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

Inspection report for children's home - monitoring visit: SC066185 1 SC066185

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Ethelbert Specialist Homes Limited

Monitoring visit 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 with emotional and/or behavioural difficulties.

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Information about this children’s home

The manager was registered with Ofsted on 24 December 2020.

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This monitoring visit

This home was last inspected in May 2019, and judged to be good, with two recommendations made. This monitoring visit took place due to the length of time since the last inspection. The visit focused on the management of allegations and some recent episodes of children going missing.

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This monitoring visit

Due to the COVID-19 (coronavirus) pandemic, this monitoring visit took place off site. The inspector requested a range of documents, which were swiftly provided by the registered manager. The registered manager was available, and actively involved, during the entire inspection and was spoken to via video call. The inspector also spoke to children via video call.

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This monitoring visit

Staff have been creative in supporting the children with learning age-appropriate skills. For example, learning about food and healthy living in addition to cooking skills has provided a good foundation for those moving on to independence. This is in addition to the children having access to a wide variety of foods offering a well- balanced and healthy diet.

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This monitoring visit

The home environment is very well presented and welcoming. The children have chosen colours and decoration for their bedrooms and other areas of the home. This helps children to feel involved and very much a part of the home.

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This monitoring visit

Incidents and internal allegations are well managed and proactively responded to. Inspection report for children's home - monitoring visit: SC066185 2 The registered manager has taken appropriate and prompt action to safeguard the children. Professional consultation is clear and well documented. One child told the inspector that they are listened to and feel able to report concerns to the registered manager or staff. Children have a copy of the children’s handbook and know where to find this. Children know who to talk to if they are concerned about the care they receive.

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This monitoring visit

The registered manager is reflective of her own learning and development and is supported in her professional development. Staff can refer appropriately to statutory and government guidance, which has supported good and prompt action in safeguarding children.

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This monitoring visit

Effective steps are taken to safeguard children. When children go missing, staff ensure that all appropriate actions are taken, and every effort is made to protect children from harm. Themed key-work sessions evidence the follow-up discussions with the child. Local authority social workers state verbal and written communication is excellent, and staff advocate for the children where appropriate to ensure that their views and concerns are shared.

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This monitoring visit

Staff ensure that their behaviour management strategies are restoratively focused. This means that children are encouraged to think about, and reflect upon, their behaviour. Key-work sessions with children are inclusive and reflective. Recording is clear and the views and wishes of children documented well. Team meeting minutes evidence focused discussion and input from all staff. Risk assessments are regularly updated. This ensures that any changes to children’s risks are clearly identified.

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This monitoring visit

The registered manager and staff know the children well and positive relationships are evident. Children can talk about their worries to staff and social workers. However, one child told the inspector that the change of staff affects their ability to form trusting relationships. Recruitment is given high priority by the registered manager and senior management. The registered manager aims to reduce staff turnover and is actively involved in the recruitment and scrutiny of applications. This will assist in building a team with the appropriate skills and attitude in caring for children enabling those trusting relationships to form.

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This monitoring visit

New staff induction is comprehensive, and all staff receive good-quality training. Less experienced staff receive support from a more experienced member of staff in addition to regular supervision. This aids professional development and promotes good practice. Safeguarding knowledge is good. Staff know how to report concerns in relation to staff and children.

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This monitoring visit

The home is regularly reviewed by an independent visitor, which provides an additional layer of scrutiny and oversight. However, some reports failed to give explicit confirmation that the children are safeguarded.

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This monitoring visit

The registered manager has completed her own review of the home through the Inspection report for children's home - monitoring visit: SC066185 3 regulation 45 report. However, the omission of views from children and professionals is a missed opportunity to evidence the positive and proactive work by staff. Nonetheless, the views of children and professionals are actively sought and recorded elsewhere in the home’s records.

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Recent inspection history

Inspection date Inspection type Inspection judgement 30/05/2019 Full Good 11/12/2018 Full Good 15/08/2017 Full Good 08/03/2017 Interim Sustained effectiveness Inspection report for children's home - monitoring visit: SC066185 4

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Recommendations

 The registered person should respond to children’s views about changes to staff and be aware of the potential impact this may have for the child’s stability and emotional well-being. (‘Guide to the children’s homes regulations including the quality standards’, page 39, paragraph 8.12)  The registered person should actively seek independent scrutiny of the home and make best use of information from independent and internal monitoring (including under regulations 44 and 45) to ensure continuous improvement. This is particularly in relation to ensuring that regulation 44 reports make explicitly clear that children are safeguarded, and that regulation 45 reporting makes explicitly clear that children have been consulted with. (‘Guide to the children’s homes regulations including the quality standards’, page 55, paragraph 10.24)

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Information about this inspection

The purpose of this visit was to monitor the action taken and the progress made by the children’s home since its last Ofsted inspection.

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Information about this inspection

This inspection was carried out under the Care Standards Act 2000.

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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: Ethelbert Specialist Homes Limited, 17 Leigh Road, Ramsgate, Kent CT12 5EU

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Children’s home details

Responsible individual: Leslie Davenport

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Inspector

Jill Sephton-Wright, Social Care Inspector Inspection report for children's home - monitoring visit: SC066185 5 to 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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