Children's Home run by Esland North Limited in Derby

Good

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

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The children’s home provision is good because:

 The home is providing a good, and in some respects an outstanding, service to children and young people.  Staff protect children and young people extremely well. They consistently implement comprehensive risk and behaviour management plans that keep children and young people as safe as possible.  As a result of comprehensive packages of help and support, incidents of risky behaviours, such as self-harm, drug use, going missing and violence and aggression significantly reduce and in some cases stop altogether.  Children and young people are happy and speak very positively about their experience of living in the home. They enjoy very positive relationships with a skilled, consistent and committed staff team whose members provide them with high levels of certainty, stability and security.  Children and young people make good progress in many aspects of their lives. Their life chances improve.  Children and young people are at the centre of practice. Their views

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The children’s home provision is good because:

contribute to the running of the home and they are fully involved in the preparation and review of their placement plans.  A very enthusiastic and child focused registered manager motivates the staff team. The staff feel valued and share their manager’s vision to improve the lives of children and young people.  Two shortfalls and one area for improvement are identified as a result of this inspection. These are in relation to providing more informal education to a young person who is not yet in full-time education, minor maintenance issues, and in relation to escalating concerns to a higher level when children and young people are not receiving the type of education they require. These issues do not have a significant impact on the safety and welfare of children and young people and do not detract from the high-quality care provided.

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Statutory requirements

This section sets out the actions which must be taken so that the registered person(s) meets the Care Standards Act 2000, Children’s Homes (England) Regulations 2015 and the ‘Guide to the children’s homes regulations including the quality standards’. The registered person(s) must comply with the given timescales.

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Requirement Due date

Regulation 6: The quality and purpose of care standard

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Requirement Due date

In order to meet the quality and purpose of care standard, the registered person must:

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Requirement Due date

ensure that the premises used for the purposes of the home are designed and furnished so as to —

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Requirement Due date

meet the needs of each child; with particular reference to minor maintenance issues being promptly logged and addressed. (Regulation 6 2(c)(i)) 15 July 2016

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Requirement Due date

In order to meet the education standard, the registered person must ensure —

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Requirement Due date

that staff promote opportunities for each child to learn informally. (Regulation 2 (a)(v)) 15 July 2016

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Recommendations

To improve the quality and standards of care further, the service should take account of the following recommendation(s):  Where the placing authority or another relevant person does not provide the input and services needed to meet a child’s needs during their time in the home, the home must challenge them to meet the child’s needs. Staff should act as champions for their children, expecting nothing less than a good parent would, with specific reference to escalating concerns when there are delays in full-time educational provision being provided (‘Guide to the children’s homes regulations including the quality standards’, page 12, paragraph 2.8).

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Information about this children’s home

 This privately owned home is registered to care for up to seven children and young people with emotional and behavioural difficulties. The home is divided between two buildings on the same site.

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Recent inspection history

Inspection date Inspection type Inspection judgement

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Recent inspection history

22 Dec 2015 Interim Sustained effectiveness

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Recent inspection history

05 Feb 2015 Interim Sustained effectiveness

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Good

Children and young people are happy and settled. They speak extremely positively about their experiences and the impact living in the home has had on their lives. One young person said, ‘While living here I have come out my shell. I am now confident enough to try new things and I am so much happier in myself’. Another said, ‘I would not change a thing about this home  my life has been turned around’.

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Good

Children and young people enjoy positive and trusting relationships with committed and caring staff who know them and understand their needs very well. A parent described the staff as ‘absolutely brilliant’, and children and young people hold them in high regard. A young person commented, ‘The staff are great. They are good listeners and give good advice. They spend a lot of time with me and we always have a laugh’. The positive relationships children and young people have with a consistent team of skilled and committed staff help provide them with the stability and security they need and deserve.

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Good

Staff support children and young people to become healthier, both physically and emotionally. They encourage them to take regular exercise and to eat healthily. For those young people with specific health needs, specialist help is accessed without delay. For example, one young person receives the support of a dietician, others meet regularly with their child and adolescent mental health service (CAMHS) workers, and one young person has recently benefited greatly from the support of a specialist drug and alcohol service. He said, ‘Since living here, my life has changed. I have stopped using drugs and have stopped smoking. All in all, I feel so much healthier and happier’.

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Good

Children and young people are fully respected and valued. Their views are central to the day-to-day running of the home. Through weekly house meetings and regular placement planning meetings as well as feedback questionnaires, the suggestions of children and young people are heard and acted upon. One young person proudly advised an inspector, ‘The home has been decorated in my choice of colours and I have chosen new furniture’. Children and young people are also fully involved in the preparation and review of their placement plans. As a result, they are more motivated to work towards goals that they themselves have identified and wish to achieve. This provides them with a sense of control over their lives and helps raise their confidence and self-esteem.

