Children's Home run by 4d Care Ltd in Norfolk

Inspection report for children’s home: 1271979 1 Registered provider: 4d Care Limited Full inspection Inspected under the social care common inspection framework

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Information about this children’s home

This privately owned home provides care for up to three children with emotional, behavioural and social needs.

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Information about this children’s home

Education is offered at a linked provision on a different site. The inspectors only inspected the social care provision.

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Information about this children’s home

The manager registered with Ofsted on 1 November 2023.

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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: 30 January 2023

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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: 1271979 2

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Inspection date Inspection type Inspection judgement

30/01/2023 Full Good 14/12/2021 Full Good 13/01/2020 Interim Improved effectiveness 06/08/2019 Full Good Inspection report for children’s home: 1271979 3

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Three children were living in the home at the time of this inspection. Children said they were happy, felt safe and enjoyed spending time with the staff caring for them. Staff treat children with respect and dignity. As a result, children feel comfortable talking to staff.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

The home’s preferred model of care is embedded into the support provided for the children. Children have positive relationships with the staff team. The staff provide the children with nurturing and consistent care, which supports the children to feel safe and secure. Children benefit from consistent routines and boundaries and are settled as a result.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

All the children have suitable education in place and are making progress. They have opportunities to participate in a range of activities in the home and community, including charity work. Children say they enjoy the activities the home provides and would not change anything about the home.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Children are helped to maintain links with people who are important to them. Staff help and support children with family time, which means children can maintain important family connections. Feedback from professionals and families is incredibly positive. For example, a parent said, ‘I only have positive things to say about the staff and the excellent care that they provide.’

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Children take part in meetings where they have opportunities to share their views, wishes and feelings. Children’s bedrooms are personalised to their own individual taste and reflect their interests. Children also attend an achievements day where they celebrate their success. External agencies and families are also invited to this event.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

The children’s guide uses child-friendly pictures and information to help children to understand who to speak to if they are worried or if they need support outside of the home. Staff encourage and promote age-appropriate independence, and this helps children develop their life skills.

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

Staff are skilled at helping children to use effective strategies when they are angry or upset. Staff use reflection with children to help them understand their feelings and emotions. As a result, the use of physical interventions to manage behaviour is rare. Children’s views on restraint are not always documented. When children have refused to engage in debriefs, these sections are left blank in their records. Consequently, it is not always immediately clear what children thought about the restraint. Inspection report for children’s home: 1271979 4 There has been one allegation against staff since the last inspection. This was well managed and the registered manager has worked with external professionals in investigating these concerns.

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

All staff have completed their mandatory safeguarding training. The staff are confident in their role of reporting any child protection concerns and understand whistle blowing. Social workers report that they have no safeguarding concerns and are happy with how staff manage incidents.

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

When children go missing, the staff respond appropriately and use the support of their sister home to locate children. The registered manager works closely with external agencies to develop strategies to reduce children’s episodes of going missing.

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

The staff have assessed the risks of the internet, and there are appropriate measures in place to keep children safe online. The children’s use of the internet and technology is appropriately monitored.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

The registered manager is new in post. They are suitably qualified and experienced. They are passionate about the home and child-centred in their approach.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

The registered manager is well respected by the staff team. Staff describe feeling well supported and valued and are committed to their roles in the home. They feel the registered manager is always available if they are needed. Feedback from professionals and families about the registered manager is also extremely positive.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

The staff team is stable and there has been minimal use of agency staff. This has helped provide consistency to children, helping positive relationships to be formed.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

Leaders and managers ensure that staff have access to a wide range of mandatory and specific training relevant to the children’s needs. The clinical team also provides additional training through workshops. Furthermore, staff benefit from regular individual and group reflective supervisions.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

The registered manager collaborates closely with senior managers. Combined, they ensure that the home’s therapeutic model of care is consistently understood and implemented by the staff team.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

The registered manager has a generally good understanding of the strengths and weaknesses of the home and, as a result, there is a clear development plan in place. Despite these strengths, several shortfalls identified at the last inspection have not been fully addressed. Staff do not have an annual appraisal of their working practices. The registered manager does not always ensure that children’s views are recorded in their six-monthly quality of care reviews or during the independent person’s visits. Although the home’s statement of purpose describes the home and the service provided to children and has been reviewed and updated, the document Inspection report for children’s home: 1271979 5 was not shared with Ofsted within the required timescale or published on the provider’s website. Inspection report for children’s home: 1271979 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 registered person must compile in relation to the children’s home a statement ("the statement of purpose") which covers the matters listed in Schedule 1.

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Requirement Due date

notify HMCI of any revisions and send HMCI a copy of the revised statement within 28 days of the revision.

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Requirement Due date

If a home has a website, the registered person must ensure that a copy of the statement of purpose is published on that website unless the registered person considers that such publication would prejudice the welfare of children in the home. (Regulation 16 (1) (3)(b) (4))

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Requirement Due date

This requirement was made at the last inspection and is restated. 1 March 2024

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Requirement Due date

The registered person must ensure that all employees—

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Requirement Due date

have their performance and fitness to perform their roles appraised at least once every year. (Regulation 33 (4)(c))

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Requirement Due date

This requirement was made at the last inspection and is restated. 1 March 2024

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Requirement Due date

In order to complete a quality of care review the registered person must establish and maintain a system for monitoring, reviewing and evaluating—

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Requirement Due date

the feedback and opinions of children about the children’s home, its facilities and the quality of care they receive in it;

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Requirement Due date

The system referred to in paragraph (2) must provide for ascertaining and considering the opinions of children, their parents, placing authorities and staff. (Regulation 45 (2)(b) (5)) 1 March 2024 Inspection report for children’s home: 1271979 7

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Recommendations

 The registered person should ensure that records of restraint include a summary of when a child has refused to engage in a debrief following a restraint. (‘Guide to the Children’s Homes Regulations, including the quality standards’, page 49, paragraph 9.59)  The registered person should ensure that the individual appointed to carry out visits to the home includes conversations they have with the children within their report. (‘Guide to the Children’s Homes Regulations, including the quality standards’, page 65, paragraph 15.5)

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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: 1271979 8

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Children’s home details

Registered provider address: 8a New Road, Mepal, Ely, Cambridgeshire CB6 2AP

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Inspectors

Amy Miles, Social Care Inspector Anver Rose, Social Care Inspector Inspection report for children’s home: 1271979 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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