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

Inspection report for children’s home: SC023741 1 SC023741 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 children’s home is privately owned. It is registered to provide care for up to three children who experience social and emotional difficulties.

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Information about this children’s home

The manager has been registered with Ofsted since January 2017.

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Overall experiences and progress of

children and young people, taking into account

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outstanding

How well children and young people are helped and protected outstanding

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outstanding

The effectiveness of leaders and managers outstanding

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outstanding

The children’s home provides highly effective services that consistently exceed the standards of good. The actions of the children’s home contribute to significantly improved outcomes and positive experiences for children and young people who need help, protection and care.

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outstanding

Overall judgement at last inspection: outstanding

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outstanding

Enforcement action since last inspection: none Inspection report for children’s home: SC023741 2

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Inspection date Inspection type Inspection judgement

20/04/2022 Full Outstanding 05/05/2021 Full Outstanding 25/04/2019 Full Outstanding 08/05/2018 Full Outstanding Inspection report for children’s home: SC023741 3

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outstanding

Children are thriving in a safe, clean and well-organised home. They have personalised their bedrooms and there are photos of the children around the house. This contributes to children’s sense of belonging and gives the environment a homely feel.

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outstanding

The current group of children have lived together for several years and are very settled in the home, which they describe as ‘the best’. They are comfortable and relaxed with the adults caring for them. Children understand their care plans and they talk about their individual targets and the excellent progress they are making towards them. Children told the inspector that their views are listened to and that any complaints or worries are taken seriously and addressed.

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outstanding

Staff are aspirational for the children and use every opportunity to offer praise and help them to understand how to build and to maintain positive relationships with each other and with staff. For example, during the inspection, staff members appropriately reminded children about respecting each other’s personal space in a way that was kind yet clear. This approach supports children’s continuing personal development and awareness of social skills.

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outstanding

Children benefit from consistent boundaries, routines and predictable responses from staff. Children make exceptional progress in relation to learning how to manage their emotions. Staff have a sound awareness of children’s early life experiences and understand how these may affect their emotional well-being and behaviour. This understanding is developed through training, supervision, team discussions and support from the therapy team. Because of the progress they have made at the home, one child is soon going to move to live with a foster family. They are encouraged to talk about their conflicting emotions and worries about the move. Such conversations are well recorded and significant points followed up appropriately.

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outstanding

Children’s wishes and views are sought and acted on swiftly by managers and staff. For example, one child was feeling unhappy following a change to their medication. The manager requested a review with the relevant medical team and ensured that the child’s views were made known.

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outstanding

All children attend education in one of the organisation’s schools. Additionally, one child spends an afternoon a week at a local mainstream school to build their confidence and inform longer-term planning. The child told the inspector that they love going to the school and they hope to be a full-time pupil there one day. They have made friends in their class and were recently invited to join them on an activity day. The headteacher at the school spoke extremely highly of the mutual benefits of Inspection report for children’s home: SC023741 4 this collaborative arrangement and the excellent levels of communication between the school and the manager and staff at the home.

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outstanding

Children sit with the adults at mealtimes and talk about their day. They enjoy healthy, nutritious meals, which they are involved in choosing. Children’s independence is fully promoted by them helping with age-appropriate tasks.

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outstanding

The manager and staff develop and maintain strong partnerships with other professionals, and this improves outcomes for children. The high-quality care that children receive is acknowledged and appreciated by social workers and other professionals. One social worker said that a child had made ‘huge progress’ in the home, and an independent reviewing officer said that they had observed ‘warm and rewarding relationships’ between children and staff.

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outstanding

Comprehensive reports are written for children’s statutory reviews. The reports give a good overview of progress in the review period, and children have a say about the information that is included. The reports would be enhanced by clearly capturing children’s views and comments about the report content.

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outstanding

Children’s safety is paramount in this home. The manager has exceptionally high expectations of staff conduct. There is a culture of openness, which contributes to children’s safety and their sense of security.

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outstanding

Children said that they feel safe here. The manager ensures that staff fully understand their safeguarding responsibilities and know the external safeguarding agencies to contact if they have any concerns about children’s safety and well-being.

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outstanding

Due to the trusting, respectful and secure relationships that children enjoy with staff, children do not go missing from the home and there are exceptionally low levels of behavioural incidents. Positive behaviour is promoted in a calm, thoughtful and supportive way. The registered manager is the physical intervention trainer for the wider organisation. He ensures that staff make effective use of de-escalation techniques and, as a result, physical restraint is rarely used.

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outstanding

Children have thorough and detailed risk assessments that clearly describe how to keep them safe. These are updated regularly, both when an incident has occurred and when there are upcoming events that may unsettle children. Consequently, staff remain attuned and responsive to the risks present for children individually and as a group.

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outstanding

A new staff member has been recruited since the last inspection. He speaks highly of his induction training, particularly in relation to safeguarding children. The overall safeguarding approach ensures that all staff stay alert to signs that children are at risk of harm. Inspection report for children’s home: SC023741 5

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: outstanding

The registered manager is exceptionally committed to the children and to the home. He strives to ensure that his team works together to achieve positive outcomes for children. His energy, ambition and dedication are acknowledged and appreciated by the staff, who see him as an inspirational role model.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: outstanding

Staff have confidence in the registered manager and, as a result, they feel empowered in their roles. Morale is high and staff turnover is low. Staff feel proud of the progress that children are making and proud to work in the home. One staff member told the inspector that it is the motivation and commitment shared by the whole staff team that make this home so successful. Consequently, children enjoy living in a settled home with a positive staff team that has an extremely child- focused approach.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: outstanding

The manager shows great enthusiasm and optimism about the continuing development of his team and is supportive of staff’s individual career aspirations and progression. He is fully aware of the home’s strengths and weaknesses and how to address areas for development.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: outstanding

There is an embedded culture of welcoming feedback from external sources. Criticisms and comments about the service are seen as an opportunity to learn, reflect and improve. For example, in response to a recommendation made at the last inspection, the registered manager has introduced a ‘My Care Plan’ document, which is completed with children to help them to understand their journeys to date and identify aspirations for the future.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: outstanding

The registered manager’s oversight and scrutiny of the home are extremely thorough. As a result, he has an exceptionally well-rounded view of the experiences of the children and the impact that the care is having on their outcomes.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: outstanding

Staff receive regular, meaningful supervision. Focused team meetings provide staff with opportunities to improve their knowledge and understanding about how to meet children’s needs. However, annual appraisals, including the registered manager’s, are not taking place at the required intervals. In practice, there are plentiful opportunities for staff and managers to discuss performance strengths, areas for improvement and individual development, but this is undermined by those discussions not being recorded. Inspection report for children’s home: SC023741 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, 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 registered person must ensure that all employees—

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Requirement Due date

undertake appropriate continuing professional development;

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Requirement Due date

receive practice-related supervision by a person with appropriate experience; and

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Requirement Due date

have their performance and fitness to perform their roles appraised at least once every year. (Regulation 33 (4)(a)(b)) 1 September 2023

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Recommendation

 The registered person should ensure that children are actively involved in important meetings and supported to express their views, wishes and feelings. (‘Guide to the Children’s Homes Regulations, including the quality standards’, page 57, paragraph 11.10)

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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: SC023741 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

Mike Simmonds, Social Care Inspector Inspection report for children’s home: SC023741 8 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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