Children's Home run by Norfolk County Council in Norfolk

Inspection report for children's home: 2834504 1 Registered provider: Norfolk 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

The home is managed and run by the Local Authority. It provides care for up to one child who may have social or emotional difficulties.

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Information about this children's home

The manager registered with Ofsted in July 2025 as part of a full registration as a new children's home.

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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: not previously inspected

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good

Overall judgement at last inspection: not applicable

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good

Enforcement action since last inspection: none Inspection report for children's home: 2834504 2

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

One child is living at the home. The child was seen and spoken to during the inspection. The child benefits from warm, nurturing relationships with staff and is making progress from their own starting point. Staff have a consistent approach that has helped provide stability for the child. Staff are committed to providing care that is consistent and predictable when challenges arise. This gives the child a dependable base to develop trust.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Staff understand the barriers to education for the child. Staff are providing learning experiences, structured activities and positive encouragement to rebuild confidence in learning. Staff are supporting the child to explore possible education options at a pace that reflects their emotional needs. The child is now recognising education as a realistic option for the future.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Staff are building trusting relationships with the child. Staff recognise behaviours through a trauma-informed lens and remain curious about the child’s underlying needs. This approach ensures consistent, thoughtful care and a positive experience for the child. As a result, the child has participated in several positive activities and opportunities.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Health needs for the child are known and understood. Staff ensure that the child has access to universal and specialist health services. The staff benefit from an insight into the child’s needs through multi-agency working. Multi-agency relationships are positive and strengthen the support provided by staff to the child.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

The child’s memories and key experiences are thoughtfully recorded in personalised memory books. Photos and personalised messages are written directly to the child. This helps the child maintain a sense of identity and provides meaningful memories of their time in the home.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Moves in and out of the home are carefully planned. Staff take account of each child’s needs and work at their pace to reduce anxiety and promote stability. Before coming to the home children receive a guide to the home that helps them understand what to expect. The information does not provide children with options of people to contact if they are unhappy about any element of their care.

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

The child is protected from harm and supported to feel safe. Staff know the child well and follow risk assessments effectively. There are clear plans and strategies in place to help the child feel secure. Risk assessments are regularly reviewed and updated, ensuring that strategies remain relevant and effective. Inspection report for children's home: 2834504 3 Children rarely go missing from the home. However, staff are knowledgeable should this occur. Staff understand safeguarding responsibilities and demonstrate a readiness to respond to potential risks.

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

Staff are skilled at de-escalation. They reflect on incidents to develop strategies that are the most effective. This has contributed to a reduction in the frequency and duration of incidents. Staff’s trauma-informed practice adds depth to their understanding of the child’s emotional needs and informs the way they respond.

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

Physical intervention is used as a last resort to promote safety. Staff promote positive behaviour through clear, consistent strategies. The child’s plans are detailed, regularly updated and informed by psychological formulations. Care plans are informed by this approach, which helps the child feel understood and supported. This contributes to a nurturing environment where the child can feel safe.

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

Where restrictions are required to promote safety, these are implemented sensitively and supported by staff in accordance with the child’s plan. Staff work with the multi-agency professionals to remove restrictions when risks are reduced. Staff balance safety with respect for the child’s rights and dignity.

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

Professionals provide positive feedback about the home’s collaborative approach. Communication with external agencies is regular and timely. Information is shared effectively to manage risks for the child and potential concerns, ensuring that the child’s welfare and safety are promoted.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

The manager is experienced and suitably qualified. The manager leads visibly, modelling the practice expected from staff. Staff feel valued, supported and confident in their roles. The manager is reflective and creative in their approach, consistently seeking ways to remove barriers and improve the quality of care. They are open to challenge and use feedback to continue driving standards forward.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

Staff receive regular supervision. Supervision is child-focused, providing time for staff to consider their practice and the needs of the child. This ensures that staff are equipped to provide good-quality care and safeguard children. The registered manager is confident that staff have the skills required to meet the child’s needs effectively.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

Training is available and tailored for staff to meet the needs of the child. Managers ensure that staff are continually upskilled. Core and specialist learning is available, including trauma-informed approaches and theory-to-practice workshops.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

Team meetings are held regularly. They promote strong team cohesion, provide space for learning and ensure practice remains child-focused. Team meetings support staff to maintain consistent approaches that support both safety and day-to-day care of the child. Inspection report for children's home: 2834504 4 Management oversight is good. The manager provides a review and reflection on practice. However, some incident narratives contain language that can appear child-blaming. This is not in keeping with the trauma-informed recording that the manager is working hard to develop. Inspection report for children's home: 2834504 5

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Recommendations

 The registered person should ensure that the children's guide helps children to understand: how to contact the Office of the Children's Commissioner. ('Guide to the Children's Homes Regulations including the quality standards', page 24, paragraph 4.22)  The registered person should ensure that staff are familiar with the home's policies on record keeping and understand the importance of careful, objective, and clear recording. Staff should record information on individual children in a non-stigmatising way. Information about the child must always be recorded in a way that will be helpful to the child. ('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: 2834504 6

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Children's home details

Registered Provider: Norfolk County Council

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Children's home details

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

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Inspector

Kate Jackson, Social Care Inspector Inspection report for children's home: 2834504 7 regulates and inspects to 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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