Children's home run by Suffolk County Council in Ipswich

Inspection report for children’s home: SC038761 1 SC038761 Registered provider: Suffolk 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 six children aged between 11 and 17 years who have difficulty managing their emotions and behaviour and may have suffered severe trauma.

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Information about this children’s home

The manager registered with Ofsted in November 2020.

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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: 12 December 2022

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requires improvement to be good

Overall judgement at last inspection: good

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requires improvement to be good

Enforcement action since last inspection: none Inspection report for children’s home: SC038761 2

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Inspection date Inspection type Inspection judgement

12/12/2022 Full Good 13/07/2021 Full Good 03/12/2019 Full Good 30/07/2018 Full Good Inspection report for children’s home: SC038761 3

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improvement to be good

Four children were living at this home at the time of inspection. Two children have moved out since the last inspection, both in a planned way.

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improvement to be good

Children’s experiences have been negatively affected by the combination of the complex and challenging needs of children and the ability of the staff to meet them. Recent actions by managers have led to improvements in the dynamics of the home, but significant improvement is needed for children to receive a consistently good service.

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improvement to be good

One child is currently being looked after in an alternative provision as his needs exceed what the staff team can safely provide in the home. This move happened in as planned a way as possible, and social workers report that it worked well for the child. This enabled the child to continue to have support from staff who know him.

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improvement to be good

The home itself has become more settled following this action. However, children have not always been happy at the home. On occasion, they have reported feeling scared. Staff have not consistently de-escalated incidents swiftly. In the last six months, the police have attended the home 16 times to help staff to manage the children’s behaviours. One child has been hurt by another. On one occasion, children were locked in a room with staff to prevent them from being attacked by other children. Some incidents have been long and drawn out.

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improvement to be good

Two children have good education arrangements. For another child, there have been improvements in their educational engagement since moving to the home.

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improvement to be good

Staff uphold the rights of children. One child made a complaint against the police. The staff ensured that the child was supported to make the complaint and offered an advocate to help them discuss the matter further.

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improvement to be good

The staff encourage children to engage in independence activities, such as washing their own clothes and cooking. This helps to prepare children for adult life.

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improvement to be good

Interactions between staff and children are positive. Staff demonstrate warmth to children and show an interest in them. Children appear to enjoy spending time with the staff.

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improvement to be good

During one incident, two staff members failed to follow a child’s risk assessment and missing-from-care protocol as well as guidance from the manager. This contributed to a child accessing medication, misusing the medication, and going missing. Staff Inspection report for children’s home: SC038761 4 also failed to call the emergency services swiftly despite the knowledge that this child was at risk of harm. The manager has taken the necessary steps to address these practice issues.

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improvement to be good

One missing-from-care record failed to detail the times that the child went missing and when the police were notified. Incomplete records fail to show the accuracy of events and have the potential to limit opportunities to learn from incidents.

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improvement to be good

Staff support children to become increasingly safe online. When necessary, staff undertake daily checks of internet-enabled devices to ensure that children are using them safely. This is a good approach. For one child, this has increased their safety and helped staff to understand how the child is feeling. Consequently, appropriate support has been provided to the child.

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improvement to be good

Allegations against adults are responded to appropriately and within correct timescales. This ensures that any allegation against an adult is reviewed and assessed swiftly. This helps to ensure that only suitable adults work with children.

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improvement to be good

On occasion, physical interventions and consequences are used. These are used proportionately and reasonably.

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good

The manager is aware of the shortfalls identified at this inspection. They have taken action to begin to address them.

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good

The manager and staff are keen to support children whose social workers said that others may have given up on. This has contributed to difficult and significant incidents, some of which have had a negative effect on some of the children living at the home. Leaders and managers recognise this. As a result, they have said that they will not permit any other children to move in to the home at present.

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good

Leaders and managers have not ensured that issues identified at the last inspection have been sufficiently addressed. There are several areas of the home that have been damaged. Broken kitchen cupboard doors, a broken toilet seat, dents in doors, and stains on the carpet detract from a homely environment. This does not provide children with a nurturing environment.

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good

The staff have not been provided with the training that they need. Staff have not completed training in attention deficit hyperactivity disorder. Additionally, one staff member has not completed the required level 3 diploma within the appropriate timescale.

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good

The staff have not been provided with all the support and guidance that they need at a time of high pressure. The manager has been unable to supervise the deputy managers regularly due to having to prioritise working directly with children. Inspection report for children’s home: SC038761 5 Managers have not routinely recorded when staff have been on duty. This fails to ensure that there is an accurate record of which adults were caring for children and when. This could potentially undermine any future safeguarding enquiries.

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good

The manager works exceptionally well with other professionals. She consistently advocates for children. The manager challenges others when she believes their response to be inadequate in relation to their role. Social workers give high praise to the manager for her child-centred approach. Inspection report for children’s home: SC038761 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

help each child to understand how to keep safe;

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Requirement Due date

have the skills to identify and act upon signs that a child is at risk of harm;

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Requirement Due date

manage relationships between children to prevent them from harming each other;

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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;

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Requirement Due date

take effective action whenever there is a serious concern about a child’s welfare. (Regulation 12 (1) (2)(a)(i)(ii)(iii)(iv)(v)(vi)) 28 July 2023

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Requirement Due date

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. 28 July 2023 Inspection report for children’s home: SC038761 7 In particular, the standard in paragraph (1) requires the registered person to—

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Requirement Due date

ensure that the premises used for the purposes of the home are designed and furnished so as to—

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Requirement Due date

meet the needs of each child. (Regulation 6 (1)(a)(b) (2)(c)(i))

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Requirement Due date

The registered person must ensure that all employees—

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Requirement Due date

receive practice-related supervision by a person with appropriate experience. (Regulation 33 (4)(b)) 18 August 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

ensure that staff have the experience, qualifications and skills to meet the needs of each child. (Regulation 13 (1)(a)(b) (2)(c))

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Requirement Due date

In particular, ensure that staff undertake training in attention deficit hyperactivity disorder and that staff achieve a relevant level 3 diploma within the required timescales.

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Requirement Due date

This requirement was made at the last inspection and is restated. 18 August 2023

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Requirement Due date

The registered person must maintain records ("case records") for each child which—

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Requirement Due date

include the information and documents listed in Schedule 3 in relation to each child. (Regulation 36 (1)(a))

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Requirement Due date

In particular, ensure that the date and circumstances of all incidents where a child goes missing from the home, including any information relating to the child’s whereabouts during the period of absence, are recorded. 28 July 2023 Inspection report for children’s home: SC038761 8 Schedule 4 sets out the other information that the registered person must keep in relation to a children’s home.

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Requirement Due date

maintain in the home the records in Schedule 4. (Regulation 37 (1) (2)(a))

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Requirement Due date

In particular, ensure that a record is made of the staff duty roster of persons working at the home, and a record of the actual hours worked. 28 July 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: SC038761 9

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Children’s home details

Registered provider address: Endeavour House, Russell Road, Ipswich, Suffolk IP1 2BX

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Inspector

Lianne Bradford, Social Care Inspector Inspection report for children’s home: SC038761 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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