Children's home run by Clover Childcare Services Limited

Inspection report for children's home: 2682205 1 Registered provider: Clover Childcare Services 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 care for up to 2 children. The home offers therapeutic care to children with complex behavioural and social care needs.

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Information about this children's home

The manager has been registered with Ofsted since October 2024.

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Overall experiences and progress of

children and young people, taking into account

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outstanding

How well children and young people are helped and protected outstanding

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outstanding

The effectiveness of leaders and managers good

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outstanding

The children's home provides highly effective services that consistently exceed the standards of good. The actions of the children's home contribute to significantly improved outcomes and positive experiences for children and young people who need help, protection and care.

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outstanding

Date of last inspection: 11 February 2025

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outstanding

Overall judgement at last inspection: good

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outstanding

Enforcement action since last inspection: none Inspection report for children's home: 2682205 2

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Inspection date Inspection type Inspection judgement

11/02/2025 Full Good 24/10/2023 Full Good 29/11/2022 Full Good Inspection report for children's home: 2682205 3

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: outstanding

At the time of the inspection, 2 children were living at the home. Both children contributed to this inspection.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: outstanding

Since the last inspection, one child has moved out and one child has moved in. The planning for the child to move into the home was exceptionally child centred and well considered. The manager ensured that they had all the information needed to ensure that they could meet this child's needs. The placing authority had identified that this child would benefit from living with older children, and the organisation considered this as part of their assessment.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: outstanding

The child was able to visit the home on multiple occasions prior to the move. Due to moving from another home in the organisation, the child already had strong relationships with most of the staff. These contributed to a highly positive move for this child. The manager ensured that the child had a clear visual timetable regarding the mov, which was followed at all times to provide predictability and reassurance to the child. This exceptional planning included ensuring that the child had adequate time to build relationships with all of the staff before the move. The manager ensured that the move did not impact on the child's extracurricular activities and that the child's previous routines remained unchanged. This level of attention to detail reflects outstanding practice and an unwavering commitment to minimising disruption for the child.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: outstanding

This child has made exceptional progress since living at the home. This child is now attending school full time for the first time and is making significant educational progress. Through highly skilled and nurturing support, staff have empowered the child to make outstanding progress in developing age-appropriate life skills. The child is now able to independently dress themselves, use cutlery and benefit from personal hygiene routines.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: outstanding

One child is due to complete their final year at a mainstream high school and has been accepted into a career-based college of their choice. Staff are knowledgeable about this child's future career aspirations and are tenacious at providing experiences and support that help the child towards their goal. Staff are unwaveringly ambitious for children and proud of their achievements.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: outstanding

Children have access to a wide range of life experiences. Children have enjoyed holidays to Europe and coastal towns, skiing trips, theme parks and trips to big cities. Children's interests and hobbies are highly encouraged, supported and celebrated. Both children have several hobbies and clubs that they excel at. This has supported children to develop hugely important social skills and confidence.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: outstanding

Staff have been exceptionally committed to ensuring that one child has access to social experiences with children of their own age. This child regularly has play dates with Inspection report for children's home: 2682205 4 friends from school who visit the home. The child has been on trips and holidays with their friends from another home in the organisation, and has invited their school friends to a birthday party at a local play centre. Due to the child's specific needs, these opportunities for childhood experiences and friendships are hugely beneficial.

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

The help and protection that children receive is outstanding. Managers and staff advocate strongly for children's needs. Children receive timely professional support that enables them to live happy and fulfilled lives. When there have been delays in necessary support and assessments for children, these services have been provided by the organisation to ensure that children are not left waiting for the therapeutic support that they need.

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

Staff have been highly innovative and creative at showing children their care and commitment to them. When one child struggled with feelings of abandonment and attachment difficulties, staff were creative and provided a transitional object for this child and his key worker. The member of staff has continued to bring this item into work with them, and the child gives this item back to them to take when they leave. This shows the child that staff hold them in mind when they are not at work. This has been extremely effective at reducing incidents of anxiety and self-injurious behaviours for this child and is a highly successful relationship-based approach.

