Tutum House praised by inspectorate

Tutum House, our Ipswich-based children’s home, has been rated as ‘good’ for the quality of care it provides for young people.

The home was inspected by Ofsted in January and received this positive grading. This continues the home’s ‘good’ rating that was achieved in January 2024.

The home is one of four homes managed by our group, after two new homes were opened at the end of 2024. Tutum House provides residential care for up to three children who have been assessed as needing to live outside of a family environment.

The home is managed by our team of staff, led by a home manager, who each work to support and care for the children 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, responding to their individual needs and circumstances, and working with them to help them towards positive outcomes.

The in-person, two-day Ofsted inspection sought to understand the effectiveness of the home, assessing areas including the overall experiences and progress of children and young people, and how well children and young people are helped and protected. The home was rated as ‘good’ overall.

Inspectors commented on the positive relationships children living in the home have with staff. They said “Staff have trusted relationships with children. Staff talk about children with warmth, care and pride for their accomplishments and progress. Staff provide meaningful conversations to children around their relationships, health and personal safety. Staff understand children’s needs well and know how and when to offer extra help. As a result, children enjoy spending time with staff.”

Inspectors noted the efforts of staff to tailor activities to the needs and interests of the children, and how they were positively supported and encouraged with regards to education. They said, “Children make educational progress from their starting points” and “Their education offer is tailored to their interests. For example, they enjoy baking and are given opportunities to enjoy and learn about this. Another child has sustained their previously good educational progress. Staff encourage children to explore their interests and aspirations.”

Manager of Tutum, House, Emma Phelps said: “I’m really pleased on behalf of our team and our children, that we have received this positive report from Ofsted.

“I joined the home in October and right from the start, saw that this was a home that excels in caring and supporting young people, and doing everything possible to help them towards brighter futures.

“Each child that we care for has specific, and sometimes complex needs, so we tailor every part of our care for them, so that it is designed to help them towards the best possible outcomes. This could be supporting their self-confidence, helping them engage in and enjoy education, or introducing them to new activities.

“I’d like to thank every member of our team that continues to provide exceptional care to our young people. We will now do all we can to further build on this, and to strive for further positive outcomes for our children.”

Picture below shows Home Manager Emma Phelps and Responsible Individual, Rob Peduto.