Children's home run by The Kennedy and Elliott Partnership LLP

Inspection report for children’s home: 2517054 1 Registered provider: Kennedy and Elliott Partnership LLP Full inspection Inspected under the social care common inspection framework

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Information about this children’s home

This home was registered with Ofsted in February 2020 and is privately owned. It provides care for up to six children who experience social and emotional difficulties. At the time of the inspection, four children were living at the home, one child was in hospital.

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Information about this children’s home

The manager registered with Ofsted in August 2025.

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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

Overall judgement at last inspection: good

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Enforcement action since last inspection:

On 24 February 2025, an assurance inspection was carried out to address specific concerns received by Ofsted. Serious concerns in relation to the care and protection of children were identified. These led to children’s welfare not being consistently safeguarded and promoted. As a result, a compliance notice was issued under regulation 12 (the protection of children standard) of The Children’s Homes (England) Regulations 2015.

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Enforcement action since last inspection:

On 16 April 2025, a monitoring visit took place. The compliance notice was met. Inspection report for children’s home: 2517054 2

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Inspection date Inspection type Inspection judgement

08/10/2024 Full Good 22/08/2023 Full Good 15/11/2022 Full Good 05/10/2021 Full Good Inspection report for children’s home: 2517054 3

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Since the last full inspection, several children have lived in the home. Some children have been successfully supported to move into independent accommodation. Other children, including those subject to deprivation of liberty orders, have moved as staff could no longer safely manage their risks. For some children, this meant moving to a more secure or specialist setting, in an unplanned or in a relatively short period of time.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Children are made to feel welcome when they arrive. When possible, children visit the home, meet staff or have a video tour before moving in. Children already living in the home are prepared before a child arrives. One child helped the manager to buy a welcome pack for a new child moving into the home.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

The staff team is stable. Staff know the children well. They get to know each child’s individual interests and encourage them. Staff work hard to build trusting relationships and children appear relaxed with them. This helps children to settle and to feel understood.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Children receive the help they need to manage their health needs. An in-house therapist meets with children and staff to offer support and guidance. One child was recently admitted to hospital for an extended period. Staff remained with them throughout, and both the child and staff were supported by the therapist.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Children are supported to attend school and college. Staff understand that for some children who have been out of a school setting for a long period of time, a return can be unsettling. Incentives, encouragement and celebration about children’s engagement are helping to improve attendance. One child was helped to purchase studio headphones as a result of their sustained school attendance and was eager to set their next reward.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Children are supported to spend time with their families when it is safe to do so, and family members are welcome to visit the home.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Children are supported to think about and discuss issues related to their identity, culture and gender. Staff challenge discriminatory attitudes and promote respect and understanding.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

The home is large and provides plenty of space for children. It is currently being refurbished, and children have helped design a new sensory room and a computer- music room, which are nearing completion. Children cook with staff and eat freshly prepared meals. They also spend time playing computer games, painting and going on activities in the community. These opportunities help create a homely, fun and relaxed atmosphere. Inspection report for children’s home: 2517054 4

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

Staff are trained in safeguarding and de-escalation and have experience supporting children who self-harm. They use this knowledge to help children stay safe and respond calmly when children are in distress.

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

Staff have completed online training on child exploitation and children’s mental health and work collaboratively with placing local authorities to ensure that plans are in place to reduce risks. Children’s input into their plans is routinely sought.

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

Several children with complex needs were admitted to the home on an emergency basis, and for some, their stay was brief. During these admissions, key information, such as details of previous placements and relevant court orders, were not always obtained. Leaders have reflected on the impact that emergency admissions can have on the child, the children living in the home and staff. Leaders and managers are in the process of strengthening the home’s admission procedures to ensure more informed and planned decision-making.

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

Staff have a good understanding of each child’s individual risks and vulnerabilities. Since the last monitoring visit, children’s risk assessments and the management of unauthorised absences have been reviewed and strengthened. Missing-from-home episodes have reduced, and staff manage these incidents more effectively. Staff follow children, keep in contact with them and encourage them to return home. This helps children to feel valued and cared for. However, the reporting of these episodes through the police’s missing persons online portal is not yet fully embedded.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

There have been changes in leadership since the last inspection. The newly registered manager previously worked at the home and knows the children and staff well. She is supported by a newly appointed responsible individual, a deputy manager and two long-standing senior staff. Together, they work hard to ensure that children are well cared for and that the home runs smoothly.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

Leaders and managers have high expectations for what children can achieve. They have improved the quality of recording and monitoring in the home and now maintain clear oversight of each child’s progress.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

Leaders are proud of their staff and recognise the good work they do. Staff receive effective supervision, understand the expectations for their practice and work consistently with a shared approach. Relationships with external professionals are positive and contribute to better outcomes for children.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

The home has a clear workforce development plan and contingency arrangements in place. This helps the staff team to remain skilled, supported and able to meet children’s needs effectively. Inspection report for children’s home: 2517054 5 Management oversight of safeguarding is robust. Complaints, concerns about practice and allegations concerning staff are reviewed thoroughly and with the relevant professionals. However, the registered manager failed to notify Ofsted of one serious concern about a child. This omission did not have any direct impact on the child’s safety and well-being. Inspection report for children’s home: 2517054 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 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

that children are admitted to the home only if their needs are within the range of needs of children for whom it is intended that the home is to provide care and accommodation, as set out in the home’s statement of purpose;

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Requirement Due date

ensure the effective induction of each child into the home;

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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 the child’s placing authority is contacted, and a review of that child’s relevant plans is requested, if—

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Requirement Due date

the registered person considers that the child is at risk of harm or has concerns that the care provided for the child is inadequate to meet the child’s needs.

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Requirement Due date

In particular, ensure that the child’s history, including details of their last placement, restrictions they are subject to (and have been subject to in the past), arrangements for family time and support from other agencies are established prior to admission. (Regulation 14 (1)(a)(b) (2)(a)(b)(i)(iii)(e)(i)) 16 January 2026 Inspection report for children’s home: 2517054 7

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Recommendations

 The registered person should ensure that the home’s procedures take into account the views of appropriate local services and have regard to police and local authority protocols for responding to missing persons incidents in the area where the home is located. In particular, ensure staff use the online portal to report children missing as requested by the police. (‘Guide to the Children’s Homes Regulations, including the quality standards’, page 45, paragraph 9.29)  The registered person should seek to involve the local authority and other relevant persons whenever there is a serious concern about a child’s welfare. They are also required by regulation 40 to notify Ofsted about serious events. (‘Guide to the Children’s Homes Regulations, including the quality standards’, page 42, paragraph 9.4)

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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: 2517054 8

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Children’s home details

Registered provider: Kennedy and Elliott Partnership LLP

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Children’s home details

Registered provider address: Beckwith Barn Warren Estate, Lordship Road, Writtle, Essex CM1 3WT

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Inspectors

Matilda Clode, Social Care Inspector Andrea Ulett, Social Care Inspector Inspection report for children’s home: 2517054 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.

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Inspectors

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Inspectors

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Inspectors

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

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