Children's home run by Ethelbert Specialist Homes Limited in Thanet

Good

The children's home provides effective services that meet the requirements for good.

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The children's home provision is good because:

 The strong registered manager has a clear vision and commitment to providing specialised care for young people with autistic spectrum disorder and additional complex needs.   A stable staff team shares the registered manager’s ethos and vision. They deliver high-quality care specific to young people’s needs that is enabling young people to make significant progress.   Staff implement consistent routines, structure and boundaries with sensitivity and patience so that young people feel safe and secure living at the home. Young people have established trusting relationships with staff and respond positively to the support that they receive.   Young people’s behaviour is improving. They are progressing in education and having positive experiences through leisure activities in the local community. Their self-confidence and self-esteem is developing.   Young people are developing daily living skills at an appropriate pace and

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The children's home provision is good because:

level and learning how to take care of themselves.   The statement of purpose does not include the required details of the experience and qualifications of staff. 

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Statutory Requirements

This section sets out the actions which must be taken so that the registered person(s) meets the Care Standards Act 2000, 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 registered person must compile in relation to the children's home a statement ('the statement of purpose') which covers the matters listed in Schedule 1. In particular, it should cover details of the experience and qualifications of staff. (Regulation 16 (1)) 03/01/2017

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Information about this children's home

This children’s home is registered to provide care and accommodation for up to three children with emotional and/or behavioural difficulties. It is operated by a private organisation.

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Recent inspection history

Inspection date Inspection type Inspection judgement 04/02/2016 Interim Improved effectiveness 16/09/2015 Full Good 24/02/2015 Interim Improved effectiveness 03/12/2014 Full Good

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Good

Young people are settled at the home. They are responding positively to the stable staff team that implements consistent routines and structures within a calm and nurturing environment. From their starting points, young people are making significant progress in many aspects of their lives.

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Good

One young person is making excellent progress at school with a recent substantial improvement in his reading ability. The registered manager is working proactively with external agencies to ensure that another young person attends a suitable school that will enable him to have a positive education experience and meet his complex needs. Meanwhile, staff are engaging him successfully in structured educational activities and providing him with emotional support to prepare him for school.

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Good

Young people are actively involved in a range of community activities including karate club, trampolining, horse riding and a youth group. They are extending their social experiences, starting to make peer friendships and establishing their self- identities. One young person has gained self-confidence to the extent that he recently chaired part of his looked after children review.

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Good

Close monitoring of young people’s physical health needs, with valuable input from a learning disability nurse, ensures that they receive healthcare according to their specific needs. Detailed health plans with individual targets identify all young people’s health needs and their health is improving. Staff recognise young people’s emotional needs and appropriate specialist support is provided to help young people understand their past and cope with their feelings resulting from trauma and loss.

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Good

Staff continually support young people to develop their daily living skills, with a keen focus on maximising young people’s abilities. At an appropriate pace and level, young people are learning to take care of themselves, understand the importance of personal hygiene and make themselves simple snacks. Independence plans and targeted key work sessions help young people to gradually acquire skills to take more responsibility for themselves.

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Good

Staff patiently and sensitively consult with young people to ensure that they have opportunities to express their wishes and feelings. Young people’s meetings are a forum for them to request specific meals for the menu and activities that they would like. Also, young people put forward their views on staff and comment on issues affecting the day-to-day running of the home. Staff consider young people’s communication needs, with minutes of their meetings written in the pictorial exchange system of communication and displayed on a notice board so that staff can help reinforce the importance of their contribution. As young people begin to trust the adults who care for them, young people develop confidence in expressing their views and opinions.

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Good

Staff are proactive in supporting young people to maintain positive contact with their family and former carers.

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Good

The registered manager and staff team have created a homely and nurturing environment in which young people have developed warm and trusting relationships with staff. Through close supervision from thoughtful, patient and sensitive staff and strong routines, structure and boundaries, young people have developed a sense of safety, protection and trust in the adults who care for them. These relationships are central to safeguarding practice within the home, providing stability and consistency. Young people’s behaviour has improved as they gain confidence that staff will support them and help them through their difficulties.

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Good

Detailed assessment of young people’s needs results in comprehensive care plans, robust risk assessments, clear routines and behaviour management plans. These guide staff and assist them in providing individualised support strategies to meet young people’s current development needs. Staff identify and understand the risks associated with each young person. Appropriate measures are in place to protect young people from harm. The registered manager regularly reviews risk assessments and staff have opportunities to raise and discuss safeguarding concerns in team meetings and individual supervision sessions.

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Good

Staff are acutely aware of young people’s vulnerability resulting from their lack of understanding of how to keep themselves safe. Thoughtful key working helps young people to gradually develop a perception of dangers that they face such as road safety and approaching strangers.

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Good

Staff take a positive approach to behaviour management, using successful incentive schemes to help young people develop appropriate behaviour. Through knowing each young person very well, staff are skilled in de-escalating potentially difficult situations. Behaviour management strategies are successful. One young person required physical intervention several times a week when he arrived at the home. He is now much calmer and responding to staff support with a significant reduction in the need for such a measure. Such interventions are appropriate to protect young people and staff. They are properly recorded and include discussion with the young person and staff involved. The registered manager closely monitors such incidents to ensure safe practice.

