Children's Home run by Flying Spur Limited in Norfolk

Inspection report for children’s home: SC470585 1 SC470585 Registered provider: Flying Spur 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 six children who may have experienced neglect and/or emotional abuse or had traumatic experiences that have left them vulnerable.

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Information about this children’s home

The manager registered with Ofsted in March 2017.

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Overall experiences and progress of

children and young people, taking into account

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requires improvement to be good

How well children and young people are helped and protected requires improvement to be good

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requires improvement to be good

The effectiveness of leaders and managers requires improvement to be good

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requires improvement to be good

The children’s home is not yet delivering good help and care for children and young people. However, there are no serious or widespread failures that result in their welfare not being safeguarded or promoted.

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requires improvement to be good

Overall judgement at last inspection: requires improvement to be good

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requires improvement to be good

Enforcement action since last inspection: none Inspection report for children’s home: SC470585 2

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Inspection date Inspection type Inspection judgement

31/08/2022 Full Requires improvement to be good 05/07/2022 Full Inadequate 21/03/2022 Interim Sustained effectiveness 08/11/2021 Full Requires improvement to be good Inspection report for children’s home: SC470585 3

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improvement to be good

Four children were living at the home at the time of the inspection. All children have moved to the home since the last inspection. Children have built positive relationships with the staff, and the staff have a good understanding of children’s needs. However, children’s experiences and progress have been mixed.

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improvement to be good

Children’s educational progress has been poor. None of the children are currently attending school. Staff encourage two of the children to compete schoolwork at home. However, there are no clear plans in place to support the education of the other two children. One child’s education plan does not reflect their current arrangements. Another child has online tuition two days per week. However, staff have not provided help or encouragement to ensure that this is completed regularly.

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improvement to be good

The staff and manager provide the children with little support to gain the skills that they will need later in life. One child has a pathway plan, but the staff do not have a copy of this and are not clear on its contents. Some other children do not have any independence plans. This means that staff are missing opportunities to help children to learn independence skills through their day-to-day interactions with them. It also means that staff are unable to identify progress that children make or where children may need additional help.

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improvement to be good

Leaders and managers ensure that children are offered a good level of therapeutic input. This has helped one child to begin to engage in regular sessions with the home’s therapist. The child’s social worker said that managers worked hard to make sure that this was put in place quickly, and that it is proving to be beneficial for the child’s emotional well-being.

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improvement to be good

Children all live a significant distance away from their families. However, staff are flexible and drive children long distances to ensure that they can see family and friends regularly. The staff have supported one child to spend more time with friends. This has been done in agreement with the child’s social worker, and there are clear plans for this to be done safely. The child is appreciative of this and works well with staff to stick to the agreed plans. Good support in this area ensures that relationships that are important to children are maintained and developed.

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improvement to be good

Some children have been involved in several incidents of self-harm. The staff manage most incidents well. However, on one occasion, a staff member did not follow a child’s risk assessment. Although managers identified this issue and addressed it clearly with the staff member, the failure led to the child having an item that they used to self-harm. In addition, children’s risk assessments do not include Inspection report for children’s home: SC470585 4 some significant and predictable risks and, therefore, strategies to reduce these risks are not in place.

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improvement to be good

The staff spend time talking to children about some risks and behaviours. This has helped children to be given some clear boundaries and expectations of behaviour. However, when discussions have been identified as necessary following incidents, these discussions do not always take place promptly.

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improvement to be good

Limited work has taken place in relation to online safety for children. Following one incident when a child was speaking to an unknown male on their phone, the child’s phone was removed. However, no educational work took place with the child to help them to understand the associated risks. Staff have not undertaken any work in relation to online safety with some other children. This fails to ensure that children are helped to develop their understanding of online safety.

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improvement to be good

Incidents of children going missing from care have reduced. Some children went missing regularly before moving to the home. Incidents are now rare. When incidents do occur, staff are proactive in their response and work in line with children’s plans. This helps to ensure that children are located and returned to the home safely.

