Children's Home run by Suffolk County Council in Suffolk

Assurance inspection report for children’s home: SC063110 1 SC063110

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Registered provider: Suffolk County Council

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Inspected under the social care common inspection framework

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Information about this children’s home

This local authority home provides care for up to four children who experience social and emotional difficulties. The home has an on-site lodge that is used to provide emergency support for children under the care of Suffolk County Council.

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Information about this children’s home

At the time of this inspection, three children were living at the home.

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Information about this children’s home

The previous registered manager left in December 2024. The current manager started in post in February 2025 following a period of managing in an interim capacity. The manager has submitted an application to register with Ofsted.

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Information about this children’s home

Judgement at last inspection: requires improvement to be good

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Information about this children’s home

Enforcement action since last inspection: none

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Information about this inspection

At this inspection, the inspector evaluated:

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Information about this inspection

 the care of children  the safety of children  the effectiveness of leaders and managers. The inspector has looked closely at the experiences and progress of children, using the social care common inspection framework. This assurance 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’. Assurance inspection report for children’s home: SC063110 2

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Findings from the inspection

We identified the following serious and widespread concerns in relation to the care or protection of children at this assurance inspection.

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Findings from the inspection

Staff have on occasion inappropriately restrained children. On one occasion, a member of staff pulled a child by their limbs across the floor. Another member of staff, and another child, witnessed this incident. This second member of staff did not intervene in the incident to safeguard the child, and an investigation found that they wrote a false and misleading record of what happened.

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Findings from the inspection

Staff have not always quickly informed managers of safeguarding concerns or when children have made allegations against staff. This has undermined the manager’s ability to make appropriate safeguarding decisions and keep children safe.

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Findings from the inspection

Staffing levels in the home have not always been adequate to meet the children’s complex needs. On one occasion, a member of staff did not physically intervene to stop a child, who immediately prior had shared intent to take an overdose, taking paracetamol tablets. The staff said they did not feel able to do so while working on their own with the child.

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Findings from the inspection

On one occasion, staff did not seek medical advice for a child who was vomiting. This was despite concern that this child may have taken drugs and/or consumed alcohol.

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Findings from the inspection

Staff have not always ensured that they have followed the agreed deployment plan for agency staff and have left agency staff to work alone with children. On one occasion, a child made an allegation during the time that agency members of staff were supporting them, and this allegation was not immediately raised with managers.

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Findings from the inspection

The acting manager identified concern about a potential child moving into the home and shared this with senior leaders. These concerns were based on the child’s risks and the potential impact on other children already living in the home. This child was moved into the home by senior leaders despite the acting manager not agreeing with this decision. There have since been serious concerns in relation to sexual activity between these two children in the home, sexualised behaviour in the communal areas of the home and the barricading of bedroom doors.

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Findings from the inspection

One child moved out of the home in a planned and positive way. Staff supported this child to build relationships with the staff and children from their new home. They Assurance inspection report for children’s home: SC063110 3 enjoyed activities with the children and time spent with the new staff prior to the move.

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Findings from the inspection

Staff have supported one child to gain a place on a college course. Staff have helped this child to make progress, and there has been an overall decrease in risks for this child.

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Findings from the inspection

Two children currently have part-time jobs, which they are managing successfully and independently. Another child who has now moved out also maintained a job throughout their time in the home.

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Findings from the inspection

Managers have been proactive at involving other professionals to support the care planning and ways of working for children. Decisions around children’s care are not made in isolation, and professionals are kept up to date.

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Findings from the inspection

Leaders and managers were aware of the shortfalls prior to the inspection. They have begun to take steps to improve the care offered to children. This includes the temporary deployment of an experienced manager from the service, and the plan to temporarily close the emergency provision at the home until the necessary improvements have been made. Assurance inspection report for children’s home: SC063110 4

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Inspection date Inspection type Inspection judgement

07/05/2025 Full Requires improvement to be good 29/07/2024 Full Good 05/07/2023 Full Good 27/09/2022 Full Good Assurance inspection report for children’s home: SC063110 5

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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;

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Requirement Due date

have the skills to identify and act upon signs that a child is at risk of harm;

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Requirement Due date

understand the roles and responsibilities in relation to protecting children that are assigned to them by the registered person;

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Requirement Due date

take effective action whenever there is a serious concern about a child’s welfare; and

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Requirement Due date

are familiar with, and act in accordance with, the home’s child protection policies;

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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. (Regulation 12 (1) (2)(a)(i)(ii)(iii)(v)(vi)(vii) (b))

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Requirement Due date

when children raise safeguarding concerns, these are reported to managers without delay; 8 September 2025 Assurance inspection report for children’s home: SC063110 6 records in the home are accurate and truthful;

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Requirement Due date

staff seek medical advice for children, when necessary; and

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Requirement Due date

staff take effective action to prevent children from harming themselves.

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Requirement Due date

This requirement was made at the last inspection and is restated.

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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

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

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Requirement Due date

that each child has access to such dental, medical, nursing, psychiatric and psychological advice, treatment and other services as the child may require. (Regulation 10 (1)(a)(b) (2)(c)) 8 September 2025

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Requirement Due date

The care planning standard is that children—

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Requirement Due date

receive effectively planned care in or through the children’s home; and

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Requirement Due date

have a positive experience of arriving at or moving on from the home.

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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 children are admitted to the home only if their needs are within the range of needs of children for whom it is intended that the home is to provide care and accommodation, as set out in the home’s statement of purpose. (Regulation 14 (1)(a)(b) (2)(a))

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Requirement Due date

In particular, ensure that children are only admitted to the home if it has been assessed by the manager of the home that staff are able to meet the child’s needs alongside the needs of the current children. 8 August 2025 Assurance inspection report for children’s home: SC063110 7 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 the home has sufficient staff to provide care for each child;

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Requirement Due date

ensure that the home’s workforce provides continuity of care to each child;

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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)(d)(e)(h))

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Requirement Due date

there are adequate staff on shift at any time to meet children’s needs and to allow staff to effectively intervene when necessary for children’s safety;

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Requirement Due date

staff are aware of the expectation around the deployment of agency members of staff, and

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Requirement Due date

managers review all records in a timely way, including follow up reviews for records when necessary.

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Requirement Due date

This requirement was made at the last inspection and is restated. 8 August 2025 Assurance inspection report for children’s home: SC063110 8

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Children’s home details

Registered provider: Suffolk County Council

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Children’s home details

Registered provider address: Babergh District Council, Endeavour House, Russell Road, Ipswich IP1 2BX

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Inspector

Andrea Bounden, Social Care Inspector Assurance inspection report for children’s home: SC063110 9 regulates 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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Inspector

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