Children's home run by Norfolk County Council

Inspection report for children’s home: 2767797 1 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 home registered with Ofsted in March 2024 and is run by a local authority. It provides care for up to two children who experience social and emotional difficulties. At the time of this inspection, one child was living at the home.

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Information about this children’s home

The manager registered with Ofsted at the same time as the home.

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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: 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: not applicable Inspection report for children’s home: 2767797 2

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Only one child has lived at the home since registration. They were present and were spoken with during this inspection.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Before this inspection, details of an ongoing concern were shared with Ofsted. The inspector was aware during this inspection that this was being investigated. While Ofsted does not have the power to investigate complaints of this kind, actions taken by the home and the host local authority in response were considered alongside other evidence available at the time of the inspection to inform the inspector’s judgements.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

The child receives good care and is making progress. They have good relationships with the staff, who have taken time to get to know the child and how to communicate with them effectively. Staff use a therapeutic approach and are responsive to the child’s needs.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Staff support the child’s understanding and development of their culture and identity, trying out different hairstyles and cultural meals. Staff encourage the child to stay active. The child has enjoyed the gym, long walks in the countryside, holidays with staff, pamper days and bowling.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Staff seek the child’s wishes and views in all aspects of care planning. Staff arrange for the child to speak to external professionals to make sure that their voice is heard outside of the home.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

The child’s social worker said, ‘I think the relationships that staff have with the child are positive. The staff have been instrumental in showing [name of child] that they are valued and supporting them with moving forward with their independence.’

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Staff have a good understanding of the child’s health needs. The staff and the manager work closely with external professionals to support good healthcare. When there are health concerns, staff keep the child safe and healthy by taking effective and decisive action.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Staff plan for the child’s education in accordance with the significant restrictions placed on the child’s liberty imposed by the courts. This is due to be reviewed in September 2024. Once an outcome has been reached, there are plans to support the child at their chosen college.

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

Staff help the child to feel safe and supported. Staff know the child well. They build trusting relationships and know the child’s vulnerabilities. Staff are committed to working with the child to reduce the likelihood of harm. Inspection report for children’s home: 2767797 3 Staff help the child to adhere to the restrictions placed on their liberty. Staff and the manager are supporting the child to understand their responsibilities and vulnerabilities as they approach adulthood.

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

The manager follows the relevant procedures when safeguarding concerns are raised and works closely with external agencies, sharing information as necessary.

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

Staff manage behaviour well to prevent the need for physical intervention. There have been no incidents of restraint for over three months. Staff talk to the child, using trauma-informed practice, and show empathy towards them. However, when physical intervention is used, the duration of the holds is not always clear in records. This makes it difficult to monitor the effectiveness of the holds and whether their use was proportionate.

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

The child’s social worker said, ‘The risks to the child and others were considered high. Through our meetings, it is clear that the staff are creative in using alternative methods to support the child; this has reduced incidents.’

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

The child rarely goes missing from the home. When the child has left the home without permission, staff have followed appropriate protocols to find them and bring them home safely.

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

The child is helped to reflect on incidents. They are always consulted when an incident occurs. Staff use effective restorative practice and involve other professionals who can support the child to understand the differences in responses in the judicial system. This is carried out sensitively, with good relationship building with the youth justice team.

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

The strength of staff’s relationships with the child enables the child to be open about traumatic experiences. Staff help the child to understand their rights and the options available to them for support. Staff contact relevant agencies, and the child is supported to see external professionals in line with their views, wishes and feelings.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

The manager has suitable skills and appropriate experience. She is working towards a relevant level 5 leadership diploma.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

The manager has high aspirations for the staff. Members of the team are working towards a relevant level 4 diploma. The manager works to continuously upskill the team. Specific training is provided as the child’s needs change.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

Staff speak highly of the manager. They say that she is approachable and a good listener. Staff feel well led and supported with their own development. Inspection report for children’s home: 2767797 4 Staff receive regular supervision and appraisals. However, the sessions do not always enable staff to be reflective and to understand their own attitudes and behaviour and how these could affect the quality of care for the child.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

The regular team meetings are well structured, and the manager has a good understanding of the strengths and the challenges at the home. The child is the focus of the meetings, and staff discuss the child’s progress, wishes and feelings.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

The manager models good relationship building with the child and makes time to have constructive and effective conversations with them. The child writes notes to the manager with their requests, which are responded to consistently.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

The manager advocates for the child and ensures that their views are shared. Meetings are held, and the child’s wishes are communicated to decision-makers, whose responses are regularly fed back to the child.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

Feedback received from external professionals has consistently been good. The child’s social worker and other professionals say that the manager is a good communicator and child focused. Inspection report for children’s home: 2767797 5

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Recommendations

 The registered person should ensure that all incidents of control, discipline and restraint are subject to systems of regular scrutiny to ensure that their use is fair. (‘Guide to the Children’s Homes Regulations, including the quality standards’, page 46, paragraph 9.36)  The registered person should ensure that supervision enables staff to reflect and act on how their own feelings and behaviour may be affected by the behaviour of the children they care for. (‘Guide to the Children’s Homes Regulations, including the quality standards’, page 39, paragraph 3.20)

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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: 2767797 6

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Children’s home details

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

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Inspector

Dan Williams, Social Care Inspector Inspection report for children’s home: 2767797 7 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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