Children's home run by Clover Childcare Services Limited

Inspection report children's home: 1263776 1 Registered provider: Clover Childcare Services Limited

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Full inspection Inspected under the social care common inspection framework

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Information about this children's home

A private organisation runs this home. The home provides therapeutic care for up to two children who have emotional and behavioural difficulties and complex health and social care needs. The children may have a history of insecure attachments and challenging behaviour and experienced breakdown of numerous placements in foster care or children’s homes. The manager has been in post since December 2018 and is registered with Ofsted.

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Information about this children's home

Inspection dates: 17 to 18 December 2019

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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

Overall judgement at last inspection: good

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outstanding

Enforcement action since last inspection: none Inspection report children's home: 1263776 2

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Inspection date Inspection type Inspection judgement

08/01/2019 Full Good 07/02/2018 Full Outstanding Inspection report children's home: 1263776 3

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: outstanding

Children who are relatively new to the home are making exceptional progress. A social worker said, ‘The difference in a few months is just incredible. The changes are fantastic to see. He is thriving. Of all the placements I have ever worked with, this is by far the most outstanding.’

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: outstanding

The children have made excellent progress in their attendance in education. Children who previously struggled to attend or did not attend school at all are now attending full time. This progress has been fast and way beyond professionals’ expectations. The children’s attention and self-confidence have also developed. These are enormous achievements and are leading to children forming positive relationships and being willing to try new things and take chances.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: outstanding

The strength of the care means that children are beginning to open up about past traumas. A social worker said, ‘When I had to share some difficult news with my child, they sought out staff and asked for a hug. That is a massive development. It is such a clear indication that the child is safe and settled.’ The children are beginning to engage with vital therapeutic support for the first time.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: outstanding

One child has moved on since the last inspection. He said that the staff provide excellent support and skilled guidance that have enabled him to begin to manage adulthood. Consequently, he has developed practical independence skills. He has ongoing support from and relationships with the staff. As a result, he does not feel alone and is maintaining relationships with people who are important to him.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: outstanding

The managers and staff continue to embrace and embed research in practice. A research project to evaluate the progress that children make at the home is ongoing. This innovative work has the potential to change practice and demonstrates that managers strive to continue to improve children’s life chances.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: outstanding

The children benefit from a warm, pleasant and homely environment. Professional photographs of the children adorn the corridors and lounges alongside other pictures of activities and the children’s own artwork. The result is a welcoming home that conveys genuine affection for and pride in the children.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: outstanding

Feedback from external professionals is outstanding. They value the care and hold the management team and staff in the highest regard. Inspection report children's home: 1263776 4

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

Extremely high-quality relationships lead to children being helped to manage behaviour that they had previously not been able to control. A social worker emphasised that their child has made excellent progress. The child has progressed from being involved in serious incidents daily to being settled.

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

Excellent inclusive approaches to behaviour management support the staff to intervene in a caring and loving way. The staff work with the children to identify the children’s preferred approach when a physical intervention may be necessary. The staff and managers recognise the children’s need for safe containment and hugs. This approach means that incidents are reducing as children are beginning to develop the skills and vocabulary to understand the feelings that relate to their past traumas.

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

Staff make clear and detailed records of incidents. Excellent reflective practice and managers’ comprehensive monitoring result in learning from incidents. This learning informs practice and supports the sustained improvement in children’s behaviour.

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

No children have gone missing from the home. The manager has updated and improved the location risk assessment. In doing so, they have considered contextual safeguarding factors. They have linked with the police and the local authority to inform the content of the location risk assessment.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: outstanding

The ambitious, inspirational management team has created a culture of excellent practice. Managers lead by example. Staff feel valued, cared for and supported to carry out their roles.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: outstanding

The registered manager is in the process of changing roles. A new manager has been identified and a gradual transition is underway. Both managers have an excellent understanding of the home. There is an embedded culture of reflection and learning. The manager has addressed the issues that were identified at the last inspection.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: outstanding

Managers have an excellent, in-depth understanding of children’s needs, histories and plans. They translate that knowledge into high-quality care. Managers at all levels within the organisation have a comprehensive understanding of the progress that the children are making.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: outstanding

The staff and managers have exceptional relationships with professionals. They have excellent relationships with the children and their families. These factors combine to enable the staff to support the children to sustain, develop and improve their relationships with their families. For example, one child is now preparing to meet her family for the first time in several years.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: outstanding

Managers challenge providers effectively when they are not providing the quality of care Inspection report children's home: 1263776 5 that the children need. As a result, the managers effect changes without compromising professional relationships. For example, when the manner in which a child had arrived at the home was considered poor, this was fed back clearly and assertively to the local authority, and the local authority accepted the points and committed to avoid such practice in the future.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: outstanding

The staff and managers receive supervision and support. The staff access the training necessary to carry out their roles. The staff said that they feel well managed and safe in their roles. A worker said, ‘You feel that the company has you and holds you.’

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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: 1263776 6

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Children's home details

Registered provider: Clover Childcare Services Limited

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Children's home details

Registered provider address: The Old Rectory, Old Rectory Road, Brumstead, Norwich NR12 9EU

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Inspector

Ashley Hinson, social care inspector Inspection report children's home: 1263776 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 looked after children, safeguarding and child protection.

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Inspector

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Inspector

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Inspector

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