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, aged from 12 to 17, who may experience social and emotional difficulties. The aim of the home is to provide short- to medium-term care and reunite children with their families or help them to move on to foster care.

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Information about this children’s home

The manager registered with Ofsted in June 2021.

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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: 22 February 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 for children’s home: SC034480 2

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Inspection date Inspection type Inspection judgement

22/02/2022 Interim Improved effectiveness 23/11/2021 Full Requires improvement to be good 07/01/2020 Interim Improved effectiveness 24/06/2019 Full Good Inspection report for children’s home: SC034480 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. Since the last inspection, two children have moved back to their families, two children have moved to foster care and two children have moved to semi-independent living. One child said, ‘The best thing about living here is seeing children move to their forever homes.’

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Moves in and out of the home are meaningful and carefully planned. The manager spends time with children to listen to their wishes and feelings. Staff stay in touch with children who have moved on. Two children spoke on the local radio about the positive difference living at the home has made to their lives. One child who is currently living at the home has led the professionals who support him in planning his move to a foster home. This child-focused approach means that he is looking forward to his future and living with his foster carer.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

The manager carefully assesses children living together. She has a considered approach which takes into account children’s previous experiences, vulnerabilities and interests. Staff monitor friendships to ensure that children living together have positive relationships. Regular house meetings help children to discuss what it is like living with each other. Children learn to negotiate and share and treat each other with respect.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Staff understand the impact of children’s early childhood experiences and multiple moves. They work sensitively with children to help them develop their own sense of identity and self-worth. Staff listen to children’s experiences and concerns. They use praise and encouragement. A social worker said, ‘The staff treat him with a lot of empathy and nurture to overcome his early experiences.’ Children are learning how to feel safe and trust adults.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

All children have registered mainstream school placements. Despite this, the children are not currently engaging with formal education. Staff remain persistent in their attempts to find activities which will help children to learn and move back to formal education. Staff meet regularly with social workers and school staff to try and re- engage children in mainstream education. Children are encouraged to cook, clean and budget. The manager works with the organisation’s tutor to help children to engage in practical sessions and learning for recognised qualifications. One child enjoys make-up and hair design. Staff bought her a model head to practise these skills on. Staff’s approach to learning helps children to feel a sense of achievement and success.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Staff organise activities that they know children will enjoy. Children have been on assault courses and gone wall climbing and go-karting together. Staff spend time with children in individual activities such as shopping, going out for meals and Inspection report for children’s home: SC034480 4 pamper sessions. This helps children to relax and have fun while developing positive relationships.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Staff encourage children to spend time with people who are important to them. Staff understand the complexities of family backgrounds. Furthermore, they understand that children have attachments despite any trauma they may have experienced. Staff take children to see their families and stay to provide additional support as needed. Equally, staff understand the importance of children building new relationships with people who are going to be in their lives. One foster carer said, ‘The staff have really helped facilitate us spending time together. I am always welcome to come in.’

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

Staff are acutely aware of children’s vulnerabilities at the home and in the community. Well-written risk assessments guide staff practice. Risks to children reduce because of this. One child’s substance misuse has reduced significantly because of staff’s actions.

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

Joint working with social workers and the police has led to clear safety plans and protocols when children leave the home without permission or go missing from the home. Staff help children to learn about risks in the community and how to manage risky situations. Progress has been slow but noticeable. One child, who is at significant risk of exploitation, contacted staff to ask for help when they felt unsafe in the community.

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

Staff understand that children may communicate through their behaviour. Plans are concise and updated as behaviour or children’s responses change. Children are involved in writing these plans. Strategies to help children are clear and focused on the approach that the child prefers and is most effective. A social worker said, ‘What we see now is that [name of child] doesn’t hold onto their anger as long as before. Staff manage the risks well on a daily basis.’ There have been occasions when the police have been called to offer additional support to children in crisis. The manager reflects on these incidents and has provided additional training for staff to reduce police involvement.

