Children's Home run by PCT Care Services Limited in Norfolk

Inspection report for children's home: SC471856 1 SC471856 Registered provider: PCT Care 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 six children aged between eight and 18 who may have experienced trauma or neglect.

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Information about this children’s home

A manager has been in post since March 2023 and is not yet registered.

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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 requires improvement to be 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: requires improvement to be good

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good

Enforcement action since last inspection: none Inspection report for children's home: SC471856 2

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Inspection date Inspection type Inspection judgement

17/05/2022 Full Requires improvement to be good 15/12/2021 Full Good 24/10/2019 Interim Sustained effectiveness 19/06/2019 Full Good Inspection report for children's home: SC471856 3

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Two children were living at the home at the time of the inspection. One child has lived at the home for five years. One child has moved out of the home since the last inspection, having lived at the home for three years. One child has moved into the home since the last inspection. The staff provided this child with good support. This has helped reduce the child’s anxieties and enabled them to settle in quickly.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Staff understand the importance of education. They support children to participate in educational activities. Although their efforts are not always successful, external professionals said that the staff are tireless and flexible in their approach to help children to take part in education.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Staff have a good understanding of the children’s needs and provide care that is tailored to each child. This helps children build positive relationships with staff. Consequently, children feel able to talk to specific staff about their concerns and express their views, wishes and feelings.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

The staff support children to spend quality time with people who are important to them. This helps children to remain connected to their families and friends in a meaningful way.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Children’s plans are detailed and reflect any changes in their needs. These outline what help children need and the progress they make. As a result, plans provide staff with accurate guidance about the support children need.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

There have been some improvements to the home environment. However, further improvements are needed to ensure a welcome and homely feel. Bathrooms need updating and the ceiling in the pool room requires plastering.

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

Since the last inspection, there have been clear improvements in how staff support children. Consequently, children are more settled. Children have not gone missing from the home, made allegations against staff or required physical interventions.

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

Staff help children to reduce the risks they are exposed to. One child who was going missing regularly has not gone missing since moving into the home. Support for another child has resulted in a reduction of risks associated with peers and substance misuse.

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

Staff have a good understanding of safeguarding and whistle-blowing procedures. Staff know what to do if safeguarding concerns arise. Inspection report for children's home: SC471856 4 Leaders and managers understand that children’s behaviour is caused by feelings and experiences. As a result, they address the root causes of unwanted behaviours in a meaningful and helpful way.

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

Good care planning has helped children to get along very well with one another. Consequently, there are no concerns about bullying.

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

The staff are not consistent in managing risks associated with vaping and smoking. Leaders and managers have not ensured that actions identified in smoking and vaping risk assessments are implemented. As a result, children have not received enough advice or encouragement to help them stop smoking.

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

Managers have failed to ensure that employment gaps are suitably explored prior to a staff member starting work at the home. Managerial monitoring failed to identify these gaps. A failure to follow safer recruitment processes reduces assurances regarding the suitability of staff to work with children.

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good

The previous registered manager has stepped down from the manager’s post but continues to work at the home. A new manager has been appointed and is in the process of applying for registration. The new manager has a clear vision of how they would like to develop the home and the staff team.

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good

Leaders and managers do not ensure that staff receive all the support and guidance that they need. Staff have not received annual appraisals, meaning an important opportunity to reflect and provide feedback on the quality of care has been missed. In addition, a new member of staff has not had any of the probation meetings that support new staff during their probationary period.

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good

A concern raised by a child was investigated. However, the child was unhappy with the outcome of the investigation and leaders and managers did not explore this more with the child. This was a missed opportunity to explore the child’s feelings further.

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good

The manager has not identified issues in the location risk assessment. Despite being reviewed, the document contains inaccuracies and inconsistencies.

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good

Managers make considered decisions when planning for children to move into the home. Managers put the needs of the children living at the home at the forefront of decision-making.

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good

Managers have addressed two requirements and the three recommendations made at the last inspection. However, while improvements have been made to the physical environment, further improvements are needed. Inspection report for children's home: SC471856 5

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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

understand the roles and responsibilities in relation to protecting children that are assigned to them by the registered person. (Regulation 12 (1) (2)(a)(i)(v))

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Requirement Due date

In particular, ensure that staff understand and implement each child’s risk assessment in regard to smoking risks. 26 May 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; and

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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

use monitoring and review systems to make continuous improvements in the quality of care provided in the home. (Regulation 13 (1)(a)(b) (2)(h))

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Requirement Due date

In particular, ensure that monitoring identifies any gaps in recruitment records and inaccuracies in the location risk assessment. 26 May 2023 Inspection report for children's home: SC471856 6 The registered person must—

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Requirement Due date

ensure that each employee completes an appropriate induction.

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Requirement Due date

The registered person must ensure that all employees—

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Requirement Due date

have their performance and fitness to perform their roles appraised at least once every year. (Regulation 33 (1)(a) (4)(c)) 26 May 2023

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Recommendations

 The registered person should ensure that the environment is decorated and furnished to a good standard. (‘Guide to the Children’s Homes Regulations, including the quality standards’, page 15, paragraph 3.9)  The registered person should ensure that children are able to see the results of their views being listened to and acted on, including when they express dissatisfaction with the outcome of an investigation into concerns they have raised. (‘Guide to the Children’s Homes Regulations, including the quality standards’, page 22, paragraph 4.11)

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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: SC471856 7

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Children’s home details

Registered provider: PCT Care Services Limited

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Children’s home details

Registered provider address: 28 Gordon Road, Lowestoft NR32 1NL

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Inspector

Lianne Bradford, Social Care Inspector Inspection report for children's home: SC471856 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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