Children's home run by Clover Childcare Services Limited

Inspection report children’s home: 1263776 1 Registered provider: Clover Childcare Services Limited Full inspection Inspected under the social care common inspection framework

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Information about this children’s home

A private organisation runs this home. The home provides therapeutic care for up to two children with social and emotional difficulties and/or complex health and social care needs. The children may have a history of insecure attachment and may have experienced the breakdown of numerous placements in foster care or children’s homes.

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Information about this children’s home

The manager was registered with Ofsted in April 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

Overall judgement at last inspection: good

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good

Enforcement action since last inspection: none Inspection report children’s home: 1263776 2

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Inspection date Inspection type Inspection judgement

19/04/2021 Full Good 17/12/2019 Full Outstanding 08/01/2019 Full Good 07/02/2018 Full Outstanding Inspection report children’s home: 1263776 3

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

This is a happy home where children thrive. The home looks like an ordinary family home from the outside and looks the same inside. Children have friends in the road where they live. They invite their friends round for tea and visit others in their homes too. Staff promote these ordinary activities because they recognise that they are not always the activities of children who live in a children’s home. The management team understands the implications for children living away from their family. Staff understand that living in care can, for some children, increase the risk of isolation and the feeling of being ‘different’ from their peers. The management team has a clear intention in ensuring that children experience positive, happy childhoods, and at this home, the children experience just that.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Both children have lived at the home for over three years. Over this time, the children have established positive, warm and loving relationships with staff. There have been changes in the staff team. Currently, over half of the members of the staff team are relatively new. This has led to children needing to adjust to new people in their home, and learning to establish new relationships. Social workers, and an independent reviewing officer, have commented on how well one of the children has managed these changes. The independent reviewing officer added that this is an indication of the progress that this child has made in dealing with endings and starting new relationships. This is something that the child has found challenging previously. The manager has worked hard to support the children at this time. Where some may see challenge, the manager has seen opportunity to encourage children to become more resilient in their capacity to manage change.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Children make excellent progress at this home. They have good attendance at school and make good educational progress. Staff support the children with homework and understand the importance of getting a good education. One child, who was unable to read before they joined the home, was encouraged by staff to try audio books. This led to the child being more motivated to read books, and now they are an avid reader.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Staff provide children with good opportunities to go out in the community and participate in a range of activities. Children go to the cinema, have meals out, walk in the park, do ‘bush-tucker’ trials, toast marshmallows in the garden and play in the home’s paddling pool. Staff encourage children to contribute towards the community by undertaking small chores, such as going shopping and washing up.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Children benefit from regular and consistent access to therapy. Children’s successful engagement in therapy has improved their well-being, and enhanced their emotional development.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Staff are creative in the way in which they encourage children to express their views and wishes. Staff are proficient and proactive in finding out what children are Inspection report children’s home: 1263776 4 interested in. Children’s wishes are acted on, where possible. This gives children a sense of having a voice. This empowers children and increases their feelings of self- worth.

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

Children do not go missing from this home and staff seldom need to restrain children. This indicates that children are supported well by staff. Children feel safe and secure at the home.

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

Risk assessments are reflective of the known and emerging risks to children. Appropriate risk-reduction strategies are in place. Risk assessments evolve with the changes in children’s needs.

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

Staff provide children with their own, age-appropriate version of a location risk assessment. Staff take children out in the local area to show them the varying features and factors in the locality that could pose risks. This is an excellent initiative that increases children’s understanding of how to keep safe when away from the home.

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

Sanctions are used to encourage children to reflect on their behaviour and consider ways to avoid similar situations. Staff engage children in reflective discussions during which they ‘wonder’ about what may have caused them to act in certain ways or why children felt certain things. Staff use situations in which children have made unsafe or negative choices as opportunities to learn, and develop better strategies.

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

Restraint is used infrequently and only when this is reasonable and proportionate. Debriefs are provided to staff and children. Both debriefs include therapeutic questioning and professional curiosity regarding the management of each restraint. This allows staff to improve their practice, and it encourages children to reflect on how they can manage their emotions in future situations.

