Children's Home run by Ethelbert Specialist Homes Limited in Kent

Inspection report for children’s home: SC023740 1 SC023740 Registered provider: Ethelbert Specialist Homes Limited Full inspection

p.1

Inspected under the social care common inspection framework

p.1

Information about this children’s home

This home is privately owned and is registered to provide care for up to three children. In accordance with its statement of purpose, the home cares specifically for boys. There were three children living in the home at the time of this inspection, all under 10 years of age.

p.1

Information about this children’s home

The manager registered with Ofsted on 25 July 2018.

p.1

Overall experiences and progress of

children and young people, taking into account

p.1

good

How well children and young people are helped and protected good

p.1

good

The effectiveness of leaders and managers good

p.1

good

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

p.1

good

Overall judgement at last inspection: good

p.1

good

Enforcement action since last inspection: none Inspection report for children’s home: SC023740 2

p.1

Inspection date Inspection type Inspection judgement

06/03/2023 Full Good 08/06/2021 Full Good 04/03/2020 Full Good 05/12/2018 Full Good Inspection report for children’s home: SC023740 3

p.2

Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Children speak positively about living in the home. They get on well with staff and make good progress in important areas such as education and developing social skills.

p.3

Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Staff provide genuine, nurturing care and support children to develop healthy routines. This helps children to feel secure. They know what to expect and what is expected of them. Staff listen to children’s views and involve them appropriately in decisions about their care.

p.3

Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Children enjoy a range of activities and trips out. They enjoy time at home relaxing with staff and help with daily tasks like cooking and keeping their rooms tidy.

p.3

Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

All children have excellent school attendance and are meeting, or making good progress towards, their learning goals. They have a regular homework session at the home when they sit down as a group and practise literacy and spelling. Children enjoy these sessions and participate well.

p.3

Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Staff work closely with parents and support children to have time with their families. Parents and social workers are extremely positive about the impact that living in the home is having on children. One parent commented, ‘The improvements are amazing. I have seen my real child come out.’ She went on to describe how he has bonded well with staff and that this has helped him improve his behaviours and feel more secure and settled.

p.3

Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Staff generally meet children’s health needs well. They help them to attend routine appointments such as with the dentist and optician. If children are unwell, staff care for them and seek appropriate advice. However, on one occasion, there was an unnecessary delay in seeking specialist health advice for one child. There were no immediate safety issues in relation to this delay, however, it does mean that some strategies for helping the child make progress were not fully informed by specialist advice.

p.3

Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

The home is reasonably well presented. Children like the games room and have games, toys and equipment to play with. Children’s bedrooms are personalised and comfortable.

p.3

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

Children say that they feel safe. Feedback from parents and social workers is also positive in relation to staff providing safe care and promoting children’s well-being and safety. Managers respond well to safeguarding concerns. In response to one such incident, leaders and managers took appropriate action as soon as this came to Inspection report for children’s home: SC023740 4 light. They worked effectively in partnership with relevant external safeguarding agencies and have taken action to reduce the chance of such incidents reoccurring.

p.3

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

Children are generally well behaved and have trusting relationships with staff, who know them well. They respond well to staff and, in the most part, respect the rules, routines and boundaries.

p.4

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

When there is friction between the children, staff intervene effectively and support them to get on with each other better. Incidents of physical intervention are infrequent and have significantly reduced in recent months.

p.4

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

Staff supervise children closely in the home and when out in the community. Children have limited access to internet-enabled devices. When they do access the internet, this is closely monitored to ensure that they are not exposed to harm.

p.4

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

Staff have a good understanding of children’s needs and their individual areas of vulnerability. They are attentive and vigilant and ensure that each day is planned carefully. This ensures that staff provide children with the support that they need.

p.4

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

Children are involved in the recruitment process for new staff. New staff are vetted to make sure that they are suitable to work with children. There is a clear package of training to induct new staff into the home. This ensures that they are familiar with the home’s policies and are trained to understand core aspects of safeguarding practice.

