Children's Home run by Norfolk County Council in Norfolk

Inspection report children's home: SC463902 1 SC463902 Registered provider: Norfolk County Council Children's Services Full inspection Inspected under the social care common inspection framework

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Information about this children's home

This local authority home provides care for up to four children who have experienced trauma that has left them vulnerable. These children have specific needs as set out in the home’s statement of purpose.

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Information about this children's home

The registered manager left in April 2021. There is an acting manager in post, who is not yet registered.

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Information about this children's home

Due to COVID-19 (coronavirus), at the request of the Secretary of State, we suspended all routine inspections of social care providers on 17 March 2020.

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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: 17 December 2019

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good

Overall judgement at last inspection: good

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good

Enforcement action since last inspection: not applicable Inspection report children's home: SC463902 2

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Inspection date Inspection type Inspection judgement

17/12/2019 Full Good 13/02/2019 Full Good 19/09/2017 Full Outstanding 24/01/2017 Interim Improved effectiveness Inspection report children's home: SC463902 3

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

The staff give children regular opportunities to talk about matters that are concerning them. The staff empower the children to make important decisions that are central to their lives. This gives children a sense of meaning and ultimately a sense of belonging. Children’s views have an impact on the operation of the home. The children’s views are well considered by staff and the manager. The staff consistently support the children’s best interests.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

The children know how to complain. One child has been supported to make a complaint against the local authority. The child’s advocate has engaged effectively with her. Together, they have made a representation to the local authority about her dissatisfaction with the number of moves that she has recently experienced. This shows that the staff ensure that children’s rights are upheld, and appropriate challenge is made to other professionals to secure positive outcomes.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

The children engage well in education. One child is working towards an A level in mathematics and a grade nine GCSE in English. These are impressive achievements.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

The children make good progress from their starting points. One child has recently moved into the home’s annex. This has helped him to prepare for the future as he now cooks his own meals and budgets for these accordingly. The move has given the child an increased sense of self-esteem as he has developed valuable skills that will benefit him when he moves on from the home.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

The staff encourage the children to spend quality time with people who are important to them. Children have engaged well with family members; some of whom they have not seen for some time. The staff promote and understand the importance of children spending quality time with their loved ones.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

The staff take time to have meaningful conversations with children and they have the energy and time to have fun with the children too. The children have different needs; the staff amend their practice and approach effortlessly to ensure that the children are well cared for and feel supported.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

A social worker said, ‘Staff have a strong commitment to the children and go above and beyond to build a relationship with them.’ A police liaison officer said that, previously, the home had over reported incidents to the police. Since the community officer has been visiting the home on a regular basis, there has been a reduction in the frequency of the police being called to support incidents. The staff have made a conscious effort to establish and nurture relationships between the police and the children. This enables the police and the children to build a rapport and break down potential barriers that may have once existed. Inspection report children's home: SC463902 4

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

The managers are acutely aware of the importance of keeping children safe online. The home has a clear policy on online safety. Training is in place for the staff team. Children are provided with regular opportunities to discuss with staff the dangers, as well as the pleasures, of using online platforms. Appropriate filters and checks are in place to reduce the capacity for children to access unsuitable material online. The staff provide the children with individualised care and support related to what they can access in the online world. The staff involve the police as and when necessary when online safety has been compromised. The staff have tenaciously challenged the police when it was felt that their services did not recognise the level of risk posed to a child.

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

The staff have responded well to the challenges of the COVID-19 pandemic. Due to a child contracting COVID-19, the home had to undergo a period of self-isolation. This was managed well, and staff were diligent in their care. They ensured that good levels of hygiene were maintained to reduce the potential for the virus to be transmitted to others.

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

Restraint is used infrequently. When restraint is used, it is used for a minimal amount of time. Staff only use restraint when necessary, using reasonable techniques in a proportionate manner.

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

Children do not go missing from the home. The children have a sense of belonging and safety at the home. The staff look beyond behaviours to the triggers and circumstances surrounding risks such as self-harm and aggression. Staff engage with specialists in a preventative way to inform and improve their practice. This reduces risks to children.

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

Group dynamic risk assessments are underpinned by a theoretical understanding of behaviour. There is a strong emphasis on children’s histories and how these may have affected their current behaviour and well-being. The assessments provide staff with an informed understanding of each child and avoid the need for children to repeat often difficult and upsetting information to their new carers. The staff therapeutically manage and assess risk. There are clear strategies that guide staff practice to support children. Risk assessments have a strong focus on de-escalation and soothing strategies. These are effective in reducing risk. However, the manager has not adequately risk assessed the potential for harm related to a child smoking. Given that the child has a history of self-harm, this oversight reduces the child’s safety.