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improvement to be good

Managers responded promptly to allegations and supported children well. Social workers and staff worked together to agree safety planning for children. Leaders and managers ensured that clear information was provided to staff to ensure effective risk management. Good responses to these concerns meant that children were kept safe.

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good

The manager is highly experienced and qualified to level 5. However, he has failed to ensure that there is good enough oversight of the home. Three requirements made at the last inspection have not been met. This, and other shortfalls, demonstrates that the manager has failed to ensure that the children’s care is of a consistently good quality and that identified shortfalls are addressed.

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good

Leaders and managers provide staff with a variety of training that is specific to children’s needs. Staff said that this helps their practice. However, most staff have not completed physical intervention training. While there have been some challenges in planning this with the training provider, and there has not been the need for use of physical intervention, the manager has failed to effectively follow this up. Consequently, most staff have not received important training that may be needed to help keep children and others safe.

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good

The independent person carried out visits to the home in September and October 2022. However, the reports from these visits were not submitted to Ofsted. This affects Ofsted’s ability to have effective oversight of the home. Inspection report for children’s home: SC470585 5 Staff feel well supported by managers. They said that managers are approachable and available to them when needed. Managers provide regular supervision to staff. Supervisions include detailed discussion about the needs of children and how staff are meeting these.

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good

The manager has built positive relationships with children’s social workers. Social workers said that communication is good, and information is shared promptly after any incidents. They said that the manager is open to their input and seeks their views about how challenges can be managed. Inspection report for children’s home: SC470585 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

that staff take effective action whenever there is a serious concern about a child’s welfare;

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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

that the home’s day-to-day care is arranged and delivered so as to keep each child safe and to protect each child effectively from harm. (Regulation 12 (1) (2)(a)(vii)(b))

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Requirement Due date

In particular, ensure that children’s risk assessments include strategies to manage all serious and predictable risks to children, that staff always work in line with children’s risk assessments, and that actions identified to support children to keep safe are followed up. 5 June 2023

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Requirement Due date

The education standard is that children make measurable progress towards achieving their educational potential and are helped to do so.

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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

help a child who is excluded from school, or who is of compulsory school age but not attending school, to access educational and training support throughout the period of exclusion or non-attendance and to return to school as soon as possible. (Regulation 8 (1) (2)(a)(viii)) 5 June 2023 Inspection report for children’s home: SC470585 7 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

use this understanding to deliver care that meets children’s needs and supports them 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

help each child to develop resilience and skills that prepare the child to return home, to live in a new placement or to live independently as an adult. (Regulation 6 (1)(a)(b) (2)(b)(vi))

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Requirement Due date

In particular, ensure that staff support children to learn independent life skills.

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Requirement Due date

This requirement was made at the last inspection and is restated. 3 July 2023

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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

help each child to understand how to keep safe. (Regulation 12 (1) (2)(a)(ii))

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Requirement Due date

In particular, ensure that children are helped to understand how to stay safe online.

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Requirement Due date

This requirement was made at the last inspection and is restated. 3 July 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

promotes their welfare. 5 June 2023 Inspection report for children’s home: SC470585 8 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 issues identified through monitoring are followed up and that managers have effective oversight of work undertaken with children in relation to online safety and supporting them to prepare for their futures.

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Requirement Due date

This requirement was made at the last inspection and is restated.

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Requirement Due date

The registered person must ensure that all employees—

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Requirement Due date

undertake appropriate continuing professional development. (Regulation 33 (4)(a))

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Requirement Due date

In particular, ensure that staff complete physical intervention training. 3 July 2023

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Requirement Due date

The independent person must provide a copy of the independent person’s report to—

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Requirement Due date

HMCI. (Regulation 44 (7)(a)) 31 May 2023

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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: SC470585 9

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Children’s home details

Registered provider: Flying Spur Limited

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Inspector

Joe Matkar-Cox, Social Care Inspector Inspection report for children’s home: SC470585 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 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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