Children's Home run by Norfolk County Council in Norfolk

Inspection report for children's home: SC068955 1 SC068955 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

This local authority home provides care for up to two children aged between eight and 17 years who experience social and emotional difficulties.

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Information about this children’s home

The manager of the home registered with Ofsted in June 2021.

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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 outstanding

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good

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

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good

Date of last inspection: 12 December 2022

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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: SC068955 2

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Inspection date Inspection type Inspection judgement

12/12/2022 Full Good 06/10/2021 Full Good 16/10/2019 Full Good 05/12/2018 Full Good Inspection report for children's home: SC068955 3

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

One child was living at the home at the time of this inspection. Two children have moved out of the home since the last inspection.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Staff included both the children who were leaving in planning their moves on from the home. When one child was anxious about their move, staff worked hard to reassure them and help them to feel safe. The child’s independent reviewing officer recognised this and praised staff for their good practice. Staff send children birthday cards and Christmas presents after they leave. This helps children to sustain important relationships with staff and continue to feel cared for. Children’s experiences of moving are positive, due to staff keeping children at the centre of all plans.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

The home is comfortable and feels like a family home. Staff use activities such as ‘elf on the shelf’ to help children have fun. The staff leave children positive notes around the home. This helps children to feel cared for by staff.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Staff understand the importance of play and its role in helping children to progress. Children spend time with staff cooking, playing board games and watching television. Staff understand children’s different interests. One child enjoyed a night stargazing with staff in the garden. Children feel safe and can take part in activities outside the home such as auditioning for plays, attending cadets and going to after- school clubs. This helps children to build resilience and strengthen relationships in the wider community.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Staff encourage and support children to attend education and engage well. Since the last inspection, the manager has commissioned training to explore the impact of developmental trauma and the barriers that children face as a result. The manager was able to use the learning to advocate for one child when their attendance was lower than their college expected. The child was able to access a customised education package and continue to attend college. This child went on to successfully campaign for student representative positions. This is notable progress, especially as the child had not attended education consistently for much of their life.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Staff ensure children attend health appointments. Staff provide a quick response to unwell children and work positively with health professionals. Children are encouraged to maintain a healthy lifestyle. Staff ensure that children help choose food and menus for the following week. This encourages discussions around healthy food choices. Children go swimming with staff, have been to the gym, play mini golf and go bowling.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

The staff have been balanced when assessing a child’s vulnerabilities. Consequently, the manager has successfully challenged a social worker’s assessments and agreed Inspection report for children's home: SC068955 4 limits on a child’s freedom have been reduced. The child has successfully applied for a part-time job and has regular free time with friends outside the home.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

The staff support children to remain in contact with their family through a variety of means, including by phone, email, text or with direct visits. The approach has helped children improve important relationships and increase the amount of time and the different ways they can spend time with their families.

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

Children feel safe. Social workers agree that children are kept safe. One child’s social worker said that their ‘well-being has continued to slowly improve’. The social worker thought this was because the child was ‘experiencing predictable responses to their needs and feeling safe’.

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

Children’s risk assessments provide staff with detailed guidance. The guidance helps staff manage children’s behaviour. The assessments reflect the child’s needs. This helps staff understand children’s vulnerabilities and support them to take age- appropriate risks.

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

Since the last inspection, there has been one incident when restraint was required. This was proportionate and the child experienced a reflective and restorative discussion following the incident. Consequently, staff helped the child understand their feelings and how these influenced their behaviour.

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

Staff understand that children may have heightened stress responses due to childhood adversity. They use restorative approaches, which help children to reflect on their feelings. Staff’s curiosity and empathy has helped one child to feel less anxious. The child has been able to seek staff’s support when they have felt overwhelmed. The child has not self-harmed or been reported missing for six months and said that they felt ‘so much safer here than I ever have before’.

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

Children are supported creatively to attend formal review meetings. One child was anxious about attending their child in care review. Staff knew the child liked visiting coffee shops, so they arranged for the review to take place during a tea party in the home. The child felt less distressed and was able to attend the tea party review meeting.

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

Children’s wishes and feelings are consistently considered by staff. Children have access to independent advocacy. Staff ensure children’s meetings are child centred are held weekly. The manager also meets with children each month to further understand their wishes. Children say that they feel listened to and know how to make a complaint.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: outstanding

The manager is qualified to level 5. She has an aspirational leadership style and is tenacious in advocating for children in her care. She often asks the staff for Inspection report for children's home: SC068955 5 feedback. She also seeks input from external professionals, including social workers, educators and health experts.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: outstanding

The manager ensures that staff supervision is regular and of a high standard. Staff say that the reflective style of supervision supports and challenges them. As a result, staff feel listened to and safe.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: outstanding

The manager has excellent oversight of the home and has a robust development plan. She uses this to analyse the staff’s strengths and areas for development in the next six months. As part of this plan, the manager has identified that the language used in children’s records is sometimes stigmatising. The manager has made considerable progress in this area since the last inspection. However, there are still some records which do not reflect accurately the positive relationships that staff have with children.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: outstanding

The manager is proactive in commissioning training to advance the team’s awareness of children’s needs. She identified gaps in one child’s developmental and trauma history and commissioned a trauma timeline. Staff used this timeline during team meetings to reflect on the potential impact on the child. Staff say that this has helped them empathise with the child and see beyond their behaviour.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: outstanding

The manager has implemented theory-to-practice meetings in the home. Staff say that these meetings have helped them to understand children’s behaviour and needs better. Staff have taken ownership of these meetings. They have co-produced a book with visual guides for different learning styles. Staff regularly give presentations to the team. As a result, staff talk of feeling valued and enjoying the protected space for reflective practice.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: outstanding

Since the last inspection, there have been high levels of staff sickness. This has meant that at times the manager has had to use bank and agency staff. The manager has addressed staff sickness appropriately. When agency and bank staff are used, she has made sure that children know at least one of the staff on duty. Recruitment checks are rigorous and all gaps in employment are explored. As a result, children are safe and there has been no inconsistency in the children’s care.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: outstanding

The manager recognises the crucial importance of feedback in improvement of the home. She seeks feedback from social workers and a variety of professionals. One child’s counsellor said that the home was ‘doing a great job’. One social worker commended staff for being ‘encouraging and supportive’. Parents are also pleased with the home, with one mentioning eagerly anticipating weekly emails, and another expressing gratitude for all the help provided to their child throughout the years. The manager shares the feedback regularly with staff. This helps staff to celebrate shared achievements. Inspection report for children's home: SC068955 6

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Recommendation

 The registered person should ensure that staff record information on individual children in a non-stigmatising way and in a way that will be helpful to the child. (‘Guide to the Children’s Homes Regulations, including the quality standards’, page 62, paragraph 14.4)

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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: SC068955 7

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Children’s home details

Registered provider: Norfolk County Council

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Children’s home details

Registered provider address: County Hall, Martineau Lane, Norwich, Norfolk NR1 2DH

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Inspectors

Majella Russell, Social Care Inspector Deirdra Keating, Social Care Inspector Inspection report for children's home: SC068955 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 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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