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

Assurance inspection report for children’s home: SC068803 1 SC068803

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Registered provider: Ethelbert Specialist Homes Limited

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Inspected under the social care common inspection framework

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Information about this children’s home

A private organisation owns and runs the home. It provides care for up to four children with social, emotional and behavioural difficulties.

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Information about this children’s home

There has been no registered manager since July 2022.

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Enforcement action since last inspection:

A compliance notice was issued to the provider under regulation 11, the positive relationships standard.

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Information about this inspection

At this inspection, the inspector evaluated:

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Information about this inspection

 the care of children  the safety of children  the effectiveness of leaders and managers. Inspectors have looked closely at the experiences and progress of children, using the social care common inspection framework. This assurance 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’. Assurance inspection report for children’s home: SC068803 2

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Findings from the inspection

We identified the following serious concerns in relation to the care or protection of children at this assurance inspection:

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Findings from the inspection

 The compliance notice issued to the provider relating to the positive relationships standard, and in particular their approach to addressing bullying, is not met.  There are continued shortfalls in the staff responses to bullying behaviours.  Some incidents of bullying are still not recognised and recorded as such.  This has left shortfalls in action being taken to address some bullying incidents.  The manager’s monitoring systems have failed to recognise these shortfalls.  A further compliance notice will be served as incidents of bullying in the home continue.

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The care of children

There has been a reduction in bullying incidents between children. Children say they feel safer and that bullying has stopped. However, records and incident reports show this is not the case and bullying between children continues in the home.

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The care of children

There is evidence of a range of regular planned and unplanned work undertaken with all children to address the bullying concerns. The manager printed off workbooks for every child that had been produced for Anti-Bullying Week and staff use these resources to engage children in activities to explore this topic.

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The care of children

Staff have regular meetings with children to discuss bullying and how to be kind to each other. This has led to a decrease in incidents between two of the children.

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The care of children

There have been extensive improvements to the interior and exterior of the property. Children chose how they wanted their bedrooms to be decorated and this work has been completed. This has improved the environment for children and provides them with a nice home to live in.

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The safety of children

There are shortfalls in practice to protect children from each other. For example, risk plans to keep children separated due to an ongoing police investigation are not always effective. Incident records do not show that effective action is taken to address some of these concerns. Assurance inspection report for children’s home: SC068803 3 Progress around consequences for children varies. One child’s consequence for hurting another child was ineffective. However, the policy to support children’s behaviour has been updated and this is being shared with staff.

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The safety of children

Staff can show what action they will take if children are unkind to each other. They have benefited from bespoke training in anti-bullying provided by an external provider.

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The safety of children

Staff have implemented safe care plans for the two younger children, which have highlighted their vulnerabilities and contributing factors to triggers of bullying. These have been written to complement their care management plans and provide effective strategies for staff to address bullying.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers

Communication with children’s professional networks has improved and the manager has implemented new systems to ensure this continues to develop . There has been an increase in visits by the independent person, with a focus on bullying incidents, which has included direct discussions with all children.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers

There are continued shortfalls in the manager’s monitoring of all bullying incidents. Records show that not all incidents are recorded as bullying and that no action is taken. Furthermore, there are shortfalls in the manager’s oversight to ensure all staff have read and signed children’s plans, and to address shortfalls in records made by staff.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers

Staff training and development are improved and when staff require mandatory training, this is planned. Staff have received bespoke training from the Anti-Bullying Alliance. This training also looked at whistle-blowing and used real examples of incidents and how staff can respond to bullying.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers

Restraints are recorded appropriately and have sufficient management oversight within the required time frames.

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Inspection date Inspection type Inspection judgement

20/06/2022 Full Good 11/05/2021 Full Good 18/02/2020 Full Outstanding 05/03/2019 Full Good Assurance inspection report for children’s home: SC068803 4

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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, the 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—

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Requirement Due date

an understanding about acceptable behaviour; and

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Requirement Due date

positive responses to other children and adults

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Requirement Due date

In particular, the standard in paragraph (1) requires the registered person to ensure that staff—

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Requirement Due date

understand and communicate to children that bullying is unacceptable;

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Requirement Due date

have the skills to recognise incidents or indications of bullying and how to deal with them. (Regulation 11 (1)(b)(c) (2)(a)(xii)(xiii)) 12 February 2023

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Requirement Due date

The protection of children standard is that children are protected from harm and enabled to keep themselves safe.

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Requirement Due date

In particular, the standard in paragraph (1) requires the registered person to ensure—

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Requirement Due date

manage relationships between children to prevent them from harming each other;

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Requirement Due date

take effective action whenever there is a serious concern about a child’s welfare. (Regulation 12 (1) (2)(a)(iv)(vi))

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Requirement Due date

In particular, children who present a risk of sexual harm have effective plans to prevent the impact on other children, and that effective action is taken to safeguard children in line with their risk plans. 12 February 2023 Assurance inspection report for children’s home: SC068803 5 The leadership and management standard is that the registered person enables, inspires and leads a culture in relation to the children’s home that—

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Requirement Due date

In particular, the standard in paragraph (1) requires the registered person to—

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Requirement Due date

use monitoring and review systems to make continuous improvements in the quality of care provided in the home. (Regulation 13 (1)(b) (2)(h))

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Requirement Due date

This requirement was made at the last inspection and is restated. 12 February 2023

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Requirement Due date

*These requirements are subject to a compliance notice.

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Recommendation

 The registered person should ensure that any consequences used to address poor behaviour should be restorative in nature, to help children recognise the impact of their behaviour on themselves, other children, the staff caring for them and the wider community. In some cases, it will be important for children to make reparation in some form to anyone hurt by their behaviour and the staff in the home should be skilled to support the child to understand this and carry it out. (‘Guide to the Children’s Homes Regulations, including the quality standards’, page 46, paragraph 9.38) Assurance inspection report for children’s home: SC068803 6

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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

Sara Stoker, Social Care Inspector Assurance inspection report for children’s home: SC068803 7 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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