Children's Home run by BREAK in Norfolk

Inspection report for children's home: SC040191 1 SC040191 Registered provider: Break Full inspection Inspected under the social care common inspection framework

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Information about this children’s home

The home is run by a registered charity. It provides long-term placements for up to two children who have had traumatic backgrounds.

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Information about this children’s home

The manager registered with Ofsted in March 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: 30 September 2019

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good

Overall judgement at last inspection: good

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good

Enforcement action since last inspection: none Inspection report for children's home: SC040191 2

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Inspection date Inspection type Inspection judgement

30/09/2019 Full Good 11/12/2018 Full Good 04/12/2017 Full Good 21/03/2017 Interim Sustained effectiveness Inspection report for children's home: SC040191 3

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Ofsted suspended the home’s registration in June 2021 due to safeguarding concerns. The provider subsequently requested a three-month condition to the home’s registration. This condition was lifted in March 2022. Since then, one child has lived at the home and was doing so at the time of the inspection. Since moving into the home, the child has made progress in several areas.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

The child is positive about living at the home and has built good relationships with several staff members. His social worker said that he has settled well and that he recently told her he is happy at the home. The social worker said that this is a huge achievement in a relatively short time.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Staff provide well-planned care. The child was welcomed by staff, who had been well prepared for him to move into the home. Managers worked closely with other professionals involved with the child to carefully consider how his needs could be met. Staff had access to the organisation’s therapeutic support team, which undertook a significant piece of work relating to trauma that the child had experienced. This helped staff gain a good understanding of how these experiences may have affected him. Good planning for the child has helped him to settle.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

The child has a limited education provision in place. However, this has increased since he moved in and he engages well with it. Staff work with other professionals to consider how and when they may be able to increase his provision further, in line with his needs. The child’s tutor said that staff are very supportive of education and have been creative in ensuring that it is prioritised. A recent piece of work on animal care was agreed between staff and the child’s tutor. This was part of an incentive for the child. It helped to encourage learning and for the child to understand the rewards that good engagement in education can provide. Good support for education has helped encourage the child’s engagement.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

The child takes part in a wide range of activities and his interests are encouraged. These include regularly attending a regular boxing club and police cadets. The child has previously struggled to engage in external clubs but staff have helped him feel confident to do so. Staff nurture the child’s love of animals. Staff bring their dogs to the home, which the child loves taking for walks. The child has also recently purchased two pet rats, which he had worked towards on an incentive scheme.

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

The child has a significant complex history. Staff understand his risks well and there are clear strategies in place to manage them. There have been several incidents of self-harm, but these have significantly decreased. Staff have encouraged and helped the child to engage in one-to-one appointments with a mental health nurse. This was something that the child had not engaged in at previous placements. Good Inspection report for children's home: SC040191 4 support for the child’s emotional well-being has helped him make progress in relation to his mental health needs.

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

Staff generally manage incidents of self-harm well and ensure that the child is helped with his emotional well-being. This helps the child to calm at times of distress. However, during one incident, the child was in his room for a significant time when staff knew that he had self-harmed. Although staff spoke to the child regularly from outside the room, they did not enter his room. This meant that staff were unable to assess the injury and what additional support may have been needed. The child subsequently made an allegation about staff relating to the incident. Managers explored this, but they failed to refer the concern to the local authority designated officer. This failed to provide independent oversight of how the allegation was investigated.

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

The use of restraint is rare. When it has been used, it has been done so appropriately to keep the child safe. Work carried out with the child following restraints has helped to ensure that he understands why restraint was used and to gain his views. Managers provide effective oversight of incidents. This helps to identify learning points.

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

Staff have a good understanding of how to respond to safeguarding concerns. The organisation has recently commissioned an independent whistle-blowing service that staff can use. This is in response to previous concerns about staff practice at the home. This demonstrates a clear commitment to encouraging staff to raise concerns.

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

One agency staff member has been used since the home reopened. Managers were sent confirmation that recruitment checks had taken place for this staff member. However, they did not follow up to ensure that the checks were in line with regulation. Managers also failed to explore a concern relating to why the staff member had left their previous role. Failure to carry out appropriate checks on staff leaves the potential for concerns relating to them working with children to be missed.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

The manager is suitably experienced and working towards a relevant level 5 qualification. Managers have worked to make improvements and are committed to ensuring that children achieve the best possible outcomes. Managers provide a visible presence at the home. This has enabled them to build positive relationships with the child and staff.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

Staff said that they feel well supported by managers. Staff receive regular supervision, which provides a forum for the child’s needs to be discussed in detail and staff to be supported with their well-being and professional development. Regular team meetings are used to think about how the staff are working together and to consider learning from any incidents that have occurred. Inspection report for children's home: SC040191 5 There is a high level of therapeutic input available for staff. This includes regular meetings with the service’s therapeutic support team as well as individualised therapeutic supervision when needed. Different types of support for staff help them to consider different perspectives on how they are meeting the child’s needs.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

Staff undertake a thorough programme of training. Before the child moved in, most of the team had training as a group. In addition to the home’s mandatory training, this included training specific to the child’s needs. Tailored training has helped staff to develop the specific knowledge and skills that they need to care for the child effectively.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

Feedback from external professionals is positive. They spoke of excellent communication and being kept up to date following incidents. Managers attend and contribute to any relevant meetings in relation to the child’s plans. Good links with external professionals help to ensure that everyone involved in the child’s care is working together effectively. Inspection report for children's home: SC040191 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

take effective action whenever there is a serious concern about a child’s welfare; and

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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)(vi)(vii))

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Requirement Due date

In particular, that staff respond to risks to children in line with their agreed plans and that allegations against staff are referred to the local authority designated officer. 29 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

employ an individual to work at the children’s home; or

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Requirement Due date

if an individual is employed by a person other than the registered person to work at the home in a position in which the individual may have regular contact with children, allow that individual to work at the home,

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Requirement Due date

if the individual satisfies the requirements in paragraph (3).

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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) (2)(a)(b) (3)(d)) 29 August 2022 Inspection report for children's home: SC040191 7 In particular, ensure effective oversight of checks for agency staff and that any concerns highlighted by these checks are fully explored.

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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: SC040191 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

Joe Cox, Social Care Inspector Inspection report for children's home: SC040191 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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