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

Inspection report children’s home: SC066185 1 SC066185 Registered provider: Ethelbert Specialist Homes 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

The home is owned and run by a private organisation. It provides care and accommodation for up to five children who have emotional and/or behavioural difficulties.

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Information about this children’s home

The registered manager has been in post since March 2015.

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Information about this children’s home

Inspection dates: 11 to 12 December 2018

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Overall experiences and progress of

children and young people, taking into account good

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Overall experiences and progress of

How well children and young people are helped and protected good

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Overall experiences and progress of

The effectiveness of leaders and managers outstanding

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Overall experiences and progress of

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

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Overall experiences and progress of

Overall judgement at last inspection: good

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Overall experiences and progress of

Enforcement action since last inspection: none Inspection report children’s home: SC066185 2

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Inspection date Inspection type Inspection judgement

15/08/2017 Full Good 08/03/2017 Interim Sustained effectiveness 20/06/2016 Full Good 08/02/2016 Interim Sustained effectiveness Inspection report children’s home: SC066185 3

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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, 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 leadership and management standard is that the registered person enables, inspires and leads a culture in relation to the child’s home that— helps children aspire to fulfil their potential; and promotes their welfare.

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Requirement Due date

In particular, the standard in paragraph (1) requires the registered person to— ensure that staff have the experience, qualifications and skills to meet the needs of each child. (Regulation 13(2)(c))

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Requirement Due date

This is with specific reference to ensuring that staff receive training to help them respond to children’s individual health needs, and to recognise and respond effectively to the risk of children becoming criminally exploited. 04/02/2019

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Requirement Due date

The registered person must review the appropriateness and suitability of the location of the premises used for the purposes of the children’s home at least once in each calendar year, taking into account the requirement in regulation 12(2)(c) (the protection of children standard).

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Requirement Due date

When conducting the review, the registered person must consult, and take into account the views of, each relevant person. (Regulation 46 (1)(2)) 04/02/2019

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Recommendations

 Staff skills for safeguarding should include being able to identify signs that children may be at risk, and support children in strategies to manage and reduce any risks. (‘Guide to the children’s homes regulations including the quality standards’, page 43, paragraph 9.10) In particular, in every case of sexual activity involving a child aged 13–15, staff should identify this as a potential safeguarding concern and report it as such to the placing authority. Inspection report children’s home: SC066185 4

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

The staff invest their time with the children and enjoy spending time with them. As a result, the children experience positive and nurturing relationships. This improves their self-esteem and their emotional well-being. One child said that her favourite activity was ‘snuggling up with the staff and watching a film together.’

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

The staff create a welcoming and calm environment where children develop skills to manage their emotions and learn how to keep themselves safer. The staff work proactively and provide the children with information to help them to identify unsafe situations or unsafe people.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

The staff provide clear, consistent and appropriate boundaries for the children. The staff listen carefully to the children and help them to understand why it is not always possible to act on their wishes. Consequently, children accept the high levels of adult supervision that is in place for their safety.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

All the children attend schools run by the organisation and benefit from the smaller class sizes and focused support. Regular attendance at school is an accepted part of daily life. The staff have high aspirations for the children and work in partnership with the schools to ensure a consistent approach to the children’s learning, emotional and social development.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

The staff support the children to participate in a range of activities and leisure pursuits. The children recently made up boxes for a local homeless charity. The children’s friends are welcome to visit the home. Staff recognise that leisure, friendships and enrichment opportunities help the children to improve their social skills and to broaden their outlook on life.

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

The children respond well to the nurturing care they receive from the staff and to the consistent boundaries in place in the home. One child said, ‘Rules and boundaries are annoying, but they are helping me.’ The children have positive and trusting relationship with the staff. Children are better protected because they feel able to share their worries and fears with the staff. The staff work collaboratively with social workers to meet the children’s individual needs and reduce the potential of harm.

