Children's Home, Residential special school run by SES Turnstone Limited in Norfolk

Inspection report for children’s home: SC452461 1 SC452461 Registered provider: SES Turnstone Limited

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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 privately owned home offers a therapeutic model of care. The home provides a long-term home for up to 10 children who have difficulties managing their emotions and may have experienced neglect or emotional abuse.

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Information about this children’s home

There is a registered school on site that is also run by the organisation. The inspectors only inspected the social care provision.

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Information about this children’s home

Eight children and one young person were living at the home at the time of this inspection.

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Information about this children’s home

The manager registered with Ofsted in June 2024.

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Overall experiences and progress of

children and young people, taking into account

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outstanding

How well children and young people are helped and protected good

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outstanding

The effectiveness of leaders and managers outstanding

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outstanding

The children’s home provides highly effective services that consistently exceed the standards of good. The actions of the children’s home contribute to significantly improved outcomes and positive experiences for children and young people who need help, protection and care.

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outstanding

Overall judgement at last inspection: outstanding

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outstanding

Enforcement action since last inspection: none Inspection report for children’s home: SC452461 2

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Inspection date Inspection type Inspection judgement

16/07/2025 Full Outstanding 24/09/2024 Full Good 17/10/2023 Full Good 02/08/2022 Full Good Inspection report for children’s home: SC452461 3

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Summary of findings

The home provides children with long-term stability, consistency and an excellent level of care. Children are supported to access exceptional experiences and opportunities that significantly enrich their lives. Children continue to make positive and meaningful progress across a range of areas including increasing their confidence, self-esteem and engagement with the local community. Children benefit from having remarkably strong relationships with staff. Professionals are very complimentary about the staff and the high-quality level of care provided.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: outstanding

At the time of this inspection, 8 children and one young person were living at the home. The vast majority of the children were seen and spoke with inspectors. Since the last inspection, one child has moved out, one child has moved in and one child has turned 18. This young adult remains living at the home as part of a carefully planned transition to their new accommodation.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: outstanding

All of the children have lived at the home for several years. One young person has lived at the home for 8 years. The consistency and continuity of care offered by staff are exemplary. Staff demonstrate a strong ability to meet the children’s needs long term and the children are exceptionally well cared for. The children form strong and positive relationships with staff and feel safe and secure. Two children commented that they ‘like all the staff’. Consequently, the high level of commitment from staff continues to support the children to make sustained progress.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: outstanding

The children have benefited from a considerable range of memorable experiences, many of which have been first-time opportunities. Several children have travelled abroad and experienced flying in an aeroplane for the first time. One young person has continued their long-term personal passion project of visiting football stadiums. Having already toured stadiums throughout England over the last year, they have now extended this ambition into Scotland and Europe. These varied experiences ensure that children have access to opportunities that extend their knowledge and understanding of the world. Children also have the opportunity to create lasting positive childhood memories.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: outstanding

Staff are loving and nurturing towards the children and talk about them with warmth and compassion. Staff are unmistakably attuned to the children’s needs and go the ‘extra mile’ to support them. Leaders and managers have supported one child to have their poems published. Staff have helped another child to learn to write and digitally tell the time. These successes have contributed to children feeling cared for and developing highly trusting relationships with staff.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: outstanding

Staff place significant importance on supporting children’s relationships with those people who are important to them. This includes staff travelling considerable distances, Inspection report for children’s home: SC452461 4 and when necessary staying overnight, to ensure that children can maintain meaningful relationships with family members who live far away. This has enabled some children to experience increased opportunities to spend time with family. Staff have helped other children to reconnect with family they have not seen for several years. These opportunities have enabled children to significantly improve important relationships, which, in turn, enhances their wellbeing. It also further develops their awareness of their own identity.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: outstanding

Children are increasingly comfortable exploring and expressing their identity. Staff provide sensitive, reassuring and supportive responses that help children feel accepted and understood. Because of staff’s support, children have been able to express their individuality and preferences in a safe space.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: outstanding

Staff are imaginative in their approach to organising children’s meetings. They make these meetings valuable for all of the children and enable them to regularly explore their experiences at the home. Staff listen to, and act on, the children’s views. Consequently, children gain confidence to share their thoughts, wishes and feelings.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: outstanding

Children, leaders and managers are highly motivated to participate in, and make significant contributions to, charities that have personal meaning for the children. Staff encourage and support the children to be resourceful. They raise money through bake sales, quiz nights and activities in the community. The manager is committed to developing children’s sense of belonging and community spirit that is created through such events.