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Good

Staff support older young people to develop emotional resilience as well as practical life skills in preparation for adulthood. A young person currently preparing for this said, ‘I am doing lots of independence work. I do my own washing, cleaning, budgeting, shopping and cooking. I fixed a hole in the wall last week. I am also having more free time in preparation for living semi-independently’. Once semi-independent accommodation is identified, staff support young people in moving on in a planned way. In order to help them settle, packages of outreach support are available. As a result of this and the skills acquired while living in the home, transitions are smooth and young people have a better chance of success and happiness in adulthood.

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Good

Staff work closely with children and young people, and their parents and relatives and they work creatively to promote regular, good-quality contact. For one young person, this involves some family members coming to stay with her at the home on a regular basis. For others, it involves taking children and young people to other parts of the country so that family relationships can develop and flourish. A young person said, ‘I now see more of some family members and I am getting on better with others’. Improved family relationships will help children and young people to develop a more positive sense of identity. It also provides an opportunity for them to have an improved family support network in the longer term.

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Good

The majority of children and young people are making excellent educational progress from their starting points. One young person commented, ‘I had not been to school for two years before living here. I am now back in school and have learned so much. I am now working towards doing GCSEs’. This significantly increases their future life chances. However, for one young person who has more recently moved into the home, there has been some delay in providing a full-time package of education. In the interim, more needed to be done by the staff to provide structured educational activities to help him regain confidence in preparation for reintegration into full-time education.

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Good

The home environment is safe. Redecoration throughout and a programme of improvement is well under way and is significantly improving the physical environment. During the inspection, however, some minor maintenance issues were identified as unrecorded or unaddressed. For example, a broken internal door handle was awaiting repair, a kitchen sink cabinet was mouldy and one area of flooring was insecure. Improved staff vigilance and swifter responses to such minor issues would make the home an even more pleasant environment for children and young people to live in. Judgement grade

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Outstanding

Young people feel extremely safe and they are able to identify staff whom they can share any worries or concerns with. A young person commented, ‘I have learned that it is ok to trust people. I know I can trust the staff here and talk to them. This makes me feel safe’. The emotionally safe environment, created through the extremely positive relationships children and young people have with staff, provides them with a strong sense of safety and well-being.

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Outstanding

Pre-placement impact risk assessments undertaken by the registered manager are extremely effective in ensuring that the mix of children and young people living in the home at any one time does not pose safeguarding risks to children and young people. Age and gender, as well as the individual needs, risks and vulnerabilities of each young person, are carefully balanced alongside staffing skills and numbers. As a result, children and young people are very well matched and do not pose a risk to each other. Bullying is not tolerated. Individual and group work undertaken with children and young people in respect of peer relationships with the aim of helping them to develop mutual respect for each other is very effective. This, as well as high staffing levels, ensure that children and young people are living together harmoniously in a settled and happy environment. This provides children and young people with an improved sense of safety.

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Outstanding

Children and young people are protected as a result of extremely comprehensive risk and behaviour management plans being implemented by staff, and because of multi-agency programmes of work being undertaken with them in respect of their individual difficulties and vulnerabilities. Because of the work undertaken, incidents of risky behaviour, such as self-harm, drug misuse, violence and aggression and criminal activity significantly reduce and in some cases stop altogether.

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Outstanding

Despite some children and young people having a significant history of going missing and having been assessed as being at risk of sexual exploitation, incidents of going missing have reduced and have become rare. On the two occasions since the last full inspection when a child or young person went missing, they were promptly located and welcomed back into the home within hours. The positive relationships staff have with children and young people, the staff’s understanding of individual risks and triggers, as well as work undertaken in relation to personal safety, including internet risks, have been extremely effective in safeguarding children and young people from going missing from care.

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Outstanding

The behaviour of children and young people is exceptionally well managed. Positive relationships, extremely consistent boundaries and proactive behaviour management approaches are very effective. A young person said, ‘The rules here are fair and I know where I stand. I get lots of rewards and I know what the consequences will be if I do things I should not’. As a result, incidents of challenging and aggressive behaviour significantly reduce. Children and young people start to develop insight into their behaviour and learn to behave in more socially acceptable ways. Recourse to physical intervention has become rare. This is a testament to the skills of the staff in de-escalating and reducing challenging behaviour. On the two occasions since the last inspection where physical intervention has been necessary as a last resort to ensure safety, debriefs with staff and children and young people followed. The manager thoroughly analyses

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Outstanding

the effectiveness of all interventions, thus ensuring that the standard of practice in this area remains high.

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Outstanding

Staff at all levels have an excellent understanding of the home’s safeguarding policies and procedures. When issues of concern have arisen that could have constituted safeguarding concerns, prompt actions taken by the manager and senior staff ensured the safety of children and young people. Close working relationships with the Designated Officer and prompt and thorough internal investigations significantly reduce the risk of harm to children and young people.

