Children's Home run by St Elizabeth’s Centre in Hertfordshire

Inspection report for children’s home: 2842260 1 Registered provider: St Elizabeth’s Centre

p.1

Full inspection Inspected under the social care common inspection framework

p.1

Information about this children’s home

This home is run by a large charitable organisation that provides care for up to 6 children aged 5 to 19 years with complex needs, autism, epilepsy and associated special educational needs and/or learning disabilities.

p.1

Information about this children’s home

Children and young adults attend the on-site school and sixth form. The inspector only inspected the children’s home.

p.1

Information about this children’s home

This is the home’s first inspection since registration. The manager registered with Ofsted in June 2025.

p.1

Information about this children’s home

At the time of inspection, there were 2 children and one young adult living at the home, who spent time communicating with the inspector during the inspection.

p.1

Overall experiences and progress of

children and young people, taking into account

p.1

good

How well children and young people are helped and protected good

p.1

good

The effectiveness of leaders and managers good

p.1

good

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

p.1

good

Date of last inspection: not previously inspected

p.1

good

Overall judgement at last inspection: not applicable

p.1

good

Enforcement action since last inspection: not applicable Inspection report for children’s home: 2842260 2

p.1

Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

No new children have moved into the home since registration. One child has left the home. This was carefully planned and managed effectively by staff to help ensure the move was as smooth as possible for the child.

p.2

Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

The home provides a warm, welcoming environment. Rooms are tastefully decorated and well maintained. Repairs are addressed promptly, helping to ensure a high standard of care. Children are encouraged to personalise their bedrooms, which feature fun photos of them engaging in activities with staff, contributing to children experiencing a strong sense of belonging and identity.

p.2

Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Children make good progress with their education. Education staff feel well supported by the home’s staff. This approach has helped to manage difficult changes effectively. As a result, children and young adults have developed greater patience, confidence and resilience when moving between different environments.

p.2

Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Children benefit from access to a multidisciplinary health team on site, as well as being actively supported to engage with community-based health services. This approach has led to an increase in confidence for the children, with parents noting that their children are now more willing to attend specialist appointments away from the home.

p.2

Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Children benefit from a range of fun experiences both inside and outside the home. They engage in creative activities, such as arts and crafts, and participate in a variety of community-based outings, including swimming, cinema trips and dining out. These opportunities are well supported by staff, providing excitement and positive engagement for the children.

p.2

Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Staff help children and young people to develop and demonstrate essential independence and life skills. This has helped children make good progress in their personal care and daily routines. One parent highlighted this, stating that their child, who has autism, has made ‘unimaginable’ strides in personal hygiene, dental care and domestic tasks. They added that their child takes pride in these achievements, which has a positive effect on the whole family.

p.2

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

Staff have a good understanding of the children and provide a stable environment. When children experience emotional distress, staff maintain a calm, measured approach. This patient and caring response helps de-escalate incidents, significantly reducing their duration and the impact on the children. Inspection report for children’s home: 2842260 3 Staff actively support children to take measured risks, providing a sense of community and ensuring their experiences are not limited. When difficult decisions regarding children moving on from the provision are necessary, these are carefully planned with a primary focus on the immediate safety and wellbeing of the children.

p.2

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

Incidents of self-injurious behaviour have decreased. The manager and staff engage well with a wider network of professionals to help ensure that children’s mental and physical health is regularly reviewed. This collaborative approach provides staff with effective strategies to help children regulate their emotions and remain calm.

p.3

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

Risk assessments are clear and comprehensive, providing staff with a good understanding of children’s individual needs. The manager provides effective guidance and oversight, increasing the likelihood that staff are well equipped to support children during a crisis. Furthermore, staff demonstrate the skills necessary to identify early indicators of illness or distress, enabling them to provide care that is responsive and timely.

p.3

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

Physical intervention is used only as a last resort. Records are detailed, providing clear information on the type and duration of any holds, and all incidents receive effective management oversight. However, there have been instances when staff’s reluctance to use physical intervention has resulted in children evading supervision, for example by climbing trees.

