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.

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Information about this children’s home

The manager 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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requires improvement to be good

How well children and young people are helped and protected requires improvement to be good

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requires improvement to be good

The effectiveness of leaders and managers requires improvement to be good

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requires improvement to be good

The children’s home is not yet delivering good help and care for children and young people. However, there are no serious or widespread failures that result in their welfare not being safeguarded or promoted.

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requires improvement to be good

Date of last inspection: 10 February 2026

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requires improvement to be good

Overall judgement at last inspection: good

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requires improvement to be 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

10/02/2026 Full Good 03/12/2024 Full Good Inspection report for children’s home: 2796485 3

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Summary of findings

Although some children make progress from their starting points, the identified shortfalls have reduced the overall quality of care provided. Shortfalls in the safety of the children and the management of the home have resulted in an overall judgement of ‘requires improvement to be good’.

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Summary of findings

Children experience well-planned moves in and out of the home. Staff promote the importance of education for children.

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Summary of findings

The organisation has recently appointed a new responsible individual, and we are currently checking this person has the relevant capacity, experience and skills to carry out the role.

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improvement to be good

Since the last inspection, one child has moved out of the home and one child has moved in. Five children were living at the home at the time of the inspection. Three children met with the inspector and one shared their views.

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improvement to be good

The home has been through a turbulent period, with group dynamics that led to escalating incidents. Children said that there are tensions in the group relationships. Leaders, managers and staff have not always ensured that good standards of individualised support and care have been provided to alleviate these.

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improvement to be good

Children can identify trusted adults who they enjoy spending time with. However, the quality of care varies. At times, ineffective and reactive responses from staff when children are distressed have led to further incidents. These include the use of consequences that are unrelated to the child’s behaviour. One consequence affected children who were not involved in the incident. Leaders and managers do not always identify the impact of these responses and help the staff to reflect on how they could approach challenging situations in more thoughtful ways.

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improvement to be good

There are areas of the home that require refurbishment. One child’s bathroom floor needs replacing and the hallways and some of the children’s bedrooms require redecorating. A new handyman has been appointed and has started to decorate areas of the home during the inspection. There are spacious communal areas, including a well- resourced games room that offers children opportunities for constructive engagement with staff.

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improvement to be good

Children’s moves in and out of the home are well considered. The staff meet with children and their caregivers before they move in. This helps staff to understand the Inspection report for children’s home: 2796485 4 needs of the child and start to build relationships. Despite this, leaders and managers feel unable to meet one child’s needs. Despite a comprehensive assessment before the child moved in, this has not worked out for the child, the staff team and the other children.

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improvement to be good

An advocate regularly offers children independent support and advice. One child’s key worker helped them to meet with the advocate and share concerns about their long- term care planning. As a result, the child was offered an adult placement in their preferred area. The staff keep in touch with children through the local authority ‘staying close’ programme, which includes visits and calls to children. This helps children to settle quickly into their new environments.

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improvement to be good

Some children had been out of education before moving to this home. Staff help children to access education based on their learning style, seeking education provisions in keeping with children’s needs. A professional from the virtual school said, ‘We have a very good relationship with the manager, we have regular conversations centred around making sure education providers offer consistent support for children to help attendance and participation. Any concerns are quickly noted and managed.’

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improvement to be good

Staff understand the importance of children’s relationships with their families and friends. Staff advocate on behalf of children to increase the time children spend with their families, in keeping with children’s wishes.

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improvement to be good

Staff help children contribute to their community while spending meaningful time together. This includes overnight camping to raise money for charity. The children are proud of this achievement. The staff use imaginative play with children to encourage them to work together to solve problems. Staff have organised a holiday, overnight fishing trips and days out to theme parks. One child recently attended a convention in London, in keeping with their interests. Staff describe children’s activities with humour and warmth, along with capturing these special memories in photographs that children can reflect on.

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improvement to be good

The feedback from professionals and families is positive. They describe the staff as supportive, caring and strong advocates for children. Overall, the staff have a good understanding of the children’s strengths and difficulties.

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improvement to be good

Children have complex social and emotional needs. Due to children’s lived experiences, they struggle to express their feelings and this can compromise their safety and others safety.

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improvement to be good

A recent escalation in high-risk behaviours, including missing-from-home episodes, property damage, self-harm and conflict between children, has compromised children’s safety. On occasion, staff have failed to implement risk management plans, resulting in Inspection report for children’s home: 2796485 5 children going missing overnight without the staff being aware. Furthermore, staffing deficits have compromised the home’s responsiveness. Staff have relied on the police to return children who are missing and, on occasion, felt unable to safely enter a bedroom to conduct urgent welfare checks. In response, leaders and managers have increased staffing levels to help mitigate these risks and reduce staff fatigue. These shortfalls demonstrate that the home has not maintained sufficient and appropriate staff oversight to meet the children’s complex needs.

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improvement to be good

Staff do not always ensure that potentially hazardous items, such as office and vehicle keys, are stored securely. At times, children have gained access to these items and restricted areas. While staff managed these incidents effectively through negotiation, ineffective oversight of environmental safety increases potential risks to children.

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improvement to be good

Although staff do not use physical restraint, they do employ restrictive methods of control, such as physical blocking and removing harmful items, to maintain children’s safety. Although these incidents are recorded, managers do not routinely evaluate the records. Some records are reviewed by senior staff after a significant delay, while others are missed entirely. Consequently, leaders and managers have not always identified behavioural triggers and cannot be reassured that staff interventions are proportionate. Furthermore, follow-up discussions with children are occasionally led by the staff members who were involved in the incident. This practice compromises the children’s confidence to voice concerns regarding how the incident was managed.

