Children's Home run by Acorn Norfolk Limited in Norfolk

Inspection report for children’s home: 2638159 1 Registered provider: Acorn Norfolk Limited Full inspection Inspected under the social care common inspection framework

p.1

Information about this children’s home

The home provides care for up to five children with learning disabilities. It is operated by a national provider.

p.1

Information about this children’s home

The manager registered at the same time as the home in January 2022.

p.1

Information about this children’s home

The home is in the grounds of an independent school and seven other children’s homes all operated by the same national provider.

p.1

Information about this children’s home

The inspector only inspected the social care provision at this school.

p.1

Overall experiences and progress of

children and young people, taking into account

p.1

good

How well children and young people are helped and protected good

p.1

good

The effectiveness of leaders and managers requires improvement to be good

p.1

good

The children’s home provides effective services that meet the requirements for good.

p.1

good

Overall judgement at last inspection: good

p.1

Enforcement action since last inspection:

Following a monitoring visit in January 2023, Ofsted served a compliance notice in respect of the protection of children. At a further monitoring visit, in February 2023, Ofsted found that the provider had met the steps set out in the compliance notice. Inspection report for children’s home: 2638159 2

p.1

Inspection date Inspection type Inspection judgement

13/06/2022 Full Good Inspection report for children’s home: 2638159 3

p.2

Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Four children were living at the home at the time of this inspection. All the children have a diagnosis of autism spectrum disorder and a learning disability. One child has recently moved on as their education placement at the on-site school was no longer suitable. The child’s relative said that they were very satisfied with the care that their child received at the home. They said that managers and staff had been particularly caring and responsive to support the family when the placement ended.

p.3

Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Planning for children to move to the home is well thought through and organised. Managers gather extensive information about the child’s needs. Staff begin to establish relationships before the child moves in. Children are provided with photos of the home and helped to choose how their room is decorated. A child’s parent said that this was very important in helping their child to settle quickly.

p.3

Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Relatives and professionals spoken with all said that children are making very good progress from their starting points. They said that staff are kind and caring towards children. Children’s independence skills are developing, which benefits their dignity and personal safety awareness. Staff use prompts and visual aids, including symbols and storyboards, to help children understand and anticipate what is expected.

p.3

Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Children engage well with health appointments. This is because staff have helped them with visits to familiarise and de-sensitise the sensory impact of these environments. Children’s health conditions are closely monitored by staff who know them well.

p.3

Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Children enjoy going to the on-site school and using the shared resources for activities on the site throughout the day and week. This includes a small farm, where one child is starting a part-time job at weekends looking after animals. Professionals said that children’s improving engagement in lessons and tolerance for being in the classroom have been a success.

p.3

Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Children enjoy a wide range of social and community-based activities. Staff know what children like to do in their free time and arrange for them to enjoy local facilities. This has included trips to the zoo, theme parks, the beach and a summer holiday. Staff capture these moments in photos presented in handmade books for children to look at and share with their families.

p.3

Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

The home is spacious and comfortable. The manager has worked to make it feel homely and welcoming. Consideration has been given to make the home an environment that takes account of children’s sensory processing needs. Children have ample outdoor space and enjoy gardening and exercising on the trampoline.

p.3

Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Children’s relatives all said that they have been treated with kindness and respect by staff. Managers show empathy to parents and work sensitively to find the best Inspection report for children’s home: 2638159 4 outcomes for arranging visits and stays. Parents can stay overnight in separate accommodation. Managers were responsive to one family’s needs and provided additional play equipment in the family accommodation so that all family members could stay together. This meant that the visit was more enjoyable and beneficial for all those involved.

p.3

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

Children’s relatives and professionals said that children are cared for safely. Staff understand the additional vulnerabilities for children with learning disabilities and communication difficulties. Staff all undertake safeguarding training, and safeguarding matters are discussed regularly at team meetings.

p.4

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

There have been very few incidents of children leaving the home or the extensive premises without permission. When this does occur, staff remain with children and encourage them to return. Staff are prepared for these events and have plans on how to respond. The manager has reviewed the risks from the home’s rural location and works with local farmers about the risks from machinery and chemicals used in the area in case children access the fields.

p.4

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

Staff do not always write consistently clear records that are explicit about how they have intervened with a child and whether they used physical restraint. Managers and senior staff are not always suitably curious with staff to explore and clarify this. However, when children are upset, staff are kind and patient and provide reassurance to calm them.

p.4

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

Children are making good progress with developing their independence and confidence building in new environments. Staff assess the benefits of this against the risk of children’s well-being, such as an overnight stay at a holiday park as a new experience. Children’s relatives and associated professionals are asked to provide written consent for children’s care and support. However, consent has not been provided for the use of monitoring alarms on external doors to alert staff when they have been opened.

p.4

good

The registered manager is supported by two managers. They work together well as a team and are seen by staff as open, knowledgeable and supportive. As a team, they have brought improvements to address most of the shortfalls found at the previous monitoring visits. The management of medicines and recording of incidents of restrictive physical interventions has improved. However, further work is still required in the monitoring of incidents, staff training and implementation of the statement of purpose.