p.3

The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

The registered manager is suitably experienced and holds the required diploma in leadership and management in residential childcare. They provide effective oversight and demonstrate a good level of knowledge about the home and the children’s needs. Working closely with multi-agency professionals, the manager ensures that children’s voices are heard and their individual needs are consistently met.

p.3

The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

Supervision sessions are held regularly and used effectively by the management team to help staff to be reflective. Staff feel comfortable raising concerns regarding practice, which are then addressed promptly in follow-up sessions. Staff report noticeable improvements as a result, demonstrating strong leadership and management and a commitment to continuous professional development.

p.3

The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

The management team shows strong leadership on auditing and monitoring in the home. Weekly and monthly audits mean that its members are able to pick up issues and concerns quickly and address them accordingly.

p.3

The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

Documents are generally updated to ensure that information-sharing remains current. However, the location assessment has not been revised to reflect increasing environmental risks. This means that new and emerging risks have not been assessed and that placing authorities may not have a clear and accurate understanding of the environment when considering placements. Inspection report for children’s home: 2842260 4 Following a significant incident, the provider took appropriate internal action to investigate the matter. However, Ofsted was not notified of the incident. This lack of notification hindered the regulator’s ability to provide external oversight, review the actions taken, and determine whether further regulatory involvement was required.

p.3

The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

Parents say that communication is great. They receive weekly reports and phone calls, and are invited to meetings and appointments. Inspection report for children’s home: 2842260 5

p.4

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 must comply within the given timescales.

p.5

Requirement Due date

The registered person must notify HMCI and each other relevant person without delay if—

p.5

Requirement Due date

a child is involved in or subject to, or is suspected of being involved in or subject to, sexual exploitation;

p.5

Requirement Due date

an incident requiring police involvement occurs in relation to a child which the registered person considers to be serious;

p.5

Requirement Due date

there is an allegation of abuse against the home or a person working there;

p.5

Requirement Due date

a child protection enquiry involving a child —

p.5

Requirement Due date

concludes (in which case, the notification must include the outcome of the child protection enquiry); or

p.5

Requirement Due date

there is any other incident which the registered person considers to be serious.

p.5

Requirement Due date

A notification made under this regulation—

p.5

Requirement Due date

the other persons, bodies or organisations (if any) who or which have been notified; and

p.5

Requirement Due date

any actions taken by the registered person as a result of the matter;

p.5

Requirement Due date

must be made or confirmed in writing. (Regulation 40 (4)(a)(b)(c)(d)(i)(ii)(e) (5)(a)(i)(ii)(iii)(b)) 31 March 2026 Inspection report for children’s home: 2842260 6

p.5

Recommendations

 The registered person should ensure they review the appropriateness and suitability of the location and premises of the home at least once a year. The review should include the identification of any new risks and opportunities presented by the home’s location and strategies for managing these. (‘Guide to the Children’s Homes Regulations, including the quality standards’, page 64, paragraph 15.1)  The registered person should ensure that staff skills for safeguarding include being able to identify signs that children may be at risk, and support children in strategies to manage and reduce any risks. (‘Guide to the Children’s Homes Regulations, including the quality standards’, page 43, paragraph 9.10)

p.6

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: 2842260 7

p.6

Children’s home details

Registered provider: St Elizabeth’s Centre

p.7

Children’s home details

Registered provider address: South End, Much Hadham SG10 6EW

p.7

Inspector

Dan Williams, Social Care Inspector Inspection report for children’s home: 2842260 8 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.

p.7

Inspector

If you would like a copy of this document in a different format, such as large print or Braille, please telephone 0300 123 1231, or email enquiries@ofsted.gov.uk .

p.8

Inspector

You may reuse this information (not including logos) free of charge in any format or medium, under the terms of the Open Government Licence. To view this licence, visit www.nationalarchives.gov.uk/doc/open-government-licence , write to the Information Policy Team, The National Archives, Kew, London TW9 4DU, or email: psi@nationalarchives.gsi.gov.uk .

p.8

Inspector

Interested in our work? You can subscribe to our monthly newsletter for more information and updates: http://eepurl.com/iTrDn .

p.8

Inspector

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

p.8