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

There have been concerns for one child in relation to online safety. The manager has liaised with other professionals involved with this child to delivered jointly planned, targeted support for this child. Staff continue to have open and reflective conversations with the child regularly and proactively, sharing their worries and concerns. This relational approach is highly effective, and there have been no concerns regarding online safety since this time.

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

The organisation's therapeutic service has developed a research-based tool used to assess children's readiness for family reunification. This tool was used to recommend a consideration for a child to move back home with extended family. The local authority said that this information had contributed to a change in the local authority's care plan for this child, with reunification now being considered.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

The home is managed by a committed and suitably experienced registered manager. The manager is ambitious for the children and leads by example. As a result, the staff are equally committed to the children and the development of the home.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

Since the last inspection, there has been a high turnover of staff. The manager has been tenacious in recruitment efforts and has recruited staff who are experienced and qualified professionals. Despite the initial turnover at the beginning of this inspection period, there have been no further staff changes and the percentage of staff with the relevant qualification is high. Inspection report for children's home: 2682205 5 Staff feel well supported in their roles and by the manager. Staff receive regular supervision sessions and a high level of support during their induction period. Staff benefit from regular team meetings and consultations with the organisation's therapeutic service.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

The manager ensures that all children have their views heard. The manager has created new communication books to support children to share their views. Children's views are valued and taken seriously. Children's voices consistently shape the daily routines and decision-making, demonstrating a culture that reflects children's wishes and feelings.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

External feedback is extremely positive. One family member spoke about their confidence that their child was safe and happy. One professional said that they would like 'all children's homes to have the home's blueprint'.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

Overall, staff receive training in relation to children's specific needs. This has included the sourcing of specific training for the changing and emerging needs of one child. The manager has shared their knowledge of additional training courses with other homes in the organisation to allow them to benefit from this. However, staff have not received training on the home's specific model of care or therapeutic ethos. This has meant that staff have not always supported children in line with this approach.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

The manager's monitoring and review processes have not always identified when there have been incidents of staff practice that do not align with the home's therapeutic ethos. This has resulted in missed opportunities to provide further guidance to staff to improve the care offered to children.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

The manager completes regular reports to monitor the quality of care and progress of children. Listening to children's views and obtaining feedback from children are deeply ingrained in staff practice. However, the quality of care reports submitted to Ofsted do not contain any feedback from children. This is not reflective of the practice in the home. Inspection report for children's home: 2682205 6

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Recommendations

 The registered person should undertake a review that focuses on the quality of the care provided by the home, the experiences of children living there and the impact the care is having on outcomes and improvements for the children. In particular, this review should consider the feedback of children. ('Guide to the Children's Homes Regulations, including the quality standards', page 64, paragraph 15.2)  The registered person is responsible for leading a team that provides high-quality care for all children living at the home. They must lead and manage the home in a way that delivers the ethos, outcomes and approach set out in the home's statement of purpose. In particular, the registered person should ensure that staff have the knowledge and skills needed to deliver the home's therapeutic ethos and model of care. (Guide to the Children's Homes Regulations, including the quality standards', page 52, paragraph 10.4)

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Recommendations

 The registered person should ensure that they are skilled in anticipating difficulties and reviewing incidents. They are responsible for proactively implementing lessons learned and sustaining good practice. In particular, the registered person should ensure that records are reviewed to identify any areas for improvement in staff practice. ('Guide to the Children's Homes Regulations, including the quality standards', page 55, paragraph 10.24)

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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: 2682205 7

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Children's home details

Registered provider: Clover Childcare Services Limited

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Children's home details

Registered provider address: The Old Rectory, Old Rectory Road, Brumstead, Norwich NR12 9EU

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Inspector

Andrea Bounden, Social Care Inspector Inspection report for children's home: 2682205 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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Inspector

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