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Good

There have been no incidents of young people leaving the home without permission. High staffing levels ensure that young people are closely supervised to protect their welfare. Suitable procedures and protocols are in place to direct staff should a young person leave the home or run away from staff.

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Good

The recruitment process is robust. All checks are completed before a member of staff commences work at the home, which helps to protect young people from unsuitable adults working with them.

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Good

Staff apply health and safety checks routinely, including fire safety checks. Staff undertake training in fire and health and safety procedures to protect young people.

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Outstanding

Young people benefit from strong leadership and highly effective management. The registered manager has been in post since January 2016 and is suitably qualified and experienced for the role. She is registered with Ofsted. She provides valuable support and guidance for the staff team and through her in depth understanding of the specific and complex needs of young people living at the home.

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Outstanding

The registered manager has already developed a stable staff team that delivers high-quality, consistent care. She is committed to ensuring that the care and the environment are suitable for young people with autistic spectrum disorder and additional complex needs. As a result of this approach and the skills of the staff team, young people are making significant progress.

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Outstanding

Staff undertake comprehensive induction and further training, including specialised training in relation to autism and learning disability, ensuring that they are competent and confident in meeting young people’s specific needs. They are working towards the level 3 qualification within the required timescales. Staff receive regular supervision that provides them with opportunities to discuss their role and focus on young people’s individual care and welfare.

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Outstanding

Monitoring of the home to maintain high standards of care is robust. Continuous review of records and staff practice by the registered manager contributes to her thorough understanding of activity within the home and young people’s progress. Monthly reports from the independent person highlight any shortfalls and contribute to action for ongoing improvement. The registered manager has a strong vision for developing the home. This is evident in a plan which has a clear focus on ensuring young people with autistic spectrum disorder have specialised support to meet their needs and which fosters their development.

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Outstanding

The registered manager and staff work extremely positively and effectively with other agencies and professionals, including close liaison with social workers, health specialists and education staff. Young people benefit from this partnership working. They are achieving positive outcomes in education, improving their health and behaviour, and developing self-confidence.

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Outstanding

Staff are fulfilling the aims set out in the statement of purpose. However, the document does not include the required details of the experience and qualifications of staff.

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What the inspection judgements mean

The experiences and progress of children and young people are at the centre of the inspection. Inspectors will use their professional judgement to determine the weight and significance of their findings in this respect. The judgements included in the report are made against ‘Inspection of children's homes: framework for inspection’.

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What the inspection judgements mean

An outstanding children's home provides highly effective services that contribute to significantly improved outcomes for children and young people who need help and protection and care. Their progress exceeds expectations and is sustained over time. A good children's home provides effective services that help, protect and care for children and young people and have their welfare safeguarded and promoted. In a children's home that requires improvement , there are no widespread or serious failures that create or leave children being harmed or at risk of harm. The welfare of looked after children is safeguarded and promoted. Minimum requirements are in place. However, the children's home is not yet delivering good protection, help and care for children and young people. A children's home that is inadequate is providing services where there are widespread or serious failures that create or leave children and young people being

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What the inspection judgements mean

harmed or at risk of harm or that result in children looked after not having their welfare safeguarded and promoted.

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Information about this inspection

Inspectors have looked closely at the experiences and progress of children and young people living in the children's home. Inspectors considered the quality of work and the difference adults make to the lives of children and young people. They read case files, watched how professional staff work with children, young people and each other and discussed the effectiveness of help and care given to children and young people. Wherever possible, they talked to children, young people and their families. In addition, the inspectors have tried to understand what the children's home knows about how well it is performing, how well it is doing and what difference it is making for the children and young people who it is trying to help, protect and look after. This inspection was carried out under the Care Standards Act 2000 to assess the effectiveness of the service and to consider how well it complies with the Children's

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Information about this inspection

Homes (England) Regulations 2015 and the ‘Guide to the children's homes regulations including the quality standards’. the guidance raising concerns and making complaints about Ofsted, which is available from Ofsted's website: www.gov.uk/government/organisations/ofsted . If you would like Ofsted to send you a copy of the guidance, please telephone 0300123 4234, or email enquiries@ofsted.gov.uk .

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Information about this inspection

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, workbased learning and skills training, adult and community learning, and education and training in prisons and other secure establishments. It inspects services for looked after children and child protection. If you would like a copy of this document in a different format, such as large print or Braille, please telephone 0300 123 4234, or email enquiries@ofsted.gov.uk . You may reuse this information (not including logos) free of charge in any format or medium, under the terms of the Open Government Licence. To view this licence, visit www.nationalarchives.gov.uk/doc/open-government-licence , write to the Information Policy Team,

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Information about this inspection

The National Archives, Kew, London TW9 4DU, or email: psi@nationalarchives.gsi.gov.uk .

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Information about this inspection

Interested in our work? You can subscribe to our monthly newsletter for more information and updates: http://eepurl.com/iTrDn .

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Information about this inspection

Store Street Manchester M1 2WD T: 0300 123 1231 Textphone: 0161 618 8524 E: enquiries@ofsted.gov.uk W: www.gov.uk/government/organisations/ofsted

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