Children's Home run by Suffolk County Council in Suffolk

Assurance visit report: SC430022 1 SC430022

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Information about this children’s home

The home provides care for up to six children, aged 11 to 17 years, with social, emotional and/or mental health difficulties.

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Information about this children’s home

The registered manager has been in post since January 2018.

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Information about this visit

Due to COVID-19 (coronavirus), Ofsted suspended all routine inspections in March 2020. As part of a phased return to routine inspection, we are undertaking assurance visits to children’s social care services that are inspected under the social care common inspection framework (SCCIF).

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Information about this visit

At these visits, inspectors evaluate the extent to which:

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Information about this visit

 children are well cared for  children are safe  leaders and managers are exercising strong leadership.

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Information about this visit

This visit was carried out under the Care Standards Act 2000, following the published guidance for assurance visits.

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Information about this visit

Her Majesty’s Chief Inspector of Education, Children’s Services and Skills is leading Ofsted’s work into how England’s social care system has delivered child-centred practice and care within the context of the restrictions placed on society during the COVID-19 pandemic.

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Findings from the visit

We did not identify any serious or widespread concerns in relation to the care or protection of children at this assurance visit. Assurance visit report: SC430022 2

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The care of children

Five children were living at the home at the start of the COVID-19 national lockdown in April 2020. The staff managed this period well and progressed with children’s planned moves. Plans were accelerated for two children, who returned home to their families. More recently, the staff supported another child to move on to a semi- independent placement. The staff remain in contact with two of these children through the ‘staying close’ programme. One child moved into the home in May 2020. At the time of this visit, four children were living at the home.

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The care of children

The children and staff have experienced an unsettled few months. One child regularly goes missing from the home during the night. There has been an increase in criminal damage and physical aggression at the home when this child returns with a peer. This has affected the rest of the children, whose routines and sleep are disrupted. One child has expressed that they feel ‘fed up’ with the disruptions. Another child is increasingly getting involved in incidents.

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The care of children

The manager has increased the staffing levels for when children are at home during the day. The home recently converted from a pattern of waking night staff to sleep- in cover during the night. This is to provide children with the environment of a family home. The manager regularly reviews this model to ensure that it continues to meet the children’s needs and is sufficient to keep children safe.

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The care of children

The staff care about the children and know them well. Professionals were positive about the relationships that the children have with the staff, and said that the staff are calm and committed. However, one child’s care plan contained out-of-date guidance which conflicted with the child’s risk assessment. This could lead to inconsistencies in how staff respond to children.

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The care of children

The staff identify and arrange the additional help that the children need. The staff work effectively with external agencies to coordinate interventions. The staff encourage the children to engage with the support on offer.

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The care of children

The staff are aspirational for the children and work in line with individual education plans. The children all have an education provision in place. One child is not attending regularly. Another child has a reduced timetable to enable them to re- engage with their learning. One child has a bespoke package of learning, which they are enjoying. This has resulted in their improved attendance this term. Another child hopes to join the army. A member of staff has been running with this child to help them prepare for their fitness entrance exam.

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The care of children

The home is clean and welcoming. Professionals who visit the home regularly said that they have always found the home to be a comfortable environment. However, patio windows were damaged in a recent incident and have not yet been replaced. This damage contrasts with the otherwise well-decorated kitchen areas, which have been furnished to a high standard. The manager has arranged for replacement glass to be fitted as soon as it is available. Assurance visit report: SC430022 3

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The safety of children

One child regularly goes missing from the home. The staff have a good awareness of the child’s vulnerability and risk to exploitation. The staff work closely with all relevant professionals from social care, health, education, youth offending services and the police. The local police missing coordinator visits the home weekly to offer additional support. The child’s protocol is detailed, with clear actions in respect of how the staff work with other professionals to reduce the risks to this child.

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The safety of children

The children are given the opportunity to talk to staff and an independent person when they have been missing from the home. There was an excellent example of a debrief for one child, who was able to fully express their feelings about an episode of going missing.

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The safety of children

Staff are familiar with the measures that are in place to reduce risks to children. They follow protocols and respond quickly to incidents to keep the children as safe as they can. The staff shared openly that they feel anxious about keeping everyone at the home safe when volatile incidents occur with one child and their peer. However, the staff remain committed to supporting this child to move on in a planned and positive way.

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The safety of children

Physical interventions have decreased for one child, who is forming trusting relationships with the staff. Sanctions are negotiated with children, and the children understand why sanctions or consequences are imposed.

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Leaders and managers

The staff are supported by managers who know the children well. The staff said that they feel part of a strong team, which has helped them to manage the challenges of the national lockdown and the behaviour of the children.

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Leaders and managers

Team meetings provide the staff with the opportunity to discuss approaches to working with each child. The staff have access to clinical psychologist time at team meetings and during individual consultations. However, supervision is not taking place in line with the organisation’s policy. This means that staff are not benefiting from regular one-to-one support from their line manager.

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Leaders and managers

The manager provides strong oversight of all incidents involving the children. She provides clear actions and guidance for the staff. This helps the children to quickly get the help that they need.

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Leaders and managers

The manager listens to the children and deals with their complaints formally. Children attend their review meetings and are supported by the staff to share their views.

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Leaders and managers

Most of the staff have undertaken the organisation’s mandatory training and new staff are working towards this. Not all staff have achieved a relevant level 3 diploma within the required timescale. Assurance visit report: SC430022 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 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

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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

use monitoring and review systems to make continuous improvements in the quality of care provided in the home. (Regulation 13 (1)(a)(b) (2)(h))

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Requirement Due date

This relates to the manager ensuring that all plans contain the most up-to-date information and guidance for staff to follow. 4 January 2021

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Requirement Due date

For the purposes of paragraph (3)(b), an individual who works in the home in a care role has the appropriate qualification if, by the relevant date, the individual has attained—

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Requirement Due date

the Level 3 Diploma for Residential Childcare (England) (‘the Level 3 Diploma’); or

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Requirement Due date

a qualification which the registered person considers to be equivalent to the Level 3 Diploma.

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Requirement Due date

in the case of an individual who starts working in a care role in a home after 1 April 2014, the date which falls 2 years after the date on which the individual started working in a care role in a home; or 1 June 2021 Assurance visit report: SC430022 5 in the case of an individual who was working in a care role in a home on 1 April 2014, 1 April 2016. (Regulation 32 (4)(a)(b) (5)(a)(b))

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Requirement Due date

The registered person must ensure that all employees—

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Requirement Due date

receive practice-related supervision by a person with appropriate experience. (Regulation 33 (4)(b)) 4 January 2021

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Children’s home details

Registered provider: Suffolk County Council

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Children’s home details

Registered provider address: Endeavour House, Russell Road, Ipswich IP1 2BX

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Inspector

Paula Edwards, Social Care Inspector Assurance visit report: SC430022 6 to 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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