Children's Home run by Norfolk County Council in Norfolk

Inspection report for children’s home: SC463902 1 SC463902 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

The home is run by a local authority. It is an emergency provision and is registered to provide support for up to four children who experience social and emotional difficulties.

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Information about this children’s home

The manager registered with Ofsted in December 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: good

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requires improvement to be good

Enforcement action since last inspection: none Inspection report for children’s home: SC463902 2

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Inspection date Inspection type Inspection judgement

04/05/2022 Full Good 20/04/2021 Full Good 17/12/2019 Full Good 13/02/2019 Full Good Inspection report for children’s home: SC463902 3

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improvement to be good

At the time of the inspection, two children were living at the home. Since the last inspection, 20 children have moved on from the home. This reflects the role of the home as an emergency provision.

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improvement to be good

Despite some strengths, the quality of care provided at the home has been compromised due to inconsistent staff actions, which have sometimes been ineffective and inappropriate. This has contributed to occasions when children have received poor care. Although managers have identified some of these shortfalls, management monitoring and subsequent responses have not always been as strong or as thorough as they should be.

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improvement to be good

On the first day of the inspection, inspectors found what appeared to be a blood stain on a kitchen surface. Staff were unaware of the presence of the stain and said that it was from a child who had injured themself the previous day. Inspectors also found plates of food spilled on the floor in a child’s room. Staff said that they had not had time to clean this up, despite the child being missing from early the previous evening.

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improvement to be good

Children form trusting and positive relationships with staff. Inspectors observed staff and children sharing humour and laughing together. The independent reviewing officer of another child said that this is the first time the child has built meaningful relationships with carers since becoming a looked after child and experiencing several placements.

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improvement to be good

Staff support children to see their family and friends. They provide practical support and work closely with families to build positive, safe relationships. Staff and managers have supported one child to visit their family in a European country.

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improvement to be good

Staff support children’s health needs. One child, with complex health needs, is supported to attend their appointments and to take their medication. Staff also support children to be active and to attend a local gym on a regular basis.

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improvement to be good

Professionals said that children make progress. One child is regularly engaging in education for the first time in several years. The tutors report that the child is showing increased interest and enjoyment of learning. The independent reviewing officer for another child said that the home has provided the child with a high level of emotional and physical stability. Inspection report for children’s home: SC463902 4

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improvement to be good

Staff do not always provide levels of supervision to children which meet the requirements set out in their plans and assessments. Staff do not always react appropriately when children may be at risk of harm. This has contributed to significant incidents which could have been avoided or managed better.

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improvement to be good

During the inspection, two children were smoking cannabis together in a bedroom. This is despite risk assessments stating that children are not permitted to spend time alone together. After attempting to locate staff without success, the manager completed room reaches and informed the police of the incident in line with the home’s procedures. A short while later, an inspector also observed the two children together in the lounge, without staff supervision.

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improvement to be good

Staff do not always respond to missing-from-care episodes in line with children’s plans and risk assessments. One child, who arrived at the home with a history of frequently going missing, has continued to go missing. The child is assessed as medium risk of child criminal exploitation and is a known cannabis user. Despite this, staff have not been reporting the child as missing from care in line with their protocol. This increases the potential risks for the child. However, managers are curious about these incidents and have worked to identify patterns, trends and triggers linked to the incidents. Another child has not been missing from care since moving to the home, which is something their social worker noted as progress.

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improvement to be good

Children’s allegations are taken seriously, and staff provide children with support to manage these. Swift action is taken to keep children safe following allegations being made. Allegations are reported to the local authority designated officer, local authorities, police and Ofsted. Advice from professionals is followed, which means that allegations are quickly resolved for children and staff.

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improvement to be good

When physical interventions are used, they are used appropriately. Staff and managers ensure that children receive a debrief and are informed of their right to make a complaint.

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good

Management oversight of practice is not good enough. Shortfalls are not consistently identified. When they are, there is sometimes a lack of challenge when practice is not effective in keeping children safe. This means that lessons are not always learned from significant incidents, and improvements to practice are not implemented.

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good

The manager is appropriately qualified and experienced. They know the children well and are ambitious to achieve good outcomes for them. Inspection report for children’s home: SC463902 5 Staff report that the manager is approachable and supports them well. Staff say that the manager is responsive to their needs. The manager provides staff with regular individual and clinical supervision sessions. Staff report that this helps them to understand the children’s needs.

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good

Staff receive relevant training. This includes training in safeguarding, first aid, physical restraint and behaviour management. They also receive training which is specifically relevant to the needs and vulnerability of the children living in the home, including exploitation and substance misuse training.

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good

The manager has developed good multi-agency relationships with professionals. Leaders and managers attend multi-agency planning meetings for children. This means that children have well-coordinated support from health, education, the local authority and the police. Inspection report for children’s home: SC463902 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

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; and

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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;

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Requirement Due date

that the premises used for the purposes of the home are designed, furnished and maintained so as to protect each child from avoidable hazards to the child’s health. (Regulation 12 (1) (2)(a)(v)(vi)(b)(d))

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Requirement Due date

In particular, ensure that staff take reasonable action and follow children’s plans and risk assessments in order to protect children from harm, including providing adequate supervision of children.

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Requirement Due date

Ensure that management oversight of significant incidents identifies and offers challenge to failures in practice which leave children at risk of harm.

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Requirement Due date

Ensure that the home is clean and hygienic to protect the children from avoidable hazards to their health. 4 September 2023 Inspection report for children’s home: SC463902 7 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 work as a team where appropriate;

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Requirement Due date

understand the impact that the quality of care provided in the home is having on the progress and experiences of each child and use this understanding to inform the development of the quality of care provided in the home;

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Requirement Due date

demonstrate that practice in the home is informed and improved by taking into account and acting on—

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Requirement Due date

feedback on the experiences of children, including complaints received; and

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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)(b)(f)(g)(ii)(h)) 4 September 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: SC463902 8

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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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Inspectors

Tom McGhee, Social Care Inspector Eileen Bultitude, Social Care Inspector Inspection report for children’s home: SC463902 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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Inspectors

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Inspectors

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Inspectors

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