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

Inspection report for children’s home: SC023739 1 SC023739 Registered provider: Ethelbert Specialist Homes Limited Full inspection Inspected under the social care common inspection framework

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Information about this children’s home

This home is privately operated and provides care for up to three children. In line with the home’s statement of purpose, it is currently being used exclusively for girls who have a history of difficult attachments and require intensive support. There were two children living in the home at the time of this inspection.

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Information about this children’s home

The manager registered with Ofsted in February 2023.

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Overall experiences and progress of

children and young people, taking into account

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inadequate

How well children and young people are helped and protected inadequate

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inadequate

The effectiveness of leaders and managers inadequate

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inadequate

There are serious and widespread failures that mean children and young people are not protected or their welfare is not promoted or safeguarded and the care and experiences of children and young people are poor and they are not making progress.

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inadequate

Date of last inspection: 28 February 2023

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inadequate

Overall judgement at last inspection: good

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inadequate

Enforcement action since last inspection: none Inspection report for children’s home: SC023739 2

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Inspection date Inspection type Inspection judgement

28/02/2023 Full Good 16/03/2022 Full Outstanding 27/09/2018 Full Good 30/08/2017 Full Good Inspection report for children’s home: SC023739 3

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inadequate

Risks have increased for children living in the home. This includes increases in episodes of going missing, substance misuse and physical and verbal altercations between staff and children. Subsequently, there has been an increase in police call- outs to the home. This demonstrates the difficulties that staff have in managing children’s emotional turmoil and associated behaviours. Children feel unsettled and this has the potential to impact on their future life chances.

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inadequate

Two children have moved on from this home in unplanned ways since the last full inspection due to safeguarding concerns and the provider being unable to keep them safe. Shortly after a child moved on from the home, two other children moved into the home in quick succession. Again, one of these children moved on quickly and was unable to experience a positive ending.

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inadequate

Leaders’ decisions about when to move children into the home have had a detrimental impact for all children. For example, one child who was previously making progress has seen this progress decline due to the home being unsettled. For example, the child has gone missing from home on several occasions where before there were no such incidents. Their school attendance has also declined. The registered manager and network of professionals recognise this and are reviewing the support plans for the child. Leaders have given notice for one other child living in the home.

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inadequate

Children are not attending school regularly. Children’s learning needs are being reviewed and leaders are working closely with education and social care professionals to review the current arrangements.

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inadequate

One child attends a performing arts class supported by staff. They say that they like the staff and enjoy living at the home. Furthermore, since the last inspection all children have been involved in some enjoyable and meaningful activities with staff. However, these positive experiences are compromised by the safeguarding failures identified.

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

Staff fail to take sufficient steps to protect children from harm. In one incident, children were exposed to risk from unfamiliar and unsafe adults in the local area. Leaders and the registered manager have not reviewed this incident or subsequent concerns raised by children, despite attending a safeguarding response meeting. Consequently, no learning has been identified or disseminated to inform practice. This has resulted in missed opportunities to help children to understand how to keep safe and learn about the risks relating to unsafe adults. Inspection report for children’s home: SC023739 4 There is currently a serious safeguarding allegation under review by the police. Concerns about staff practice were known and escalated by the registered manager to senior leaders. Despite this, there were no formal risk or performance management plans put into place.

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

During the inspection, leaders became aware of another serious complaint and allegations about staff working in the home. Leaders are now working with safeguarding professionals and allocated social workers to investigate this matter.

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

Sometimes, when concerns are raised about staff practice or there are allegations about staff, these staff are moved to work in another children’s home managed by this organisation. Although this is in line with the organisation’s child protection policy, there are no recorded decisions, assessment of risk or safety management plans put in place to demonstrate that it is safe to allow them to work with children while concerns are being investigated. This has the potential to put children at risk. The head of safeguarding created a new document during the inspection to evidence how decisions will be made, and risks considered in the future.

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

On one occasion, safer recruitment practices lacked professional curiosity and oversight. Consequently, leaders failed to identify an important disclosure made during the recruitment processes. As a result, no support plans or measures were put in place to mitigate or explore this risk.

