Children's home run by Clover Childcare Services Limited in North Norfolk

Inspection report for children’s home: SC424897 1 SC424897 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

This privately owned home provides care for up to seven children. The home offers therapeutic care to children with complex health needs and/or who have previously experienced difficulties while living in social care settings. Children may have a history of insecure attachments 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 provider operates an on-site school, which is registered with the Department for Education. The inspector only inspected the social care provision.

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Information about this children’s home

The manager registered with Ofsted in December 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

Overall judgement at last inspection: outstanding

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good

Enforcement action since last inspection: none Inspection report for children’s home: SC424897 2

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Inspection date Inspection type Inspection judgement

09/06/2021 Full Outstanding 06/02/2020 Full Outstanding 18/12/2018 Full Outstanding 28/11/2017 Full Outstanding Inspection report for children’s home: SC424897 3

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Since the last inspection, the home has had a busy period. Four children moved on from the home and four children have moved in. At the time of this inspection, six children were living at the home. One child is living in another building on the premises, which is part of the registered home.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

The home provides a lovely place for children to live. The homely and tasteful internal decoration provides clean and spacious accommodation for children to enjoy. Each child has personalised their bedroom and children take pride in their private space. A staff member who is a keen photographer has taken photos of the local landscape and children choose the artwork to hang in the home. Children have a sense of ownership and pride in their home.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Children are active and enjoy the local area on their bikes and on foot. Children have a map of the area and learn about the local area risks through a guided walk with staff. Children have a good understanding of the risks in the local community as they grow towards independence.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Children attend education. Some children attend mainstream education. Other children, who may find larger schools more challenging, attend the on-site education provision. This ensures that children do not miss out on their education.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Children have healthy daily routines. They eat and sleep well. Staff ensure that children are referred to external agencies when needed. Staff took swift action to ensure that the recommendations from a mental health assessment were acted on to ensure the well-being and safety of one child.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Medication records are clear and controlled medication has thorough oversight to ensure that there are no medication errors. Staff encourage children to understand why their medication is necessary and the benefits of taking their medication.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Children have constructive, meaningful conversations with staff. Staff work within a therapeutic framework to help children become more emotionally attuned. Targeted and focused sessions help children to develop empathy, emotional resilience and tolerance of others. Staff encourage the views of children through ‘Can I have a chat?’ records.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

One child had to move on from the home sooner than planned. However, staff ensured that this child had a smooth transition to their new home. Inspection report for children’s home: SC424897 4

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

Risk assessments are detailed and comprehensive and easy to follow. Risk assessments and behaviour management plans have a therapeutic overview to ensure that staff adopt a consistent approach of therapeutic care.

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

All children have individualised therapy sessions with a consultant psychologist. The culture of the home is to embed a therapeutic approach towards children and staff. Physical intervention is only used as a last resort. Records of incidents are detailed, and staff debrief with children after any incident. This helps children to talk about their feelings and share any worries following a restraint.

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

Leaders and managers have not reviewed the impact of restrictive measures such as locking doors to communal areas of the home, including external doors to the outside play area. Such measures are considered a form of restraint. One child is living in a solo provision on the same site, which forms part of the home’s registration. The intended use for this space is not clear in the home’s statement of purpose. In addition, leaders and managers have not taken the required steps to ensure that formal agreement from the placing authority is in place to ensure that a child is not deprived of their liberty.

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

Children have a safety plan. The plans are child-centred and easy for children to follow to ensure that they have a good understanding of what steps staff need to take to keep children safe.

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

A digital passport helps children to understand risks and encourage online safety. The document empowers children to identify their own risks. The comprehensive assessment tool enables staff to gain a better understanding of what children already know about online applications and which ones could be a potential concern.

