Children's home run by Curve Care Ltd

Inspection report for children's home: 2838229 1 Registered provider: Curve Care Ltd

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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 owned and run by a private organisation. It provides care for 2 children who experience social, emotional and mental health difficulties. At the time of the inspection, 2 children were living in the home.

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Information about this children’s home

The registered manager has been in post since May 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

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: 2838229 2

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Children appear happy and have made positive progress from their starting points. Staff are consistent in their approach, and children are building positive and secure relationships as a result.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Managers have taken time to complete comprehensive assessments to ensure that they have the skills and resources to meet children’s needs. Three children have moved to the home in urgent circumstances. However, managers and staff have taken time to explore their needs with professionals and think about how they can help them to feel comfortable in the home. Children living in the home are supported to create welcome baskets for new children, including special treats and culture-specific toiletry products. This helps to demonstrate to children that they have been held in mind before they arrive at the home.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Children are supported to take part in a range of activities to settle and invest in the home when they arrive. Shopping for furnishings, engaging in planning meetings and one-to-one discussions help children to share their views, likes and dislikes. Staff use this information to plan a range of positive activities, establish healthy routines and support children to feel heard in their care planning. As a result, children settle well into the home.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Education is a priority. Managers are swift in liaising with the placing authority to explore educational options for children who are placed out of area. Children are supported to engage in educational activities inside the home, including working towards formal qualifications. There is an emphasis on maintaining positive routines to enable children to reintegrate back into school settings. One child who had a significant period of absence from school has had a school identified and is now attending regularly. Additional tutoring and educational sessions have bridged the gap in their education. As a result, this child is prepared to sit their GCSE examinations alongside peers and is intending to apply to sixth form.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Children are supported to maintain lifelong connections and to identify people who are important to them. Staff find ways to help children stay in contact, visit and spend time with significant people in their lives, including parents, siblings and extended family. Children feel able to request additional time with their friends and family, and staff support these opportunities. As a result, children’s relationships with their family are improving.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Children have fun. They develop skills, hobbies and interests. Staff arrange positive activities inside and out of the home. They are encouraged to engage in activities as a group, developing their social skills, and are encouraged to enrol in community-based groups to develop relationships in the wider community. Inspection report for children's home: 2838229 3 The home is a welcoming and well-resourced environment; its decoration and furnishing are reflective of the children who live there. While CCTV is present on the exterior of the home and the neighbouring property, this focuses on the security of the home. However, children have bedroom door alarms in use when other forms of supervision, including waking night staff are already in place. While this is agreed with the placing authority and is in response to a child’s legal order, there has not been sufficient review or consideration of how to minimise the intrusiveness of these systems to adequately

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

respect the children’s right to privacy.

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

Children settle well into the home, and as a result, there is a low level of incidents. The manager is insightful and pre-empts children’s changing needs, identifying potential risks and ensuring staff have the training and knowledge to suitably respond and prevent incidents from taking place.

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

Staff are vigilant to signs children could be experiencing challenges outside of the home. When children have difficulties in their relationships with peers, staff take time to explore these with the child and alongside other professionals. As a result, concerns about bullying in education have been promptly escalated, explored and addressed.

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

When children go missing from home, staff respond swiftly to locate them and support their return. Managers are proactive in exploring with the children their reasons for going missing from home. Return home interviews take place, and discussions with professionals result in changes to children’s plans. As a result of this effective planning, there has been a reduction in missing-from-home episodes, and no children have been missing since October 2025.

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

Behaviour management in the home is effective. There have been no incidents that have required restraint. Consequences used are reasonable and proportionate. They link appropriately to the behaviours displayed and help children to reflect on the impact of their behaviour. Children have been involved in making amends, repairing and cleaning up damage caused during incidents. This has resulted in a reduction in incidents of property damage for one child.

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

There are systems in place for the safe administration of medication. There has been one medication error, which was identified through a routine check. The manager completed a prompt investigation and identified suitable actions to prevent reoccurrence.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

The home is led by a competent, confident and ambitious manager. She is child focused in her decision-making and is creating an environment of clear accountability and consistency. Leaders and managers have a good understanding of children’s needs and have been effective at adapting their planning to reduce risks and support children to make positive progress. Inspection report for children's home: 2838229 4 There is an open and reflective learning environment. The manager knows the strengths and weaknesses of the home. She identifies areas for development and creates effective plans to improve practice. The manager uses a range of forums to keep her own training and knowledge up to date and ensures that this is cascaded down to her team. Training is provided to staff that is relevant to the children in the home, and practice is reviewed through supervision sessions.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

Staff feel valued and supported by leaders and managers. There are a range of forums in place to support staff, to review practice and to ensure that standards are maintained in the home. Managers proactively use forums such as supervision and probation reviews to review and develop staff practice. They are adept at exploring staff dynamics and manage practice concerns before they have an impact on children.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

Generally, safer recruitment practices are effective. Staff are subject to appropriate Disclosure and Barring Service checks. Managers ensure they seek and verify all references from relevant roles and take time to understand individuals’ work history. Inspection report for children's home: 2838229 5

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Recommendation

 The registered person should ensure that observation, monitoring or surveillance of children does not remove reasonable privacy and should allow as much privacy as possible. In particular, the registered person should review the use of door alarms to ensure these are used in the least intrusive manner and in line with children’s individual needs. (‘Guide to the Children’s Home Regulations, including the quality standards’, page 19, paragraph 3.36)

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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: 2838229 6

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Children’s home details

Registered provider address: 424 Margate Road, Westwood, Ramsgate, Kent CT12 6SJ

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Children’s home details

Responsible individual: Kimberley Stafford

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Inspectors

Georgia Carty, Social Care Inspector Emma Blake, Social Care Inspector Inspection report for children's home: 2838229 7 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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