Children's home run by Break Charity

Inspection report children’s home: SC063814 1 SC063814 Registered provider: Break Full inspection Inspected under the social care common inspection framework

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Information about this children’s home

This home is owned by a registered charity. It provides care for up to four children aged between seven and 17 who have experienced neglect, abuse and trauma along with family and placement breakdowns.

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Information about this children’s home

The registered manager has been in post since December 2019.

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Information about this children’s home

Due to COVID-19, at the request of the Secretary of State, we suspended all routine inspections of social care providers carried out under the social care common inspection framework (SCCIF) on 17 March 2020. We returned to routine SCCIF inspections on 12 April 2021.

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Information about this children’s home

We lasted visited this setting on 17 December 2020 to carry out a monitoring visit. The report is published on the Ofsted website.

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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

Overall judgement at last inspection: good

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good

Enforcement action since last inspection: none Inspection report children’s home: SC063814 2

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Inspection date Inspection type Inspection judgement

21/08/2019 Full Good 18/09/2018 Full Good 13/12/2017 Full Good 15/12/2016 Full Good Inspection report children’s home: SC063814 3

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

The manager and the staff know children very well. The children have formed strong attachments with the staff who have become a stabilising factor in their lives. The staff encourage children to be aspirational for their futures by seeking new opportunities and experiences.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Children are making good progress in attending education and work experience placements. One child, who previously did not attend school, attends regularly and is expected to achieve qualifications. This has increased the child’s pride and self- confidence. The staff plan carefully for future college placements in order to reduce children’s anxiety and encourage them to succeed.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Children lead active, enjoyable lives both at the home and in the local community. They are encouraged to cycle, use the local gym and pursue their hobbies. One child has repainted the garden furniture. Practical projects help the children to learn new skills and give them a sense of achievement.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Children are supported to lead healthy lives. Planning menus and helping to prepare meals encourage children to think about a balanced diet. Children are supported to stop smoking and attend their healthcare appointments.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Families are welcomed when they visit children. The staff make sure these important links are maintained by supporting meaningful family time. Families are complimentary about the quality of care provided and the progress children make.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Children keep pets and these are important to the children’s well-being. The manager ensures that children have a regular holiday with the staff. Enjoying quality time together strengthens the relationships between the staff and children.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

The house is spacious, with a large garden area where children can exercise, relax and grow vegetables. The children have helped decorate the house in coordinated decorations and matching furnishings. Children like their bedrooms and have personalised these.

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

The staff have a good understanding of the risk’s that children face. They have had extensive training in how to identify and reduce risks such as when children are using the internet. Staff are clear on how to report concerns and the importance of this.

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

The staff understand the effects of the trauma children have experienced and provide therapeutic support. Staff provide boundaries and structures for children. Inspection report children’s home: SC063814 4 Clear expectations and good routines have helped the children to settle and make progress.

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

Incidences of children going missing from the home have reduced. When children do go missing, staff follow protocols to ensure that the child returns without delay. The manager encourages learning from these events to reduce further occurrences. Staff encourage children to reduce risky behaviours by suggesting positive alternatives and offering rewards.

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

Children can engage in restorative practice when they have made mistakes. Staff encourage learning and embrace suggestions from children when they want to put things right. This has helped children to feel valued and develop compassion.

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

Staff are successful at using de-escalation techniques to avoid physical and verbal altercations. As a result, there had been no incidences of physical restraint. The staff use sanctions that are proportionate and reviewed for fairness.

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

Safeguarding concerns are raised appropriately with other professionals. However, one allegation about a member of staff which was shared with the designated officer has not been notified to Ofsted.

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

Staff encourage children to be tolerant and supportive of each other. Children are helped to be open and honest in community meetings. This helps the children to sort their minor differences and voice their complaints before these issues escalate.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

The manager is experienced and qualified for the role. She is dedicated and exceptionally child focused. The manager is ambitious and creative when seeking opportunities for children to enjoy productive lives. The manager and children enjoy a warm and close relationship.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

The children benefit from a consistent staff team that has the skills and experience to support them. The manager has built a strong senior team that works closely to make improvements to the care provided. Clear and detailed supervision records show how clearly managers support the staff and address practice concerns.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

Staff feel supported by the manager and regard her as a positive role model. They are enthusiastic about their roles and provide a positive atmosphere for the children to live in.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

Social care professionals are very positive about the quality of care. One social worker said, ‘The home is brilliant. I couldn’t fault the staff, the communication is amazing. The change in [child] is dramatic, they have so much confidence. [Child] loves it here.’ Inspection report children’s home: SC063814 5 Managerial monitoring and assurance systems have improved. This helps the manager identify areas for development. The leadership team meets regularly to review learning from incidents. Senior staff are open, honest and reflective.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

External monitoring of the home by the independent person does not provide the manager with a critical and detailed report. This has been consistently raised by the manager over a period of time. Despite this, the issue has only recently been addressed by the organisation. This reduces the manager’s capacity to improve the quality of care.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

The manager has a clear view of the standards of practice required from staff to meet children’s needs and keep them safe. The manager has challenged decisions made by the wider organisation that negatively affected the children’s care. On one occasion, senior managers failed to listen to the views of the manager, who challenged the outcome of disciplinary procedure. The manager is not empowered to deal with concerns about the staff. Inspection report children’s home: SC063814 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 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

understand the impact that the quality of care provided in the home is having on the progress and experiences of each child and use this understanding to inform the development of the quality of care provided in the home. (Regulation 13 (1)(a)(b) (2)(f))

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Requirement Due date

In particular, ensure that external monitoring by the independent person provides good-quality scrutiny and suitably detailed reporting that enables the registered manager to develop and improve the home. 30 January 2022

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Requirement Due date

The registered person must notify HMCI and each other relevant person without delay if—

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Requirement Due date

there is an allegation of abuse against the home or a person working there. (Regulation 40 (4)(c)) 30 October 2021

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Recommendation

 The registered person is responsible for ensuring that all staff consistently follow the home’s policies and procedures for the benefit of the children in the home’s care. Everyone working at the home must understand their responsibilities and what they are authorised to decide on their own initiative. There should be clear lines of accountability. In particular, ensure that senior managers consider the registered manager’s view in relation to staff disciplinary and performance Inspection report children’s home: SC063814 7 management outcomes. (‘Guide to the children’s homes regulations including the quality standards’, page 54, paragraph 10.20)

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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: SC063814 8

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Children’s home details

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

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Inspectors

Jamie Cousins, Social Care Inspector Deirdra Keating, Social Care Inspector Inspection report children’s home: SC063814 9 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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Inspectors

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Inspectors

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Inspectors

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