Children's Home run by BREAK in Norfolk

Inspection report for children’s home: 2592750 1 Registered provider: BREAK Full inspection Inspected under the social care common inspection framework

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Information about this children’s home

This charity-run home provides care for up to two children who may have experienced neglect, abuse or trauma, along with family and placement breakdowns.

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Information about this children’s home

The manager registered with Ofsted in June 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

Overall judgement at last inspection: good

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good

Enforcement action since last inspection: none Inspection report for children’s home: 2592750 2

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Inspection date Inspection type Inspection judgement

24/04/2024 Full Good 21/06/2023 Full Requires improvement to be good 05/12/2022 Full Requires improvement to be good 20/07/2021 Full Good Inspection report for children’s home: 2592750 3

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

There was one child living at the home at the time of inspection. The child did not take part in the inspection.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Since the last inspection, one child has moved into the home and one child has moved out. The child moved out in a planned way after making good progress. Staff helped the child to return home to their family. This child has stayed in touch with staff, showing the strong bonds that were built.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Staff gave the new child a very warm welcome. Before the move, staff met with the child to start to build a relationship. Staff helped the child decorate their bedroom. They made sure everything was ready before the child moved in. The child received a personalised welcome basket. These actions help the child to create a sense of belonging.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Staff build positive relationships by spending time with the child. Staff listen to children’s wishes and feelings and act on their views. Children enjoy different activities with staff. These activities reflect children’s interests. These include trips to the beach, arcades, shopping, beauty treatments and holidays. Shared time with staff helps children to feel understood and cared for.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Staff support children to see people who are important to them. Staff helped the child who previously lived at the home to get in touch with a family member and spend time with them. The child was able to return to this person’s care. Staff take children to see family who do not live in the local area. Keeping these relationships helps children retain their identity and understand who they are.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

The child currently living at the home moved in with very poor sleeping patterns. Staff have not thought enough about how to help this child build a healthy routine. Although staff prompt the child to get up, this is often unsuccessful. As a result, this child misses out on activities and appointments arranged by staff.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

The home is generally well presented, clean and tidy. Staff have recently painted some areas, of the home. However, some parts of the home are bare and lack a comfortable, homely atmosphere. There has been damage to some items in the kitchen, which staff have not removed. This does not make the kitchen look nice or well kept.

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

Staff know what to do when children go missing from the home. Missing-from-home protocols are very clear and reflect the individual needs of the children. Staff follow these protocols well. Staff always attempt to contact the child and search for them when they are missing from home. Inspection report for children’s home: 2592750 4 Children’s behaviour has challenged staff. Staff support children to keep safe despite the challenges. They update children’s care plans to reflect any new behaviours or risks. These plans provide actions for staff to follow to help children and reduce risks. Staff talk with children after incidents and follow up by sending them letters. These help children to learn from incidents.

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

Staff provide support for children who misuse substances. They remove items that may cause harm and help children understand the risks. Staff are expected to request medical advice for children who appear to be under the influence of drugs or alcohol. On one occasion, this did not happen, but managers noticed it quickly. The managers used a team meeting to remind staff to always get medical advice. This helps the staff to keep children safe and respond in the same way each time.

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

Staff understand children’s risks. There have been worries about the child’s smart phone and data usage. Staff are working with the police and social worker to support this child to keep safe online.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

A qualified and experienced manager leads the home. The responsible individual and deputy manager support the manager. Managers and leaders understand each child’s progress and their journey. They speak warmly about the children and are proud of their achievements.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

Staff access regular supervision sessions. Managers offer detailed sessions that give staff time to reflect. These sessions use scaling questions to help staff see how they feel and any help that they may need. Regular supervision sessions give staff a chance to share their worries and experiences. It also means that they get regular feedback on their performance.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

There is a stable staff team. There has been one new member of staff join the home since the last inspection. Staff say that they feel well supported by managers and leaders. Having a long-term child move out and one child move in has been a new experience for most staff members. Staff feel comfortable talking to managers about any worries during difficult situations and are supported well.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

There is good management review of incidents and consequences. Debriefs take place with staff in a timely way after incidents. Managers and leaders share learning from incidents at team meetings. This supports staff to provide consistent care.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

Before one child moved into the home, leaders and managers did not arrange extra training for staff. As a result of this, staff were not prepared with the right skills to support the child’s individual needs.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

The local authority and management team have had challenges in planning for the child to visit their family home. This has meant that the staff lack clear guidance and details of Inspection report for children’s home: 2592750 5 the associated risks. Managers and social workers are working to reduce risks and respect the child’s wishes, but this has been a difficult and confusing time. The responsible individual has kept clear records of meetings. These records show that managers have raised questions and concerns about this visit. The responsible individual has followed this up with the local authority. They have asked the local authority for a meeting to improve communication and provide clear guidance for future visits. This has the potential to lose sight of the child’s best interests. Inspection report for children’s home: 2592750 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 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

ensure that staff have the experience, qualifications and skills to meet the needs of each child. (Regulation 13 (1)(a)(b) (2)(c))

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Requirement Due date

ensure that staff have access to additional training that reflects the individual needs of children;

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Requirement Due date

ensure that communication with professionals regarding children’s family arrangements maintain a focus on children’s best interests. 1 October 2025

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Recommendations

 The registered person should ensure that staff encourage children to take a proactive role in looking after their day-to-day health and well-being. In particular, support children to develop routines to improve their well-being and enable them to take part in meaningful activities. (‘Guide to the Children’s Homes Regulations, including the quality standards’, page 34, paragraph 7.10  The registered person should provide a nurturing and homely environment. In particular, repairs to the home should be made promptly. (‘Guide to the Children’s Homes Regulations, including the quality standards’, page 15, paragraph 3.9) Inspection report for children’s home: 2592750 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: 2592750 8

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Children’s home details

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

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Children’s home details

Responsible individual: Rachel Watkinson

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Inspector

Emilja Myers, Social Care Inspector Inspection report for children’s home: 2592750 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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