Children's Home run by Norbury Park Limited in Croydon

Inspection report for children’s home: 2746854 1 Registered provider: Norbury Park 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

This privately owned home cares for up to four children with emotional and social difficulties.

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Information about this children’s home

The home registered with Ofsted in January 2024. The manager registered in April 2025.

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Information about this children’s home

There were four children living in the home at the time of this inspection. Three children were spoken to.

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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

Overall judgement at last inspection: good

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good

Enforcement action since last inspection: none Inspection report for children’s home: 2746854 2

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Inspection date Inspection type Inspection judgement

04/06/2024 Full Good Inspection report for children’s home: 2746854 3

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Children like living in the home. Staff form positive relationships with them and have a good understanding of children’s experiences and how these impact on them. They take the time to understand what works best for children. One child said that staff made them very welcome when they moved into the home. They said, ‘You know what it’s like when you feel you’ve known someone for ages.’ Two social workers noted how much the staff care for the children and want what is best for them. This child-centred approach helps children to experience stability in the home.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Children make progress in the home. Staff meet children’s individual needs well and are very committed to supporting children through challenging times. As a result, children become well settled and gain some confidence.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Staff actively promote children’s best interests. When there is an identified gap in support, they research local options and make recommendations to social workers on how children’s needs can be met. For example, staff sourced therapy for one child, which the home funded. This approach contributes to better outcomes for children.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Staff support children to make progress in their education. They are proactive and help to identify the right provision for children. For example, staff identified a school for one child and a local project that became part of another child’s education package. Staff consistently encourage children to engage in education when they decline.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Children live in a large, clean, and spacious home. Their bedrooms have double beds, and there is a large communal space to socialise in, including a games room that has an air hockey table and arts and crafts. However, disrepair in the home is not promptly maintained, and the garden is not mown so that it can be used. There are internal CCTV cameras that are no longer in use. Their presence undermines the family home atmosphere.

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

Staff have a good understanding of children’s risks. This is underpinned by clearly written risk assessments that give focused guidance on how to keep children safe. This helps staff to respond consistently when children need support, and consequently, children say they feel safe living in the home.

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

One child has had several episodes of going missing from home. When this happens, staff follow the missing-from-home procedures. The child is welcomed home when they return, and staff check on their well-being and request return home interviews. Inspection report for children’s home: 2746854 4 Staff provide helpful key-work sessions for children. These explore risks, and conversations take place about how children can stay safe. The registered manager has produced a folder of ‘workshops’ to support this, which cover different themes including racist behaviour and physical aggression. However, staff do not always address the most recent concerns in key-work sessions following incidents. This means that children are not always given clear boundaries about their behaviour in the home.

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

The registered manager responds swiftly when children make allegations. Children’s social workers and the local authority designated officer are informed, and investigations take place. Action is taken to safeguard children throughout the process. As a result, children know that their voices are heard, and their concerns are taken seriously.

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

Staff’s use of physical intervention is proportionate. Children are debriefed after an incident. However, staff are not debriefed, and case records do not contain detailed manager oversight. This limits the opportunity for incidents involving restraint to influence future practice.

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

Staff do not accurately record children’s medication. Sometimes a box is left blank, which means it is not possible to know whether the medication was taken.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

The registered manager is suitably experienced for the role. She is part of a leadership team that works closely together and has shared oversight of the home. This is strengthened by monthly meetings between the registered manager and responsible individual, which review the service and identify actions for improvement. Staff feel well supported by the leadership team and say there is always someone available to advise when needed.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

Staff enjoy working in the home. They know the children well and value the quality of the relationships staff have with the children. The team works well together. Communication is a strength, both within the team and with external professionals, and staff support each other.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

Staff have regular supervision. This focuses on relevant issues, including personal welfare, workload, team dynamics and staff performance. However, supervision does not include discussions about the children. This is a missed opportunity for staff to reflect on the impact of their practice on children’s progress.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

