Children's Home run by Juventas Services in Norfolk

Inspection report for children’s home: 2708784 1 Registered provider: Juventas Services

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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 owned by a private organisation. It provides care for up to three children aged between 10 and 18 years with social and emotional difficulties.

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Information about this children’s home

The manager registered with Ofsted in August 2023.

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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: 12 December 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: 2708784 2

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Inspection date Inspection type Inspection judgement

12/12/2023 Full Good Inspection report for children’s home: 2708784 3

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Since the last inspection, four children moved into the home and three children moved out. Two children returned to live with their families and one child moved to a home that was better suited to meet their complex needs. There are three children at the home, all of whom shared their views with the inspector.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Children like living at this home. One child said that it was the best place they had lived. All children said that the staff are nice and that one of the best things about living in the home was the activities they do. These include being taken roller skating, swimming, trampolining and to the arcades. This gives children opportunities to have fun and to be active. A parent said, ‘It is as if [name of child] is growing up in a normal family home. Staff are doing things with them, taking photos, giving them positive experiences like in a normal family.’

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Staff quickly form trusted relationships with children and their families. A social worker described how the manager and a staff member were able to immediately build a relationship with a child. This has helped the child to make very good progress.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Staff understand and value the importance of family relationships. They support children to see their family, including travelling long distances to enable this. The manager drove one child abroad so that they could visit their grandparents. When appropriate, families are welcome to visit the home. This helps children to see that adults are working together and contributes toward children feeling safe and settled. Staff have helped one child to have overnight stays with their family, which no longer need to be supported by professionals. Two different family members said that they find the staff approachable and would be able to raise any worries if they needed to. One parent said, ‘I feel very much a part of the team looking after [name of child]. The home keeps me involved and updated. It feels more like one big family rather than ‘us and them’ and I feel really valued.’

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

When endings are unplanned, staff listen to children’s wishes and support them to have the best possible endings and moves. The views of children already living at the home are carefully considered when making decisions about new children moving in.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Children feel listened to. They all said that if they were not happy about something, they could talk to the manager or staff. Children are also encouraged to speak with an advocate. One child has used this as another means to express their wishes about their education.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Children are helped with education. For one child, their attendance has significantly improved since living at this home. An independent reviewing officer said, ‘The staff have encouraged the child to value themselves. They are giving the child an opportunity to think about their aspirations and telling them how they can help them to get there.’ Inspection report for children’s home: 2708784 4 Two children are not currently attending education. Staff advocate well for their wishes and needs. However, there has been insufficient challenge to professionals in order for children to return to education as soon as possible. In addition, although staff help children to gain educational certificates, the support provided in respect of educational activities and daily structure is limited.

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

Assessments of risk are clear to read and personalised. They offer staff guidance on what individual children’s behaviour might look like and name helpful ways to respond to children.

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

Children tell staff if they are unsafe and need help. This is because of the relationships they have with staff. As a result, children are safer. A social worker emphasised that their child had now begun to feel safe enough to be open with staff about help they needed and said, ‘…because [name of child] feels safe and settled, [particular risk] has drastically reduced’.

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

Children are helped to think about their behaviour toward others, take responsibility and succeed. For example, if children make unkind comments, staff talk to them about this and challenge and educate them on how to make better choices. In another example, staff used a nurturing approach to proactively help and guide a child to prepare themselves for a difficult meeting.

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

Staff have needed to respond to challenging behaviour at times, including substantial physical assault. They manage this through the use of effective de-escalation techniques, empathy and understanding. Except for one occasion, they prevent the need for physical restraint. Police have been required on a small number of occasions; however, the criminalisation of children has been avoided.

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

Staff respond appropriately if children use substances, including by ensuring that medical advice is sought.

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

Staff acted protectively by informing the right professionals when a child made a disclosure of harm. Staff and professionals ensured that this child was supported through this process. However, on another occasion, a child raised a concern and, although the child did not wish further action to be taken, leaders and managers did not follow the correct procedure in response to the concern. On this occasion, the opportunity for external oversight and scrutiny was reduced.

