Children's Home run by Suffolk County Council in Suffolk

Inspection report for children’s home: SC037256 1 SC037256 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 seven children with social and emotional difficulties.

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Information about this children’s home

The manager registered with Ofsted in July 2020.

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Overall experiences and progress of

children and young people, taking into account

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good

How well children and young people are helped and protected good

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good

The effectiveness of leaders and managers good

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good

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

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good

Overall judgement at last inspection: good

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good

Enforcement action since last inspection: none Inspection report for children’s home: SC037256 2

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Inspection date Inspection type Inspection judgement

11/04/2022 Full Good 13/10/2021 Interim Declined in effectiveness 12/04/2021 Full Requires improvement to be good 19/02/2020 Full Inadequate Inspection report for children’s home: SC037256 3

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

There are currently five children living at the home. Three children have moved out since the last inspection. The staff have kept in contact with these children as they settle into their new homes. Ongoing support has helped the children to become more confident with their future plans.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Staff support children to maintain relationships that are important to them. Children are encouraged to meet with family, friends and build relationships outside the home. Staff understand the importance of staying in touch with children when they are in the community. Children know that staff are concerned for their safety and well-being when they are out, and that they can call staff for help.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

The staff value the importance of children’s education. However, not all children engage with learning. The managers are strong advocates for the children. They ensure that they receive the most suitable educational options. Some of the children engage in alternative provisions on a part-time basis, with staff supporting their learning with informal educational resources. School attendance and engagement has improved for two children since they came to the home. Children know that staff care about their learning.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Children are encouraged and supported by staff to attend health appointments. Staff identify children’s emerging health needs and make specialist appointments as necessary. Staff have advocated for one child who has a fear of dentists. Joint working between staff and the health professional helped the child to understand the consequence of ignoring the problems. As a result, the child has attended one appointment to start treatment.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Children’s views are collected in a variety of ways. Children know that they can speak to staff about issues that bother them. Staff are trained to use a trauma- informed approach. This helps them to consider the perspective of the child.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

An advocate comes to the home monthly. All the children know they can speak to the advocate. Recently, the advocate helped support a child to represent their views at a child in care meeting. This helped to reduce the child’s anxiety of not being understood.

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

Staff have good working relationships with other agencies such as social workers, the youth justice service and the police. The effectiveness of these relationships helps the children to become safer.

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

The staff understand the risks for the children and actively help to manage them. Creative and well-planned discussions take place between the staff and children that Inspection report for children’s home: SC037256 4 cover important and emerging topics. These discussions include the impact of substance misuse, safe internet use and fire safety. This enhances the children’s knowledge of personal safety.

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

The staff challenge children when they use inappropriate language or show discriminatory behaviour. The staff respond to incidents of bullying. Staff have reflective discussions with children to encourage positive relationships. Group work sessions and individual conversations help children to understand how to treat others with respect.

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

Serious incidents occur both at the home and in the community. Staff respond and take action to reduce the risk of further harm. On occasions, staff have called the police for support during highly volatile situations. Police involvement has been appropriate to keep the children and others safe.

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

The staff’s consistent and nurturing approach has enabled the children to become safer. Children have all made progress from their individual starting points. Records show a considerable reduction in incidents of self-harm and children going missing from the home. Restraints are used at times to keep children and others safe. These are well recorded with managers’ oversight to ensure they are proportionate and necessary.

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

Risk assessments are clear and contain risk-reduction strategies. Staff record incidents well. However, staff have not consistently updated the risk assessments for individual children following incidents when risks to children have changed. This does not ensure that staff are provided with the necessary risk-reduction strategies.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

The managers lead a culture of respect for children and staff. They implement the home’s approach, in a nurturing parenting style. They know the children well and have developed positive relationships with professionals and family members.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

Staff are experienced and knowledgeable. The staff’s understanding of identified risks for the children is enhanced by the manager’s knowledge. Regular team meetings are well attended. The managers and consultant psychotherapist facilitate meetings that include child-focused and insightful discussions. These guide the staff to implement therapeutic support and provide good outcomes for the children.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

New staff receive thorough inductions. All staff receive regular, reflective supervision sessions. The staff are positive about the managers and the support that they receive. The managers ensure that staff are provided with a range of training. This helps to increase the staff’s knowledge and skills.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

The management team recognises the need for a period of stability. This has led to a decision not to accept any new children until the children currently living at the home are more settled. Inspection report for children’s home: SC037256 5 The manager has not completed the level 5 diploma within three years of her appointment. Furthermore, some staff have not achieved a relevant level 3 diploma within two years of commencing a care role. Therefore, not all staff are suitably qualified for their roles. Inspection report for children’s home: SC037256 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 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. (Regulation 12 (1) (2)(a)(i))

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Requirement Due date

In particular, update children’s risk assessments following any changes. 2 November 2023

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Requirement Due date

A person may only manage a children’s home if—

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Requirement Due date

having regard to the size of the home, its statement of purpose, and the number and needs (including any needs arising from any disability) of the children—

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Requirement Due date

the person has the appropriate experience, qualification and skills to manage the home effectively and lead the care of children.

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Requirement Due date

For the purposes of paragraph (1)(b)(i), a person has the appropriate experience and qualification if the person has—

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Requirement Due date

the Level 5 Diploma in Leadership and Management for Residential Childcare (England) (“the Level 5 Diploma”).

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Requirement Due date

The relevant date is— 7 December 2023 Inspection report for children’s home: SC037256 7 in the case of a person who starts managing a home after 1st April 2014, the date which falls 3 years after the date on which that person started managing a home. (Regulation 28 (1)(b)(i) (2)(c)(i) (3)(a))

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Requirement Due date

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

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Requirement Due date

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

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Requirement Due date

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

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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—

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Requirement Due date

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

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Requirement Due date

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

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Requirement Due date

in the case of an individual who starts working in a care role in a home after 1st April 2014, the date which falls 2 years after the date on which the individual started working in a care role in a home. (Regulation 32 (2)(a) (3)(b) (4)(a)(b) (5)(a)) 7 December 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: SC037256 8

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Children’s home details

Registered provider: Suffolk County Council

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Children’s home details

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

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Inspectors

Rachel Watkinson, Social Care Inspector Trudy Potter, Social Care Inspector Inspection report for children’s home: SC037256 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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