Children's Home run by Break Charity in Cambridgeshire

Inspection report children’s home: SC439153 1 SC439153 Registered provider: Break Full inspection Inspected under the social care common inspection framework

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Information about this children’s home

This charity-run home provides care for up to four children with social, emotional and mental health difficulties.

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Information about this children’s home

The registered manager left the organisation in July 2022. A new manager has been appointed and starts in post on 1 September 2022.

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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: 20 January 2022

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good

Overall judgement at last inspection: improved effectiveness

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good

Enforcement action since last inspection: none Inspection report children’s home: SC439153 2

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Inspection date Inspection type Inspection judgement

20/01/2022 Interim Improved effectiveness 29/04/2021 Full Requires improvement to be good 01/10/2019 Full Good 26/06/2019 Full Inadequate Inspection report children’s home: SC439153 3

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

At the time of this inspection, three children were living at the home. Before children move in, the manager works with social workers and families to find out children’s likes and dislikes. The manager uses this information to ensure that children living together have common interests. Alongside this, the manager regularly reviews how well children live together.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Staff know the children well and enjoy spending time with them. Children and staff have experienced large-group activities together, such as parties, paintballing and airsoft. Recently, group activities have reduced. The close monitoring of relationships between children identified negative influences between the group. This has led to staff planning individual activities with children. Children have benefited from this time with staff. Children feel comfortable in the environment and during activities to talk with staff about any concerns that they have.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Children are encouraged to make day-to-day decisions about their lives. They are invited to interview new members of staff. Children are involved in setting the agenda for staff meetings. Children and staff have their own message book. Children use the book to let staff know information that they feel is important. Staff host regular children’s meetings, which gives children the opportunity to discuss how they feel about living together. These creative approaches help children to feel valued and able to make contributions to discussions and decisions.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Two children are in education. One child is enrolled on a mechanics course at college. With the support from staff, the child has been offered an apprenticeship at a local garage. One child has completed his GCSEs and is applying to college. Staff are helping one child to engage with the home’s dedicated teaching assistant. The child has a tailored learning plan and is making progress with their independence skills and budgeting. Staff understand the importance of children learning and making progress educationally.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Children are helped to spend time with people who are important to them. Staff take children to see their families. One child has been provided with his own mobile phone so that he can contact his family when he chooses. One child has remained good friends with a child who moved out of the home. Staff arrange for them to spend time together and organise activities that they will both enjoy. Children are helped to build positive relationships with others.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Children live in a large modern home. Photos of the children are on the walls and their artwork is on display. Children have access to appropriate books, games and devices. The garden provides a safe area for children to play basketball and football. There have been improvements to this area; however, there are weeds and old furniture on the patio. Inspection report children’s home: SC439153 4

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

Children who have experienced trauma are helped by staff to talk about their feelings. Staff are trained in the home’s preferred model of care. Together, the staff and the therapist plan discussions with children which help them to explore their emotions. One child told staff how his memories were affecting his mental health. Tailored support and medical advice were arranged. As a result, the child’s mental health has improved.

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

Staff are proactive in offering advice and making referrals to specialist support services to improve children’s health. Staff help children to understand the risks of substance abuse. Staff appropriately challenge children’s beliefs about using drugs. They work closely with the local police to make certain that children are aware of the laws relating to drugs. One child said, ‘Staff try their best to keep me safe.’

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

Staff follow detailed risk assessments that alert them to the risks that children face and how to respond. Regular reviews help staff to identify new risks to children. The focus of these plans is to encourage children to identify risks for themselves and learn how to keep safe.

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

Missing-from-home profiles and procedures are unique to each child. Staff understand their responsibilities to report when children go missing from home. Staff recognise that some children require unplanned time alone as part of their behaviour strategies. When children have been missing from home, staff have provided opportunities for them to talk about their experiences.

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

Staff focus on building positive relationships with children. Staff are attentive and caring in their approach. As a result, there have been no physical interventions since the last inspection.

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

Staff understand that children may express emotions through their behaviour. When this happens, staff use sanctions to help children to understand the consequences of behaviour. However, these sanctions are not restorative in nature. Children are not provided with the opportunity to comment. There is lack of management oversight in ensuring that sanctions are proportionate. This does not help children to learn or understand how their behaviour can affect others.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

The registered manager left the organisation in July 2022. A new manager has been shadowing the registered manager and has received a thorough handover. The new manager is suitably experienced and qualified to manage the home. He will start in post officially on 1 September 2022.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

The manager is complemented by a stable and committed staff team. Continuity of staff helps children to build relationships and form attachments. When additional staff are needed, they are usually staff who regularly work at the home and are already known to children. This helps children to experience consistent care. Inspection report children’s home: SC439153 5 Staff receive regular reflective supervision by trained managers. Staff are encouraged to discuss the children’s strengths and any concerns that they have about children’s well-being. Managers ensure that staff can discuss their own health and well-being. Professional development is discussed. The home’s therapist meets with staff monthly to ensure that they have the emotional support to care for children who have experienced trauma. Staff say that they feel supported by the management team.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

The manager monitors staff training to ensure that children’s needs can be met. He has identified additional training to develop staff and ensure that they have the skills to work with the children. Staff hold or are working towards a relevant childcare qualification.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

There are effective management systems to monitor children’s progress and address any staffing concerns. The manager uses this information to create detailed plans which identify the home’s strengths and areas for development.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

New staff follow a detailed induction plan as part of their probation. However, the previous manager has failed to follow safer recruitment processes and explore a gap in employment for a staff member. This does not provide full assurance of the staff member’s suitability to work with vulnerable children.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

The previous manager has failed to keep under review and provide Ofsted with the most recent statement of purpose. This oversight means that monitoring of the home and how children’s needs are being met has been limited. Inspection report children’s home: SC439153 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

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, ensure that weeds and old furniture are removed from the garden and patio area. 5 August 2022

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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)) 5 August 2022

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Requirement Due date

The registered person must recruit staff using recruitment procedures that are designed to ensure children’s safety.

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Requirement Due date

full and satisfactory information is available in relation to the individual in respect of each of the matters in Schedule 2. (Regulation 32 (1) (3)(d))

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Requirement Due date

In particular, ensure that all gaps in employment are thoroughly explored with new employees. 5 August 2022 Inspection report children’s home: SC439153 7

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Recommendation

 The registered person should ensure that any sanctions used to address behaviour are restorative in nature, to help children recognise the impact of their behaviour on themselves, other children, the staff caring for them and the wider community. (‘Guide to the Children’s Homes Regulations, including the quality standards’, page 46, paragraph 9.38)

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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: SC439153 8

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Children’s home details

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

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Inspector

Mandy Start, Social Care Inspector Inspection report children’s home: SC439153 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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Inspector

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Inspector

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Inspector

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