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improvement to be good

Risk assessments are reviewed regularly. However, these do not always include accurate or up-to-date information. One child’s risk assessment was not updated for 3 months following a significant escalation in risk. When finally revised, it did not include critical guidance on managing the risks safely. Furthermore, contradictory information in other risk assessments creates inconsistencies and compromises children’s safety if left unaddressed.

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improvement to be good

Robust recruitment procedures are not consistently maintained. A dedicated team completes onboarding checks. However, leaders and managers have not reviewed staff files, including those for agency workers, to ensure that any information included on Disclosure and Barring Service records is known and responded to appropriately. Consequently, leaders and managers cannot be assured that all adults working with children are safe, which compromises the welfare of children.

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improvement to be good

Staff support children to manage their health and wellbeing needs. Staff have made referrals on behalf of children, to help secure assessments under the ‘right to choose’ pathway, along with referrals to wellbeing services to help secure support for children who have experienced significant trauma. As a result, a child attended a specialised programme to help them understand their lived experiences. Another child has lost weight, because staff have encouraged them to take part in community-based physical activities. Inspection report for children’s home: 2796485 6

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: requires improvement to be good

The inspection has identified a high number of shortfalls in management oversight, staff practice and children’s care plans.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: requires improvement to be good

The manager is suitably experienced and qualified. The manager, and recently appointed service manager, have a detailed knowledge of the children’s needs.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: requires improvement to be good

Leaders and managers do not use effective systems for monitoring records. This means they have limited their capacity to identify and address areas that may require further exploration quickly. Reports about children are not always clear, and do not always detail the action staff have taken. Managerial monitoring lacks the necessary depth and curiosity to evaluate staff practice or understand children’s experiences. This limits the effectiveness of monitoring, meaning that opportunities to identify poor practice, capture learning and improve staff performance have been missed. The manager recognises that oversight has lapsed.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: requires improvement to be good

Mandatory training ensures that staff understand children’s general needs. However, gaps remain in staff’s specialist knowledge. Leaders and managers have not yet requested training for specific conditions, including attention deficit hyperactivity disorder and global developmental delay. Consequently, staff are not consistently equipped with the advanced skills needed to fully support every child.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: requires improvement to be good

Leaders and managers do not provide regular supervision sessions for staff. This prevents staff from fully reflecting on their practice. Annual appraisals are completed, although the supporting records do not capture detailed discussions, critical reflection and ongoing staff development. This does not provide staff with opportunities to develop their skills.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: requires improvement to be good

When leaders and managers are made aware of shortfalls in staff practice, they take timely and effective action. This includes referrals to the local authority designated officer. However, they have not always notified Ofsted in a timely manner. This limits Ofsted’s ability to monitor incidents.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: requires improvement to be good

Leaders and managers are strong advocates for children. They ensure that any decisions made in respect of a child are well thought out and in children’s best interests.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: requires improvement to be good

Children benefit from a stable and qualified staff team. Many staff members demonstrate long-standing commitment to the home. They feel highly supported by leaders, who respond swiftly and effectively to any concerns.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: requires improvement to be good

The independent visitor has recently changed. The reports generated by the new visitor are supportive but challenging to help secure good outcomes for children. The reports are incredibly thorough and informative. The manager acknowledges that this depth of critique will support the ongoing development of the home. Inspection report for children’s home: 2796485 7 External professionals said that they are regularly updated and informed of areas of concern, along with children’s progress. Communication between managers and professionals is good. Inspection report for children’s home: 2796485 8

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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 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 effectiveness of the home’s child protection policies is monitored regularly. (Regulation 12 (1) (2)(a)(i)(ii)(iii)(v)(vi)(vii)(e)) 17 August 2026

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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 26 August 2026 Inspection report for children’s home: 2796485 9 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,

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Requirement Due date

if the individual satisfies the requirements in paragraph (3).

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Requirement Due date

the individual has the appropriate experience, qualification and skills for the work that the individual is to perform;

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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.

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Requirement Due date

The registered person may permit an individual to start work at the home despite the fact that the requirement in paragraph (3)(d) has not been met if—

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Requirement Due date

full and satisfactory information in respect of the individual has been obtained in relation to the matters in paragraphs 1 and 2 of Schedule 2. (Regulation 32 (1) (2)(a)(b) (3)(b)(d) (7)(b))

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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

In particular, the standard in paragraph (1) requires the registered person to—

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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 has sufficient staff to provide care for 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; 10 September 2026 Inspection report for children’s home: 2796485 10 use monitoring and review systems to make continuous improvements in the quality of care provided in the home. (Regulation 13 (1)(b) (2)(c)(d)(e)(f)(h))

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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

In particular, the standard in paragraph (1) requires the registered person to—

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Requirement Due date

treat each child with dignity and respect;

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Requirement Due date

provide to children living in the home the physical necessities they need in order to live there comfortably. (Regulation 6 (1)(a) (2)(b)(iii)(vii)) 8 October 2026

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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; and

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Requirement Due date

have their performance and fitness to perform their roles appraised at least once every year. (Regulation 33 (1) (4)(b)(c)) 16 September 2026

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Recommendations

 The registered person should ensure that they have a system in place so that all serious events are notified, within 24 hours, to the appropriate people. (‘Guide to the Children’s Homes Regulations, including the quality standards’, page 63, paragraph 14.13)  The registered person should ensure that any consequences used to address poor behaviour should be restorative in nature, to help children recognise the impact of their behaviour on themselves, other children and the staff caring for them. The registered person should evaluation the appropriateness of the consequence. (‘Guide Inspection report for children’s home: 2796485 11 to the Children’s Homes Regulations, including the quality standards’, page 46, paragraph 9.38)

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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 12

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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

Lexi Mitchell, Social Care Inspector Inspection report for children’s home: 2796485 13 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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