Windsor House

  • Registered: 2001
  • Registered Places: 3
  • DfE Education: Yes
  • Assessment/Therapy: Yes
  • Step Down Placements: Yes
  • Staff Ratio: 2:3

Windsor House - A 'Good' Children's Home with 'Outstanding ' Leadership and Management

 

 "Children thrive because of warm and nurturing relationships with staff. Interactions are genuinely caring and consistent across the staff team. Staff have created a culture of an extended family within the home.

 

Since the last full inspection, staff have supported one child with a positive move into the home. They placed welcome banners on the front door and decorated the child s bedroom with balloons. The child appreciated this thoughtful gesture and took photos as a positive memento
.
Before the child moved in, the registered manager completed a detailed compatibility assessment. This included a review of the dynamics between children already living in the home, education support and if the staff had the necessary skills and training to meet the child's needs. Risks highlighted during this process were set out in a personalised health plan for the child, which is kept under regular review by their key worker. This means staff are aware of the child's known and current health needs.
 
Staff have positive relationships with children and encourage them to attend school
daily. They support children to understand the benefits of a good education and celebrate their successes with them. Children have been revising for their GCSEs and writing short stories. This foundation helps children to make good progress and supports them with structure.
 
The home is decorated to a good standard, creating a light interior with soft furnishings , artistic woodwork made by children and modern black portrait art. One bathroom was being replaced at the time of the inspection, in line with the registered manager s development plan. Children s bedrooms are personalised and children say they have everything they need to feel happy and comfortable.
 
Children regard this a  their home. Staff encourage children to share their views and
support them in having a meaningful say in their life decisions. Children understand
how important they are to staff and the registered manager. One child said, staff
listen, and I feel heard.
 
Staff encourage children to pursue their interests and hobbies. One child attends
drama club and youth club regularly, while another child enjoys going to the movies
with friends. All children attend the gym regularly. This helps children develop self reliance as well as making them active participants in the community in which they live.
 
Staff are prioritising support for one child's health needs. They treat and speak about children with the utmost respect and dignity and help them with their developing
identities. This is having a tremendous impact on  the children's abilities to gain independence, make friends and grow in confidence."

 

Ofsted Inspection - February 2024 - Full report available by request

Residential Care

At Windsor House we provide children and young people with warmth and nurture, within an environment where we observe children to grow and develop as they begin to respond positively to the homes environment and the homes adults.

 

The children placed within Windsor House have all experienced some form of loss, neglect, trauma and rejection. This has had a profound effect on the children, whom are encouraged and nurtured to once again begin to trust for them to feel safe and secure within their placement. With the support of the adult team and the professionals involved in each child’s care, it is our intention that we will be able to successfully support the children in coming to terms with the underlying reasons for coming into care and to feel safe, secure, happy and healthy during their time with us.

 

The home aims to build positive relationships with all children whom come to reside at Windsor House in order to at first establish the ways in which we can support them to develop their self-esteem. A focus on building positive relationships begins from their arrival to the home and continues to grow throughout their placement.

 

Once these relationships are established, the children’s views, wishes, and feelings in regards to their care are incorporated into the way in which we provide care for them. All adults aim to support the children with their individual needs which are determined early on into placement. This is the foundation for ensuring that the children within Windsor House feel healthy, safe and secure and this builds the platform for which they are able to grow, develop and achieve.

 

The homes adults have the understanding and skills to support all children with their behaviours and recognise that at time the presented behaviours are a form of communication and reflects the thoughts, feelings and needs of our children at that time.

 

Through the development of positive relationships, the children are supported to recognise their emotions, and to understand how to communicate and express themselves in a constructive and appropriate manner.  Positive encouragement and praise is regularly used within the home to recognise the children’s achievements and support is provided to assist them in developing further and understand socially acceptable behaviours. It is our aim that by supporting the children in this way, we are maximising the potential for them to achieve both their own self set goals and make improvements highlighted by the adults involved in their care.

 

For some of our children the long-term plan may be that a suitable fostering placement is identified and for others, there may be an aim for them to return to their family home. Whichever option is being considered for our children, we aim to ensure that they can manage that transition at a time that is right for them. 

Education

The home is directly affiliated to both our DfE registered, specialist SEMH schools: The Davenport Primary School and The Old Priory Secondary School.

 

The respective school and the home work in close partnership to ensure continuity in respect of learning support, achieving developmental goals and behaviour management.

 

The Davenport School (Key Stage 2: 7-11yrs) offers a differentiated curriculum in order to meet the individual learning needs of each young person. The school operates with small group settings where children are closely supported and supervised by a qualified teacher and learning support assistants.

 

The Old Priory School (Key Stages 3 & 4: 11 – 16yrs) offers the national curriculum allowing for GCSE study in essential subject areas, alongside alternative, differentiated curriculums, including ASDAN and City & Guilds NPTC vocational awards, both of which lead to nationally recognised qualifications.

Assessment & Therapy

Children and young people residing in our care have access to a range of assessment and therapy services including:

  • Psychological Assessment
  • Psychotherapy
  • Systemic Therapy
  • Cognitive Behavioural Therapy
  • Speech & Language Therapy
  • Equine Therapy
  • Music Therapy
  • Drama Therapy
  • Art Therapy
  • Play Therapy

All therapy referrals are overseen by the organisation’s dedicated Therapy Services Manager in consultation with the allocated social worker and other key stakeholders as appropriate.

 

Our assessment and therapy services are an inclusive element of our residential care provision and attract no additional funding requirement.

Health Support

In addition to our therapy services and panel of consultants, each of our homes have direct access to a health promotions worker and, in the event of any significant health concerns arising, oversight from a registered, dual diagnosis nurse. This ensures effective, professional guidance in respect of health profiling, together with the immediate and ongoing health needs of each individual child and young person placed in our care.

Statement of Purpose

Windsor House | Statement of Purpose
SC023736 - SOP - WH .pdf
Adobe Acrobat document [691.8 KB]
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Ethelbert Children's Services -
Residential Children's Homes, Fostering and.Specialist Education
17 Leigh Road, Ramsgate, Kent CT12 5EU
Tel: 01843 823762
© Ethelbert Children's Services 2018

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