Institutional normalisation refers to the process by which harmful or inadequate practices become accepted as ordinary within an organisation. Over time, behaviours or conditions that would once have been considered unacceptable—such as chronic under-support, exclusionary discipline, or delayed responses to safety concerns—may come to be treated as routine. Staff working within the system may not recognise the harm because these practices have become embedded in everyday procedures and expectations. For families encountering the system from the outside, however, these conditions can be deeply concerning. Recognising institutional normalisation helps explain how patterns of harm can persist without any single person intending them.