Children's Home run by Norfolk County Council in Norfolk

Inspection report for children’s home: SC463902 1 SC463902 Registered provider: Norfolk County Council Full inspection Inspected under the social care common inspection framework

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Information about this children’s home

The home is run by a local authority and provides a crisis assessment and reunification service. It offers care for up to four children with complex needs who require specialist support.

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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 manager registered with Ofsted in October 2024 and is qualified for the role.

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Overall experiences and progress of

children and young people, taking into account

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requires improvement to be good

How well children and young people are helped and protected requires improvement to be good

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requires improvement to be good

The effectiveness of leaders and managers inadequate

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requires improvement to be good

The children’s home is not yet delivering good help and care for children and young people. However, there are no serious or widespread failures that result in their welfare not being safeguarded or promoted.

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requires improvement to be good

Date of last inspection: 10 December 2024

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requires improvement to be good

Overall judgement at last inspection: good

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requires improvement to be good

Enforcement action since last inspection: none Inspection report for children’s home: SC463902 2

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Inspection date Inspection type Inspection judgement

10/12/2024 Full Good 11/07/2023 Full Requires improvement to be good 04/05/2022 Full Good 20/04/2021 Full Good Inspection report for children’s home: SC463902 3

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improvement to be good

During the inspection, two children spoke to the inspectors, and one child was away from the home.

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improvement to be good

Since the last inspection, five children have moved into the home, and three children have moved out. The number of children who have moved in and out reflects the emergency nature of the service. Children’s experiences living at the home are mixed. One child said their experience has been positive since arriving. Another child was unable to identify staff they can raise concerns with and said they feel uncared for by staff.

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improvement to be good

Staff do not always take children’s views seriously. One child expressed that they are unhappy with their local authority care plan and long-term reunification plan. Another child asked for an advocate and a gym membership. Neither child received a response to these requests from the manager or staff. This does not demonstrate that children are actively involved in decisions about their care and that their views are responded to effectively.

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improvement to be good

The home requires refurbishment and repair in several areas. There is significant damage to the internal paintwork and one child’s bedroom. Two children do not have adequate storage in their bedrooms for their personal belongings. Mould has built up on the shower seal in the children’s bathrooms. The garden contains a large pile of mud with bricks and rubble. This does not constitute a homely environment for children.

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improvement to be good

Children’s level of engagement and participation in education is variable. Some children have regularly struggled to engage. Others have made progress with learning and achieved exam success. When children struggle, staff encourage them and identify alternative approaches to support their education participation.

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improvement to be good

Three children have moved on to a more suitable long-term placement. Staff supported the children’s moves and implemented individualised transition plans to support them. On each occasion, children were given something meaningful, and a celebration meal took place to remember their time at the home.

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improvement to be good

Staff encourage children to spend time with people who are important to them. As a result, children are supported in maintaining and developing positive relationships.

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improvement to be good

Staff support children in accessing activities in line with their individual interests, such as regular trips to theme parks, youth clubs, the seaside and roller skating. This has helped the children build supportive relationships. Inspection report for children’s home: SC463902 4

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improvement to be good

At times, children have needed specific tailored support. Despite staff’s efforts to keep children safe, risk assessments fail to provide guidance. Leaders and managers have failed to ensure that they have effective oversight and monitoring of the children’s risk assessments. Consequently, significant risks, including ligature and self-harm, are not detailed. Furthermore, the staff have not received the necessary training. This causes inconsistency in how staff respond to children.

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improvement to be good

Bedroom searches are necessitated when risks are identified. Staff remove items that present a danger to children; however, they do not always have discussions with children about the items they find in their bedrooms. This could limit children’s understanding of the dangerous items in their bedrooms and hinder staff’s ability to understand the children better.

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improvement to be good

The staff generally meet children’s health needs and encourage them to attend appointments. For some children, who have not previously attended appointments, this is positive progress. However, two children, who are addicted to nicotine, have not received smoking cessation support. Another child, who is regularly known to misuse substances, has not received additional support. Staff do not regularly speak to children about their nicotine and substance misuse addictions. This means there is a delay in children receiving support regarding their health.

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improvement to be good

All staff are trained in the use of physical intervention. This is used as a last resort to prevent children from harming themselves and others. Children are spoken to after the measure has been used and provided with aftercare. However, staff have not always encouraged children to reflect on these incidents or supported them in identifying more appropriate coping mechanisms. This limits the children’s opportunity to develop strategies and to discuss their feelings.

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improvement to be good

Children are sometimes restricted from areas of the home, even when it is unnecessary. These restrictions have not been kept under regular review.

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improvement to be good

When staff practice concerns have been identified by leaders and managers, they have been taken seriously. Investigations are carried out and are discussed with the relevant agencies.

