Children's Home run by BREAK in Norfolk

Inspection report for children’s home: SC040191 1 SC040191 Registered provider: Break

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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 is run by a registered charity. It provides long-term care for up to two children who may have experienced multiple moves.

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Information about this children’s home

The home has recently been divided into two semi-detached properties offering solo placements for two children.

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Information about this children’s home

The manager registered with Ofsted in November 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 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 September 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: SC040191 2

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Inspection date Inspection type Inspection judgement

06/09/2023 Full Good 12/07/2022 Full Good 30/09/2019 Full Good 11/12/2018 Full Good Inspection report for children’s home: SC040191 3

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

There is one child currently living in the home. This child contributed to the inspection. Since the last inspection, one child has moved out and one child has moved into the home. Children experience well-planned, positive moves.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

One child was successfully supported to move into semi-independent accommodation in a positive way. Staff cared for the child temporarily in a home close to the child’s next placement. This supported the child to integrate into the local community and gain a knowledge of using public transport and local services before their move. The child experienced a successful ending and left the home in a positive way.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Another child experienced a very well planned move to the home. This took into account the child’s needs and took place over several weeks. The child visited the home many times and met with every member of staff. Each step of the plan was carefully considered. This allowed the child to build relationships with staff before they moved. The child’s social worker said this was the best moving plan that they had been involved in.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

There is lots of laughter and humour. The child said that they were happy living at the home. The child has influenced the decor. They have chosen bright paint colours in communal areas and their belongings are evident throughout the house. The dining room is set up as a role play children’s nursery in line with the child’s wishes. The child enjoys spending time role playing with staff. Managers and staff showed a good understanding of the child’s behaviours.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Children participate in a wide range of experiences. One child was able to go abroad on a holiday, attend music concerts in big cities and enjoyed a helicopter ride for a milestone birthday.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Children are encouraged to attend education and training. One child enjoyed volunteering at the charity’s coffee van and secondhand shop. One child has been out of formal education for a significant time. The child’s engagement with tutors has improved and the child has attended an alternative education provision two days a week.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

The child is subject to restrictions ordered by a court. The home has carefully planned activities to ensure that these are as minimal as possible. The child attends a local youth group. While the child was unable to attend overnight camps with this group, staff remained at the camp and took the child back to the camp early the next morning. This ensured that the child was able to enjoy breakfast activities with their peers. The home has appropriately supported the child to take carefully considered risks. Restrictions have been reduced and then reintroduced when required. The home carefully involves the child in the review of these. Inspection report for children’s home: SC040191 4

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

Children’s care plans are detailed and comprehensive. They contain all the relevant information and are updated regularly. Children’s risk assessments are clear, individual and easy for staff to follow.

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

Children have made allegations against staff during this inspection period. When these have occurred, the manager has taken prompt and appropriate action. The manager has made appropriate referrals to the relevant authorities. These are submitted in a timely way and contain a good level of information.

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

Children have been missing from the home on several occasions. When children have been missing, staff have followed children’s individual missing-from-care plans. They look for children and inform the authorities when they have been unable to locate children. Records relating to children who have been missing are comprehensive and clearly outline the actions taken by the staff. However, children have not always been offered independent return home interviews. Although managers have requested these, the manager has not offered an appropriate level of challenge when these interviews have not been offered to children.

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

One child is sometimes restrained to ensure their safety. When restraints have occurred, these have been necessary and proportionate. The manager monitors these to identify training needs for staff in relation to restraints. The staff have been booked to attend additional training specifically to meet the child’s needs. Records of restraint are detailed and include the strategies used to de-escalate the situation before the restraint. However, one record does not contain details of the child’s views on the restraint. This is despite the child initially saying that they were not happy with the restraint. This limits the manager’s ability to make improvements to the quality of care or reduce recurrence of restraint incidents.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

The home is managed by a suitably skilled and experienced registered manager. The manager is supported by a responsible individual who has an in-depth working knowledge of the home. The manager is ambitious for the children. The manager has high expectations of staff and leads by positive example.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

The manager maintains a high level of oversight of the home. They review all incidents and records in a timely way. The manager’s review of significant events is detailed and analytical and considers steps to prevent recurrence.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

Staff are supported by regular team meetings. Staff benefit from open and transparent conversations in these meetings. These help them to plan improvements to the quality of care. Staff attend additional team meetings with the charity’s therapeutic service. The therapeutic practitioner supports staff to understand the child’s behaviour from a Inspection report for children’s home: SC040191 5 therapeutic perspective. This guides staff to ensure that their care is in line with the therapeutic model.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

Staff receive regular supervision sessions that are supportive and reflective. The manager receives additional supervision from the home’s therapeutic practitioner. The manager has made additional use of this service during a time of crisis at the home.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

Professionals are positive about the home and the care offered to children. A consistent message from professionals is that they are very happy with the way children’s moves are managed. Professionals highlighted good communication with the staff and strong relationships between the staff and children.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

The manager carefully considers referrals before a child moves in. The manager attends several meetings with the child and the social worker. However, the manager did not undertake an assessment of the home’s ability to meet the needs of the child currently living at the home This limits the manager’s ability to clearly assess whether there are any additional training needs for staff or whether the home’s location is suitable for the child.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

The home has recently been divided to provide two solo homes. The property is divided by an adjoining corridor. The work on the side of the home that is currently occupied has been finished. However, the other side of the property is undergoing significant building work. There is no assessment in relation to the risks posed by this work, or consideration of steps needed to minimise any risks. Inspection report for children’s home: SC040191 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 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

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.

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Requirement Due date

In particular, ensure that hazards related to building and maintenance work are risk assessed, and avoidable risks are mitigated. (Regulation 12 (1)(b)) 18 March 2025

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Requirement Due date

within 24 hours of the use of a measure of control, discipline or restraint in relation to a child in the home, a record is made which includes—

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Requirement Due date

within 5 days of the use of the measure, the registered person or the authorised person adds to the record confirmation that they have spoken to the child about the measure. (Regulation 35 (3)(a)(c)) 18 March 2025

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Recommendations

 The registered person should only accept placements for children where they are satisfied that the home can respond effectively to the child’s assessed needs as recorded in the child’s relevant plans and where they have fully considered the ability of the home to meet the child’s assessed needs. (‘Guide to the Children’s Homes Regulations, including the quality standards’, page 56, paragraph 11.4)  The registered person should ensure that when a child returns to the home after being missing from care or away from the home without permission, the responsible local authority provides an opportunity for the child to have an independent return Inspection report for children’s home: SC040191 7 home interview. The home should take account of information provided by such interviews when assessing risks and putting arrangements in place to protect each child. (‘Guide to the Children’s Homes Regulations, including the quality standards’,

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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: SC040191 8

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Children’s home details

Registered provider address: Schofield House, Spar Road, Norwich NR6 6BX

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Inspectors

Andrea Bounden, Social Care Inspector Inspection report for children’s home: SC040191 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

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