Children's Home run by Esland South Limited in Bexley

Unique reference number SC387684 Inspection date 20/02/2014 Inspector Patrick Sullivan Type of inspection Interim Provision subtype Children's home

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Date of last inspection 24/05/2013 Website: www.ofsted.gov.uk

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Brief description of the service

The home is a residential home for six children and young people with emotional and behavioural difficulties. The home is operated by a private company and can offer planned, emergency and respite placements.

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The inspection judgements and what they mean

Good progress The children’s home has demonstrated continued improvement in quality of care and outcomes for children and young people and where appropriate has addressed all requirements and the large majority of recommendations that were raised at the previous inspection. Satisfactory progress The children’s home has maintained quality of care and outcomes for children and young people and where appropriate has addressed all requirements and the majority of recommendations that were raised at the previous inspection. Inadequate progress The children’s home has failed to address one or more requirements and/or has not met the majority of recommendations and/or the quality of care and outcomes for children and young people have declined since the last full inspection.

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Progress

Since their previous inspection the service is judged to be making good progress .

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Progress

At the last full inspection in May 2013 the home was judged to be good.

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Progress

The home is judged to have made good progress as the one requirement and three recommendations made at the last inspection have been addressed.

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Progress

The requirement arising from the last inspection relates to recruitment. Full checks are now carried out on all staff and these are kept in a central location.

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Progress

The first recommendation concerned case recording and making it more accessible to the young people. The case files are now laid out in a clear and easily understood manner.

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Progress

The second recommendation related to promoting the individual identity of the young people. The home has made efforts to improve on this area of its practice and has now appointed a 'diversity champion' to further improve on this aspect of its work. The final recommendation concerns improving the facilities to assist the young people in their education. In this area the home has made improvements with regards to Wi-Fi access and support to the young people in their education.

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Progress

Since the last inspection the Registered Manager has left the home and the deputy manager is currently acting up to cover the vacancy, supported by the organisations compliance officer. The staffing situation in the home has improved since the last inspection with a number of staff being transferred in from another unit nearby.

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Progress

The records of the home are well maintained and up to date. There have been no complaints received since the last inspection. The recording of restraints could be improved as one incident was recorded as two separate episodes when it was clearly the same incident.

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Progress

The home has a 'Central Reports Log' which records every incident including supervision sessions, keyworker sessions, restraints and sanctions. These are then also recorded in detail in separate files and books but the result is somewhat confusing and does not make it easy to establish patterns of behaviour. This system was implemented by the previous manager and will be reviewed now that he has left.

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Progress

The physical state of the home is reasonable but could do with some updating. A chest of drawers in one of the bedrooms was missing a drawer front.

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Progress

During the course of the inspection a new resident of the home was interviewed along with his parents who had been to visit him for the day. The placement had been an emergency one but the young person and his parents were happy with the way he had been welcomed into the home and with the level of communication and information received from staff at the home.

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About this inspection

The purpose of this inspection is to assure children and young people, parents, the public, local authorities and government of the quality and standard of the service provided. The inspection was carried out under the Care Standards Act 2000 to assess the effectiveness of the service and to consider how well it complies with the relevant regulations and meets the national minimum standards.

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About this inspection

The report details the progress made by the provider since the last full inspection, identifies any further strengths, any areas for improvement and makes judgements as outlined in the Inspection of children’s homes – framework for inspection.

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