p.4

The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

The registered manager is highly visible and is involved in practice. She leads by example and knows the children well. Children like her and trust her. They feel that they can raise any concerns that they may have. Staff also hold the registered manager in high regard and feel supported.

p.4

The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

The registered manager is well supported by the responsible individual and benefits from well-structured and regular supervision.

p.4

The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

There have been significant challenges because of staff leaving and new staff coming to work in the home. However, the registered manager has deployed staff well and made sure that there is always a more experienced member of staff on shift to support and guide new staff.

p.4

The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

The registered manager is working hard to further enhance the skills of the team. She has good oversight of care practice and clear learning and development programmes are in place. New staff have previous relevant social care experience. However, none of the current staff team have the required level 3 qualification.

p.4

The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

There are regular team meetings and reflective group sessions for the staff, facilitated by a therapeutic practitioner. These sessions help staff to develop a Inspection report for children’s home: SC023740 5 shared understanding of how best to support children. They also give staff the opportunity to explore the impact that the work has on them personally.

p.4

The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

The requirements made at the previous inspection have been met. As a result, children can now access all appropriate areas of the home and help themselves to snacks that do not need to be locked away. There are sufficient staff on duty who are qualified in first aid and the manager now ensures that Ofsted is notified of any serious events. Inspection report for children’s home: SC023740 6

p.5

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.

p.6

Requirement Due date

The health and well-being standard is that—

p.6

Requirement Due date

the health and well-being needs of children are met;

p.6

Requirement Due date

children receive advice, services and support in relation to their health and well-being. (Regulation 10 (1)(a)(b))

p.6

Requirement Due date

In particular, ensure that children receive specialist health services promptly. 30 March 2024

p.6

Requirement Due date

The registered person must recruit staff using recruitment procedures that are designed to ensure children’s safety.

p.6

Requirement Due date

employ an individual to work at the children’s home; or

p.6

Requirement Due date

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,

p.6

Requirement Due date

if the individual satisfies the requirements in paragraph (3).

p.6

Requirement Due date

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

p.6

Requirement Due date

For the purposes of paragraph (3)(b), an individual who works in the home in a care role has the appropriate qualification if, by the relevant date, the individual has attained –

p.6

Requirement Due date

the Level 3 Diploma for Residential Childcare (England) (“the Level 3 Diploma”); or 30 March 2024 Inspection report for children’s home: SC023740 7 a qualification which the registered person considers to be equivalent to the Level 3 Diploma.

p.6

Requirement Due date

in the case of an individual who starts working in a care role in a home after 1st April 2014, the date which falls 2 years after the date on which the individual started working in a care role in a home. (Regulation 32 (1) (2)(a)(b) (3)(b) (4)(a)(b) (5)(a))

p.7

Requirement Due date

This relates specifically to ensuring that all staff complete the level 3 diploma within the required timescales.

p.7

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: SC023740 8

p.7

Children’s home details

Registered provider: Ethelbert Specialist Homes Limited

p.8

Children’s home details

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

p.8

Children’s home details

Responsible individual: Leslie Davenport

p.8

Inspector

Lee Kirwin, Social Care Inspector Inspection report for children’s home: SC023740 9 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.

p.8

Inspector

If you would like a copy of this document in a different format, such as large print or Braille, please telephone 0300 123 1231, or email enquiries@ofsted.gov.uk . You may reuse this information (not including logos) free of charge in any format or medium, under the terms of the Open Government Licence. To view this licence, visit www.nationalarchives.gov.uk/doc/open-government-licence , write to the Information Policy Team, The National Archives, Kew, London TW9 4DU, or email: psi@nationalarchives.gsi.gov.uk .

p.9

Inspector

Interested in our work? You can subscribe to our monthly newsletter for more information and updates: http://eepurl.com/iTrDn .

p.9

Inspector

T: 0300 123 1231 Textphone: 0161 618 8524 E: enquiries@ofsted.gov.uk W: www.gov.uk/ofsted

p.9