Children's Home run by Fonjock's Social Work Practice Limited in Suffolk

Inspection report for children’s home: SC487702 1 SC487702 Registered provider: Fonjock’s Social Work Practice Limited Full inspection Inspected under the social care common inspection framework

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Information about this children’s home

The home is operated by a private company and provides care for up to three children who experience social and emotional difficulties.

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Information about this children’s home

At the time of this inspection, two children were living at the home. Since the last inspection, six children have moved into the home, and six children have moved out.

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Information about this children’s home

The manager registered with Ofsted in July 2025.

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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 requires improvement to be 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: SC487702 2

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Inspection date Inspection type Inspection judgement

02/04/2024 Full Good 18/12/2023 Full Good 05/12/2022 Full Outstanding 13/07/2021 Full Good Inspection report for children’s home: SC487702 3

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Children have made good progress from their individual starting points. Most of the children have been helped to maintain and rebuild their relationships with their families. Staff have been actively involved in advocating for and supporting an increase in the amount of time children spend with their families and friends, and on occasion, they have returned to living with them.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Staff took steps to promote communication and inclusivity in the home when a child who speaks English as an additional language moved in. They used a variety of translation resources, produced communication cards and translated important information into the child’s native language.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Children have built good relationships with staff, and staff know the children well. The staff and the manager implement routines to contribute to family-style living for children. When children move into and out of the home, thoughtful gifts and events are organised to support a positive transition. Positive relationships have seen several children remain in touch with staff at the home long after they have left.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Staff advocate for children to be in education, often working collaboratively with education partners. One education provider said, ‘The staff are supportive and professional, with a few who went above and beyond to ensure that [name of child] attended regularly.’

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Staff encourage children to plan activities around their interests. Children have enjoyed going to the cinema, open mic nights, going on trips to the beach, and spa days. This helps children to take part in activities they enjoy.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

The views of children are important to staff. Staff regularly speak to children about their thoughts and feelings. Children are encouraged to express their views during regular conversations and children’s meetings. Children confidently voice their opinions, and the suggestions they make are listened to.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Children’s views are used to inform individual support plans with creative and adaptive strategies of support. However, some of the records include language which could be more child friendly.

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improvement to be good

Safeguarding concerns are not always fully recognised or understood. Despite this, there are other aspects that are managed well. Inspection report for children’s home: SC487702 4 There are some areas of individual risk and concern for children that have not been considered or assessed fully. For children at risk from poor mental health or from exploitation, the risks in the home and the wider environment have not been given sufficient consideration. This could affect staff’s ability to provide consistent safeguarding measures.

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improvement to be good

Children’s risk assessments are not always reviewed in line with their changing needs resulting in missing or outdated information. For one child, the responses in risk management strategies are disproportionate. This could limit staff’s alertness to the risks children face. For example, there is a lack of clarity why one child who self-harms as a way of coping with strong emotions is allowed a razor and other potentially harmful items but not a sharpener.

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improvement to be good

One child has no local authority care or placement plan. While this has been requested from the local authority, it has not been obtained eight weeks after the child moved into the home. These missing documents leave the staff without a full understanding of the level of risks and concerns for the child.

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improvement to be good

Staff take proactive steps when children go missing from home to try and maintain contact and search local and known areas. Staff are keen to understand the reasons children go missing from the home. Staff request return home interviews from the placing local authority. The social worker said he was ‘happy staff got through to the child and built good relationships.’ This includes getting the child to agree to location tracker and that staff always try to find the child, when missing. There is good communication with the police, who said, ‘The team is highly proactive both before and during the incident, making every effort to find and return the child safely.’

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improvement to be good

Assessments of compatibility, completed before children move into the home help staff to understand whether they are equipped to provide care for children and the likely challenges they may face. However, some compatibility assessments are generic in addressing how potential conflicts and risks will be managed. For one child who moved to the home in an emergency, there was a lack of analysis and professional curiosity informing risk management strategies in response to the child’s known behaviours. The child’s short time at the home ended with an immediate and unplanned move on from the home following a very challenging time for staff and the other child.

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improvement to be good

The home has a no restraint policy. When children’s emotions are heightened, staff do not hold them, instead they use body blocks to prevent and de-escalate incidents. Restorative conversations help repair relationships and discussions with children about their risks help to keep them informed about the impact and implications of these. Room searches take place when concerns are identified, and children are encouraged to make positive choices.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

During this inspection period, there has been a change to the leadership team of the home. There is a new manager and responsible individual. The new manager is Inspection report for children’s home: SC487702 5 enthusiastic and committed to the development and progression of the children and the staff team.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

Leaders and managers ensure that staff understand their roles and responsibilities in terms of providing good care and support to children. The manager is committed to providing a reflective team culture. When staff practice has fallen below standards, leaders and managers are quick to reflect and put development plans in place.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

The manager advocates for the children in her care when appropriate and works in collaboration with children’s professionals. This ensures effective communication when there are identified areas of concern.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

Regular supervision sessions are provided to staff, and a thorough induction programme is used to support new employees. The staff have regular team meetings that provide opportunities for reflection and sharing ideas. Staff consider the support effective in helping them understand their role. The manager supports staff in achieving relevant qualifications within time frames. As a result, staff are suitably trained and supported to meet children’s needs.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

Feedback from professionals is positive. One said, ‘I have no complaints; overall, it has been really positive.’ Another said, ‘I am impressed by the team’s dedication and commitment.’ Inspection report for children’s home: SC487702 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 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. (Regulation 12 (1) (2)(a)(i))

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Requirement Due date

In particular, ensure that children’s risk assessments contain details about all identified risks and the strategies to minimise them. 22 December 2025

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Requirement Due date

The care planning standard is that children—

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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)(b) (2)(a))

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Requirement Due date

In particular, leaders and managers must ensure that children’s needs are understood before they move in and that these needs are compatible with the needs of the other children living at the home. 22 December 2025 Inspection report for children’s home: SC487702 7 The registered person must maintain records (“case records”) for each child which—

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Requirement Due date

include the information and documents listed in Schedule 3 in relation to each child;

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Requirement Due date

are signed and dated by the author of each entry. (Regulation 36 (1)(a)(b)(c)) 22 December 2025

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Recommendation

 The registered person should ensure that staff record information about children in a non-stigmatising way. Information about children must always be recorded in a way that will be helpful to them. (‘Guide to the Children’s Homes Regulations, including the quality standards’, page 62, paragraph 14.4)

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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: SC487702 8

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Children’s home details

Registered Provider: Fonjock’s Social Work Practice Limited

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Children’s home details

Registered provider address: Orchard House, 1 Old Convent Orchard, Bury St Edmunds IP33 3PQ

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Children’s home details

Responsible individual: Monica De Castro

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Inspector

Naomi Starbuck, Social Care Inspector Inspection report for children’s home: SC487702 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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