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

Inspection report children’s home: SC023745 1 SC023745 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 by a private company that operates several other children’s homes in the area. The company also provides educational services to support children and, if necessary, can provide therapeutic services for children. The home’s statement of purpose says that the home ‘provides a nurturing, and safe environment for children on the autistic spectrum and/or severe to moderate learning difficulties or global learning delay, as well as having mild to severe emotional, behavioural and communication difficulties’.

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Information about this children’s home

The manager was registered with Ofsted on 28 September 2016.

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Overall experiences and progress of

children and young people, taking into account

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good

How well children and young people are helped and protected good

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good

The effectiveness of leaders and managers good

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good

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

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good

Date of last inspection: 16 January 2019

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good

Overall judgement at last inspection: inadequate

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good

Enforcement action since last inspection: none Inspection report children’s home: SC023745 2

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Inspection date Inspection type Inspection judgement

16/01/2019 Full Inadequate 03/10/2017 Full Good 21/02/2017 Interim Improved effectiveness 14/11/2016 Full Good Inspection report children’s home: SC023745 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 positive relationships standard is that children are helped to develop, and to benefit from, relationships based on an understanding of acceptable behaviour

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Requirement Due date

In particular, the standard in paragraph (1) requires the registered person to ensure— that staff— help each child to understand, in a way that is appropriate according to the child’s age and understanding, personal, sexual and social relationships and how these relationships can be supportive or harmful. (Regulation 11 (1)(b)(2)(a)(vi))

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Requirement Due date

In particular, when working with children with sexually harmful behaviours, staff should be provided with the necessary skills, knowledge and emotional support. 31/10/2019

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Recommendations

 Staff should continually and actively assess the risks to each child and the arrangements in place to protect them. (‘Guide to the children’s homes regulations including the quality standards’, page 42, paragraph 9.5) In particular, ensure that staff are given the information they need to respond effectively to all elements of children’s behaviours. Specifically, this relates to children’s use of highly sexualised targeted language.  The registered person should ensure that staff can access appropriate facilities and resources to support their training needs. (‘Guide to the children’s homes regulations including the quality standards’, page 53, paragraph 10.11) In particular, seek specialist support and guidance to enable staff to work effectively with children who have sexually harmful behaviours.

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Inspection judgements

Inspection report children’s home: SC023745 4

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

The registered manager and staff have put a lot of work into meeting the requirements from the previous inspection. Staff have supported the registered manager to complete a detailed review of placement plans for children in the home. This has ensured that risk and behaviour management plans now meet the complex needs of children. Staff have created a stable atmosphere which has enabled children to make some good progress.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

The registered manager is working hard to create a diverse network of support for children. This is especially important as thoughts turn to transition into adult services. The manager has been advocating strongly with a range of professionals to ensure that children obtain the help that they need. She also recognises the need to start this process early, given the complex issues surrounding safe transitions for the children.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Children are proud of the environment in which they live. Staff ensure that the home is well maintained and in good decorative order. The registered manager has a clear intent to make it feel as homely as possible. One parent commented on this and said that staff felt like part of an ‘extended family’.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

The home compiles monthly reports to highlight children’s progress against current aims and targets. These are available for each child. They go hand in hand with the home’s preparatory reports for children looked after reviews. These reports are forwarded to all professionals for review and feedback.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Staff and parents were able to readily identify areas of progress for children. A child who was out of education for a year before coming to the home recently received an award for outstanding attendance. This is proudly displayed in the communal kitchen to celebrate his hard work. Children are developing their communication skills. There has also been a reduction in challenging behaviours. Staff are achieving some success in supporting children to develop their independent living skills.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

The staff team demonstrates high levels of warmth and affection for the children. This shows in the excellent quality of the relationships they have developed. It was described by one parent as ‘an atmosphere of mutual respect’.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Staff are developing their skills in working with children who have sexually harmful behaviours and acknowledge that they have much to learn. Staff could also benefit from a deeper understanding of supporting children with disabilities to explore their sexual identity. The registered manager should continue with efforts to engage specialist services to support staff in this area.

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

Staff have made progress in their understanding of the high risks posed by the children in their care. Risk assessments are clear and well constructed. A description of risk is followed by a set of clear actions for staff. Pre- and post-intervention risk ratings use a Inspection report children’s home: SC023745 5 simple traffic-light system. Children are consulted and make comments on the risk management strategies in place. This is recorded clearly on each risk assessment.

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

Staff demonstrate a good understanding of how to manage the risks for children in their care. This has led to a reduction in the risk and severity of incidents in the home. Staffing levels ensure that children always have the appropriate levels of supervision both in and outside of the home.

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

The registered manager ensures that risk and behaviour management plans are consistent. There is a good balance between protecting children from risk while also recognising the importance of managing the risks posed to others. Staff update risk management strategies quickly in response to incidents in the home. A recent incident involving insecure internet access had been dealt with quickly. Learning from this was referenced in many of the risk assessments with associated management strategies put in place to prevent recurrence.

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

Staff spoke about the emotional challenges of working with children with sexually harmful behaviours. They acknowledge that there is much to learn. Some of the home’s risk assessments could be enhanced to support staff more. They should include the full range of behaviours displayed by children in the home. They should also include a range of suggested interventions to help staff manage these behaviours.

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

Staff rarely use physical intervention. When it is required to safeguard a child or prevent self-injury, records are clear and comprehensive. Children are encouraged to debrief with staff after any such incident. Staff also try to explore incidents more informally in unstructured key-work sessions. The registered manager maintains good oversight of incidents in the home.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

Staff at the home, parents and external professionals all expressed confidence in the registered manager’s leadership of the home. She is described as a powerful advocate who always puts children first. She demonstrates a very well-developed understanding of the needs and complex challenges of the children in her care.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

She spoke about the children with passion and enthusiasm and it is clear she is committed to supporting them to achieve the best possible outcomes in life. She communicates this effectively to staff and this helps to create an environment of high aspirations for children.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

Staff feel very well supported and talked about the accessibility and openness of the manager. They feel that they can go to her with any concerns and questions and she will make time for them.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

The registered manager has responded very effectively to concerns raised at the last full inspection. She has met the requirements well but is not stopping there. She talked enthusiastically about her development plans to further enhance the service. Monitoring Inspection report children’s home: SC023745 6 of the home is effective and the manager has good oversight.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

The registered manager is also very flexible. She often provides additional support to staff at evening and weekends. This ensures that planned activities and appointments are always delivered to plan.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

The whole staff team actively promotes the children’s voice. The staff ensure that there are lots of opportunities for children to influence the direction of their day-to-day lives.

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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: SC023745 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

Peter Jackson, social care inspector Inspection report children’s home: SC023745 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 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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