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

The use of consequences has a positive impact on children. The manager has good oversight of consequences and makes certain that they are fair and proportionate. Children are helped to learn why something is wrong or inappropriate.

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

When physical restraint has been necessary to maintain safety, it is justified and proportionate. The manager reviews all incidents. Her reviews are used as learning opportunities to identify underlying causes and triggers. Staff and children are provided with time to talk after an incident. This helps staff to consider alternative options for the future and for children to talk about their feelings. Inspection report for children’s home: SC034480 5 Although the records of incidents are detailed, some words used by staff are child- blaming and based on opinion. This means that if children choose to read their files, they may feel a sense of shame and guilt.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

The registered manager is experienced and qualified. She has a clear vision to create a nurturing home for children. An experienced deputy and senior member of staff support her and promote this culture within the team. The management team members regularly meet with other professionals to discuss children’s vulnerabilities and plan how to reduce these.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

Staff benefit from regular supervision sessions that encourage reflection and focus on the children’s needs. Team meetings are well attended and structured around the home’s model of care. The manager understands the impact that the work can have on staff. She has ensured that regular team days are organised to help staff with their well-being. Staff said that they feel supported by the management team.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

The manager follows safer recruitment procedures. New staff have a detailed induction and probation period. Managers sign staff off as competent to work with children. Consequently, children are cared for by staff who have been fully considered for their roles.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

The manager has recruited a diverse staff team. There is a balance of new and experienced staff. This enriches children’s experiences. The manager has not used any agency staff since the last inspection. Permanent and employed bank staff provide cover for any additional shifts required. Children are cared for by people who are consistent in their lives.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

The manager has effective monitoring systems. Records are monitored by the manager with meaningful evaluations and comments. Internal and external monitoring systems are used to review the children’s and staff’s progress. This oversight ensures ongoing improvements are made.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

The model of care detailed in the home’s statement of purpose has not been consistently applied by staff. On occasion, staff have provided care which contradicts care practices described in the statement of purpose. This has led to children receiving inconsistent care and inconsistent approaches from staff.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

The manager understands the importance of providing the team with the skills and knowledge that they need to care for the children. Staff are either qualified or working towards a relevant level 3 diploma. However, despite two children having a diagnosis of attention deficit hyperactivity disorder, staff have not received training in this area. This means that staff lack the additional knowledge and skills to provide the specific support that the children require. Inspection report for children’s home: SC034480 6 The manager notifies Ofsted when serious incidents have occurred. However, three notifications have been submitted late. This does not provide Ofsted with timely information about staff’s actions to safeguard children.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

The manager has met the one requirement raised at the last inspection. Inspection report for children’s home: SC034480 7

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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

In particular, the standard in paragraph (1) requires the registered person to—

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Requirement Due date

understand and apply the home’s statement of purpose. (Regulation 6 (1)(a) (2)(b)(i))

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Requirement Due date

In particular, ensure that the statement of purpose includes information on how staff support children if they are at risk of harm through their behaviour. 6 January 2023

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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.

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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

ensure that staff have the experience, qualifications and skills to meet the needs of each child. (Regulation 13 (1)(a) (2)(c))

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Requirement Due date

In particular, ensure that staff receive training in attention deficit hyperactivity disorder. 24 February 2023

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Requirement Due date

The registered person must notify HMCI and each other relevant person without delay if— 20 January 2023 Inspection report for children’s home: SC034480 8 an incident requiring police involvement occurs in relation to a child which the registered person considers to be serious. (Regulation 40 (4)(b))

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Recommendation

 The registered person should ensure that staff are familiar with the home’s policies on record-keeping and understand the importance of careful, objective and clear recording. Staff should record information on individual children in a non-stigmatising way that distinguishes between fact, opinion and third-party information. Information about the child must always be recorded in a way that will be helpful to the child. (‘Guide to the Children’s Homes Regulations, including the quality standards’, page 62, paragraph 14.4)

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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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Inspector

Mandy Start, 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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Inspector

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Inspector

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Inspector

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