Children's home run by Essential Therapeutic Care and Education Limited

Inspection report for children’s home: 2825825 1 Registered provider: Essential Therapeutic Care and Education 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 privately run home provides care for up to two children who experience social and emotional difficulties. There were two children living in the home at the time of the inspection.

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Information about this children’s home

The home registered with Ofsted in May 2025. The registered manager has been in post since that date.

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Information about this children’s home

This was the first inspection of the home.

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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: not previously inspected

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good

Overall judgement at last inspection: not applicable

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good

Enforcement action since last inspection: not applicable Inspection report for children’s home: 2825825 2

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Children enjoy positive relationships with the staff, who nurture and care for them. Staff understand children’s needs and experiences well and allow them space and time to pursue goals and build relationships at a pace that is right for them. The approach of staff helps the children to feel understood, build trust and develop a sense of belonging.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Children’s wishes and feelings are important to staff. Regular one-to-one time, children’s meetings and manager consultations provide space for children to express their views and preferences about how they are cared for. Staff work alongside children to help them to share their views with other professionals, and they advocate for them if needed. As a result, children feel heard and have a sense of agency.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Children are provided with support to develop independence skills in line with their needs, ages and plans. This includes the completion of bespoke awards in important life skills, such as menu planning, budgeting and decorating.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Difference is embraced in the home. Staff recognise and validate children’s unique identities and encourage free expression of these. Regular ‘culture nights’ are held to promote children’s knowledge and understanding of the world. These help children to feel positive about their own identities and to value those of others.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Staff encourage children to attend education provisions and to engage in learning. If children are not attending education, staff provide them with suitable activities and daily structure, and they are proactive in seeking longer term solutions. Managers challenge education professionals if they are concerned about the action being taken to meet children’s needs. Support in this area has helped one child to overcome barriers and begin attending a college course of their choosing.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Children’s moves into the home are well planned and supported. Managers consider a suitable range of information to inform decisions about children coming to live in the home. They work with staff, children and their networks to ensure that children have a positive experience of moving in and that staff are well prepared. As a result, two children with complex needs made successful moves into the home from long stays in hospital.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

The home is comfortable, in good repair and furnished in a child-friendly manner. Children’s sense of ownership and belonging is promoted by photographs and artwork in the communal areas, and children are helped to personalise their rooms. However, the garden areas are not maintained well enough to ensure that they are welcoming and can be used to the full benefit of children. Inspection report for children’s home: 2825825 3

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

Staff have a good understanding of their safeguarding duties and the individual vulnerabilities of the children. Systems for communicating new developments and changes to safety plans are effective, ensuring that staff have clear guidance about what is expected of them to keep children safe. Managers promote a healthy balance of risk management with children’s privacy and independence. As a result, children are safeguarded effectively in a manner that promotes their dignity.

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

There are significant concerns in relation to self-harm for both children. Managers and staff work closely with partner agencies and children to manage risks and to review safety plans. After any incidents of concern, there is prompt information-sharing with children’s professional networks and management oversight to consider staff practice and support needs. Follow-up work is carried out with children to help them to reflect and co-construct their support plans.

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

Staff engage constructively and enthusiastically with children, and their approach to managing behaviour is positive. If children are showing behaviours of distress, staff seek to listen, de-escalate situations and help children to manage their feelings safely. Physical interventions are used only as a last resort to protect children or others. Any such intervention is reviewed promptly by managers and follow-up discussions are held with children and the staff involved in order to consider learning.

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

There have been no incidents of children going missing from the home. Staff understand the risks related to this for each child and they know the protocols to follow should this occur. When a child left the home unexpectedly, staff took effective action so that they were prevented from going missing.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

The home is led by a suitably qualified and experienced registered manager, alongside a skilled home manager. Managers are thoroughly child centred, knowledgeable about children and open to learning. Staff describe managers and colleagues as supportive and available. This underpins a positive culture of care and aspiration for children.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

Managers have made good progress in establishing a stable, well-supported staff team. Staff receive regular one-to-one supervision and appraisal. Weekly reflective consultation with the clinical lead helps to ensure that there is a shared ethos and that children are cared for consistently, in line with the home’s statement of purpose.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

Staff complete a thorough induction and a range of mandatory training to guide them in their roles. This training is relevant to children’s needs. Managers have effective oversight of training to ensure that staff keep up to date. This helps to make sure that children receive care from well-informed staff.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

Managers understand the importance of working relationships with children’s professional networks. Generally, there is effective communication with partner agencies Inspection report for children’s home: 2825825 4 to promote coordinated care. External professionals have confidence in care and safeguarding practice at the home. However, managers did not involve the placing authority for the child already living in the home when consulting and planning for the second child to move in. This impacted on the ability of the original placing authority to oversee how the child in their care was being supported.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

Monthly visits are carried out by an independent person. Managers welcome this external scrutiny and respond positively to recommendations. The independent person talks to children regularly. However, they do not obtain the views of children’s relatives or non-management staff , which limits their ability to have a full understanding of the home. Inspection report for children’s home: 2825825 5

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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

In meeting the quality standards, the registered person must, and must ensure that staff—

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Requirement Due date

seek to involve each child’s placing authority effectively in the child’s care, in accordance with the child’s relevant plans. (Regulation 5 (a))

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Requirement Due date

In particular, the registered person must ensure that the placing authority for children living in the home is consulted when decisions are made about new children moving in. 29 December 2025

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Recommendations

 The registered person must ensure that the home is a nurturing, homely and supportive environment for children. Particularly, managers should ensure that external areas of the home are suitably maintained. (‘Guide to the Children’s Homes Regulations, including the quality standards’, page 15, paragraph 3.9)

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Recommendations

 The registered person should ensure that the independent person makes a rigorous assessment of the home’s arrangements for safeguarding and promoting the welfare of the children. This should include obtaining the views of the relatives of children, where appropriate, and non-management staff. (‘Guide to the Children’s Homes Regulations, including the quality standards’, page 65, paragraph 15.5)

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Information about this inspection

The inspector has 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: 2825825 6

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Children’s home details

Registered provider: Essential Therapeutic Care and Education Limited

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Children’s home details

Registered provider address: Essential Therapeutic Care, Unit 9, Court Farm, Rag Hill, Aldermaston, Reading RG7 4NT

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Inspector

Jacob Robson, Social Care Inspector Inspection report for children’s home: 2825825 7 and inspects 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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