Children's Home run by 4d Care Ltd in Norfolk

Inspection report for children’s home: 1271979 1 Registered provider: 4d Care Ltd

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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 owned and provides care for up to 3 children who experience social and emotional difficulties. At the time of the inspection, 2 children were living at the home.

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Information about this children’s home

The manager registered with Ofsted in November 2023 and holds a relevant management qualification.

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Overall experiences and progress of

children and young people, taking into account

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inadequate

How well children and young people are helped and protected inadequate

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inadequate

The effectiveness of leaders and managers inadequate

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inadequate

There are serious and widespread failures that mean children and young people are not protected and their welfare is not promoted or safeguarded.

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inadequate

Date of last inspection: 21 October 2025

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inadequate

Overall judgement at last inspection: good

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inadequate

Enforcement action since last inspection: none Inspection report for children’s home: 1271979 2

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Inspection date Inspection type Inspection judgement

21/10/2025 Full Good 19/03/2025 Full Good 16/01/2024 Full Good 30/01/2023 Full Good Inspection report for children’s home: 1271979 3

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Summary of findings

Leaders, managers and staff did not demonstrate an appropriate understanding of safeguarding procedures. The registered manager has not adequately investigated safeguarding concerns, made referrals to the relevant safeguarding agencies or recorded actions taken. The manager has not responded to children in a neutral way when they have made allegations of harm or taken steps to ensure the safety of children and staff.

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Summary of findings

There is insufficient detail when there have been significant incidents. Restraints are not being recorded in sufficient detail or reviewed with appropriate oversight and curiosity from the registered manager.

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Summary of findings

Language used when talking about children and in recordings related to children is child blaming. Some language is stigmatising and institutional.

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Summary of findings

Some children have made positive progress and there are areas of practice that do support children’s needs. However, the significant shortfalls in help and protection and the leadership and management of the home have led to an inadequate judgement.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: inadequate

There are 2 children currently living at the home. Since the last inspection, 2 children have moved out, and one child has moved in. The 2 children who moved out of the home did so after having notice served as the home were unable to meet their needs.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: inadequate

One child was at the home for a short period of time. Staff could not meet their needs. This child shared concerns about staff practice and their experiences at the home with their social worker when they moved out. These concerns have not been adequately explored by leaders and managers.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: inadequate

The dynamics between children have adversely affected them. Children have reported feeling tired when other children have been up at night. One member of staff said that children would wake each other up in the night. This impacts healthy sleep routines and wellbeing.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: inadequate

The language used by leaders, managers and staff is not in line with the home’s therapeutic ethos. Children’s plans and records used institutional and child-blaming language. Children have the right to read their records, and this language would not be helpful for them to read.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: inadequate

Two children have made progress and enjoy living at the home. These children have positive relationships with staff. Staff are proud of these children and talk about them with fondness. Inspection report for children’s home: 1271979 4 Both children are engaging in education that meets their needs. One child is moving on to a college course. Staff visited various colleges with this child. Staff have worked to enable the child to develop their independence and have supported this child to consider their transport to college once they move out of the home.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: inadequate

Children have access to a wide range of activities, including in the community. They particularly enjoy the gardens and the animals at the home. One child looks after chickens that they raised from eggs. Another is a keen gardener and sells potatoes and vegetables that they have grown.

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

There are significant and widespread shortfalls in relation to safeguarding practice. Leaders, managers and staff do not demonstrate an appropriate understanding of safeguarding procedures. One staff member gave inappropriate responses to safeguarding scenarios.

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

There have been multiple incidents of children making allegations against staff. Leaders and managers have not used neutral language when talking to children about allegations that have not been investigated. This does not assure children that their views are being taken seriously. One serious allegation was referred by an external agency to the local authority designated officer (LADO). The registered manager told the LADO that they had taken statements from all staff involved and considered all the evidence. There was no record of this investigation and the information given to the LADO was not accurate.

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

On another occasion, a child made an allegation of harm against a member of staff. Staff did not immediately share their concerns with the manager. The manager did not refer the allegation to the relevant safeguarding agencies. The concern was not investigated, and the manager asked the child to meet with the member of staff to have a restorative conversation.

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

The registered manager has not always taken appropriate steps to safeguard staff and children when children have made allegations. Decision-making in relation to staff remaining in the home was based on service needs rather than the safety of children.

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

There are significant shortfalls in the reporting and recording in the home. There are brief records that indicate that there have been significant and prolonged incidents for children. There are no incident records or additional recordings to share further detail of these incidents. This means that there is a limited ability for the manger to review how these incidents were managed or to gain an understanding of children’s day-to-day experiences.

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

The registered manager has not ensured that the use of restraints has been recorded in sufficient detail or reviewed with appropriate oversight and curiosity. Inspection report for children’s home: 1271979 5 Professional feedback for one child was positive. One child has been supported to build up family time and independent living skills, and there is a plan for this child to move home. This child shared that staff had helped him with his move back home. Routines in the home when the home is settled promote family-type interactions, such as eating together at the table and playing games in the evening.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: inadequate

The registered manager has not maintained appropriate oversight or monitoring of the home. Safeguarding practice and culture are poor. There are numerous shortfalls in record-keeping and how records are reviewed and understood.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: inadequate

The registered manager has not submitted notifications to Ofsted in the required timeframe. When concerns have been raised about leaders and managers, they have failed to share this information with Ofsted and the LADO. This does not help Ofsted or safeguarding partners understand what safeguarding steps are in place to keep children safe.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: inadequate

