting to use the service said that the introductions and planning had been undertaken with great sensitivity and kindness. She said that the staff had been brilliant and seem to understand her child’s needs. An external professional said that the staff did a really good job in one child’s move to a new home. The staff shared information and routines and were balanced in their description of the child, making the move a positive experience.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: outstanding

The staff use research-based models to inform their planning for and care of children, to make sure that they meet the children’s emotional and support needs and that the children get a wide range of sensory experiences.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: outstanding

The staff use a research-based model to help them plan and run groups for the brothers and sisters of children who use the service. These groups take place during the school holidays. The groups provide the children involved with opportunities to meet and to take part in enjoyable activities with others who have shared experiences.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: outstanding

Social workers and parents described the children as having great fun and wonderful visits to the home. Another external professional said that the staff meet very complex health needs ‘very, very well’, and described the staff as ‘incredible, absolutely amazing’. External professionals said that the staff have an in-depth understanding of the children. Because of this understanding, the children do exceptionally well through their stays at this home and some make remarkable progress. Inspection report children's home: SC034419 4

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

The staff use careful and proactive planning to keep the children safe. The staff develop risk assessments before the children begin to use the service, gathering information through visits to the child’s home and school, and through discussions with parents and others involved in the children’s lives. The staff plan the shifts with the safety of the children very much in mind.

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

The staff help the children to become safer by using a wide variety of ways to help them understand about safety, working in line with their communication needs. Actions include communication about staying safe in the sun and road safety. Fire safety is covered in ways that the children can understand. All of the children have personal emergency evacuation plans. The possibility of emergency evacuation is part of the planning of every evening at the home.

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

The children’s parents are confident that the staff will look after their children and keep them safe. A parent said that she knows that her child is in ‘very good hands’.

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

The exceptionally good knowledge that the staff have about the children has enabled them to identify potential safeguarding concerns. The staff pass these concerns on to other professionals so that the children can be protected. The staff have specialist training in safeguarding children who have disabilities, which helps to make sure that the staff are very well informed. The deputy manager is part of a research forum that looks at, among other things, safeguarding children who have disabilities.

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

The managers and staff use research to help them work with the children in ways that minimise the likelihood of behavioural issues. The managers and staff work with the children to help them to understand what appropriate behaviour and appropriate touch is. The managers match the children who stay at the same time to reduce the likelihood of bullying and conflict. In addition, the managers and staff support the children and help them to understand, make and keep beneficial friendships. Sometimes, this includes helping the children to resolve conflicts.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: outstanding

The staff value highly the support and leadership that they get from the managers. The staff and managers have a strong focus on the children and want the best for them. An external professional said, ‘The staff are incredibly child-centred. Each person is viewed as an individual and their wishes and feelings are always sought.’

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: outstanding

The staff really appreciate the formal supervision that they get from managers. One manager has recently undertaken training in systemic supervision and is using this to improve the effectiveness of her supervisions. High-quality supervision helps to ensure that staff practice remains at a very good level and that training and development needs are identified and met. Inspection report children's home: SC034419 5 The managers consistently look for ways to improve their practice and the outcomes for the children. They engage in review and evaluation internally and among other professionals. The managers have been involved in setting up the Communication Cafe, a forum comprised of professionals who look at best practice. The managers also meet with leaders and managers from a local school and social work teams to oversee the services in the area.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: outstanding

There are very effective relationships with other agencies. One agency representative described the manager as ‘incredibly open and collaborative’. Another professional spoke of ‘very positive, good communication systems’ and ‘professional challenge’. These highly effective relationships that include challenge and questioning help to ensure that the children have their needs met very well. The staff make very good use of the knowledge and expertise of health professionals who work with the children, to help make sure that health needs are met well.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: outstanding

There have been some significant staffing issues at the home over the last year, which have led to some children’s care dates being moved. The registered manager has addressed this through her internal reviews, and a recruitment campaign has led to the home being fully staffed. Some continued and unpredictable staff illness continues to be a challenge, but the staff and some consistent and experienced agency staff are covering the gaps.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: outstanding

There have been times during the last year when managers have had to make difficult decisions about the conflicting needs of children. These decisions have been carefully considered. An external professional spoke of decisions being ‘absolutely right’.

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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 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: SC034419 6

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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: Chief Executives, County Hall, Martineau Lane, Norwich NR1 2DH

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Inspector

Clive Lucas: social care inspector Inspection report children's home: SC034419 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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