Children's Home run by BREAK in Norfolk

Inspection report for children's home: 2592750 1 Registered provider: Break Full inspection Inspected under the social care common inspection framework

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Information about this children’s home

This charity-run home provides care for up to two children who may have experienced neglect, abuse or trauma, along with family and placement breakdowns.

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Information about this children’s home

The manager registered with Ofsted in January 2023.

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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

Date of last inspection: 5 December 2022

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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: 2592750 2

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Inspection date Inspection type Inspection judgement

05/12/2022 Full Requires improvement to be good 20/07/2021 Full Good Inspection report for children's home: 2592750 3

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: requires

At the time of the inspection, two children were living at the home, one having moved in 16 days previously.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: requires

Incidents leading to risk and harm have increased significantly since the second child moved into the home. Staff have struggled to contain these incidents. The child who was already living at the home is drawn into incidents, and the progress he was making has been limited by these. The nature of the incidents also disrupts the structure of children’s days. Children do not fully benefit from education and activities. For example, they are too tired to undertake an arranged trip after a disrupted night.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: requires

Staff try to encourage children in their education. While neither child is currently in full-time education, staff support the interim home-tutoring arrangements. The staff work well with education professionals on children’s school reintegration plans. The staff are positive and encouraging about children’s effort and progress.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: requires

Both children benefit from a caring approach by staff, who have a trauma-informed perspective. Staff make efforts to build trusting relationships with children, and to deal with incidents with understanding and without blame.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: requires

The plan for both children is for them to return to the care of their parents. The staff have a clear understanding of the importance of these plans to each child. Staff support children to have regular contact with their families, and to see friends who are part of their social networks.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: requires

The children benefit from leisure activities such as trips to the coast, playing video games and using the pool table. Staff engage with children, supporting activities that interest children. On the day of this inspection, one child was excited to be taking on the care of a pet hamster. This helps children learn about animal care and responsibility.

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improvement to be good

The current dynamic between the children has led to an increase in incidents which harm the children and limit the staff team’s ability to help them.

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improvement to be good

The staff spend significant time dealing with incidents, including missing-from-home episodes and their follow-up. Although staff spend time talking with children about their feelings, this has not led to a reduction in incidents. Inspection report for children's home: 2592750 4 The staff provide key-work sessions. However, these are reactive and do not show evidence of planned work to help children progress or keep themselves safe.

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improvement to be good

Children are offered house meetings, which they decline. It is not clear that the children, who are able to express their wishes and feelings in conversations, influence decision-making. The first child living at the home had expressed clear concerns about the new child moving in. Managers were unaware of this, and it was not taken into consideration in their decision-making.

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improvement to be good

Staff respond consistently to safeguarding concerns by making appropriate notifications and liaising with partner agencies.

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good

The registered manager is leaving the service, having expressed concerns about senior management decision-making in respect of new children moving to the home. Management cover arrangements are in place and recruitment for a replacement manager is under way.

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good

Monitoring by managers and record-keeping have improved, however, these both require further work. Leaders and managers are not always aware of children’s views and their experiences. There are some gaps in records, including in essential information. Parents and some professionals reflected that there are still delays in being informed about incidents.

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good

Managers have updated strategic and operational documents and plans. There are plans for the development of the home, and for addressing and managing risks. Some of these plans are incomplete and do not always join up. For example, the location risk assessment states how specific risks in a certain area will be mitigated by staff training and awareness. However, this is not being progressed by the training outlined in the workforce development plan.

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good

Staff receive regular supervision sessions from their line managers and feel that managers are approachable and responsive. Supervision sessions are reflective and staff find these helpful. Some areas of staff development are supported well. All staff receive training in the therapeutic approach and are supported to apply this to practice. However, some important areas of training need are not progressed. When staff have a personal development plan to address shortfalls in their practice, it is not always clear what help they are offered to develop.

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good

Staff meetings are very focused on children and how to meet their needs. Staff are supported by the therapeutic lead. However, little time is devoted to the development of the staff group as a team and it is not clear what the plans are for this. Staff meetings are not always regular or recorded.

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good

Leaders have provided training for and developed a therapeutic approach to children’s care, underpinned by regular support from an in-house therapeutic team. Inspection report for children's home: 2592750 5 They have developed a culture in which children are valued and treated with sensitivity. Inspection report for children's home: 2592750 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, The 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 children’s views, wishes and feelings standard is that children receive care from staff who—

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Requirement Due date

take their views, wishes and feelings into account in relation to matters affecting the children’s care and welfare and their lives.

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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

ascertain and consider each child’s views, wishes and feelings, and balance these against what they judge to be in the child’s best interests when making decisions about the child’s care and welfare. (Regulation 7 (1)(b)(c) (2)(a)(i)) 28 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 understand how to keep safe;

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Requirement Due date

manage relationships between children to prevent them from harming each other. (Regulation 12 (1) (2)(a)(ii)(iv)) 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— 28 July 2023 Inspection report for children's home: 2592750 7 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

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)(c)(h))

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Requirement Due date

In particular, ensure that staff have regular team meetings and training to meet their identified development needs.

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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: 2592750 8

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Children’s home details

Registered provider address: Schofield House, 1 Spar Road, Norwich, Norfolk NR6 6BX

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Inspector

Russel Breyer, Social Care Inspector Inspection report for children's home: 2592750 9 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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