The manager does not ensure that improvements are shared with staff in a timely way. A new record was designed to help staff improve the quality of their recording and help the manager with their oversight. However, it was not shared with staff. This led to a shortfall in the monitoring of incidents of self-injurious behaviour for children.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: inadequate

A member of agency staff has worked in the home without clear information in relation to relevant safer recruitment checks. The manager did not assure himself that the adequate checks have been completed.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: inadequate

The registered manager has appointed a new independent visitor. The registered manager has been reflective of the findings of the new independent visitor and has begun to make the suggested changes to improve the quality of care in the home. Inspection report for children’s home: 1271979 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;

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Requirement Due date

help each child to understand how to keep safe;

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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

understand the roles and responsibilities in relation to protecting children that are assigned to them by the registered person;

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Requirement Due date

take effective action whenever there is a serious concern about a child’s welfare; and

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Requirement Due date

are familiar with, and act in accordance with, the home’s child protection policies;

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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)(v)(vi)(vii)(b))

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Requirement Due date

managers and staff are aware of, and act in accordance with, the home’s safeguarding policies, including raising and escalating safeguarding concerns without delay; 22 June 2026 Inspection report for children’s home: 1271979 7 leaders and managers complete and record rigorous and effective investigations into staff practice concerns, and that these are recorded in full to demonstrate the action taken;

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Requirement Due date

staff create full and accurate records. The manager must use these to evaluate the action taken by staff and respond appropriately to any shortfalls in staff practice;

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Requirement Due date

staff and managers use non-judgemental, supportive language when speaking and writing about children, demonstrating that adults are attuned to a collective safeguarding culture in the home.

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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

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;

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Requirement Due date

use monitoring and review systems to make continuous improvements in the quality of care provided in the home. (Regulation 13 (1)(a)(b) (2)(a)(b)(f)(h))

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Requirement Due date

managers and staff keep children’s care documents under review, in order to provide up-to-date and consistent guidance for all aspects of children’s care;

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Requirement Due date

managers use monitoring and review processes to identify any concerns in staff practice; 22 June 2026 Inspection report for children’s home: 1271979 8 These systems must include oversight of all incidents, allegations and restraints in the home. This oversight must identify and rectify any issues with the recording. This oversight must identify any practice concerns.

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Requirement Due date

*The registered person must prepare and implement a policy ("the behaviour management policy") which sets out—

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Requirement Due date

how appropriate behaviour is to be promoted in the children’s home; and

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Requirement Due date

the measures of control, discipline and restraint which may be used in relation to children in the home.

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Requirement Due date

The registered person must keep the behaviour management policy under review and, where appropriate, revise it.

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Requirement Due date

within 24 hours of the use of a measure of control, discipline or restraint in relation to a child in the home, a record is made which includes—

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Requirement Due date

details of the child’s behaviour leading to the use of the measure; the date, time and location of the use of the measure;

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Requirement Due date

a description of the measure and its duration;

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Requirement Due date

details of any methods used or steps taken to avoid the need to use the measure;

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Requirement Due date

the name of the person who used the measure ("the user"), and of any other person present when the measure was used;

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Requirement Due date

the effectiveness and any consequences of the use of the measure; and

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Requirement Due date

a description of any injury to the child or any other person, and any medical treatment administered, as a result of the measure;

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Requirement Due date

within 48 hours of the use of the measure, the registered person, or a person who is authorised by the registered person to do so ("the authorised person")— 22 June 2026 Inspection report for children’s home: 1271979 9 has spoken to the user about the measure; and

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Requirement Due date

has signed the record to confirm it is accurate; and

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Requirement Due date

within 5 days of the use of the measure, the registered person or the authorised person adds to the record confirmation that they have spoken to the child about the measure. (Regulation 35 (a)(a)(b) (2) (3)(a)(i)(ii)(iii)(iv)(v)(vi)(vii)(viii)(b)(i)(ii)(c))

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Requirement Due date

staff complete detailed records of all restraints used in the home. This record must include all of the details as specified in The Children’s Homes (England) Regulations 2015;

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Requirement Due date

managers use effective monitoring and review processes to understand restraint practice. This oversight must include assessment as to whether the restraint was necessary, proportionate and the least restrictive option to prevent significant harm. This oversight must identify any practice concerns.

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Requirement Due date

The registered person must recruit staff using recruitment procedures that are designed to ensure children’s safety.

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Requirement Due date

employ an individual to work at the children’s home; or

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Requirement Due date

if an individual is employed by a person other than the registered person to work at the home in a position in which the individual may have regular contact with children, allow that individual to work at the home, if the individual satisfies the requirements in paragraph (3).

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Requirement Due date

full and satisfactory information is available in relation to the individual in respect of each of the matters in Schedule 2. (Regulation 32 (1)(2)(a)(b) (3)(d)) 6 July 2026

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Requirement Due date

The registered person must notify HMCI and each other relevant person without delay if— 6 July 2026 Inspection report for children’s home: 1271979 10 an incident requiring police involvement occurs in relation to a child which the registered person considers to be serious;

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Requirement Due date

there is an allegation of abuse against the home or a person working there;

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Requirement Due date

there is any other incident relating to a child which the registered person considers to be serious. (Regulation 40 (3)(b)(c)(e))

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Requirement Due date

* These requirements are subject to a compliance notice.

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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: 1271979 11

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Children’s home details

Registered provider address: 8a New Road, Mepal, ELY, Cambridgeshire CB6 2AP

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Inspector

Andrea Bounden, Social Care Inspector Inspection report for children’s home: 1271979 12 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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