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

Inspection report for children’s home: SC065517 1 OFSTED USE ONLY

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SC065517 Registered provider: Ethelbert Specialist Homes Limited

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Full inspection Inspected under the social care common inspection framework

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Information about this children’s home

This home is run by a private provider and can offer support for up to six children with emotional and behavioural difficulties.

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Information about this children’s home

At the time of the inspection, one child was living in the home.

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Information about this children’s home

The manager is currently applying to be registered with Ofsted.

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Overall experiences and progress of

children and young people, taking into account

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good

How well children and young people are helped and protected good

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good

The effectiveness of leaders and managers good

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good

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

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good

Date of last inspection: 15 January 2025

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good

Overall judgement at last inspection: good

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good

Enforcement action since last inspection: none Inspection report for children’s home: SC065517 2 OFSTED USE ONLY

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Inspection date Inspection type Inspection judgement

15/01/2025 Full Good 12/03/2024 Full Good 13/03/2023 Full Good 23/03/2022 Full Good Inspection report for children’s home: SC065517 3 OFSTED USE ONLY

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

There have been significant changes to the leadership and staffing structure at the home since the last inspection. The manager and staff have worked closely together to create a more stable and consistent environment, which has had a positive impact on the child.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

The child is now benefiting from good quality, nurturing care delivered by a team of dedicated staff. As a result, there has been noticeable progress in the child’s emotional well-being and positive behaviour, and increasing levels of trust in staff. The child has also shown the beginnings of improvements to their engagement in education and out- of-school learning opportunities.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Under the leadership of the new manager, staff are developing their understanding of trauma-informed ways of working. Enhanced training has equipped staff with a deeper understanding of the effects of early adverse childhood experiences. This has led to a more informed and compassionate approach to care. Staff speak confidently about the child’s needs and progress, demonstrating a strong commitment to the child’s growth and development.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Staff create clear and meaningful care and support plans for the child. This has enabled the child to better understand their own personal goals and achievements. While the child’s voice is represented in care planning, staff recognise that this could be enhanced and improved still further. Staff are currently reviewing care planning systems to seek out ways to amplify the child’s voice, fostering a sense of ownership and motivation for the child in their own journey. The team works collaboratively, aligning their efforts with the child’s needs and aspirations, as well as with input from external professionals.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Feedback from the child’s placing social worker is positive, highlighting the quality of care and the effectiveness of the support provided. Staff compile regular progress reports and communicate well with other professionals.

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

The home has placed a renewed emphasis on the safety and well-being of the child, supported by high-quality training and strong leadership. The new manager has extensive experience in working with vulnerable children and her calm, consistent approach has helped to embed a culture of safeguarding throughout the team. This combination of effective management and targeted training has significantly boosted staff confidence in recognising and responding to risk.

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

Staff demonstrate a clear understanding of the child’s individual vulnerabilities and can articulate the specific safeguarding concerns relevant to their care. They are proactive in identifying potential risks and work collaboratively with external professionals to ensure that the child is supported by a robust network of protection. Inspection report for children’s home: SC065517 4 OFSTED USE ONLY

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

The child is now benefiting from a more stable and predictable environment, which has contributed to a noticeable improvement in their ability to make safer choices and to reduce risky behaviours. Staff have developed a shared ethos around building positive relationships and they respond to challenges in a thoughtful and consistent way.

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

Staff are well-versed in core safeguarding principles, including whistleblowing and the management of allegations. They are confident in using the home’s internal procedures to report concerns and have shown diligence in responding to safeguarding matters.

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

Historic allegations have been managed with professionalism and transparency, reflecting the team’s commitment to maintaining a safe and accountable environment.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

The home has undergone a period of positive transformation under the leadership of the new manager, who has now applied to register with Ofsted. Bringing energy, experience and a clear vision, the manager has made an immediate and meaningful difference to the quality of care and support provided at the home.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

From the outset, the manager has worked swiftly to identify areas needing improvement. Their focused efforts have led to enhancements in record-keeping, safeguarding procedures and staff support systems. These changes have created a more structured and confident working environment. Staff express trust in the leadership and direction of the home. The manager uses internal and external monitoring systems, although monitoring reports tend to be more descriptive, rather than reflective and developmental.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

The manager leads by example, modelling the standards of care and professionalism that they expect from staff. Through regular supervision, purposeful team meetings and targeted training, they have established a shared understanding of goals and expectations across the team. The manager is also delivering an ambitious staff development programme, grounded in well-established and effective models of care and support.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

The manager has prioritised building strong relationships with external professionals. Productive partnerships have been formed with the child’s education provider and social worker, and staff are actively developing local links that are intended to benefit the child socially and educationally.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

Staff have responded directly to the child’s interests, including facilitating visits to several Pride events across the country. The child reflected on how great it was to visit Manchester for three days during the city’s Pride festivities this year.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

The manager and team are focused on ensuring that the child feels heard, respected, and involved in everyday decisions. Key-working conversations demonstrate a broad range of opportunities that enable the child to contribute their views. Inspection report for children’s home: SC065517 5 OFSTED USE ONLY

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Recommendations

 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. (‘Guide to the Children’s Homes Regulations, including the quality standards’, paragraph 10.24, page 55)

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Recommendations

In particular, the registered provider should use internal and external monitoring to engage in reflective learning that can be demonstrated to have a positive impact on practice at the home.

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Recommendations

 Children should be encouraged by staff to see the home’s records as ‘living documents’ supporting them to view and contribute to the record in a way that reflects their voice on a regular basis. (‘Guide to the Children’s Homes Regulations, including the quality standards’, paragraph 11.19, page 58)

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Recommendations

In particular, the registered provider should continue to develop ways of enhancing children’s contributions to their records in a meaningful way.

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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: SC065517 6 OFSTED USE ONLY

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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

Peter Jackson, Social Care Inspector Inspection report for children’s home: SC065517 7 OFSTED USE ONLY

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Inspector

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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