Children's Home run by Acorn Norfolk Limited in Norfolk

Inspection report for children’s home: 2673265 1 Registered provider: Acorn Norfolk 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

The home provides care for up to two children who are on the autistic spectrum. It is operated by a national provider. One child was living at the home at time of inspection.

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Information about this children’s home

The manager registered with Ofsted in January 2024. The home is in the grounds of a special school and other children’s homes that are all operated by the same national provider. The school is independently registered. The inspector only inspected the social care provision.

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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 requires improvement to be good

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good

The children’s home provides effective services that meet the requirements for good.

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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: 2673265 2

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Inspection date Inspection type Inspection judgement

19/07/2023 Full Good 06/09/2022 Full Good Inspection report for children’s home: 2673265 3

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

The registered manager was absent at the time of the inspection. One child was living at the home. The child was spoken with during inspection and gave positive feedback about the home.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

The child has good relationships with staff. Staff are confident and proactive to talk to the child about a range of topics and risks. Staff are appropriately trained and knowledgeable to support children’s specific needs.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

The child attends school daily. They have made progress both academically and socially, which is encouraged by staff. The communication between staff and school staff is good. This means that there are close working relationships to support the child.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

The child has made progress. Staff support the child to work towards their individual areas of development. The child has increased their independence and social skills. The child has been able to use these independence skills at home with their family.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

The house is homely and welcoming. The child is asked for their views about the decoration of the home. The child has influenced the décor and made choices about their bedroom.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

The child’s positive achievements are not clearly recorded. Staff offer praise but do not always record this. This means that children’s successes may not be celebrated and areas of progress are not clearly identified.

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

There are occasional behavioural incidents. There have been no restraints since the last inspection. Staff understand how to work with the child to best support them during difficult times.

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

The child spends a lot of time on the internet. There are safety measures in place to restrict access to inappropriate content. There are clear rules about times when the child can access the internet. This means that internet access is safely monitored. Regular device checks are undertaken to ensure the child is accessing appropriate content online.

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

Staff undertake key-work sessions with the child. These sessions have a clear focus and targets. The child is asked for their views about the sessions to ensure that these are effective. The key-work sessions give the child information about topics and the chance to develop these skills practically.

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

Staff work with partner agencies to support the child’s known risks. External agencies have been involved. The staff hold regular meetings to discuss risks with other Inspection report for children’s home: 2673265 4 professionals. This means there are regular reviews to ensure the child is receiving the appropriate support.

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

The child’s care plan and risk assessment detail staffing levels for the child. However, these are not always followed. The child’s plans contain historic information which is not currently accurate. The child’s views are not clearly identified in their plans.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: requires improvement to be good

The registered manager has left and submitted a cancellation form to Ofsted. A new management team is in place. The members of the team are getting to know the child and the home. The new manager is aware of the areas of development for the home.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: requires improvement to be good

Two recommendations made at last inspection have not been fully met. One has been raised as a requirement. This fails to demonstrate a drive to improve the children’s experiences.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: requires improvement to be good

Staff do not receive supervision sessions in line with the company’s policy. One staff member did not have a supervision session for almost a year. This means that staff may not have had opportunity to reflect on their practice and discuss any concerns.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: requires improvement to be good

Managers have not carried out appraisals with staff annually. This means leaders and managers are not providing all of the necessary support and oversight to help staff develop their skills, knowledge and performance.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: requires improvement to be good

The manager has provided a quality of care report. However, there is limited feedback from children, professionals and staff. This reduces the effectiveness of the report in identifying any areas for improvement.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: requires improvement to be good

The review of the premises does not include feedback from others. This lack of consultation may mean that risks are not identified. The date that the review of the premises took place is unclear. Therefore, it is not possible to determine whether it was completed within timescales.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: requires improvement to be good

Staff are positive about the support from the new management team. The child’s parents provided positive feedback. Inspection report for children’s home: 2673265 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 care planning standard is that children—

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Requirement Due date

receive effectively planned care in or through the children’s home.

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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

that each child’s relevant plans are followed; and

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Requirement Due date

that staff help each child to access and contribute to the records kept by the registered person in relation to the child. (Regulation 14 (1)(a) (2)(c)(f))

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Requirement Due date

In particular, this relates to the registered person ensuring that children’s plans are clear about staffing ratios, that these are followed correctly, and that children are given the opportunity to contribute to their care plans. 10 January 2025

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Requirement Due date

The registered person must ensure that all employees—

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Requirement Due date

receive practice-related supervision by a person with appropriate experience; and

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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)(b)(c)) 10 January 2025

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Recommendations

 The registered person should ensure there is a system for rewarding and celebrating positive behaviour and recognising where children have managed situations well. (‘Guide to the Children’s Homes Regulations, including the quality standards’, page 47, paragraph 9.39) Inspection report for children’s home: 2673265 6  The registered person should review the appropriateness and suitability of the location and premises of the home at least once a year and consult with relevant people as part of this review. (‘Guide to the Children’s Homes Regulations, including the quality standards’, page 64, paragraph 15.1)  The registered person should undertake a review that focuses on the quality of the care provided by the home, the experiences of children living there and the impact the care is having on outcomes and improvements for the children. In particular, the views of children, staff and professionals should be included within the report. (‘Guide

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Recommendations

to the Children’s Homes Regulations, including the quality standards’, page 64, paragraph 15.2)

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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: 2673265 7

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Children’s home details

Registered provider: Acorn Norfolk Limited

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Children’s home details

Registered provider address: Atria, Spa Road, Bolton BL1 4AG

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Inspector

Leanne Lyon, Social Care Inspector Inspection report for children’s home: 2673265 8 regulates and inspects 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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