Children's Home run by Flying Spur Limited in Norfolk

Assurance inspection report for children’s home: SC470585 1 SC470585 Registered provider: Flying Spur Limited

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Inspected under the social care common inspection framework

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Information about this children’s home

This home is privately owned and provides care for up to six children who may have experienced neglect and/or emotional abuse or had traumatic experiences that have left them vulnerable.

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Information about this children’s home

The manager registered with Ofsted in March 2017.

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Inspection date: 1 November 2023

Judgement at last inspection: requires improvement to be good

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Inspection date: 1 November 2023

Enforcement action since last inspection: none

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Information about this inspection

At this inspection, the inspector evaluated:

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Information about this inspection

 the care of children  the safety of children  the effectiveness of leaders and managers. Inspectors have looked closely at the experiences and progress of children, using the social care common inspection framework. This assurance 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’. Assurance inspection report for children’s home: SC470585 2

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Outcome from the inspection

We did not identify any serious or widespread concerns in relation to the care or protection of children at this assurance inspection.

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Findings from the inspection

This inspection was brought forward to address specific concerns received by Ofsted. At the time of the inspection, two children were living at the home. They have both recently moved in.

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Findings from the inspection

There have been several unplanned endings for children at the home. Three children moved into the home in quick succession and only one of these children remains at the home. The pace of admissions has contributed to these endings and children experienced further disruption that could have been avoided. This does not contribute to a culture of stability for children.

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Findings from the inspection

Staff are still getting to know the children but are beginning to build good relationships with them. Staff ratios are high, and children receive one-to-one support. Staff engage well with children and have a calm approach.

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Findings from the inspection

Staff have worked with one child’s social worker to apply to a mainstream school provision. Staff provide alternative activities while children wait for school places, which provides routine for children during the day.

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Findings from the inspection

Children enjoy a variety of activities. One child is starting horse riding and has visited the stables. Another child has been to a Halloween circus. Children also enjoy swimming.

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Findings from the inspection

Children have incentive plans that help them to think about their behaviour and choices every day. Children talk about these and understand them. This helps them to achieve goals in a positive way.

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Findings from the inspection

Staff understand safeguarding procedures. They know who they would need to share any concerns with. Staff know how to respond if a child goes missing from care. They are aware of the children’s individual plans. Missing-from-care records are well recorded and there is good management oversight of them.

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Findings from the inspection

Leaders and managers have introduced a new system of assessing and recording risks for children. These plans contain some good strategies to guide staff to keep children safe. However, the risks identified are generic and do not provide a clear overview of the risks relating to individual children.

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Findings from the inspection

The quality of recording is not always of sufficient quality to contribute to reflection and learning. Following an incident between children, leaders responded proactively Assurance inspection report for children’s home: SC470585 3 to keep the children safe. The records relating to this incident lack clarity. They do not provide enough detail to enable incidents to be reviewed effectively.

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Findings from the inspection

The manager has notified the regulator of all serious events. One of these related to a physical intervention. However, this physical intervention has not been recorded in the home’s records. The failure to capture records of physical interventions limits the oversight and subsequent learning that can take place.

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Findings from the inspection

Despite the issues with recording, leaders and managers have reflected on the recent challenges and have begun to learn from them. The manager has requested a meeting with the local authority for a child whose placement ended very quickly to explore why this happened and identify learning.

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Findings from the inspection

There is an experienced manager in post. He works well alongside his deputy manager. Staff say that they are supported by the manager. New staff have received a comprehensive induction. Staff benefit from regular supervision, and the manager receives supervision from a psychotherapist.

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Findings from the inspection

The manager has met all the requirements that were raised at the last inspection. Assurance inspection report for children’s home: SC470585 4

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Inspection date Inspection type Inspection judgement

25/04/2023 Full Requires improvement to be good 31/08/2022 Full Requires improvement to be good 05/07/2022 Full Inadequate 21/03/2022 Interim Sustained effectiveness Assurance inspection report for children’s home: SC470585 5

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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 care planning standard is that children—

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Requirement Due date

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

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Requirement Due date

have a positive experience of arriving at or moving on from the 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

ensure the effective induction of each child into the home. (Regulation 14 (1)(a)(b) (2)(b)(i)) 11 November

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Requirement Due date

within 24 hours of the use of a measure of control, discipline or restraint in relation to a child in the home, a record is made which includes—

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Requirement Due date

details of the child’s behaviour leading to the use of the measure;

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Requirement Due date

the date, time and location of the use of the measure;

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Requirement Due date

a description of the measure and its duration;

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Requirement Due date

details of any methods used or steps taken to avoid the need to use the measure;

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Requirement Due date

the name of the person who used the measure (“the user”), and of any other person present when the measure was used; 11 November Assurance inspection report for children’s home: SC470585 6 the effectiveness and any consequences of the use of the measure; and

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Requirement Due date

a description of any injury to the child or any other person, and any medical treatment administered, as a result of the measure;

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Requirement Due date

within 48 hours of the use of the measure, the registered person, or a person who is authorised by the registered person to do so (“the authorised person”)—

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Requirement Due date

has spoken to the user about the measure; and

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Requirement Due date

has signed the record to confirm it is accurate; and

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Requirement Due date

within 5 days of the use of the measure, the registered person or the authorised person adds to the record confirmation that they have spoken to the child about the measure. (Regulation 35 (3)(a)(i)(ii)(iii)(iv)(v)(vi)(vii)(viii)(b)(i)(ii)(c))

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Recommendations

 The registered person should ensure that staff are familiar with the home’s policies on record-keeping and understand the importance of careful, objective and clear recording. Information about the child must always be recorded in a way that will be helpful to the child. In particular, ensure that records capture the context in which incidents have occurred and provide a clear description of events so as to contribute to learning and review. (‘Guide to the Children’s Homes Regulations, including the quality standards’, page 62, paragraph 14.4)  The registered person should ensure that staff continually and actively assess the risks to each child and the arrangements in place to protect them. In particular, ensure that children’s risk assessments are individual to each child. (‘Guide to the Children’s Homes Regulations, including the quality standards’, page 42, paragraph 9.5) Assurance inspection report for children’s home: SC470585 7

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Children’s home details

Registered provider: Flying Spur Limited

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Inspector

Mary Costello, Social Care Inspector Assurance inspection report for children’s home: SC470585 8 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 children looked after, safeguarding and child protection.

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Inspector

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Inspector

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Inspector

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