Children's Home run by Suffolk County Council in Suffolk

Inspection report for children's home: SC430022 1 SC430022 Registered provider: Suffolk County Council 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 complex needs who require specialist support.

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Information about this children's home

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 May 2018.

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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 or their welfare is not promoted or safeguarded.

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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: SC430022 2

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Inspection date Inspection type Inspection judgement

08/07/2025 Full Good 18/06/2024 Full Good 20/02/2024 Full Requires improvement to be good 19/12/2023 Full Inadequate Inspection report for children's home: SC430022 3

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Summary of findings

Children have not experienced safe or respectful relationships with each other. Incidents of bullying have not been managed in a timely or effective way, leaving children unsafe and at risk of harm.

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Summary of findings

Leaders and managers have not ensured that other means of keeping children safe are implemented effectively. They have failed to respond appropriately when children go missing from the home, manage allegations properly or oversee physical interventions.

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Summary of findings

Children have made limited progress. Shortfalls have been exacerbated by significant challenges with persistent staff sickness, vacancies and a lack of management oversight. The registered manager and senior leaders have identified concerns and developed an action plan to address the identified shortfalls.

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inadequate

This inspection was brought forward to address concerns received by Ofsted through safeguarding notifications.

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inadequate

Children have not always experienced positive relationships with each other. Children have not been adequately protected from significant incidents of bullying at the home. One child said that they wanted to move home and harm themselves due to the bullying. One child spent long periods of time in their room. Managers organised trips to separate the children; however, this was not effective in reducing incidents. Although staff challenged bullying behaviours at the time, restorative work to repair relationships between children did not take place. As a result, bullying incidents have had a harmful impact on children’s emotional and mental health, behaviour and stability.

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inadequate

As a result of ongoing staff sickness and vacancies, there has been significant use of agency staff or staff from other homes who are not familiar with the children. This has meant that children have not always managed to build trusting relationships with staff or been supported by staff that they are familiar with.

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inadequate

Managers and leaders have not effectively assessed the impact of new children moving to the home. Children have been moved in during challenging and unstable periods. As a result, children have been deeply affected by the behaviours of other children and have made little progress. Inspection report for children's home: SC430022 4 The condition of the home is poor; walls, doors and ceilings need redecorating, there is broken furniture in some areas and several bathrooms need a deep clean. The back garden needs maintenance to make the outdoor space more engaging. Overall, the house and garden do not provide a child-friendly atmosphere. There is little reflection of the children’s input in the decoration of the home.

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inadequate

The staff have supported children to keep in contact with their families. Staff have been creative in supporting children to keep in contact with their family pets, who also hold value to them.

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inadequate

Since the last inspection, 2 children have moved in, and 5 children have moved out. Managers ensured children were supported to move out positively, and their time at the home was marked with small gifts and memory books.

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

Physical interventions are not always proportionate or used only as a last resort. On some occasions, these have been used to move children out of the office without justification. Some physical intervention records lack reviews by managers, and discussions with children have not always taken place. This does not ensure effective oversight to address shortfalls in staff practice and gain the views of children.

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

There have been a significant number of incidents with behaviours that have caused significant disruption and damage to the home. On occasions, staff responses have been reactionary and punitive. The use of temporary staff or staff not known to children has hindered the home’s ability to positively and confidently respond to children appropriately when they need support.

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

Risk assessments are updated but do not contain all the relevant risks for children. Plans for when children go missing from home are detailed; however, these are not always routinely followed. On one occasion, 3 children were not immediately followed when they left the home at night. The recording of missing-from-home incidents is inconsistent, and records lack clarity and detail. As a result, children’s whereabouts and wellbeing have not been assured and these incidents have been prolonged.

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

On 2 occasions, following suicidal ideation, appropriate medical attention was sought for a child. However, the records did not demonstrate how staff followed up and monitored the child. This does not demonstrate that managers and staff have a comprehensive understanding of risk.

