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

Inspection report for children’s home: SC030797 1 SC030797 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 privately owned children’s home is registered to provide care for up to nine children with social and emotional needs. At the time of the inspection, there were six children living in the home.

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Information about this children’s home

The manager of the home registered with Ofsted in May 2024.

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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: 21 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: SC030797 2

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Inspection date Inspection type Inspection judgement

21/01/2025 Full Good 11/09/2023 Full Requires improvement to be good 23/05/2023 Full Inadequate 21/03/2023 Full Requires improvement to be good Inspection report for children’s home: SC030797 3

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Children seek support and affection from staff, who are attentive and respond warmly. Children are happy living in the home and say they can approach staff when they have worries or concerns. One child said, ‘I get on well with the staff and I like doing my clubs. They are probably my favourite things about living here’.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Staff make thoughtful efforts to ensure children feel valued and recognised. This includes purchasing items linked to children’s interests, providing personalised notes of encouragement, and offering rewards and letters that acknowledge children’s progress. As a result, children consistently experience nurturing relationships with staff.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Children benefit from being supported by committed staff who are focused on promoting their welfare. When describing the staff one parent said, ‘he has a good relationship with all of them. They are very caring about the children’.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Children are encouraged and supported to develop skills in preparation for their independence. Staff use pathway plans to help children learn important life skills, such as meal planning, budgeting and household tasks.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Children take part in a range of activities and hobbies that reflect their individual interests. Their personal choices are encouraged, while shared experiences are also promoted. Regular events, such as parties, film nights and daily meals eaten together, help create positive shared experiences that replicate family life.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Most children attend school regularly and are making good progress. For the one child who is not currently engaging with education, there are clear proactive plans in place to support them. Staff advocate for children’s education and consistently promote their learning needs. They work closely with external agencies to secure the right support and when necessary, challenge decisions to ensure plans are based on what is in children’s best interests.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Staff have a detailed understanding of children’s needs and backgrounds. This enables them to provide personalised and responsive care to each child. As a result of the care provided all children are making progress from their starting points, including in their emotional wellbeing. One parent described how their child is now more settled and better able to manage their emotions since living in the home.

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

Staff fully recognise the risks for children and are clear about the actions needed to support their safety. Children say they feel safe and well supported in the home. Families and professionals also express confidence in the staff’s ability to safeguard children effectively. Inspection report for children’s home: SC030797 4 Staff educate the children through conversations to help them understand and manage risks. This includes education around online safety, healthy relationships and other areas relevant to the children’s needs. This support is well planned and delivered creatively, taking into account of each child’s age and level of understanding.

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

Managers take prompt action to safeguard children and ensure that any allegations are prioritised and dealt with sensitively. When children raise concerns, investigations are completed in line with guidance and relevant agencies are notified without delay. On one occasion, the manager did not record the rationale for deciding not to carry out an investigation. However, they were able to explain and provide alternative evidence to demonstrate how this decision had been reached.

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

On the occasions when children have been missing from the home, staff respond quickly and take action to search for them. Most children remain in contact with staff and feel able to reach out for support, which helps them return safely. However, on one occasion, there was a delay in notifying both the manager and the police, despite the increased risks linked to the timing of the incident. The manager’s subsequent review did not acknowledge this delay. Following the incident, the manager provided support to both the child and staff to help reduce the possibility of a repeat incident.

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

Physical interventions are used proportionately and only when other strategies have been unsuccessful. The manager reviews all incidents and identifies learning to improve practice and minimise the need for future restraint. Children’s well ‑ being is checked after every incident and debriefs are routinely completed with children and staff. On one occasion, the staff member involved in a physical intervention also completed the debrief with the child afterwards. On review this was identified as inappropriate and a further discussion was held with the child to ensure their well ‑ being.

