Children's Home run by Suffolk County Council in Suffolk

Inspection report for children's home - monitoring visit: SC430022 1 SC430022

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Registered provider: Suffolk County Council

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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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This monitoring visit

This children's home was judged inadequate at the full inspection on 29 and 30 June 2026. As a result of the inspection, Ofsted served 2 compliance notices under the protection of children standard and the leadership and management standard.

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This monitoring visit

The compliance steps in respect of the leadership and management standard have been met. However, some of the compliance steps in the protection of harm standard have not been met. A requirement has been in regard of these.

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This monitoring visit

Since the last inspection, there have been no incidents of bullying. Staff have supported children to develop positive relationships with one another through group activities. Although work has been scheduled by staff to support the children to reflect on previous incidents of bullying, this is yet to take place. The children have not been supported to reflect on previous bullying incidents and how these may have affected one another.

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This monitoring visit

Missing-from-care plans are clear and concise to support staff to take appropriate action. When children have gone missing from the home, staff have taken effective action to look for children. They communicate with relevant professionals and encourage children to return home. Inspection report for children's home - monitoring visit: SC430022 2 Significant incidents have been reviewed by managers, who updated the child's risk assessments. Managers have ensured that the child's local authority and Ofsted were notified of any significant incidents.

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This monitoring visit

Leaders and managers have supported staff to complete additional training to support them to develop their understanding and practice. Staff have completed training in safeguarding, medication, fire prevention and restrictive intervention. Leaders and managers have reviewed staff competency and understanding through regular reviews of staff supervision and conversations. Staff can explain how they would put their learning into practice and feel more confident in their roles.

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This monitoring visit

When children have struggled with their emotional wellbeing, staff have taken effective action. External agencies and professionals have been consulted with. Managers have asked for additional advice from external agencies. Staff have put their advice into practice to ensure that children have been supported holistically. This approach has helped children to be kept safe.

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This monitoring visit

The manager has used internal audits to identify several occasions when children had made allegations of harm that were not appropriately referred. On discovery of these, the manager ensured appropriate referrals were made to relevant professionals, the children were spoken to and records were kept. To support staff's understanding of the importance of sharing safeguarding concerns, additional safeguarding training and a workshop were delivered by the local authority designated safeguarding officer.

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This monitoring visit

There have been no children moved into the home during this period. Leaders and managers have made updates to the policy and procedure of admitting children into the home. This update includes an escalation process to ensure appropriate information is shared from external professionals before children move in.

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This monitoring visit

Leaders and managers have reviewed agency staff training, including appropriate physical intervention training and relevant mandatory training.

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This monitoring visit

All staff have received practice supervision sessions. During supervision sessions, staff are encouraged to reflect on learning and previous incidents. The manager feels supported by senior leaders, who have supported staff development in delivering the home's action plan. A focus on additional support and reflection supports the managers to identify gaps in staff's knowledge and understanding.

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This monitoring visit

Leaders and managers have created a new audit system to improve oversight of the home. This includes regular routine audits of significant incidents and documents for children. When shortfalls in staff practice have been identified by leaders and managers, effective action has been taken through additional training. Inspection report for children's home - monitoring visit: SC430022 3 Some of the requirements from the last inspection were not reviewed at this inspection. Therefore, these have been restated and will be reviewed at the next inspection. Inspection report for children's home - monitoring visit: SC430022 4

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Inspection date Inspection type Inspection judgement

29/06/2026 Full Inadequate 08/07/2025 Full Good 18/06/2024 Full Good 20/02/2024 Full Requires improvement to be good Inspection report for children's home - monitoring visit: SC430022 5

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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 with 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. (Regulation 12 (1) (2)(a)(i)(ii))

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Requirement Due date

Leaders and managers must ensure that children are supported to understand that bullying is not acceptable.

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Requirement Due date

Leaders and managers must ensure that staff are equipped with the skills to recognise incidents or indications of bullying and how to address these effectively. 14 September

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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

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Requirement Due date

a child who is accommodated in a secure children's home from absconding from the home. 14 September Inspection report for children's home - monitoring visit: SC430022 6 Restraint in relation to a child must be necessary and proportionate. (Regulation 20 (1)(a)(b) (2))

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Requirement Due date

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

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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))

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Requirement Due date

This requirement was made at the last inspection and is restated. 14 September

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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

the name of the child; 14 September Inspection report for children's home - monitoring visit: SC430022 7 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;

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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”)—

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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

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

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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

that staff— 14 September Inspection report for children's home - monitoring visit: SC430022 8 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))

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Requirement Due date

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. 14 September

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Information about this inspection

The purpose of this visit was to monitor the action taken and the progress made by the children's home since its last Ofsted inspection.

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Information about this inspection

This inspection was carried out under the Care Standards Act 2000. Inspection report for children's home - monitoring visit: SC430022 9

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Children's home details

Registered provider: Suffolk County Council

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Children's home details

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

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Inspector

Syvanna Matthew, Social Care inspector Inspection report for children's home - monitoring visit: SC430022 10 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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Inspector

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