Children's Home run by Great Oak Lodge Limited in Norfolk

Inspection report for children’s home: 2775131 1 Registered provider: Great Oak Lodge Limited

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Full inspection Inspected under the social care common inspection framework

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Information about this children’s home

This home provides care for up to four children aged between 11 and 17 years old who experience social and emotional difficulties. One child was living at the home at the time of this inspection.

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Information about this children’s home

The manager registered with Ofsted when the home opened in March 2024.

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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 requires improvement to be 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: not previously inspected

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good

Overall judgement at last inspection: not applicable

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good

Enforcement action since last inspection: none Inspection report for children’s home: 2775131 2

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

The home was registered with Ofsted in March 2024. The first child moved into the home in June 2024. The child was present at the inspection and shared their views with the inspector. The registered manager was absent at the time of the inspection and therefore the inspection was supported by the responsible individual.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

The home has been decorated to a high standard and provides a comfortable and spacious home. The child appears relaxed and spends time in the communal living areas with staff.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

The child’s move to the home was supported well. The child was able to see a video before visiting. The nominated key workers welcomed the child to the home for their first visit.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

The child does not yet have an education provision. The staff are working closely with education professionals to ensure that the child has a school place for the start of the school year. The child’s key worker has been supporting the child with home learning. The child has been provided with access to online learning and textbooks in line with their interests.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Leaders and managers carefully assess the needs of each child referred to the home. They have comprehensive processes for ensuring that they have adequate information before accepting a child. This includes talking to previous care providers and going back to local authorities to obtain further information.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

The home uses a model to inform their care and practice. The home and managers have had training delivered by the professionals who have developed this model of care. They continue to provide advice and guidance to managers and staff. The model is beginning to be embedded into the ethos of the home.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

The child has made progress in relation to their independence skills since living at the home. They have been able to attend health appointments which they have previously found too difficult and they have been supported to seek advice from health professionals on sensitive topics.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

The child has been supported to spend time with the people who are important to them. The home has advocated for the child to express their views regarding family time. This has meant that the child has been able to spend time with family members whom they have not seen for a significant period. Inspection report for children’s home: 2775131 3

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improvement to be good

The management team has failed to review several incidents effectively. This does not provide an opportunity for leaders and managers to identify learning and ways to prevent or minimise future incidents.

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improvement to be good

Allegations against staff are not managed in line with the home’s safeguarding policy. On one occasion, an allegation about a member of staff was not escalated to management in a timely way. Managers delayed making a referral to the relevant safeguarding authorities. This was identified by a senior manager four days after the event.

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improvement to be good

Following staff conduct concerns raised by a child, a management investigation was initiated. The staff did not fully cooperate with this. The lack of cooperation was not adequately challenged by the managers. This compromised the quality and depth of the investigation.

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improvement to be good

Behaviour management strategies are not always effective. Consequently, one child had a mobile phone that had not been monitored for some time. This has been identified by the staff and wider professionals as a significant risk for this child. Staff have taken some action to reduce the risk, including disabling Wi-Fi access and speaking to the child. However, the child has continued to be able to access Wi-Fi within the community.

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improvement to be good

The child has gone missing on several occasions. When they have gone missing, staff have acted quickly and protectively. Effective plans for supporting the child when they are at risk of going missing from home have reduced risks and safeguarded the child.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

The home is managed by an experienced manager who registered with Ofsted when the home opened in March 2024. Managers are supported by a dedicated responsible individual who is highly committed to the development of the home.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

Leaders and managers are ambitious for the home. There are good management support systems available for when the manager is away.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

This is a new home and a new staff team. Leaders and managers have recruited staff with a wide range of skills. They have allocated specific roles and responsibilities by taking into consideration the staff’s individual skill sets.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

Leaders and managers ensure that they employ safe and suitable staff. They follow safer recruitment processes. The induction and probation process has been strengthened by a competency-based checklist at the end of the employee’s probation period.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

Staff have the skills and training to support the needs of a range of children. There is a comprehensive training programme available to staff, including in-person training and Inspection report for children’s home: 2775131 4 workshops. When gaps in knowledge and skills have been identified, managers have commissioned additional training.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

Leaders have not formally addressed poor practice with individual staff members, and wider learning has not been shared with the staff. Despite practice concerns, supervision sessions have not been held with individual staff members following incidents of concern. This limits the manager’s ability to be able to address poor practice. Inspection report for children’s home: 2775131 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 protection of children standard is that children are protected from harm and enabled to keep themselves safe.

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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

assess whether each child is at risk of harm, taking into account information in the child’s relevant plans, and, if necessary, make arrangements to reduce the risk of any harm to the child;

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Requirement Due date

take effective action whenever there is a serious concern about a child’s welfare;

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Requirement Due date

are familiar with, and act in accordance with, the home’s child protection policies;

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Requirement Due date

that the home’s day-to-day care is arranged and delivered so as to keep each child safe and to protect each child effectively from harm. (Regulation 12 (1)(a)(i)(vi)(vii) (2)(b))

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Requirement Due date

In particular, the registered person should ensure that:

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Requirement Due date

 staff understand the safeguarding responsibilities assigned to them by the registered person  staff report safeguarding concerns appropriately in a timely way  behaviour management strategies are effective in implementing boundaries that keep each child safe and protect them from harm. 7 September 2024

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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— 7 September 2024 Inspection report for children’s home: 2775131 6 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

lead and manage the home in a way that is consistent with the approach and ethos, and delivers the outcomes, set out in the home’s statement of purpose;

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Requirement Due date

understand the impact that the quality of care provided in the home is having on the progress and experiences of each child and use this understanding to inform the development of the quality of care provided in the home;

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Requirement Due date

use monitoring and review systems to make continuous improvements in the quality of care provided in the home. (Regulation 13 (1)(a)(b) (2)(a)(f)(h))

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Requirement Due date

In particular, the registered person should ensure that:

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Requirement Due date

 managers review records in a timely way to identify any trends or patterns in relation to significant incidents  leaders and managers identify learning opportunities when safeguarding procedures have not been followed by staff and managers, and that this learning is disseminated to the individuals involved and the wider team.

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Recommendation

 The registered person should ensure that supervision of staff practice promotes a safeguarding culture and ensures that individual adults in the home understand what they would need to do if they found other staff misusing or abusing their position to the detriment of the safety of a child. (‘Guide to the Children’s Homes Regulations, including the quality standards’, page 43, paragraph 9.14) Inspection report for children’s home: 2775131 7

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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: 2775131 8

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Children’s home details

Registered provider: Great Oak Lodge Limited

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Children’s home details

Registered provider address: Unit 18, Gateway 1000, Arlington Business Park, Whittle Way, Stevenage, Hertfordshire SG1 2FP

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Inspectors

Andrea Bounden, Social Care Inspector Deirdra Keating, Social Care Inspector Inspection report for children’s home: 2775131 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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Inspectors

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Inspectors

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Inspectors

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Inspectors

T: 0300 123 1231 Textphone: 0161 618 8524 E: enquiries@ofsted.gov.uk W: www.gov.uk/ofsted

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