Children's home run by Norfolk County Council

Inspection report for children’s home: 2728186 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 is run by the local authority and provides care for up to two children with 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 home was registered in May 2023. The manager registered at the same time.

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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: 6 November 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: 2728186 2

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Inspection date Inspection type Inspection judgement

06/11/2023 Full Good Inspection report for children’s home: 2728186 3

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

At the time of this inspection, one child was living at the home and had been living there since the home opened. They contributed to the inspection.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Staff encourage the child to develop other interests and hobbies, alongside watching movies and gaming. The child has tried a range of activities. Staff suggest new ideas weekly, and there has been some success. The child plans to complete the compulsory basic training to ride a motorcycle, and plans to save for one, too.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

The child has made progress with education. This has been challenging at times. Staff have supported home tutoring and online schooling, which have enabled the child to gain some academic achievement. The manager has explored the next steps for them in education and has advocated for an alternative provision, which they are waiting to start.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Staff support the child’s health needs. The child said that they would like to be medication free, and staff explored this with a specialist practitioner. There are now clear plans with guidance for staff to follow to reduce medication in a safe way. This is likely to have a positive impact on the child’s long-term health.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

The child offers support to the local authority’s in care council. They have been encouraged and empowered by the registered manager and staff to contribute to interviews for new social workers and senior social work staff. This has improved the child’s confidence with meeting new people as well as having a positive impact on their self-esteem.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Staff encourage the child to develop their independent living skills. This includes budgeting for activities, shopping for furniture and cooking. The child enjoys exploring new foods and cooks for themselves weekly, and sometimes for the staff, too.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

The home is warm and welcoming. It is decorated to reflect the child’s wishes. However, there is a mirror in the child’s bathroom that is not fixed on the wall and there is glue residue on the wall. This detracts from the otherwise homely environment.

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

Staff have developed warm and nurturing relationships with the child, sometimes in challenging circumstances. This has enabled the child to trust in the adults who care for them. The child says that they feel safe and could talk to staff about any worries.

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

Staff have a good understanding of their roles and responsibilities to safeguard children. Staff and managers share information effectively and work well with other Inspection report for children’s home: 2728186 4 professionals. One professional said that collaborative working with staff and managers has been important to support the progress of the child.

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

Staff are effective at using de-escalation and distraction methods to manage the child’s behaviour. This has reduced the need for physical intervention. There have been two incidents of restraint since the last inspection. The records are thorough and demonstrate that all attempts had been made to de-escalate the situation. The child and staff participated in reflective discussions that offered insight and understanding and further informed risk planning.

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

Consequences are natural or restorative in nature. This helps the child to learn from their behaviour.

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

Staff know how to keep the child safe online. There are clear agreements with the child on the use of the internet. Parental controls are in place. Staff speak to the child about online risks and check internet use.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

The suitably qualified registered manager leads by example and generates ideas to improve the quality of care for the child. The manager has implemented an effective monitoring and review system. This helps them to identify the strengths and areas for development and take action to address any shortfalls identified.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

Staff say that they feel supported by the manager and receive regular supervision sessions. The manager supports and encourages training. Additionally, she sources bespoke training for staff to meet the specific needs of the child. This has provided the staff with increased confidence and new skills to support the child.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

The manager leads a child-focused team. Staff are encouraged to capture the child’s wishes and respond to them at every opportunity. The child feels cared for and respected as a result. This offers opportunity to work collaboratively with the child.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

The manager will be leaving their role at the home. They have developed a transition plan to ensure minimal disruption. This offers consistency and continuity for the staff and the child.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

Managers have developed strong relationships with other professionals. Professionals said that they value the timely sharing of information. They also commented on the positive relationship that staff have built with the child. Inspection report for children’s home: 2728186 5

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Recommendation

 The registered person should ensure that repairs in the home are carried out without delay. (‘Guide to the Children’s Homes Regulations, including the quality standards’, page 15, paragraph 3.7)

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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: 2728186 6

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Children’s home details

Registered provider: Norfolk County Council

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Children’s home details

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

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Inspector

Sarah Cooper, Social Care Inspector Inspection report for children’s home: 2728186 7 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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Inspector

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