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

Following a fire at the home, a detailed fire risk assessment has been completed. Repairs to the property following significant damage have ensured that the property is safe. Regular fire tests are carried out.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

The registered manager is skilled and experienced. She is confident in her role. Her hands-on approach and willingness to be with the children mean that she knows the children well. Children respond well to her care, nurture and support. She is respected by her colleagues and considered to be a supportive manager. The manager is enrolled on a relevant leadership and management course and due to complete it in one year.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

Staff have a good understanding of the therapeutic model adopted by the home. Staff say that they work well as a team and feel supported by their managers. Staff have additional clinical supervision to help them to talk about areas to develop when faced with some challenges. The sessions help staff to develop a greater understanding of each child. Inspection report for children’s home: SC424897 5 The manager takes appropriate action to address any concerns with her staff team, in supervision sessions and team meetings. She is proactive and works alongside the placing authority to advocate on behalf of children. She has requested a placement stability meeting to ensure that one child can remain living at the home.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

The team is resilient. A strength of the home is the level of staff’s persistence to continue to provide a high level of care and support to children. There have been several staff changes since the last inspection. Six staff have left the home and 11 new staff have started working at the home. The manager said that staff recruitment has been challenging, but the team has worked hard to ensure that there is minimal impact on children. The manager was honest and acknowledged that the children are sensitive to change and that staff changes had caused some children to feel unsafe. A fire at the home also had an impact as it unsettled some children.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

Good-quality training is offered to all staff. The induction process for new starters is comprehensive. The home has introduced a new electronic portal for staff induction training. This is easier for managers to track the progress of new staff. The manager has provided training in foetal alcohol syndrome to increase staff’s knowledge and understanding so that they can support a child.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

An independent person provides a detailed evaluation of the progress of the home. This helps the manager to continue to improve and develop practice. The manager actions any recommendations suggested by the independent person promptly. Internal scrutiny and evaluation reports provide a good overview of children’s progress and staff’s practice. This ensures that strengths and shortfalls are swiftly identified.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

Leaders and managers do not have a thorough oversight of restraint practice or inherent jurisdiction and the impact of this on children’s liberty. Although measures taken have been proportionate, the absence of effective oversight increases the potential for this to be disproportionate.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

Some handwritten records in supervision logs are difficult to read. Inspection report for children’s home: SC424897 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 registered person must compile in relation to the children’s home a statement (“the statement of purpose”) which covers the matters listed in Schedule 1. (Regulation 16 (1))

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Requirement Due date

In particular, ensure that the statement of purpose includes the range of needs of the children that the home provides care for, the type of accommodation and how this has been adapted to the needs of children. 31 March 2023

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Requirement Due date

Restraint in relation to a child is only permitted for the purpose of preventing—

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Requirement Due date

injury to any person (including the child);

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Requirement Due date

serious damage to the property of any person (including the child).

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Requirement Due date

Restraint in relation to a child must be necessary and proportionate.

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Requirement Due date

These Regulations do not prevent a child from being deprived of liberty where that deprivation is authorised in accordance with a court order. (Regulation 20 (1)(a)(b) (2) (3))

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Requirement Due date

In particular, ensure that any deprivation of a child’s liberty is reviewed and that appropriate agreements are in place. 31 March 2023

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Requirement Due date

the privacy of children is appropriately protected;

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Requirement Due date

children can access all appropriate areas of the children’s home’s premises; and

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Requirement Due date

any limitation placed on a child’s privacy or access to any area of the home’s premises— 31 March 2023 Inspection report for children’s home: SC424897 7 is intended to safeguard each child accommodated in the home;

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Requirement Due date

is kept under review and, if necessary, revised;

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Requirement Due date

and allows children as much freedom as is possible when balanced against the need to protect them and keep them safe. (Regulation 21 (a)(b)(c)(i)(ii)(iv))

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Recommendations

 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. In particular, ensure that handwritten documents are legible. (‘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: SC424897 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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Children’s home details

Registered manager: Donna Moore and Katie O’Malley

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Inspector

Kamal Bhamra, Social Care Inspector Inspection report for children’s home: SC424897 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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