Children's Home run by Suffolk County Council in Suffolk

Inspection report for children’s home: 2796485 1 Registered provider: Suffolk County Council

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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 local authority home provides care for up to 6 children with social and emotional difficulties. Six children were living at the home at the time of the inspection.

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Information about this children’s home

The manager and the home registered with Ofsted on 18 June 2024.

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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

Date of last inspection: 3 December 2024

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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: 2796485 2

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Inspection date Inspection type Inspection judgement

03/12/2024 Full Good Inspection report for children’s home: 2796485 3

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Since the last inspection, one child has moved out of the home, and 2 children have moved in. One child moved into the home a week before this inspection. Six children were seen during the inspection. No children wished to share their views with the inspector.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Moves into and out of the home are planned effectively and managed with care. Staff communicate well with children and professionals involved, ensuring that moves happen at a pace that reflects the child’s preferences and needs. Assessments of the ability of the home to meet the child’s needs are completed to a good standard, and decisions take into account the best interests of the children already living in the home. This helps to maintain stability for children and supports positive experiences during periods of change.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

The home provides a warm, welcoming and child-friendly environment. Children’s bedrooms are personalised, and the home is thoughtfully decorated with attractive wall art that includes the children’s handprints on a hand painted family tree. Staff take pride in the house, maintaining and decorating the home. This creates a nurturing, family-like atmosphere that supports children’s sense of belonging and emotional wellbeing.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Children benefit from strong, trusting relationships with staff. These relationships help them feel safe, confident and able to express their feelings. Staff understand the children well and encourage safe, age-appropriate risk taking that builds resilience and supports healthy development. One professional said that their child, ‘Has settled well. They [the child] regard it as their home and see staff as their family.’

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Staff give lots of thought to creating opportunities for children based on their hobbies and interests. Children enjoy a wide range of activities, including trips to London, a yearly camping trip and New Year’s Eve celebrations. Their achievements are recognised well, with initiatives like the ‘Smile of the Day’ books capturing moments in a child-friendly way. Staff share encouraging comments with children, using positive phrases, such as ‘so proud of you’ and ‘well done’. This helps to build important connections and enjoyment of common interests together.

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

Staff know the children well and have a good understanding of each child’s individual risks and vulnerabilities. These risks are managed effectively through clear and up-to-date individualised support plans and strong oversight. Recording is of a good standard, detailed, child-friendly and captures the child’s voice well.

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

There have been no missing-from-home episodes since the previous inspection, and strong communication with children has contributed to this reduction. Inspection report for children’s home: 2796485 4 Behaviour is managed fairly and consistently through natural and restorative approaches. Any consequences are clearly linked to actions and positive choices are recognised. This balanced and nurturing practice helps children learn from their behaviour, make safer decisions and experience positive routines within a supportive home environment.

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

Staff work collaboratively and respectfully, modelling positive communication and creating a consistent approach that helps children feel safe. Multi-agency working is a clear strength, with staff confident in seeking advice from other professionals to support children’s safety and wellbeing. Professionals are highly complimentary of the staff. One said the staff are ‘Great advocates for the children and they get things sorted for them.’

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

The front porch exit door presents a fire safety risk. It is incorrectly locked, lacks a break-glass mechanism and cannot be opened without a key. This means the escape route is not safe or compliant for use in an emergency. The manager has requested that this work be undertaken and plans for the necessary corrective actions to be completed.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

The home is managed by a suitably qualified, experienced and permanent registered manager. The manager has a clear understanding of each child’s needs and is committed to providing a stable, nurturing and family-style environment.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

Managers are highly visible in the home and maintain effective oversight through daily contact with staff, regular audits and the review of important records. This ensures that practice remains consistent and child centred.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

Leaders and managers work effectively with external professionals. They take a thoughtful approach to partnership working, ensuring communication is purposeful and keeps agencies well informed. They are mindful of children’s needs and avoid overwhelming them with unnecessary visits, using calls and emails to maintain consistent contact. Professionals report that communication is strong and that the manager is a reliable advocate, who represents children’s views well.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

The home has a warm, relational culture that reflects the values set by the manager. Her commitment to the children is evident, and this contributes to a stable and supportive staff team. Staff retention is strong, with many team members having worked with the manager for several years. This means children are cared for by consistent, familiar adults, who know them well and promote their progress.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

Staff benefit from regular team meetings, reflective practice sessions and purposeful supervision. They speak highly of the management team, describing them as approachable, supportive and invested in staff wellbeing. Staff say they feel valued and able to give their best because leaders prioritise their welfare. Feedback from staff is consistently positive, reflecting strong morale and a motivated team. Inspection report for children’s home: 2796485 5 The homes Statement of Purpose has not been updated to reflect the staffing structure and the experience and qualifications of staff.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

The responsible individual left in September 2025. A new responsible individual was appointed. However, formal notification of the change was not submitted. An appropriate notification was submitted during the inspection. The delay in notification limited Ofsted’s oversight of the leadership and management arrangements during this period. Inspection report for children’s home: 2796485 6

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Statutory requirements

This section sets out the actions that the registered person 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 must comply within the given timescales.

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Requirement Due date

The registered person must give notice in writing to HMCI, as soon as it is reasonably practicable to do so, if any of the following events take place or are expected by the registered person to take place—

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Requirement Due date

a person other than the registered person carries on or manages the children’s home;

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Requirement Due date

if the registered provider is an organisation—

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Requirement Due date

any change in the identity of the responsible individual.

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Requirement Due date

(Regulation 49 (a) (e)(iii)) 12 February 2026

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Recommendations

 The registered person should ensure that the children’s home complies with relevant health and safety legislations. They should ensure systems for monitoring fire protection measures are consistently effective. (‘Guide to the Children’s Homes Regulations, including the quality standards’ page 15, paragraph 3.9)  The registered person should ensure that the staffing structure and the experience and qualifications of staff are included in the statement of purpose. (‘Guide to the Children’s Homes Regulations, including the quality standards’, page 14, paragraph 3.5)

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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: 2796485 7

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Children’s home details

Registered provider address: Endeavour House, Russell Road, Ipswich, Suffolk IP1 2BX

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Inspector

Sallie Bloomfield, Social Care Inspector Inspection report for children’s home: 2796485 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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