Children's Home run by Break Charity in Suffolk

Inspection report for children’s home: 2780150 1 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 care for one child aged between 8 and 17 years old who has experienced trauma.

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Information about this children’s home

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 has had no registered manager since December 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: 9 September 2024

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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: 2780150 2

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Inspection date Inspection type Inspection judgement

09/09/2024 Full Good Inspection report for children’s home: 2780150 3

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

At the time of the inspection, one child was living at the home and contributed to the inspection. No children have moved in or out since the last inspection.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Staff have established a nurturing relationship with the child and know them well. Interactions between staff and the child are positive. Staff hold the child in high regard, show an interest in them and talk about them warmly. These positive relationships help the child to feel valued.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

The child can identify adults whom they trust and can share concerns with. This has allowed the child to feel comfortable enough to share their wishes and feelings.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Staff support the child with their education. The education provider said: ‘They have supported and advocated for the child.’ This provides an individual package of education for the child.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Staff provide the child with a range of opportunities to explore their interests and encourage participation in activities. The child regularly enjoys going to the cinema, playing pool and visiting the skate park. Staff capture the child’s experiences using photos and personalised memory books. These opportunities enhance children’s experiences.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

The manager and staff understand the importance of the child’s relationships with family and friends. Staff support the child to spend time with their family and friends at the home and in the community. These connections support the child’s identity and help them to build social relationships.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

The child benefits from a welcoming and homely environment. Living areas are decorated to a high standard and are comfortable and spacious. However, the child’s bedroom is not clean or well decorated and this detracts from an otherwise pleasant home.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

The children’s guide does not provide the child with a clear sense of what it is like to live at the home. This means that the child may not understand the house rules and expectations.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

The child has health concerns which require the need for a healthier lifestyle. The child is overweight and is currently unable to have a medical procedure that they need. Staff support has not been consistent or robust enough to help the child make an effective and sustained change. This is having a detrimental impact on the child’s health. Inspection report for children’s home: 2780150 4

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

Staff understand the child’s individual needs. The child’s care plans are detailed and provide clear strategies for staff to use.

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

The child feels safe at the home. There are very few incidents or safety concerns for the child. Since the last inspection, the child has not been missing from the home. Staff do not physically intervene with the child. This shows the positive relationships that staff have built with the child.

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

Staff spend time talking to the child about different areas of their life. However, they do not always discuss and explore areas of individual concern. This does not help the child to learn how to manage difficult situations. Managers have identified this as a weakness in staff practice and are creating a plan to help staff improve in this area.

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

On one occasion, the child called a member of staff a name that could be perceived as an allegation. This was unusual; despite this, the manager did not show curiosity or talk to the child’s social worker about it. This limits external oversight and the safeguards this brings. On two other occasions, the manager failed to notify Ofsted of serious events. This limits Ofsted’s ability to have effective oversight of events at the home.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

A new manager has been in post since May 2025, and they have applied to register with Ofsted. The manager is supported by a knowledgeable deputy manager.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

Leaders and managers have effective systems in place for the oversight of all records. They have recently identified some shortfalls and have an improvement plan in place.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

Leaders and managers have established a stable staff team. Occasional staff support is provided by a small group of staff who are known by the child. Staff enjoy working at the home and speak warmly about their roles. The stability of the staff team helps to provide continuity of care for the child.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

Staff benefit from regular supervision sessions. Supervision sessions are child focused and provide opportunities for staff to reflect on their practice and development needs.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

Team meetings are held regularly, are well attended and provide effective support for staff. Leaders and managers set actions at monthly team meetings to encourage continuous development and progress. These are further supported by child-focused therapeutic meetings. These help staff to understand the impact of the child’s early experiences and the impact of trauma on their current behaviour. These meetings give the staff team the opportunity to reflect, share ideas and consider how to tailor the support they provide. Inspection report for children’s home: 2780150 5 The staff undertake the organisation’s mandatory training. However, some staff have not completed training to be able to fully meet the child’s needs. This means that there is the potential for inconsistencies in the staff team’s approach due to varying skills and knowledge. Inspection report for children’s home: 2780150 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 health and well-being standard is that—

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Requirement Due date

the health and well-being needs of children are met;

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Requirement Due date

children receive advice, services and support in relation to their health and well-being; and

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Requirement Due date

children are helped to lead healthy lifestyles.

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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

achieve the health and well-being outcomes that are recorded in the child’s relevant plans. (Regulation 10 (1)(a)(b)(c) (2)(a)(i)) 1 November 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;

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Requirement Due date

there is any other incident relating to a child which the registered person considers to be serious. (Regulation 40 (4)(c)(e)) 1 November 2025

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Recommendations

 The registered person should ensure that staff gain skills and experience that enable them to actively support each child to achieve their potential, ensuring staff understand and can meet each child’s needs, in line with their responsibilities. (‘Guide Inspection report for children’s home: 2780150 7 to the Children’s Homes Regulations, including the quality standards’, page 52, paragraph 10.5)  The registered person should ensure that staff have the skills and confidence to support children to understand the impact of choices. Staff should assist them to understand the risks and how to manage these to keep themselves and others safe. (‘Guide to the Children’s Homes Regulations, including the quality standards’, page 42, paragraph 9.7)  The registered person should ensure that children’s bedrooms are suitably decorated and cleaned regularly to ensure this contributes to a nurturing and supportive

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Recommendations

environment that meets the children’s needs. (‘Guide to the Children’s Homes Regulations, including the quality standards’, page 15, paragraph 3.9)  The registered person should ensure that they produce a children’s guide to help children understand what the day-to-day routines of the home are and the care they can expect to receive while living there. (‘Guide to the Children’s Homes Regulations, including the quality standards’, page 24, paragraph 4.22)

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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: 2780150 8

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Children’s home details

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

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Children’s home details

Responsible individual: Rachel Watkinson

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Inspector

Naomi Starbuck, Social Care Inspector Inspection report for children’s home: 2780150 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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