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

Staff help children to access the online world safely. Leaders and managers are resourceful and use additional safety applications to help all children access online content in ways that are suitable for their age and understanding. This is methodically personalised and individual for each child. Staff regularly speak to children about how they can keep themselves safe online.

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

Staff seek children’s views and help them to think about any negative behaviour and how it could be different. The children are learning considerable new skills to help them talk about their feelings and behaviour. Staff instil a strong restorative philosophy. This supportive approach has successfully contributed to a substantial decline in the number of physical interventions used by staff.

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

There are very few incidents of children going missing from the home. When children do go missing, staff work effectively and proactively to ensure the children return safely. The manager monitors and reviews these incidents thoroughly to identify future learning and to prevent reoccurrence.

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

When disputes and incidents between children occur, staff act quickly to defuse these. Staff work with other professionals to ensure an effective collaborative multi-agency Inspection report for children’s home: SC452461 5 response. This helps to ensure that the children continue to remain safe and receive good-quality care and support.

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

The home is large and has extensive grounds. Managers continue to develop the outside space to reflect children’s individual interests. There are some lovely communal spaces in the home. However, some of the children’s bedrooms are unclean with dirty marks on the walls. One child’s bathroom, despite being recently painted, has been done with a lack of attention, resulting in paint on areas other than the walls. This undermines the quality of children’s accommodation and does not help children to take pride in their personal space.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: outstanding

The home is led by a long-standing registered manager who is highly ambitious and committed to improving outcomes for children. They lead by example and have high expectations and aspirations for staff. The manager and senior leadership team remain consistent. They know the children well and actively engage in the children’s lives, having built excellent relationships with every child.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: outstanding

The manager provides strong leadership and promotes continuous professional development. The manager has seized opportunities to expand her own knowledge through conferences, while the staff are supported to attend specialist training to enable them to expertly meet the individual needs of the children. For example, staff have received bereavement training to ensure that they know how to respond and support a child who has lost a parent.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: outstanding

Leaders and managers are exceptionally good advocates for the children. They are tenacious in ensuring that any decisions made in respect of children are well thought out and are in children’s best interests. This results in staff and managers influencing decisions about children’s time with family, education and long-term care plans, so that children’s needs are at the forefront of all decisions made about them. Leaders and managers have successfully advocated for one young person to move on to a new home that can best provide the right level of support into adulthood.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: outstanding

Leaders, managers and staff continue to demonstrate strong and thoughtful multi- agency practice. Leaders and managers demonstrate a sensitive and proactive approach to helping children move into or out of the home. Prior to a new child moving into the home, managers convened a multi-agency meeting involving the social workers for all children already living at the home. The purpose of the meeting was to carefully consider the new child’s needs and assess whether their needs could match with the existing group. A social worker said, ‘The transition was quite amazing. It was so well done and really focused on the child.’

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: outstanding

The staff regularly manage tricky situations and consistently support children with complex needs to a very high standard. This places staff at increased potential vulnerability to burn out. In response, the manager has introduced imaginative tools to support staff and their wellbeing through unexpected, personalised touches such as Inspection report for children’s home: SC452461 6 delivery of their favourite drinks and snacks in recognition of the care they provide. This enhanced care for staff and increased understanding of staff’s needs helps to promote good staff retention. Only one member of staff has left the home in the last year. This positive staff retention helps to provide children with continuity and consistency. This continuity, in turn, underpins the success staff have in developing long-standing, trusting relationships on which the therapeutic approach to care is based.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: outstanding

Feedback from professionals is exceptionally positive. One social worker highlighted that staff maintain ‘excellent communication’ and demonstrate a willingness to go ‘above and beyond expectations’. Inspection report for children’s home: SC452461 7

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Recommendation

 The registered person should ensure that the children’s home is a nurturing and supportive environment that meets the needs of the children. In particular, ensure that repairs are made without delay and that deep cleaning of the home takes place as is required. (‘Guide to Children’s Homes Regulations, including the quality standards’, page 15, paragraph 3.9)

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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: SC452461 8

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Children’s home details

Provision sub-type: Residential special school

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Children’s home details

Registered provider: SES Turnstone Limited

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Children’s home details

Registered provider address: The Old Vicarage, School Lane, Heckingham, Norwich NR14 6QP

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Children’s home details

Responsible individual: Victoria Collings

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Inspectors

Naomi Starbuck, Social Care Inspector Rebecca Hannell, Social Care Inspector Inspection report for children’s home: SC452461 9 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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