Norwich Road (15)

Inspection report for children's home: SC034480 1 SC034480 Registered provider: Norfolk County Council Full inspection Inspected under the social care common inspection framework

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Information about this children’s home

A local authority runs this specialist home for up to six children who may be experiencing social and emotional difficulties, often as a result of childhood trauma.

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Information about this children’s home

The manager registered with Ofsted in June 2021.

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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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Overall experiences and progress of

children and young people, taking into account

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requires improvement to be good

How well children and young people are helped and protected requires improvement to be good

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requires improvement to be good

The effectiveness of leaders and managers requires improvement to be good

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requires improvement to be good

The children’s home is not yet delivering good help and care for children and young people. However, there are no serious or widespread failures that result in their welfare not being safeguarded or promoted.

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requires improvement to be good

Overall judgement at last inspection: improved effectiveness

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requires improvement to be good

Enforcement action since last inspection: none Inspection report for children's home: SC034480 2

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Inspection date Inspection type Inspection judgement

07/01/2020 Interim Improved effectiveness 24/06/2019 Full Good 16/10/2018 Interim Sustained effectiveness 29/08/2018 Full Requires improvement to be good Inspection report for children's home: SC034480 3

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improvement to be good

This was the first inspection since the home reopened after a major refurbishment and the adoption of a new model of care. Children have made some progress while living at the home. However, the shortfalls identified in help and protection and gaps in support for staff have affected the quality of care provided. If not addressed, these shortfalls have the potential to compromise children’s safety and progress.

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improvement to be good

The home is spacious and well resourced. Communal areas are decorated to a high standard and are well maintained. However, one child’s bedroom had a significant amount of rubbish, old food and dirty crockery in it and another child’s bedroom had crude graffiti on the door. Failure to maintain the home to a good standard means that children are not living in a wholly suitable environment.

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improvement to be good

Staff help children to build and maintain important family relationships. Children are supported to return to live with family members when appropriate. Staff have undertaken a significant amount of family reunification work with one child, who has been in care for a considerable time. There is now a plan in place for the child to return to their family.

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improvement to be good

Staff carry out a high level of outreach work with children. This includes ongoing support for children who have left the home. Children who have moved on from the home to their families or foster care have been well prepared. As a result, these moves are proving to be positive for children and new placements stand a better chance of being successful for them.

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improvement to be good

Staff help children to make progress in their education. Good communication between staff and schools has led to improved attendance. Some children have benefited from a change in education provision as a result of the staff’s support. One child had not engaged in any education for some time before moving to the home but is now undertaking work set by their school with the help of staff. Staff prioritising children’s education has resulted in better engagement from children.

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improvement to be good

Children are subject to high levels of risk, including risks relating to criminal exploitation and substance misuse. Staff work with external professionals to share information and devise agreed protocols to keep children safe. However, some significant risks are not identified on children’s risk assessments and strategies outlined to keep children safe are lacking in detail. In addition, some staff are unaware of some risks to children. Poor-quality risk assessments and a lack of understanding of risk limit the ability of staff to keep children safe. Inspection report for children's home: SC034480 4 The manager completes impact risk assessments before children move to the home. The assessments consider the needs of the child and those children already living at the home. However, these assessments do not always take account of all known risks and how staff will manage these. Risks identified in the home’s location risk

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improvement to be good

assessment are not considered. Managers have not considered what training staff have received in areas of risk for children. Failure to consider all known risks limits the ability of managers to assess how children’s needs will be met.

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improvement to be good

There have been some incidents of children going missing from the home. Staff respond to these incidents appropriately and in accordance with children’s plans. Return home interviews are carried out for most incidents. However, one child was reported missing for four days in a row, which was a new behaviour. This was for relatively short periods each time but return home interviews were not provided and there was no evidence of these being requested by staff. Staff failed to adequately explore these incidents with the child. These shortfalls mean that the risks associated with some incidents of children going missing have not been appropriately followed up.

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improvement to be good

Some children have a history of displaying aggressive behaviour. However, there have been very few such incidents at the home. Incidents that have occurred have been responded to effectively by staff and no incidents have necessitated the use of physical interventions. The lack of incidents is an indication that staff care for children in ways that help them to feel settled and that staff de-escalate incidents that do occur effectively.

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good

The manager is highly experienced and suitably qualified for the role. She is passionate about achieving the best outcomes for children and is highly thought of by staff and external professionals.

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good

Staff said that they are well supported by managers. They value the additional resources available to them, including working with a police liaison officer, speech and language therapist and life coach, who are all based at the home. However, staff have not been provided with regular supervision. When supervisions have taken place, these have not included clear actions when concerns in relation to children have been discussed. Most staff are new to the home, with some not having worked in similar environments previously. A lack of supervision has meant that staff have not been provided with the levels of support needed to ensure that they are fully equipped to meet children’s needs.

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good

Staff have not always received the training that they need to meet children’s needs effectively. Staff have now undertaken training in relation to gangs, but this was only after two children with significant risks around this issue moved to the home. Some staff have not had refresher physical intervention training. The restrictions due to the COVID-19 pandemic are partly responsible for this, but a lack of suitable training can lead to staff not having the knowledge needed to care for children. Inspection report for children's home: SC034480 5 Some serious incidents, including children being missing from the home for extended periods of time, have not been notified to Ofsted. This affects Ofsted’s ability to monitor the home.

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good

The manager is an effective advocate for children. After an incident which involved police, she raised a complaint in response to the police’s attitude towards a child. She has advocated for children in relation to their education, which has helped to result in more settled education provision for some. Advocating on behalf of children helps to ensure that they feel heard and know that their views are valued. Inspection report for children's home: SC034480 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 quality and purpose of care standard is that children receive care from staff who—

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Requirement Due date

understand the children’s home’s overall aims and the outcomes it seeks to achieve for children;

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Requirement Due date

use this understanding to deliver care that meets children’s needs and supports them to fulfil their potential.

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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

provide to children living in the home the physical necessities they need in order to live there comfortably. (Regulation 6 (1)(a)(b) (2)(b)(vii))

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Requirement Due date

In particular, ensure that children’s bedrooms are maintained to a hygienic and good standard. 13 December

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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 home’s day-to-day care is arranged and delivered so as to keep each child safe and to protect each child effectively from harm. (Regulation 12 (1) (2)(b))

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Requirement Due date

In particular, ensure that impact assessments consider how well equipped staff are to meet the needs of children moving to the home and the impact on children of any risks identified in the home’s location risk assessment. 13 December

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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. 13 December Inspection report for children's home: SC034480 7 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 children’s risk assessments include all identified risks for children and strategies to manage these, and that staff understand these risks and strategies.

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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

take effective action whenever there is a serious concern about a child’s welfare. (Regulation 12 (1) (2)(a)(vi))

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Requirement Due date

In particular, ensure that actions in response to children who go missing are taken with regard to the statutory guidance on children who run away or go missing from home or care. 13 December

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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)) 3 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 any incident relating to a child which the registered person considers to be serious. (Regulation 40 (4)(e)) 6 December 2021

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Recommendation

 The registered person should support staff to gain skills and experience that enable them to actively support each child to achieve their potential. (‘Guide to the children’s homes regulations, including the quality standards’, page 52, paragraph 10.5) Inspection report for children's home: SC034480 8

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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 for children's home: SC034480 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, Norfolk NR1 2DH

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Inspectors

Joe Cox, Social Care Inspector Rachel Watkinson, Social Care Inspector Inspection report for children's home: SC034480 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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Inspectors

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Inspectors

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Inspectors

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