The registered manager is proactive in addressing concerns about staff practice. When issues have arisen, she has arranged for detailed discussions to take place about them in team meetings. The meetings are documented, and the staff handbook is updated when needed. This provides staff with a clear understanding of the expectations of their practice. Inspection report for children’s home: 2746854 5 Leaders follow safer recruitment practice. All the relevant identity checks are completed, employment gaps are checked, and references are verified. However, leaders and managers do not make efforts to obtain overseas police checks for workers who originate from other countries. The company’s recruitment policy does not address this issue.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

Staff case recordings are not robust. Documents are sometimes undated and unsigned by the author, which makes it difficult to identify who wrote them and when events took place. Inspection report for children’s home: 2746854 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 registered person must make arrangements for the handling, recording, safekeeping, safe administration, and disposal of medicines received into the children’s home.

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Requirement Due date

In particular the registered person must ensure that—

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Requirement Due date

a record is kept of the administration of medicine to each child. (Regulation 23 (1) (2)(c))

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Requirement Due date

In particular, leaders and managers must ensure that staff maintain an accurate record of when children have declined their medication. 23 May 2025

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Requirement Due date

The quality and purpose of care standard is that children receive care from staff who—-

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Requirement Due date

understand the children’s home’s overall aims and the outcomes it seeks to achieve for children;

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Requirement Due date

use this understanding to deliver care that meets children’s needs and supports them to fulfil their potential.

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Requirement Due date

In particular, the standard in paragraph 1 requires the registered person to—-

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Requirement Due date

ensure that the premises used for the purposes of the home are designed and furnished so as to—-

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Requirement Due date

enable each child to participate in the daily life at the home. (Regulation 6 (1)(a)(b) (2)(c)(i)(ii))

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Requirement Due date

In particular, leaders and managers must ensure that damage to the property is promptly repaired, the garden is maintained, internal CCTV cameras that are out of use are removed, broken 27 June 2025 Inspection report for children’s home: 2746854 7 blinds are replaced, curtains are hung properly, and paintwork is refreshed.

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Requirement Due date

The leadership and management standard is that the registered person enables, inspires, and leads a culture in relation to the children’s home that—

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Requirement Due date

helps children aspire to fulfil their potential; and

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Requirement Due date

In particular, the standard in paragraph (1) requires the registered person to—

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Requirement Due date

use monitoring and review systems to make continuous improvements in the quality of care provided in the home. (Regulation 13 (1)(a)(b) (2)(h))

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Requirement Due date

In particular, the registered person must have systems in place so that all staff, including the manager, receive supervision of their practice which allows them to reflect on the needs of the children assigned to their care. 27 June 2025

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Recommendations

 The registered person should ensure that all children’s case records are signed and dated by the author of each entry. (‘Guide to the Children’s Homes Regulations, including the quality standards,’ page 62, paragraph 14.3)  The registered person should ensure that they review the use of restraint to identify effective practice and respond promptly where any issues or trends of concern emerge. The review should provide the opportunity for amending practice to ensure it meets the needs of each child. (‘Guide to the Children’s Homes Regulations, including the quality standards,’ page 49, paragraph 9.59)  The registered person should ensure that staff help children to understand that standards of behaviour are high for all children in the home. These standards should be clear and unambiguous. (‘Guide to the Children’s Homes Regulations, including the quality standards,’ page 39, paragraph 8.11)  The registered person should maintain good employment practice and attempt to

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Recommendations

obtain police information for staff who have lived outside of the UK to ensure that the recruitment of staff safeguards children and minimises potential risks to them. (‘Guide to the Children’s Homes Regulations, including the quality standards,’ page 61, paragraph 13.9) Inspection report for children’s home: 2746854 8

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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: 2746854 9

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Children’s home details

Registered provider: Norbury Park Limited

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Children’s home details

Registered provider address: 40 Gracechurch Street, London EC3V 0BT

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Inspector

Jo Mitchell, Social Care Inspector Inspection report for children’s home: 2746854 10 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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