Children's Home run by Unique Care Homes Support Limited in Norfolk

Inspection report for children’s home: SC431228 1 SC431228 Registered provider: Unique Care Homes Support 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 home is privately operated and provides support and care for up to six children who experience social and emotional difficulties.

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Information about this children’s home

The registered manager left the home in January 2024. The current manager has applied to register with Ofsted.

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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: SC431228 2

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Inspection date Inspection type Inspection judgement

09/07/2024 Full Good 18/10/2023 Full Requires improvement to be good 25/01/2023 Full Good 08/06/2021 Full Good Inspection report for children’s home: SC431228 3

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

At the time of this inspection, four children were living at the home. Since the last inspection, three children have moved in, and three children have moved out. Three children were spoken to as part of the inspection.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Children have made progress from their individual starting points. Professional feedback outlines the relationships staff have built with children as integral to the progress they have made.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Children’s moves to and from the home are done in a carefully planned way. This supports them to have positive starts and endings to their time spent living at the home. On one occasion a child had to move in an emergency. This was done after careful consideration regarding the safety and emotional impact on all children at the home

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Children’s interests and talents are encouraged. One child has a keen passion for music and has achieved a place at college to continue this interest. Another child was supported to have a short break at an entertainment resort in France. Staff encourage children to try new experiences as well as engage in activities that they enjoy.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Staff support children with their education. Several children were supported to pass their functional skills exams. Two children who had been out of education returned to full-time education. One child has been supported to secure a job.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

The home and grounds are spacious and provide comfortable living areas. Children’s bedrooms are personalised. However, the home is not cleaned to a suitable standard, with cobwebs and dead spiders evident in rooms. The garden is vast in size. However, some areas are overgrown with brambles and patio tiles are damaged, which limits children’s ability to fully use this space.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Children have restricted access to items such as cleaning products and sharp knives. These restrictions are without clear justification. This inhibits one child’s ability to be fully independent due to needing to request access to these.

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

Children feel safe living at the home. Children’s exposure to risk, such as going missing from home, and unregulated emotions continue to reduce because of the support and relationships children have developed with staff. Children can identify staff whom they trust and are able to speak to if they have concerns.

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

Children benefit from individual and detailed risk assessments. They guide staff to understand children’s needs, risks and vulnerabilities. Consequently, staff have used this knowledge and de-escalation techniques to prevent the need for physical intervention. Inspection report for children’s home: SC431228 4 On some occasions, children have been reported missing from the home. Staff have taken effective and proactive action to ensure their safe return. Staff use professional curiosity to understand these incidents and explore learning opportunities to prevent future occurrences.

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

Positive behaviour is consistently encouraged. A range of rewards and incentives are used to recognise and celebrate children’s individual achievements.

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

There are clear safer recruitment processes which are followed, ensuring that staff are fully checked before working with children.

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

When there have been allegations or complaints from children, these have been shared with the appropriate external professionals. Investigations have been undertaken and lessons learned are shared with the staff. However, despite the overall support, on two occasions staff performance did not meet the required standards. This has not been given enough oversight to monitor whether there has been progress or additional patterns of concern.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

The home has a permanent and suitably qualified manager whose application to register is currently under review with Ofsted. The manager is supported by a suitable and knowledgeable deputy manager. Recent changes in the senior leadership team have not been shared with Ofsted in a timely manner.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

Leaders and managers advocate for children and challenge external professionals when responses are not effective. For one child, the local authority was tenaciously challenged due to poor planning regarding post-18 accommodation. Professionals said that communication with staff is excellent, and that the children are settled and making progress.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

Staff feel well supported in their roles and speak highly of the managers. They are provided with regular supervision sessions that encourage reflection. The staff said that they find supervision ‘helpful and supportive’.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

Regular team meetings reflect on children’s presentation. On occasion, therapists attend these meetings, which helps staff to work in a consistent, child-focused way.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

Staff undertake a variety of training to help them meet children’s needs. The staff received bespoke training regarding a safeguarding situation which could affect a child’s health. Staff who are required to have completed the level 3 diploma in residential childcare have achieved this within timescales. Inspection report for children’s home: SC431228 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

An organisation may only carry on a home if—

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Requirement Due date

the organisation has notified HMCI of the name, address and position in the organisation of the responsible individual. (Regulation 26 (4)(ii)) 19 September 2025

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Recommendations

 The registered person should ensure that the home offers a nurturing, welcoming environment. In particular, ensure that repairs and general maintenance to the home and garden are carried out without delay. (‘Guide to the Children’s Homes Regulations, including the quality standards’, page 15, paragraph 3.7)  The registered person should ensure that just as in a family home, children are able to access all shared areas of their home unless there are specific reasons why this would not meet a child’s needs. Limits on privacy and access may only be put in place to safeguard each child in the home (regulation 21(c)(i)). Any decisions to limit a child’s access to any area of the home and any modifications to the environment of the home must only be made where this is intended to safeguard the child’s welfare. All decisions should be informed by a rigorous assessment of that individual child’s needs, be properly recorded and be kept under regular review. (‘Guide to the

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Recommendations

Children’s Homes Regulations, including the quality standards’, page 15, paragraph 3.10)  As set out in regulations 31–33, the registered person is responsible for maintaining good employment practice. The registered person should ensure that recruitment, supervision and performance management of staff safeguards children and minimises potential risks to them. (‘Guide to the Children’s Homes Regulations, including the quality standards’, page 61, paragraph 13.1) Inspection report for children’s home: SC431228 6

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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: SC431228 7

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Children’s home details

Registered provider: Unique Care Homes Support Limited

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Children’s home details

Registered provider address: Maybrook House, Third Floor, Queensway, Halesowen, West Midlands B63 4AH

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Inspector

Naomi Starbuck, Social Care Inspector Inspection report for children’s home: SC431228 8 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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