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Good

The registered manager is experienced and is working towards the required management qualification within the timescales stipulated in the Children’s Homes (England) Regulations 2015. She provides strong leadership and has addressed the one requirement set at the last inspection. She is extremely organised, knowledgeable, committed and child-focused. Staff hold her in high regard. One staff member said, ‘I feel very well supported by the manager. She is very hands- on and leads by example’. The manager is a good motivator. She leads a staff team whose members feel valued and share her vision to improve the lives of children and young people.

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Good

Staff are well trained. All those who are not in their probationary period are suitably qualified or working towards the required qualifications within appropriate timescales. All have completed mandatory training and participate in more specialised training, such as in relation to self-harm, bereavement and trauma, and attachment issues. This helps develop their insight into the needs of children and young people and equips them with the knowledge and skills to meet the needs of all children and young people living in the home.

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Good

Staff knowledge and development are also promoted through regular and reflective team meetings and through regular supervision. New and improved supervision and staff development booklets have recently been introduced by the home’s managers. These provide all staff with additional scope to reflect on the needs of individual children and young people and to identify their own professional development needs.

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Good

Case records are very well maintained. They include all relevant local authority plans and provide a fully coherent picture of the care provided to children and young people. Regular management reviews of case records ensure that standards of recording remain high.

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Good

The manager and her staff are strong advocates for children and young people. They ensure that they have access to advocacy services when children and young people feel they are not being listened to. The manager also routinely challenges placing authorities when children and young people are not receiving the help and support they need. In one situation regarding a young person’s educational provision, however, such challenge could have been escalated to a higher level to help minimise the delay in the provision of a full-time package of education.

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Good

The home’s statement of purpose is fully up to date and provides clear and accurate information to parents and placing authorities about the care, support and services the home offers. Young people are also provided with a guide so that they know what to expect when they come to live in the home.

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Good

Managers and leaders effectively monitor the progress children and young people make. Weekly reports are provided to parents and placing authorities. Data is used effectively to identify patterns and trends in behaviours and to demonstrate what progress each child or young person is making. The manager and staff also regularly review progress directly with children and young people. As a result, they, as well their parents and placing authorities, are able to see how well they are progressing.

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Good

Quality assurance monitoring is effective in identifying strengths in the home as well as minor shortfalls. Reports include, and the manager acts upon, valuable feedback provided by children and young people, professionals and parents. This helps drive improvements and is indicative of a service that continually wants to develop and improve practice so that children and young people achieve even better outcomes.

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What the inspection judgements mean

The experiences and progress of children and young people are at the centre of the inspection. Inspectors will use their professional judgement to determine the weight and significance of their findings in this respect. The judgements included in the report are made against ‘Inspection of children’s homes: framework for inspection’.

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What the inspection judgements mean

An outstanding children’s home provides highly effective services that contribute to significantly improved outcomes for children and young people who need help and protection and care. Their progress exceeds expectations and is sustained over time. A good children’s home provides effective services that help, protect and care for children and young people and have their welfare safeguarded and promoted. In a children’s home that requires improvement , there are no widespread or serious failures that create or leave children being harmed or at risk of harm. The welfare of children looked after is safeguarded and promoted. Minimum requirements are in place. However, the children’s home is not yet delivering good protection, help and care for children and young people. A children’s home that is inadequate is providing services where there are widespread or serious failures that create or leave children and young people being

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What the inspection judgements mean

harmed or at risk of harm or that result in children looked after not having their welfare safeguarded and promoted.

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Information about this inspection

Inspectors have looked closely at the experiences and progress of children and young people living in the children’s home. Inspectors considered the quality of work and the difference adults make to the lives of children and young people. They read case files, watched how professional staff work with children, young people and each other and discussed the effectiveness of help and care given to children and young people. Wherever possible, they talked to children, young people and their families. In addition the inspectors have tried to understand what the children’s home knows about how well it is performing, how well it is doing and what difference it is making for the children and young people who it is trying to help, protect and look after. This 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 Children’s

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Information about this inspection

Homes (England) Regulations 2015 and the ‘Guide to the children’s homes regulations including the quality standards’. the guidance ‘Raising concerns and making complaints about Ofsted’, which is available from Ofsted’s website: www.gov.uk/government/organisations/ofsted . If you would like Ofsted to send you a copy of the guidance, please telephone 0300123 4234, or email enquiries@ofsted.gov.uk .

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Information about this inspection

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, workbased learning and skills training, adult and community learning, and education and training in prisons and other secure establishments. It inspects services for looked after children and child protection. If you would like a copy of this document in a different format, such as large print or Braille, please telephone 0300 123 4234, or email enquiries@ofsted.gov.uk . 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,

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Information about this inspection

The National Archives, Kew, London TW9 4DU, or email psi@nationalarchives.gsi.gov.uk .

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Information about this inspection

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Information about this inspection

Store Street Manchester M1 2WD T: 0300 123 1231 Textphone: 0161 618 8524 E: enquiries@ofsted.gov.uk W: www.ofsted.gov.uk

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