Children's home run by Norfolk County Council in Norwich

Inspection report for children’s home: SC034419 1 SC034419 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

This local authority home provides short breaks for up to four disabled children a night.

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Information about this children’s home

There are two registered managers, one who registered with Ofsted in December 2017 and the other in 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

Overall judgement at last inspection: good

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good

Enforcement action since last inspection: none Inspection report for children’s home: SC034419 2

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Inspection date Inspection type Inspection judgement

16/08/2021 Full Good 27/02/2020 Full Outstanding 08/01/2019 Full Outstanding 14/09/2017 Full Outstanding Inspection report for children’s home: SC034419 3

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

At the time of this inspection, one child was staying overnight for their short break. Another child was visiting the home for the first time. In total, 11 children use the home for overnight short breaks.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Managers carefully plan which children stay together. Attention is given to children’s interests and sensory needs. This helps children enjoy their short breaks with other children who have similar interests. Staff are skilled in observing how children react to each other. Any concerns are shared with managers and children’s plans changed. This approach means that children have positive experiences. One parent said, ‘My daughter can’t wait to go. I drop her off, she is so excited she doesn’t even say goodbye.’

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Children who are new to the home receive well-planned and meaningful introductions. Staff send children information using pictures and symbols that they understand. Staff speak to people who know the child well. Children visit the home before their overnight stays. They meet the staff and other children and explore the house at their own pace.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Staff are dedicated to children’s progress, no matter how small. One child has started to use their voice because of staff’s approach and specialist resources. One child has made considerable progress in being more patient and learning the time. Staff organise children’s bedrooms in ways that are familiar to them. As a result, one child’s sleep has improved. Staff help children to develop new skills and build confidence.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Staff offer children a wide range of experiences and activities. Children benefit from a large garden, which has been designed with ramps and sensory equipment. This enables all children to play and explore outside. Staff organise activities they know children will enjoy. Meaningful activities enrich children’s experiences. Children have been to the zoo, fishing, bowling and to illumination shows. One child said that the home is ‘fun, fun, fun’.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Staff understand children’s physical health needs and how to respond if they are unwell. Staff work with other professionals to explore how they can meet children’s mental health needs. Referrals to other services are made to ensure that staff are working in the most effective ways for children.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Staff regularly seek out and act on children’s views. Staff are skilled and responsive to children’s communication styles, including those who are non-verbal. Regular children’s meetings provide children with opportunities to make changes. One child asked for a new games console. Managers purchased this for all children to use. Children said they would like more play equipment, and managers have arranged for a new soft play area to be built. Inspection report for children’s home: SC034419 4

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

Children benefit from good levels of supervision and support, in line with their assessed needs. This ensures that children’s complex needs are safely met and they are protected from harm. Families expressed a high level of confidence in the staff team’s ability to care for their child. One parent said, ‘When she is there it is my oasis. I have no worries. I know she is safe.’

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

Staff understand the vulnerabilities of children. They know how to keep children safe, and they use risk assessments well to identify and manage risk. Plans are regularly updated to reflect any changes. One child’s challenging behaviour recently increased when they spent time in the local community. These concerns were quickly considered and additional support provided. This means that the child has continued to go out safely.

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

Children have detailed care plans which give a real sense of their character. These plans help staff to provide individualised care for children. Children’s preferences and routines are detailed. This helps staff to provide support and care which is familiar to the child.

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

Staff are trained and skilled in identifying safeguarding concerns. Staff communicate well with social workers, parents and schools when they have concerns about children. The managers act promptly when safeguarding concerns arise and share information swiftly with appropriate safeguarding agencies.

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

Children are supported by staff who know and understand them well. Staff work hard to interpret and understand what children are trying to communicate through their behaviours. Staff anticipate potential triggers and use de-escalation strategies effectively. Behavioural consequences and physical interventions are used as a last resort. However, when restraint has been used, the duration has not been recorded accurately and managers have not evaluated the effectiveness of the restraint. This limits opportunities to consider the proportionality of the intervention.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

The registered managers are both suitably qualified and experienced to manage the home. They both demonstrate positive leadership skills which encourage a culture that puts children’s needs first.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

Managers follow safer recruitment processes. New staff move through a detailed induction and probation period. Managers sign staff off as competent to undertake their role. This makes sure that staff are confident to work with vulnerable children.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

The staff team is stable and committed. Employed relief and permanent staff work additional hours as required. This means children are provided with consistent care from staff they know. One member of staff said, ‘I cannot put into words how much I love coming to work. I feel privileged to work with the children.’ Inspection report for children’s home: SC034419 5 The managers use monitoring systems to track and review children and staff’s progress. These range from daily discussions with staff to monthly reviews. Detailed summaries of children’s progress are shared with social workers, parents and schools. This ensures that everyone is actively involved in children’s progress.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

Staff benefit from regular team meetings, supervision and appraisal. Managers use supervision as an opportunity to enhance and inform staff practice. Reflective models are actively used to develop staff’s skills. This gives managers the opportunity to explore staff’s perspectives and practice.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

Managers understand the importance of training and developing the staff to enhance their skills. Staff receive bespoke training to ensure that they can meet the complex needs of each child. Staff competency is tested to ensure they can deliver safe care for each child’s health needs. Staff are either qualified or working towards the relevant childcare qualification.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

Professionals are complimentary about the home, and highlight strong partnership working and communication. Professionals recognise that children make progress because of the care staff provide. One social worker said, ‘The home is paramount in helping children to make good progress.’

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

Leaders and managers have made the decision to close the home for two nights a week. This decision was made to ensure children are supported by experienced and competent staff. Managers are now actively recruiting more staff. However, the statement of purpose does not reflect the reduced number of nights. This limits Ofsted’s oversight of the home.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

The manager’s internal review failed to include children’s opinions. This This limits the amount of evidence available to drive improvements. The managers have met the one requirement set at the last inspection. Inspection report for children’s home: SC034419 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

within 24 hours of the use of a measure of control, discipline or restraint in relation to a child in the home, a record is made which includes—

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Requirement Due date

a description of the measure and its duration;

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Requirement Due date

the effectiveness and any consequences of the use of the measure. (Regulation 35 (3)(a)(iv)(vii)) 3 April 2023

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Requirement Due date

In order to complete a quality of care review the registered person must establish and maintain a system for monitoring, reviewing and evaluating—

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Requirement Due date

the feedback and opinions of children about the children’s home, its facilities and the quality of care they receive in it. (Regulation 45 (2)(b)) 3 April 2023

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Recommendation

 The registered person should keep under review a statement of purpose (regulation 16 and schedule 1). (‘Guide to the Children’s Homes Regulations, including the quality standards’, page 14, paragraph 3.5)

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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: SC034419 7

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Children’s home details

Registered provider: Norfolk County Council

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Children’s home details

Registered provider address: Norfolk County Council, County Hall, Martineau Lane, Norwich, Norfolk NR1 2DH

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Children’s home details

Registered managers: Nicola King Claire Pooley

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Inspector

Mandy Start, Social Care Inspector Inspection report for children’s home: SC034419 8 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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