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

Staff have not always ensured safeguarding protocols are followed. During the inspection, leaders and managers were unable to demonstrate that all relevant referrals had been made to the local authority designated officer (LADO) and identified follow-up actions completed. During the inspection, leaders and managers were unable to locate allegation investigation minutes and a lone-working risk Inspection report for children's home: SC430022 5 assessment for a member of staff who required one. This does not give assurance that advice given by the LADO has always been followed by leaders and managers.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: inadequate

The management and oversight of the home have not been effective. Although the manager is established and qualified for her role, decisions made to move children to the home by senior managers have undermined the stability of the home. Senior managers from the local authority have made decisions about a child moving in. These decisions have gone against the advice of managers of the home and have had a negative impact on children’s progress and wellbeing.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: inadequate

Leaders and managers do not have a consistent approach to monitoring the home’s performance and children’s experiences. During a period where the manager was absent, poor monitoring led to gaps in records not being identified. This does not ensure that staff are offered sufficient opportunities to learn from their practice and make necessary improvements.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: inadequate

Some of the staff have not received supervision for 6 months. Some members of staff have said that they are supported by management. However, staff sickness and staff vacancies have resulted in staff being tired. These pressures have affected staff morale and wellbeing.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: inadequate

The feedback from professionals and parents is mixed. Some highlighted poor communication. Others said that support has helped children to move out positively.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: inadequate

Some staff have not completed the home’s mandatory training in fire prevention, medication and safeguarding. This does not ensure that all staff have the required training to fulfil their roles and responsibilities.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: inadequate

The shortfalls identified at the last inspection have not been fully addressed, and 3 requirements have been restated. In addition, 5 new requirements have been raised.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: inadequate

Leaders and managers were reflective about the shortfalls identified at the inspection, and some improvements to improve the quality of care for children had already been actioned by them. Inspection report for children's home: SC430022 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

manage relationships between children to prevent them from harming each other;

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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;

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Requirement Due date

that the effectiveness of the home’s child protection policies is monitored regularly. (Regulation 12 (1) (2)(a)(i)(ii)(iii)(iv)(v)(vi)(vii)(b)(e)) 31 July 2026 Inspection report for children's home: SC430022 7 *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

ensure that staff have the experience, qualifications and skills to meet the needs of each child;

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Requirement Due date

ensure that the home’s workforce provides continuity of care to each child;

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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

demonstrate that practice in the home is informed and improved by taking into account and acting on—

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Requirement Due date

feedback on the experiences of children, including complaints received; and

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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)(c)(e)(f)(g)(ii)(h)) 31 July 2026

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Requirement Due date

Restraint in relation to a child is only permitted for the purpose of preventing—

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Requirement Due date

injury to any person (including the child);

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Requirement Due date

serious damage to the property of any person (including the child); or a child who is accommodated in a secure children’s home from absconding from the home.

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Requirement Due date

Restraint in relation to a child must be necessary and proportionate. 17 August Inspection report for children's home: SC430022 8 (Regulation 20 (1)(a)(b) (2))

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Requirement Due date

The quality and purpose of care standard is that children receive care from staff who—

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Requirement Due date

understand the children’s home’s overall aims and the outcomes it seeks to achieve for children;

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Requirement Due date

use this understanding to deliver care that meets children’s needs and supports them to fulfil their potential.

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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

ensure that the premises used for the purposes of the home are designed and furnished so as to—

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Requirement Due date

meet the needs of each child. (Regulation 6 (1)(a)(b) (2)(c)(i)) 17 August

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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;

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Requirement Due date

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; 17 August Inspection report for children's home: SC430022 9 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”)—

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Requirement Due date

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 (1)(a)(b) (2) (3)(a)(i)(ii)(iii)(iv)(v)(vi)(vii)(viii)(b)(i)(ii)(c))

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Requirement Due date

The positive relationships standard is that children are helped to develop, and to benefit from, relationships based on—

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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

communicate to each child expectations about the child's behaviour and ensure that the child understands those expectations in accordance with the child's age and understanding;

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Requirement Due date

help each child to develop the understanding and skills to recognise or withdraw from a damaging, exploitative or harmful relationship;

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Requirement Due date

that each child is encouraged to build and maintain positive relationships with others. (Regulation 11 (1)(a) (2)(a)(v)(vii)(b)) 17 August Inspection report for children's home: SC430022 10 This requirement was made at the last inspection and is restated.

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Requirement Due date

The registered person must notify HMCI and each other relevant person without delay if—

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Requirement Due date

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 (4)(b)(c)(e))

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Requirement Due date

This requirement was made at the last inspection and is restated. 17 August

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Requirement Due date

The registered person must ensure that all employees—

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Requirement Due date

receive practice-related supervision by a person with appropriate experience. (Regulation 33 (4)(b))

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Requirement Due date

This requirement was made at the last inspection and is restated. 17 August

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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: SC430022 11

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Children's home details

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

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Inspectors

Daniel Sancto, Social Care Inspector Syvanna Matthew, Social Care Inspector Inspection report for children's home: SC430022 12 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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Inspectors

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Inspectors

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Inspectors

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