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improvement to be good

Children have gone missing from the home on several occasions. When children leave the home, staff search for them and contact the relevant authorities. Children are welcomed home on their return and are encouraged to engage in return home interviews.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: inadequate

A new deputy manager supports the registered manager. However, managers do not have effective management oversight of the home. Managers work in an office that is away from the main home and are not always aware of what is happening for children. Inspection report for children’s home: SC463902 5 However, they are reflective regarding the identified shortfalls and immediately started to make necessary improvements during the inspection.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: inadequate

At times, children have struggled to live with one another. There have been occasions when children have left the home together and made threats to harm themselves. Due to the concerns identified, one child was supported in moving out of the home. However, a few days later, the child was readmitted. The manager did not challenge the senior manager’s decision, and no additional protective measures were implemented when readmitting the child. This led to serious incidents for the children. As a result of the behaviours at the home, one of the children’s peers called the police due to their own concerns. The manager’s decision significantly affected the safety and well-being of all the children.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: inadequate

Leaders and managers had not identified significant gaps in staff training. This lack of training does not help staff support children. The lack of effective monitoring and oversight does not ensure that staff have the required skills and knowledge to respond effectively to all the children’s vulnerabilities. During the inspection, the manager arranged for the training to take place.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: inadequate

Staff have not always received regular supervision sessions. For one member of staff who had an investigation, supervision was not provided for over three months. A newly appointed deputy manager has a gap of two months without supervision. This does not ensure that staff are supported in their roles and provided with opportunities to gain experience from their practice.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: inadequate

Leaders and managers have failed to notify Ofsted within a reasonable time frame when serious incidents have occurred. On other occasions, notifications have not included all relevant details of the incident. This limits Ofsted’s capacity to monitor incidents.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: inadequate

Leaders and managers have carried out safer recruitment checks when appointing new staff. However, managers did not fully explore one staff member’s employment dates. This does not ensure that safer recruitment checks are undertaken to a satisfactory standard.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: inadequate

Children’s feedback informs staff’s annual appraisals. This gives the staff an opportunity to develop their practice.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: inadequate

Despite the shortfalls identified at this inspection, staff said they feel well supported by managers and enjoy working at the home. Inspection report for children’s home: SC463902 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

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

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

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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)(iii)(b))

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Requirement Due date

In particular, ensure that children’s risk assessments contain details of all identified risks and the strategies to minimise them. 7 November 2025

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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

lead and manage the home in a way that is consistent with the approach and ethos, and delivers the outcomes, set out in the home’s statement of purpose;

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Requirement Due date

ensure that staff have the experience, qualifications and skills to meet the needs of each child; 7 November 2025 Inspection report for children’s home: SC463902 7 understand the impact that the quality of care provided in the home is having on the progress and experiences of each child and use this understanding to inform the development of the quality of care provided in the home. (Regulation 13 (1)(a)(b) (2)(a)(c)(f)(h))

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Requirement Due date

staff receive regular, reflective supervision sessions and support;

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Requirement Due date

staff receive training to meet the needs of the children;

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Requirement Due date

managers identify necessary improvements and take action to address them;

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Requirement Due date

managers include all relevant details in regulation 40 notifications and send them to Ofsted without delay.

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Requirement Due date

The children’s views, wishes and feelings standard is that children receive care from staff who—

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Requirement Due date

take their views, wishes and feelings into account in relation to matters affecting the children’s care and welfare and their lives.

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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

ascertain and consider each child’s views, wishes and feelings, and balance these against what they judge to be in the child’s best interests when making decisions about the child’s care and welfare;

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Requirement Due date

help each child to express views, wishes and feelings;

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Requirement Due date

help each child to understand how the child’s views, wishes and feelings have been taken into account and give the child reasons for decisions in relation to the child;

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Requirement Due date

regularly consult children, and seek their feedback, about the quality of the home’s care;

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Requirement Due date

ensure that each child— 7 November 2025 Inspection report for children’s home: SC463902 8 is enabled to provide feedback to, and raise issues with, a relevant person about the support and services that the child receives;

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Requirement Due date

is given appropriate advocacy support. (Regulation 7(1)(b)(c) (2)(a)(i)(ii)(iii)(v)(b)(i)(iii))

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Requirement Due date

The health and well-being standard is that—

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Requirement Due date

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

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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)(b) (2)(a)(c)) 7 November 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

meet the needs of each child. (Regulation 6 (1)(a)(b) (2)(c)(i))

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Requirement Due date

In particular, ensure that children’s bathrooms are in good condition, the garden is free of hazards, and children have adequate storage for their clothes. 7 November 2025

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Recommendations

 The registered person should maintain good employment practice, as set out in regulations 31 to 33. They must ensure that staff recruitment, supervision and performance management safeguard children and minimise potential risks to them. Inspection report for children’s home: SC463902 9 (‘Guide to the Children’s Homes Regulations, including the quality standards’, page 61, paragraph 13.1)  The registered person should ensure that any limits on privacy and access in the home are informed by a rigorous assessment of children’s individual needs. This arrangement should be kept under regular review. (‘Guide to the Children’s Homes Regulations, including the quality standards’, page 62, paragraph 3.10)

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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: SC463902 10

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Children’s home details

Registered provider: Norfolk County Council

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Children’s home details

Registered provider address: Martineau Lane, Norwich, Norfolk NR1 2DH

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Inspectors

Syvanna Matthew, Social Care Inspector Deirdra Keating, Social Care Inspector Inspection report for children’s home: SC463902 11 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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Inspectors

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Inspectors

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Inspectors

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