Children's home run by Clover Childcare Services Limited in North Norfolk

Inspection report for children’s home: SC361385 1 SC361385 Registered provider: Clover Childcare Services Limited Full inspection 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 therapeutic care for up to five children with complex health and social care needs. Children may have a history of insecure attachments and may have experienced a breakdown of placements in foster care or children’s homes.

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Information about this children’s home

The previous registered manager left in April 2023. A new manager has been in post since April 2023. Due to unforeseeable circumstances, their application to register with Ofsted has been delayed but has now been submitted.

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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

Date of last inspection: 15 November 2022

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good

Overall judgement at last inspection: outstanding

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good

Enforcement action since last inspection: none Inspection report for children’s home: SC361385 2

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Inspection date Inspection type Inspection judgement

15/11/2022 Full Outstanding 17/08/2021 Full Outstanding 16/12/2019 Full Good 13/03/2019 Full Outstanding Inspection report for children’s home: SC361385 3

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

At the time of this inspection, five children were living at the home. Three children have moved into the home and three children have moved out since the last inspection. Two children moved out as their needs were outside of what the staff could safely manage. Despite these unplanned endings, staff supported the children exceptionally well. Decisions for children to move out were based on maintaining the safety of the other children living at the home.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Children are happy at this home. They thrive on the support, love and highly tailored care that they receive. Children benefit from staff who know them exceptionally well. Children have a sense of belonging and permanence because of the exceptional care that they receive.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

All children attend school and engage well. One child has made remarkable progress from his starting point and is now head boy at school. Staff understand the importance of school attendance and engagement. One child is on a phased introduction to school and is supported by staff from the home to do learning activities that supplement their education.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

The therapeutic offer at this home is exceptional. The children have access to qualified psychologists and psychiatrists commissioned by the home. Staff are trained in therapeutic models of care, which enables them to offer routine targeted therapeutic sessions to children. Additionally, all staff are trained in a specific therapeutic model that the home received accreditation for in 2023. Children are continually and consistently exposed to care practice that is therapeutically informed. Staff are acutely aware of how children’s previous trauma links to their behavioural and emotional presentation. Consequently, staff’s responses to children help them to become happier and safer.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

A social worker said, ‘I love the home. I wish all my children could live there.’ Associated professionals provide a consistently positive view of the quality of care provided by staff and the positive outcomes for children.

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

Restraint is used reasonably, proportionately and only when necessary. Staff and the child involved receive a thoughtful debrief that is therapeutically underpinned. When children move to the home, staff inform them that restraint may be used to reduce harm. Children are shown the methods of restraint that may be used and are asked which they find the most comfortable, should they have to be used with them. This is a considered and thoughtful approach. This enables children to have an awareness and ownership of risk management strategies that could appear quite overwhelming without them being previously explained to them. Inspection report for children’s home: SC361385 4 Children do not go missing from this home. This indicates that they feel safe and have strong attachments to staff.

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

Staff set clear behavioural boundaries and have high expectations of children. When children fail to meet these boundaries, staff use non-blaming language to explain to children how to make improved choices.

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

Staff’s assessment of risk is comprehensive and therapeutically informed. This ensures that staff consistently consider the feelings and experiences that underpin children’s behaviours. Staff’s awareness of how trauma links to behaviour helps children to understand themselves and the other children they live with. This helps children to express themselves and work through their trauma.

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

At times, the management of allegations has been inconsistent. This has not had an observable impact on the children and all incidents are shared with the allocated social workers. The inconsistencies have been identified by the manager and actions are in place to ensure that oversight is improved. Leaders and the manager have worked effectively with one child’s social worker on the management of the child’s allegations. This social worker provided positive feedback on how the staff maintain safeguards and communicate effectively with her.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

Leaders and the manager have high aspirations for children. The team provides children with experiences and opportunities that they may not have had before. A group holiday was organised for all the children to enjoy. For one child, this was their first holiday, and one which they thoroughly enjoyed. These experiences have a significant and lasting impact on children.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

The manager is adept at forging positive community links. Consequently, children are encouraged to attend clubs in the community, such as basketball, horse riding, football and skating. The manager understands the importance of building children’s networks outside of the home. This gives children a sense of belonging at the home and in the immediate community.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

Staff think highly of the manager. They say that she is approachable, available and supportive of them.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

The manager receives supervision of excellent quality. Supervision is comprehensive in its scope and broad in its support.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

Professional development opportunities at the home are good and all staff are suitably trained.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

Monitoring, internally and externally, is good. The children’s records are detailed, up to date and reflect their needs. Staff have an improved oversight of children’s targets, which align with those in their local authority records. The manager monitors these records with rigour. Inspection report for children’s home: SC361385 5 The home is maintained to a good standard. It is child friendly, with toys, games and books available throughout. Children’s bedrooms are highly personalised and are filled with toys that each child enjoys playing with. This home mirrors that of a good family home.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

Leaders and managers have cultivated an environment that is highly nurturing and intellectually stimulating. The love, care and support of children are at the core of staff’s decision-making. This approach is led and modelled by managers and the wider organisation. Inspection report for children’s home: SC361385 6

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Recommendation

 The registered person should notify Ofsted and other relevant persons under Regulation 40 (4) if one of the situations specified in Regulation 40 (4)(a) to (d) occurs, or if there is an incident relating to the protection, safeguarding or welfare of a child living at the home. This includes allegations against staff. (‘Guide to the Children’s Homes Regulations, including the quality standards’, page 63, paragraph 14.10)

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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: SC361385 7

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Children’s home details

Registered provider: Clover Childcare Services Limited

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Children’s home details

Registered provider address: The Old Rectory, Old Rectory Road, Brumstead, Norwich NR12 9EU

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Inspector

Lianne Bradford, Social Care Inspector Inspection report for children’s home: SC361385 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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Inspector

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Inspector

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Inspector

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