p.4

good

Managers have not addressed previously identified shortfalls in staff’s understanding and implementation of the home’s statement of purpose and the provider’s stated Inspection report for children’s home: 2638159 5 models of therapeutic care. Staff have not received training in how to deliver those models of care or understand them.

p.4

good

Staff said that their induction training gave them limited understanding of the provider’s stated therapeutic models of care. Training on autism spectrum disorders has been very limited. More extensive training that longer-serving staff complete has not been provided since November 2022. The home has several staff who have not accessed this. However, those staff said that they received very good mentoring and coaching from the experienced managers.

p.5

good

Staff benefit from regular supervision and have development goals to achieve. Team meetings are well attended and take place regularly; staff actively contribute to discussions. Staff are supported to achieve qualifications in social care. However, one member of staff has not achieved a relevant level 3 diploma within two years of starting work in a care role.

p.5

good

Professionals and children’s relatives all said that the managers are approachable and informative and provide regular updates of progress and changes in children’s need. Children’s statutory reviews and meetings are all attended by managers who contribute positively.

p.5

good

A recruitment drive means that children now receive care from a more consistent staff team. The number of staff vacancies is much reduced. The use of agency staff is minimal and provided by familiar and consistent workers. Inspection report for children’s home: 2638159 6

p.5

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.

p.6

Requirement Due date

The quality and purpose of care standard is that children receive care from staff who—

p.6

Requirement Due date

understand the children’s home’s overall aims and the outcomes it seeks to achieve for children;

p.6

Requirement Due date

use this understanding to deliver care that meets children’s needs and supports them to fulfil their potential.

p.6

Requirement Due date

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

p.6

Requirement Due date

understand and apply the home’s statement of purpose;

p.6

Requirement Due date

understand and apply the home’s statement of purpose. (Regulation 6 (1)(a)(b) (2)(a)(b)(i)) 30 June 2023

p.6

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—

p.6

Requirement Due date

helps children aspire to fulfil their potential; and

p.6

Requirement Due date

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

p.6

Requirement Due date

lead and manage the home in a way that is consistent with the approach and ethos, and delivers the outcomes, set out in the home’s statement of purpose;

p.6

Requirement Due date

ensure that staff have the experience, qualifications and skills to meet the needs of each child; 30 June 2023 Inspection report for children’s home: 2638159 7 use monitoring and review systems to make continuous improvements in the quality of care provided in the home. (Regulation 13 (1)(a)(b) (2)(a)(c)(h))

p.6

Requirement Due date

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

p.7

Requirement Due date

employ an individual to work at the children’s home; or

p.7

Requirement Due date

if an individual is employed by a person other than the registered person to work at the home in a position in which the individual may have regular contact with children, allow that individual to work at the home,

p.7

Requirement Due date

if the individual satisfies the requirements in paragraph (3).

p.7

Requirement Due date

the individual has the appropriate experience, qualification and skills for the work that the individual is to perform.

p.7

Requirement Due date

For the purposes of paragraph (3)(b), an individual who works in the home in a care role has the appropriate qualification if, by the relevant date, the individual has attained—

p.7

Requirement Due date

the Level 3 Diploma for Residential Childcare (England) ("the Level 3 Diploma"); or

p.7

Requirement Due date

a qualification which the registered person considers to be equivalent to the Level 3 Diploma.

p.7

Requirement Due date

in the case of an individual who starts working in a care role in a home after 1 April 2014, the date which falls 2 years after the date on which the individual started working in a care role in a home; or

p.7

Requirement Due date

in the case of an individual who was working in a care role in a home on 1 April 2014, 1 April 2016. (Regulation 32 (2)(a)(b) (3)(b) (4)(a)(b) (5)(a)(b)) 31 October 2023 Inspection report for children’s home: 2638159 8

p.7

Recommendation

 The registered person should gain consent from the placing authority for the use of any monitoring equipment. (‘Guide to the Children’s Homes Regulations, including the quality standards’, page 16, paragraph 3.16)

p.8

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: 2638159 9

p.8

Children’s home details

Registered provider: Acorn Norfolk Limited

p.9

Children’s home details

Registered provider address: 33 Roebuck Road, Hainault Business Park, Ilford IG6 3TZ

p.9

Children’s home details

Registered manager: Kirsty Orton-Kabanzi

p.9

Inspector

Jamie Cousins, Social Care Inspector Inspection report for children’s home: 2638159 10 inspects 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. If you would like a copy of this document in a different format, such as large print or Braille, please telephone 0300 123 1231, or email enquiries@ofsted.gov.uk . You may reuse this information (not including logos) free of charge in any format or medium, under the terms of the Open Government Licence. To view this licence, visit

p.9

Inspector

www.nationalarchives.gov.uk/doc/open-government-licence , write to the Information Policy Team, The National Archives, Kew, London TW9 4DU, or email: psi@nationalarchives.gsi.gov.uk .

p.10

Inspector

Interested in our work? You can subscribe to our monthly newsletter for more information and updates: http://eepurl.com/iTrDn .

p.10

Inspector

T: 0300 123 1231 Textphone: 0161 618 8524 E: enquiries@ofsted.gov.uk W: www.gov.uk/ofsted

p.10