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

Children said that they feel safe living at the home. Staff are vigilant and protective of the children. Staff balance this well with the needs of the children to develop independence and take appropriate risks. Detailed plans, specific to each child’s individual needs and vulnerabilities, implemented by the staff, help to ensure a consistent approach to care and contribute to improvements in the children’s behaviour. Inspection report children’s home: SC066185 5 Each child has detailed, up-to-date risk assessments with clear strategies which demonstrate that staff give careful thought and consideration to managing and reducing risk to children. As a result, risks for children who were frequently going missing and at high risk of child sexual exploitation before moving to the home have now reduced.

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

Staff ensure that children receive the support they need to attend health and medical appointments. Children are making better decisions about their health. For example, one child has joined a slimming club and uses a bike to improve their health. Children commented positively about the standard of food in the home, saying that it is healthy and homemade. However, not all staff have had sufficient training to enable them to manage some of the children’s specific health conditions.

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

There has been one lapse regarding safeguarding practice, which is otherwise strong. A significant incident was not identified by the manager as a safeguarding matter and so it was not referred as a child protection concern to the placing authority. Consequently, it was not followed up with scrutiny and in a timely manner. However, appropriate safeguarding actions put in place by the manager and staff meant that the child was not placed at any further risk of harm following the incident.

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

Key-work sessions and group work are effective, as they help the children understand how to keep themselves safe. Staff have a good understanding of the risks to children of sexual exploitation. Staff are alert to signs that children may be subject to grooming and take appropriate action. Practice could be further strengthened by all staff receiving training relating to criminal exploitation and county lines, which are relevant to the needs of the children in this home.

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

The impact of the home’s location risk assessment is not maximised because it lacks information from partner agencies, such as from the police, to inform staff about potential risks in the local community.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: outstanding

The home is managed exceptionally well by a dedicated and committed manager. She leads by example, showing authentic warmth and care for the children. This permeates throughout the culture in the home. Consequently, the children benefit from living in a well-organised home which is strongly led.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: outstanding

The manager knows the strengths and weaknesses of the home and motivates the staff to address any shortfalls. She guides the staff team to provide nurturing care. A focus on positive relationships is at the heart of practice.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: outstanding

Leaders have excellent management oversight of the home. The manager meticulously monitors the progress that the children make and can demonstrate the positive impact that living at the home has had on individual children’s progress. Staff are motivated and enjoy working with children. One staff member said, ‘I love working here.’ The staff Inspection report children’s home: SC066185 6 appreciate the support they receive from their manager. All staff receive regular supervision; this includes clinical supervision with a therapist. This gives the staff a safe space to reflect on their own emotional responses to children’s behaviour, and on the dynamics and behaviours of the children. As a result, the staff perform their role with insight and confidence.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: outstanding

The home is warm, welcoming and maintained to a high standard. It is in the process of being refurbished and the children have helped choose the design. The children particularly like the new upstairs bathroom, which is very sparkly. The home presents as a child-centred environment with lots of books, games and DVDs. A games room, craft room and conservatory area afford the children privacy when spending time with friends from outside the home. The investment in improving the home’s environment gives children a message that they are valued, and that they are cared for by adults who place their comfort and well-being at the forefront of their practice.

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Information about this inspection

Inspectors have looked closely at the experiences and progress of children and young people. Inspectors considered the quality of work and the differences made to the lives of children and young people. They watched how professional staff work with children and young people and each other and discussed the effectiveness of help and care provided. Wherever possible, they talked to children and 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 whom it is trying to help, protect and look after.

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Information about this inspection

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 children’s home: SC066185 7

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Children’s home details

Registered provider: Ethelbert Specialist Homes Limited

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Children’s home details

Registered provider address: 17 Leigh Road, Ramsgate, Kent CT12 5EU

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Children’s home details

Responsible individual: Leslie Davenport

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Inspector

Anne-Marie Davies, social care inspector Inspection report children’s home: SC066185 8 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 children looked after, safeguarding and child protection.

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Inspector

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Inspector

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Inspector

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