Children's Home run by Norfolk County Council in Norfolk

Inspection report for children’s home: SC068076 1 SC068076 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 care for up to two children. It provides residential care for children when family, foster care or other community-based placements are not possible or desirable at the time.

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Information about this children’s home

The manager registered with Ofsted in April 2021.

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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: SC068076 2

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Inspection date Inspection type Inspection judgement

20/04/2022 Full Requires improvement to be good 31/08/2021 Full Good 03/07/2019 Full Good 04/09/2018 Full Good Inspection report for children’s home: SC068076 3

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improvement to be good

At the time of the inspection, there was one child living at the home.

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improvement to be good

Staff do not always help children to develop the skills and strategies needed to manage difficult feelings. Staff talk to children about their behaviours and experiences; however, these conversations are limited. Staff are not curious with children during these discussions. When children share their past experiences, staff do always not use these opportunities to have an open discussion. This does not enable children to reflect on and understand their experiences.

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improvement to be good

Staff do not fully support children to make positive decisions about their health. Staff offer children smoking cessation services but do not have regular conversations with them about the associated health risks.

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improvement to be good

Children have education plans in place. Tutoring is offered for children without school places. The staff do not fully encourage children’s engagement with home tutoring and therefore this is limited. Staff do not always wake children, which means that they are not prepared and ready to learn. One child is keen to attend a school setting and staff have supported visits to schools.

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improvement to be good

Staff support children to spend time in the local community. Staff understand the importance of children’s friendship groups. Staff develop communication with children’s friends’ families to ensure that they are safe when in the community.

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improvement to be good

Children’s views are listened to regarding activities and home furnishings. Redecoration has made the home bright and welcoming.

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improvement to be good

Staff support children to try new activities, including paddleboarding and roller skating. This provides children with further opportunities to develop their interests.

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improvement to be good

Risk assessments do not clearly identify risks to children. Staff do not remove historical information when new information is added. There is no system to inform staff about changes made to children’s risk assessments. This means that staff are not always aware of relevant information and specific risks.

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improvement to be good

Staff do not support children to understand their risks. Staff do not discuss risks with children and how to reduce these. Staff work with external professionals and rely on them to have the discussions with children about risks. This limits children’s and staff’s learning about their safety. Inspection report for children’s home: SC068076 4 Records of incidents lack detail and times. Therefore, it is unclear whether staff always respond promptly to concerns. This prevents clear oversight of incidents and provides limited learning. There are no actions to minimise risks of further incidents.

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improvement to be good

Most staff understand the protocols to follow when a child is missing from the home. However, when changes are made to these protocols, the staff are not always updated and do not know the relevant protocol. There is a lack of clear recording of the actions staff take when they do not know a child’s location. This may reduce the time taken to locate the child and help them return home safely.

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improvement to be good

There is limited review of the impact of behavioural consequences used at the home. Consequences used are proportionate to the incident. However, the monitoring of the effectiveness of the consequences is not always good. This means that ineffective or inappropriate consequences may be given to children.

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improvement to be good

The staff team is small and stable. Safer recruitment processes are followed for new members of staff. The use of temporary staff is minimal. This allows children to build relationships with staff.

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good

The registered manager is suitably qualified. However, overall management oversight is not effective or of good quality. Learning from incidents is limited. Managers do not have clear oversight of children’s care plans or risk assessments, which does not ensure that these are reviewed regularly and up to date. Managers’ evaluations following incidents and missing-from-home episodes are brief and do not identify actions or areas for development.

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good

The assessments completed when new children move to the home are not thorough. Managers do not ensure that staff have the skills to meet the children’s identified needs at the time of admission. Plans to support children to visit before moving to and from the home are effective.

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good

The most recent statement of purpose has not been sent to Ofsted as required. This means that parents, Ofsted and other professionals do not have the most up-to-date information to ensure that children are cared for in line with the statement of purpose.

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good

Some staff have not had relevant training to support the children. There are gaps in safeguarding and exploitation training for some staff. Managers do not have clear oversight of the staff’s training needs, which leads to staff who are not fully informed.

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good

Staff receive regular supervision sessions. They discuss the children and staff’s well- being. Team Meetings are held regularly. However, actions are not routinely identified in supervision sessions or team meetings. This does not support staff’s development. Inspection report for children’s home: SC068076 5 The shortfalls identified at the last inspection have not been fully met. Two requirements have been restated. This fails to demonstrate a drive to improve children’s experiences.

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good

Professionals talk positively about the communication between the manager and staff. Professionals feel that the staff support children well. Inspection report for children’s home: SC068076 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

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

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)(i)(b))

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Requirement Due date

In particular, ensure that before taking new children, staff’s skills to meet their needs are considered alongside any other children living at the home. Ensure that incident reports show actions taken by staff, any changes made to risk assessments, and ensure that these are communicated to all staff.

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Requirement Due date

This requirement was raised at the last inspection and is restated. 28 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

In particular, the standard in paragraph (1) requires the registered person to— 25 August 2023 Inspection report for children’s home: SC068076 7 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;

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Requirement Due date

ensure that staff have the experience, qualifications and skills to meet the needs of each child;

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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)(a)(c)(h))

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Requirement Due date

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

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Requirement Due date

The positive relationships standard is that children are helped to develop, and to benefit from, relationships based on—

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Requirement Due date

an understanding about acceptable behaviour.

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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 develop socially aware behaviour. (Regulation 11 (1)(b) (2)(a)(ii)) 28 July 2023

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Requirement Due date

The care planning standard is that children—

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Requirement Due date

receive effectively planned care in or through the children’s home.

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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 each child’s relevant plans are followed. (Regulation 14 (1)(a) (2)(c))

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Requirement Due date

In particular, ensure that children’s plans are up to date and accurate. 21 July 2023

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Requirement Due date

keep the statement of purpose under review and, where appropriate, revise it; and

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Requirement Due date

notify HMCI of any revisions and send HMCI a copy of the revised statement within 28 days of the revision. 21 July 2023 Inspection report for children’s home: SC068076 8 (Regulation 16 (3)(a)(b))

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Recommendation

 The registered person should ensure that the workforce plan can fulfil the workforce-related requirement of regulation 16, schedule 1 (paragraphs 19 and 20). The plan should detail further training required for staff. (‘Guide to the Children’s Homes Regulations, including the quality standards’, page 53, paragraph 10.8)

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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: SC068076 9

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Children’s home details

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

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Inspector

Leanne Lyon, Social Care Inspector Inspection report for children’s home: SC068076 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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