Children's Home run by PCT Care Services Limited in Norfolk

Inspection report for children's home: SC471856 1 SC471856 Registered provider: PCT Care Services Limited

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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 six children aged between eight and 18 who may have experienced trauma or neglect.

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Information about this children’s home

There has been no registered manager since April 2023. A manager has been in post since May 2023. He is not registered with Ofsted.

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Overall experiences and progress of

children and young people, taking into account

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requires improvement to be good

How well children and young people are helped and protected good

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requires improvement to be good

The effectiveness of leaders and managers inadequate

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requires improvement to be good

The children’s home is not yet delivering good help and care for children and young people. However, there are no serious or widespread failures that result in their welfare not being safeguarded or promoted.

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requires improvement to be good

Overall judgement at last inspection: good

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requires improvement to be good

Enforcement action since last inspection: none Inspection report for children's home: SC471856 2

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Inspection date Inspection type Inspection judgement

25/04/2023 Full Good 17/05/2022 Full Requires improvement to be good 15/12/2021 Full Good 24/10/2019 Interim Sustained effectiveness Inspection report for children's home: SC471856 3

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improvement to be good

There has been no registered manager at the home since April 2023. Therefore, the effectiveness of leaders and managers is inadequate and consequently, in accordance with the social care common inspection framework, the judgement overall is requires improvement to be good. Despite some shortfalls, outcomes for children have still been good.

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improvement to be good

Three children were living at the home at the time of this inspection. Since the last inspection, one child has moved out of the home and returned to their family, with the support of staff. Two children have moved in.

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improvement to be good

Children are helped to have planned moves into the home. The manager spends time learning about children by speaking to their families and external professionals. The manager visits children before they move in and he shares information about the home with them. This has helped children moving in to feel settled at the home.

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improvement to be good

Children have faced challenges accessing education. The manager has consistently advocated for educational support for all three children. One child is in education. They receive a bespoke package of online learning and vocational days. Two children do not have educational provision to meet their needs. This is despite consistent efforts from the manager to work with local schools and lead professionals. Both children have potential school places identified.

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improvement to be good

Children’s health needs are well supported. They access regular check-ups and local services as required. One child has additional health needs. The manager has advocated for further assessment to support all involved professionals’ understanding of this health need. Staff are responsive to the child during a health episode and provide reassurance and care to help the child feel safe and well.

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improvement to be good

Staff help children to spend time in their local community and have new experiences. Children regularly go horse riding, swimming and bowling and they spend time at the local beach. They have also enjoyed days out at amusement parks.

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improvement to be good

Children regularly spend time with their families. Staff drive children long distances to ensure that they can see their families. As a result of staff’s commitment and communication, one child regularly spends weekends at home with their family. Staff support children to maintain friendships. Children’s friends have come to visit and play at the home.

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improvement to be good

There are some new furnishings and decoration in the lounge. However, children’s bedrooms are not well personalised. This does not help children to feel that their individuality and space are valued. Inspection report for children's home: SC471856 4

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

Children rarely go missing from home. For children who have lived elsewhere and frequently gone missing, these episodes have significantly reduced. When children do go missing, staff look for them and encourage them to return. Children rarely travel far from the home and, on each occasion, have been found quickly by staff.

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

Staff have needed to hold children to keep them safe. Staff speak to children after these incidents. The manager speaks to staff to help them make sense of what happened and to explore any learning, to consider how to help children in different ways.

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

The manager and staff have good working relationships with the local police and other local services. This helps the manager to understand the local community and to ensure that police know the children well in case their support is required. The manager has used feedback from the police to inform the location risk assessment.

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

Staff understand how children can be vulnerable when using their electronic devices. They are clear about the boundaries needed for children, relevant to their ages and care plans, to ensure that checks are made that help to keep them safe.

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

Children’s relationships with each other can sometimes be strained. Staff spend time having conversations with children about their feelings and experiences and they make detailed records about these conversations. Despite staff’s efforts, children said that they are struggling with their peer relationships and do not always feel supported by staff. This does not help children to feel safe and happy at home.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: inadequate

The home has had changes in the leadership team since the last inspection. There has been no registered manager at the home for more than a year. The registered manager left the home, then a new manager was appointed but failed to register with Ofsted and also left. The deputy manager was appointed manager in May 2023 but failed to apply to register with Ofsted within the required time frame. The manager is enrolled on a level 5 qualification and is still within time to complete this. However, he remains unregistered with Ofsted.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: inadequate

Since the last inspection, a new leadership position has been created at the home to support the new manager and to improve oversight of the quality of care at the home. This has led to some improvement overall in the oversight and monitoring of the home.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: inadequate

The manager has failed to ensure that external reports are shared with Ofsted, as required by regulation. Reports were not sent to Ofsted for a period of over six months. This significantly reduced Ofsted’s ability to monitor the progress at the home. Since October 2023, reports of visits have been received monthly. However, the independent person did not visit the home in February 2024. Inspection report for children's home: SC471856 5 Staff have regular supervision sessions. They discuss the children, safeguarding issues and learning and development during these sessions. Since the last inspection, staff have received their annual appraisals. New staff say that they feel supported and that there is open communication with the manager and leaders at the home.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: inadequate

Staff do the home’s mandatory training. They have received up-to-date training in first aid and safeguarding and specific training in safely holding children.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: inadequate

All staff are either appropriately qualified to level 3 or are working towards a relevant qualification within the required time frame. Recruitment checks on staff include obtaining all the required information to support safer recruitment. A number of new staff have joined the home since the last inspection, meaning that the home is consistently staffed. Use of agency staff has been minimal, with an agency worker being used once since the last inspection.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: inadequate

The manager has met the three previous requirements and one recommendation. The recommendation about the home environment remains. Inspection report for children's home: SC471856 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 leadership and management standard is that the registered person enables, inspires and leads a culture in relation to the children’s home that—

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Requirement Due date

helps children aspire to fulfil their potential; and

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Requirement Due date

In particular, the standard in paragraph (1) requires the registered person to—

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Requirement Due date

ensure that staff have the experience, qualifications and skills to meet the needs of each child. (Regulation 13 (1)(a)(b) (2)(c))

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Requirement Due date

In particular, the manager of the home must apply to register with Ofsted. 31 July 2024

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Requirement Due date

The registered person must ensure that an independent person visits the children’s home at least once each month.

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Requirement Due date

The independent person must provide a copy of the independent person’s report to—

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Requirement Due date

HMCI. (Regulation 44 (1) (7)(a)) 30 June 2024

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Recommendations

 The registered person should ensure that the environment is decorated and furnished to a good standard. (‘Guide to the Children’s Homes Regulations, including the quality standards’, page 15, paragraph 3.9)  The registered person should ensure that children are supported to develop understanding and empathy towards each other. Positive behaviour and relationships should be reinforced, praised and encouraged; unwanted behaviour should be challenged and discussed. The development of safe, stable and secure Inspection report for children's home: SC471856 7 relationships between staff and children should be central to the ethos of the home. (‘Guide to the Children’s Homes Regulations, including the quality standards’, page 39, paragraph 8.11)

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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: SC471856 8

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Children’s home details

Registered provider: PCT Care Services Limited

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Children’s home details

Registered provider address: 28 Gordon Road, Lowestoft NR32 1NL

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Inspector

Rebecca Hannell, Social Care Inspector Inspection report for children's home: SC471856 9 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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