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

The registered manager has worked with police and trading standards to report concerns about local shops selling cigarettes and alcohol to children. She has also worked with police to raise concerns regarding other issues. However, the home’s location risk assessment does not reflect these issues. Consequently, there is no clear guidance for staff about how to reduce these risks.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: inadequate

Leaders did not take effective action when a serious incident occurred that involved children and unfamiliar adults. Their failure to review and reflect on the incident has resulted in serious shortfalls not being fully identified or addressed with staff.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: inadequate

Since the last inspection, three staff have left the home. These positions are being temporarily filled by staff from elsewhere in the same organisation. On occasion, children are supported entirely by these temporary staff. Children say that they like these staff. However, they get frustrated because staff do not know them well. Consequently, serious incidents have not been managed effectively due to staff not knowing children or their relevant plans well enough.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: inadequate

The manager was newly registered with Ofsted in February 2023. She is completing her level 5 diploma in line with guidance. She is visible in the home and staff say that they feel well supported by her. However, this is compromised by temporary staff, from other homes in the organisation, covering shifts. The registered manager works hard to build positive relationships with children and other professionals. Inspection report for children’s home: SC023739 5 The home’s area manager provides support to the registered manager and staff. She was the home’s previous registered manager and understands some of the strengths and development needs of the home. She is actively supporting and working with the registered manager to address shortfalls and improve standards. However, this work is yet to be effective due to the serious and widespread shortfalls identified at this inspection. Inspection report for children’s home: SC023739 6

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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 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

assess whether each child is at risk of harm, taking into account information in the child’s relevant plans, and, if necessary, make arrangements to reduce the risk of any harm to the child;

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Requirement Due date

help each child to understand how to keep safe;

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Requirement Due date

have the skills to identify and act upon signs that a child is at risk of harm;

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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

understand the roles and responsibilities in relation to protecting children that are assigned to them by the registered person;

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Requirement Due date

take effective action whenever there is a serious concern about a child’s welfare;

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Requirement Due date

are familiar with, and act in accordance with, the home’s child protection policies and—

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Requirement Due date

that the home’s day-to-day care is arranged and delivered so as to keep each child safe and to protect each child effectively from harm. (Regulation 12 (1) (2)(a)(i)(ii)(iii)(iv)(v)(vi)(vii)(b)) 10 August 2023 Inspection report for children’s home: SC023739 7 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

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—

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Requirement Due date

ensure that staff work as a team where appropriate;

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Requirement Due date

ensure that staff have the experience, qualifications and skills to meet the needs of each child;

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Requirement Due date

ensure that the home has sufficient staff to provide care for each child;

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Requirement Due date

ensure that the home’s workforce provides continuity of care to each child. (Regulation 13 (1)(a)(b) (2)(b)(c)(d)(e)) 10 August 2023

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Requirement Due date

The care planning standard is that children—

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Requirement Due date

receive effectively planned care in or through the children’s home; and

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Requirement Due date

have a positive experience of arriving at or moving on from the home.

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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 and review the placement of each child in the home; and

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Requirement Due date

plan for, and help, each child to prepare to leave the home or to move into adult care in a way that is consistent with arrangements agreed with the child’s placing authority;

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Requirement Due date

that each child’s relevant plans are followed. (Regulation 14 (1)(a)(b) (2)(b)(ii)(c)) 10 August 2023 Inspection report for children’s home: SC023739 8 The registered person must recruit staff using recruitment procedures that are designed to ensure children’s safety.

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Requirement Due date

employ an individual to work at the children’s home; or if an individual is employed by a person other than the registered person to work at the home in a position in which the individual may have regular contact with children, allow that individual to work at the home, if the individual satisfies the requirements in paragraph (3).

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Requirement Due date

the individual is of integrity and good character;

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Requirement Due date

the individual has the appropriate experience, qualification and skills for the work that the individual is to perform; and

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Requirement Due date

the individual is mentally and physically fit for the purposes of the work that the individual is to perform. (Regulation 32 (1) (2)(a)(b) (3)(a)(b)(c)) 10 August 2023

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Information about this inspection

Inspectors have looked closely at the experiences and progress of children and young people, 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 for children’s home: SC023739 9

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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

Kelly Monniot, Social Care Inspector Inspection report for children’s home: SC023739 10 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 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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