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

Staff have not always followed plans fully for one child. They did not follow a plan regarding the frequency of device checks in relation to online concerns. Specialist support for the child is being arranged. However, there was insufficient action to help the child learn about online safety, relationships and consent while waiting for this specialist service. Inspection report for children’s home: 2708784 5

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

The manager is registered with Ofsted and has gained their level 5 qualification. They were present throughout the inspection.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

The manager has a strong ethos of relationship-based practice. He has formed positive relationships with children, their families and professionals. Children said that they would go to him if they were worried and families said the same, adding that he always listens. This contributes toward children feeling settled and valued and helps lead to progress. There has only been one complaint from a local resident. This was resolved within one day.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

There is a culture of reflection and learning. The manager uses regular support from the responsible individual and peer managers in the company to celebrate good practice, challenge and learn. He is highly reflective of practice and has ideas for ways to develop, including developing their restorative approach.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

The manager has clear processes in place for when he is considering welcoming children to live at the home. This includes using support from the responsible individual and carefully considering the impact on children already living in the home. Unfortunately, due to the risk that developed and the impact on the children who are settled and progressing, he has recently made a decision to end a child’s placement. Although this is not reflective of the planning that took place to minimise risk on admission, leaders and managers have reflected on the experience to reduce the risk of similar circumstances arising in the future.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

The manager has not always ensured that all appropriate checks and documents have been seen for staff who work in the home. On one occasion, there were no records relating to the exploration of a gap in employment history. On another, leaders and managers had not obtained evidence of a relevant qualification for an employee.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

The manager advocates for the children and challenges professionals when he has not received the information that he needs. However, he recognises that, on occasion, the level of challenge could be greater. This includes challenging placing authorities regarding arranging family visits for one child.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

The manager creates an environment that is homely. Children’s artwork and photos are displayed and their personal belongings are in shared areas. They enjoy playing music and the manager has sourced a piano. There is an atmosphere of nurture, laughter and fun. Children present as relaxed and enjoy the company of the staff. The way that children are written about is, in the main, sensitive and clear. However, records are not consistently devoid of institutional language and are not always clear to follow. Inspection report for children’s home: 2708784 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

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

help each child to understand how to keep safe. (Regulation 12 (1) (2)(a)(i)(ii)) 10 March 2025

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Requirement Due date

The registered person must notify HMCI and each other relevant person without delay if—

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Requirement Due date

there is an allegation of abuse against the home or a person working there. (Regulation 40 (4)(c)) 20 February 2025

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Recommendations

 The registered person should ensure that they are fulfilling their responsibility for maintaining good employment practice. In particular, ensure that evidence of relevant qualifications are obtained, gaps in employment are explored and that the agencies used have staff who are up to date with training and assurance that safety checks are renewed. (‘Guide to the Children’s Homes Regulations, including the quality standards’, page 61, paragraph 13.1)  The registered person should ensure that children are supported to regain their confidence in education and engaged in suitable, structured activities. (‘Guide to the Children’s Homes Regulations, including the quality standards’, page 28, paragraph 5.15) Inspection report for children’s home: 2708784 7  The registered person should ensure that where the placing authority or another relevant person does not provide the input and services needed to meet a child’s

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Recommendations

needs during their time in the home, the home challenges them to meet the child’s needs (see regulations 5(c)). (‘Guide to the Children’s Homes Regulations, including the quality standards’, page 12, paragraph 2.8)  The registered person should ensure that staff are familiar with the home’s policies on record-keeping and understand the importance of careful, objective and clear recording. In particular, avoid institutional language, such as ‘contact’, and avoid language that could be perceived as child blaming. (‘Guide to the Children’s Homes Regulations, including the quality standards’, page 62, paragraph 14.4)

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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: 2708784 8

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Children’s home details

Registered provider address: Haines Watts Chartered Accountants Ltd, Yare House, 62-64 Thorpe Road, Norwich NR1 1RY

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Inspector

Carrie Twinn, Social Care Inspector Inspection report for children’s home: 2708784 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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Inspector

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Inspector

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Inspector

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