Children's home run by BREAK

Inspection report children’s home: SC400901 1 SC400901 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, which is run by a registered charity, provides care for up to four children who have learning and physical disabilities. The manager registered with Ofsted in November 2011.

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Information about this children’s home

Inspection dates: 9 to 10 September 2019

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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 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: 5 November 2018

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good

Overall judgement at last inspection: good

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good

Enforcement action since last inspection: none Inspection report children’s home: SC400901 2

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Inspection date Inspection type Inspection judgement

05/11/2018 Full Good 09/05/2017 Full Good 16/03/2017 Interim Improved effectiveness 21/04/2016 Full Good Inspection report children’s home: SC400901 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

that the effectiveness of the home’s child protection policies is monitored regularly. (Regulation 12(1)(2)(e)) 31/10/2019

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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—

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Requirement Due date

helps children aspire to fulfil their potential; and promotes their welfare.

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Requirement Due date

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

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Requirement Due date

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. (Regulation 13(1)(a)(b)(2)) 29/11/2019

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Recommendations

 Provide a nurturing environment that is welcoming. (‘Guide to the children’s homes regulations including the quality standards’, page 15, paragraph 3.7) In particular, ensure that the carpets are free from stains and that remaining mobility fixtures are removed for children who do not need them. Inspection report children’s home: SC400901 4

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

The home has changed its scope and purpose to provide long-term care. Two of the children who attended the home weekly now have permanent placements. The children have a learning difficulty or complex health need and associated communication difficulties. Therefore, any changes to routine can induce anxiety.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

The children benefit from consistent routines. These routines help children to know what is going to happen next, thus reducing their anxiety. The children have a strong bond with the senior staff, whom they know well.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

The staff have managed the children’s transitions into the home extremely well. The staff spend time with the children prior to their admission. This enables the staff to gain knowledge of the children’s individual preferences.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Most children have communication aids, such as picture exchange cards, social stories or use ‘sign along’. These aids help the children to understand that they have come to live at the home and have changed schools.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

School attendance is good. The staff work closely with schools to ensure that transport and transition times enable the children’s regular attendance and ability to learn. Care staff work at the schools to support the children on school trips. This increases the children’s breadth of experiences, offering them equality of access.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

All the children have regular contact with their families. The staff provide support to parents and carers, enabling them to have quality family time. This includes family holidays and regular visits to the home. The feedback from family members about the quality of care provided was unanimously positive.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

The home is a well-appointed, spacious house. The communal areas are vibrant and homely. A sensory room provides privacy and resources that sooth and stimulate the children. However, remnants of the previous service, such as hoist mechanisms, remain in places. These detract from what is otherwise a homely environment.

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

After an initial adjustment period, the children’s risks reduce significantly. The staff provide familiarity and established routines that help children to feel secure.

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

Children appear comfortable and relaxed with the staff. The staff support children with their social interactions. High levels of staff supervision mean that the group dynamics are managed well. The children live alongside one another with acceptance and tolerance. This provides some social opportunities in preparation for adult life. Risk assessment plans and behaviour management plans are updated to include recent Inspection report children’s home: SC400901 5 incidents and antecedents. These plans guide staff on how to avoid behavioural triggers and reduce further incidents. The staff enable the children to take appropriate risks and to participate in exciting activities. This approach increases the children’s breadth of experience.

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

The staff rarely use restrictive physical interventions or consequential sanctions. Occasional incidents are recorded and the records receive good managerial oversight. The manager checks that staff’s responses reflect the child’s identified needs and behaviour management plan. This encourages the staff to provide individualised care.

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

The safeguarding procedures are not fully understood by all the staff. An allegation that was reported to the designated officer as a consultation has been investigated by an external manager. The investigation is incomplete and, while no harm came to the child, there is a lack of professional curiosity and depth to this. Some staff were not interviewed, interviews were not documented and contradictory statements were accepted without questioning. This contravenes the home’s policy to ensure that investigations are fair and thorough.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

The registered manager has been in post since 2011. Her planned retirement has provided a natural progression for the deputy to take over as manager. This enables the home to continue with the least disruption and consistent managerial oversight.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

The senior team has energy and vision. The team’s approach is child-focused, enabling the children to progress through the experiences that enhance their lives. There is a drive to make continual improvements to children’s care.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

The home’s new remit and subsequent changes to working hours have caused some staff turnover. Existing staff have worked extra hours to provide the children with continuity of care. During this time, the team has remained united and positive. Staff supervision has improved in quality and encourages reflective practice.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

The changes in the purpose and function of the home have been incorporated with little time. The staff prepared for a changeover in one weekend, with children arriving on the Monday. There was not enough time allocated for the changes. There are regulatory records missing, a high number of medication errors and parts of the environment that require further preparation. Although children’s care has not been compromised, these shortfalls detract from the overall ethos of the home.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

The staff have sustained good relationships with parents and professionals, who provided consistently good feedback about the quality of care. Inspection report children’s home: SC400901 6

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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: SC400901 7

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Children’s home details

Registered provider address: Schofield House, 1 Spar Road, Norwich, Norwich NR6 6BX

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Inspectors

Deirdra Keating, social care inspector Mark Anderton, social care inspector Inspection report children’s home: SC400901 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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Inspectors

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Inspectors

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Inspectors

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