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

Proactive safeguarding has resulted in minimal incidents. However, on one occasion, the staff failed to adhere to the home’s safeguarding policy. This led to an unnecessary delay in reporting a concern.

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

The home is spacious and there is ample outdoor space for the children to enjoy. The home is clean and well maintained. However, the decor is tired, and in places Inspection report children's home: SC463902 5 there is a lack of homeliness. In an area used for a child’s independence development, two kitchen cupboard doors are missing.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

The previous manager ended their registration on 18 April 2021. An interim manager has been appointed. Three staff members from the management team have left the home. The children have managed this change well. The new manager has forged positive relationships with the children in a short space of time. The staff say that they feel supported by the new manager, despite the recent changes which have brought about some uncertainty.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

The manager and staff receive regular supervision. Due to COVID-19 restrictions, the arrangements for supervision have been adapted to reduce face-to-face contact. Staff spoken with said they feel that supervision helps them to improve their practice. Supervision records show that practice concerns are addressed with staff. The manager uses learning from practice issues to improve the experiences and care of children.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

The children’s case records reflect children’s lives and they are widely understood by the staff. The manager monitors the case records effectively. This ensures that records remain up to date and reflective of children’s needs and risks.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

The manager and the staff pursue expected levels of service from other professionals who work with the children. Late statutory meeting minutes are chased with tenacity. Multi-agency collaborative working is a clear strength of the home. This ensures that the children get agreed levels of service and the resources that they require.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

External monitoring has not routinely been carried out in line with regulation. This has led to some monitoring being undertaken virtually. Some virtual visits have been extremely brief, lasting no more than 90 minutes on two occasions. This arrangement lacks rigour and fails to provide objective oversight of how well the home is safeguarding children and promoting their well-being.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

During an external monitoring visit, a child told the independent visitor about a concern related to how she felt she was treated by a member of staff. The visitor relayed this information to the manager two weeks after the visit. This delay failed to safeguard the child effectively. Furthermore, the responsive actions to the child’s concern were not recorded in a coordinated manner. This failed to allow the manager to review themes related to staff conduct systematically. It is evident that the manager had taken appropriate action once in receipt of the information.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

The statement of purpose has not been updated to reflect the new management arrangements. Inspection report children's home: SC463902 6

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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

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 a risk assessment is in place to assess risks of children smoking. This is to include where and how children obtain and store smoking materials. 14 May 2021

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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

are familiar with, and act in accordance with, the home's child protection policies. (Regulation 12 (1) (2)(a)(vii))

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Requirement Due date

In particular, ensure that all staff understand their responsibilities to report practice concerns promptly and that they follow the home's safeguarding policies. 14 May 2021

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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— 25 June 2021 Inspection report children's home: SC463902 7 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, repair the kitchen cupboard doors and improve the tired decor to make the home more homely.

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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

In particular, ensure that when any internal or external monitoring identifies that children have raised concerns, systems are in place to raise the concern with the registered manager and/or senior managers immediately. Furthermore, ensure that concerns raised by children are clearly logged and that the action taken in response is recorded, evidencing that the child is satisfied with the way in which the concern has been dealt with. 14 May 2021

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Requirement Due date

keep the statement of purpose under review and, where appropriate, revise it; and

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Requirement Due date

notify HMCI of any revisions and send HMCI a copy of the revised statement within 28 days of the revision. (Regulation 16 (3)(a)(b))

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Requirement Due date

In particular, ensure that the statement of purpose reflects the new management arrangements. 28 May 2021

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Requirement Due date

The registered person must ensure that an independent person visits the children’s home at least once each month. 14 May 2021 Inspection report children's home: SC463902 8 When the independent person is carrying out a visit, the registered person must help the independent person—

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Requirement Due date

to inspect the premises of the home and such of the home’s records (except for a child’s case records, unless the child and the child’s placing authority consent) as the independent person requires. (Regulation 44 (1) (2)(b))

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Information about this inspection

Inspectors have looked closely at the experiences and progress of children and young people, 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: SC463902 9

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Children's home details

Registered provider: Norfolk County Council

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Children's home details

Registered provider address: County Hall, Martineau Lane, Norwich NR1 2DH

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Inspector

Lianne Bradford, Social Care Inspector Inspection report children's home: SC463902 10 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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Inspector

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Inspector

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