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

At the previous inspection, there was an occasion when managers did not alert the designated officer to an allegation of abuse made by a child against a member of staff. At this inspection, the same shortfall was identified. This is not in line with the home’s child protection policy. Failure to adhere to the correct processes following an allegation meant that there was no opportunity for an external investigation into this incident.

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

Two staff members were not able to explain what the children’s risks were. Failure to understand children’s needs and risks prevents staff from providing children with the personalised support they need.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

The manager has a good understanding of the strengths of the home and the areas that require development. Plans are in place to provide new staff with the training required to support the children. The manager’s practice is informed by research and Inspection report children’s home: 1263776 5 the specific theoretical models that the home adopts. The manager is a clear ambassador for the children. She proudly recognises the achievements of children, and these are appropriately celebrated.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

Managers work exceptionally well with partner agencies. They provide challenge when required to ensure that the interests and rights of the children are upheld.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

Staff said that their induction to the home was good, and that they have been given sufficient time to absorb and process information about the operation of the home.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

Staff said that they have received good support from managers.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

The manager has been absent from the home for a short period of time. In the absence of the manager, the deputy manager and quality assurance manager are overseeing the home.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

There have been lapses in the management oversight of the home. External monitoring reports had not been sent to Ofsted, the statement of purpose had not been updated and submitted to Ofsted, and the monitoring of a sanction and a restraint record lacked rigour. Both children’s rooms had items that required repair, and these had not been addressed. The external rear fire exit was locked with a padlock. Staff did not carry the keys for this padlock; therefore, this fire exit would potentially be unusable in the event of a fire. These issues were rectified during the inspection, once identified by the inspector. However, issues such as these that remain unchecked have the capacity to impact on the children’s experiences and safety in the home.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

Ofsted was not notified of an incident in which a child said that they had been pushed by a member of staff during a restraint. This shortfall was not identified by managers and only came to light during the inspection. This shortfall was also identified at the previous inspection.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

There are sufficient staff in place to supervise the children. However, there have been occasions when new members of staff have worked together on shift, and neither has had first-aid training, as required in regulation. For most shifts, new staff are working with an established member of staff. However, there have been times when new staff have worked together without the support of an established staff member to learn or seek advice from. Inspection report children’s home: 1263776 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;

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Requirement Due date

have the skills to identify and act upon signs that a child is at risk of harm

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Requirement Due date

are familiar with, and act in accordance with, the home’s child protection policies.

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Requirement Due date

This specifically relates to the registered manager ensuring that the home’s child protection policy is followed, and that staff understand children’s risks.

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Requirement Due date

Part of this requirement was raised at the last visit and is restated. 3 October 2022

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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— 3 October 2022 Inspection report children’s home: 1263776 7 use monitoring and review systems to make continuous improvements in the quality of care provided in the home.

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Requirement Due date

This specifically relates to the registered manager ensuring that monitoring reports are sent to Ofsted on time, that the statement of purpose is kept up to date and submitted to Ofsted, that the use of sanctions and restraints is effectively monitored, that fire evacuation procedures are safe, and that practical damage to children’s furniture is repaired in reasonable timescales.

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Requirement Due date

at all times, at least one person on duty at the home has a suitable first aid qualification.

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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))

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Requirement Due date

In particular, notify Ofsted each time a child makes an allegation against a member of staff working at the home.

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Requirement Due date

This was raised at the last visit and is restated. 3 October 2022

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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: 1263776 8

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Children’s home details

Registered provider: Clover Childcare Services Limited

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Children’s home details

Registered provider address: The Old Rectory, Old Rectory Road, Brumstead, Norwich NR12 9EU

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Inspector

Lianne Bradford, Social Care Inspector Inspection report children’s home: 1263776 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 looked after children, safeguarding and child protection.

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Inspector

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Inspector

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Inspector

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Inspector

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