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

The quality of safeguarding records is variable, particularly in missing ‑ from ‑ home records. These records do not consistently capture sufficient detail about children’s presentation, well ‑ being, or the actions taken by staff when children are located.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

The home has both a registered manager and a home manager. Since the last inspection, there has been a change in the home manager, and the new manager has now completed their induction. The home manager intends to apply to register with Ofsted. In preparation for this, they have gradually taken on increased responsibilities while working under the oversight and guidance of the registered manager.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

The manager has quickly gained a sound understanding of the children’s needs and has invested time in building positive relationships with them. They speak with commitment about the home and demonstrate aspirations for its continued development and improvement. Inspection report for children’s home: SC030797 5 Staff speak highly of both managers and the support they receive. They describe managers who are approachable, available and who provide regular, consistent supervision. Staff report improved communication since the new home manager started. New staff also describe a supportive induction process, with managers ensuring they have sufficient time to learn and gain confidence before taking on responsibilities.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

Staff are happy working in the home and describe a supportive team that share a commitment to providing good care to the children. Staff morale is high, and this is reflected in the low level of staff turnover.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

Professionals consistently speak positively about their relationships with managers and staff. They report being kept well informed and consulted about children’s progress and plans. Parents also share positive views about the staff and commend the commitment they show in supporting and promoting family relationships.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

Children’s views are regularly sought through informal discussions, planned children’s meetings and routine feedback forms. Children report that they feel listened to and that staff take appropriate action in response to their wishes and feelings.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

Since the last inspection the responsible individual has visited the home and is now providing regular supervision to the registered manager. However, none of the children were aware of who the responsible individual is or understood their role. The lack of engagement with children reduces opportunities for concerns to be raised and restricts the responsible individual’s ability to effectively monitor the quality of care and practice within the home.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

There has been a recent change in the home’s independent visitor. The new visitor has proactively sought more feedback to inform their monthly monitoring, which has contributed to some improvement in the quality of reports. However, the reports continue to lack sufficient depth and scrutiny to effectively support the home’s development. Inspection report for children’s home: SC030797 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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Statutory requirements

The registered person must prepare and implement a policy (“the missing child policy”) setting out—

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Statutory requirements

the steps taken, and to be taken, to prevent children from being absent without permission; and

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Statutory requirements

the procedures to be followed, and the roles and responsibilities of persons working at the home, in relation to a child who is, or has been, so absent. (Regulation 34 (4)(a)(b)) 27 February 2026

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Statutory requirements

The leadership and management standard is that the registered person enables, inspires and leads a culture in relation to the children’s home that—

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Statutory requirements

helps children aspire to fulfil their potential; and

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Statutory requirements

In particular, the standard in paragraph (1) requires the registered person to—

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Statutory requirements

understand the impact that the quality of care provided in the home is having on the progress and experiences of each child and use this understanding to inform the development of the quality of care provided in the home;

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Statutory requirements

use monitoring and review systems to make continuous improvements in the quality of care provided in the home. (Regulation 13 (1)(a)(b) (2)(f)(h))

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Statutory requirements

In particular, the Responsible Individual must have sufficient oversight of the quality of care provided to children, enabling the Registered Manager to identify areas for improvement. To achieve this, they should routinely seek feedback from both children and staff.

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Statutory requirements

The Registered Manager must also ensure that the Independent Person effectively evaluates the quality of care and safeguarding 27 February 2026 Inspection report for children’s home: SC030797 7 responses taken by staff, providing assurance around the safety and welfare of children.

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Statutory requirements

The registered person must maintain records (“case records”) for each child which—

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Statutory requirements

include the information and documents listed in Schedule 3 in relation to each child. (Regulation 36 (1)(a)) 6 February 2026

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Recommendation

 The home’s record of significant events, including any allegations made against staff, should clearly detail the actions taken in response and the outcome of any investigation, including the rationale when a decision has been made not to investigate. (‘Guide to the Children’s Homes Regulations, including the quality standards’, page 63, paragraph 14.14)

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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: SC030797 8

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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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Inspectors

Kerry Howarth, Social Care Inspector Sheniz Hudaverdi, Social Care Inspector Inspection report for children’s home: SC030797 9 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

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