Children's home run by Esland North Limited in Amber Valley

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:

 Young people are positive about the care and support they receive and feel safe and comfortable in the home.

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The children’s home provision is good because:

 Young people develop positive relationships with staff and feel confident that they have someone to speak with if they have any concerns.

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The children’s home provision is good because:

 The manager ensures that staff promote contact for young people so they sustain their close relationships with the people who are important to them.

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The children’s home provision is good because:

 Young people are encouraged to have their say in the running of the home, through participation in house meetings and key-work sessions.

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The children’s home provision is good because:

 The manager and staff ensure that all young people are fully supported to attend school.

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The children’s home provision is good because:

 Young people learn independence skills, taking into account their age and understanding.

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The children’s home provision is good because:

 The manager ensures that staff receive regular supervision and training to ensure that they are skilled and competent to meet the needs of the young people they care for.

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The children’s home provision is good because:

 The manager ensures that staff members work collaboratively with other professionals to safeguard young people.

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The children’s home provision is good because:

 There is one shortfall in practice, regarding reporting details around missing from care episodes.

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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 within the given timescales.

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Requirement Due date

13: The leadership and management standard

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Requirement Due date

In order to meet the leadership and management standard the registered person must is required to—

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Requirement Due date

(2)(h) use monitoring and review systems to make continuous improvements in the quality of care provided in the home, with specific regard to missing from care episodes.

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Information about this children’s home

The home provides care and accommodation for up to three young people with emotional or behavioural difficulties. The service is operated and managed by a private organisation.

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Recent inspection history

Inspection date Inspection type Inspection judgement 31/03/2016 Interim Sustained effectiveness 24/11/2015 Full Outstanding 06/03/2015 Interim Improved effectiveness 20/11/2014 Full Good

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Good

Young people benefit from good-quality care that contributes to them making sufficient progress in most aspects of their lives while living at the home. This is because they are cared for by a competent staff team that places their individual needs at the centre of their work. One young person reported, ‘This is an amazing home that has helped me so much and brought me so far, I would not have done what I have without their help and support.’

p.6

Good

The manager ensures that young people have detailed care plans in relation to their needs and how they will be supported. Staff implement these plans effectively, with regular updates and reviews to reflect young people’s changing needs and progress. Young people are fully included in decisions about their care plans and are supported to ensure that their views are heard at reviews and planning meetings with other agencies.

p.6

Good

The manager ensures that young people are registered with doctors, dentists and opticians. They attend their routine health appointments with good support and encouragement from staff. Young people have access to the services they need to promote their physical, emotional and psychological well-being. Young people’s medication is stored and administered safely by trained staff.

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Good

The manager ensures that the home works closely with education providers to ensure that young people receive the maximum benefit from education. When issues do arise within the school, staff are proactive in helping young people address the issues, so that any disruption to their education is minimal.

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Good

The manager ensures that young people are fully involved in day-to-day decisions in the home. They contribute their views through regular meetings and constant communication with staff. This helps to ensure that young people have ownership of decisions made in the home and that they can start to take personal responsibility. One young person reported, ‘We can decide on activities and other things we do, we always get listened to.’

p.6

Good

Young people have clear contact plans in place to ensure that they retain positive links with family members and friends. Staff support these arrangements both practically and by providing emotional support to young people. This ensures that young people remain close to individuals who are important to them and benefit from being involved in a wider support network outside the home.

p.6

Good

The manager ensures that young people are provided with lots of opportunities to develop new skills, with good support and encouragement from staff. For example, some young people prepare their own meals and manage a small budget and some of them have secured part-time employment. They successfully learn to recognise risk and are encouraged to take age-appropriate decisions.

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Good

Young people join local clubs and take part in activities within the wider community, socialising with others of a similar age. This enables them to have new experiences and develop hobbies, skills and interests. Some young people have formed friendships in the local area and spend time with friends during free time. This promotes their sense of engagement and inclusion in the community.

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Good

Young people say that they feel safe at the home. One young person reported, ‘Since I have been here I have felt safe.’ A social worker further validates this, reporting, ‘Over a long period of time, [name] has earned the trust of those caring for her and she has rightly been rewarded with an increased level of freedom and independence.’

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Good

The manager ensures that risk assessments identify individual risks and support strategies. These documents are regularly reviewed to ensure that they remain up to date, relevant and continue to protect young people.

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Good

Staff receive training in the appropriate use of physical restraint, but only ever use this as a last resort to protect young people from harm, accident or injury. Staff maintain detailed records of any incidents that have occurred and that they are discussed at staff meetings. This is helping to ensure that staff and young people are receiving opportunities to reflect on incidents so that any learning is captured. A social worker reported, ‘[name] has for the most part responded very well to the boundaries and guidance implemented within the home and has really learned to reflect and modify her behaviour.’

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Good

Young people receive information on how to make a complaint in an informative children’s guide. Complaints information and contact details of independent organisations are also available for young people in communal areas of the home.

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Good

The manager ensures that young people live in a safe and secure environment. There are effective health and safety systems in place. Regular practice evacuations ensure that young people know how to exit the building safely and quickly in case of an emergency.

p.7

Good

The manager ensures that young people are protected by the organisation’s robust recruitment and selection procedures. Staff are vetted and assessed as suitable before any appointment is confirmed. These procedures promote the safety of the young people by preventing unsuitable adults from working with them.

p.7

Good

The home is in a rural area and situated out of town, with good communication and transport links to larger towns and cities. Young people have ample space to engage in communal activities but there are also opportunities for privacy. Young people receive encouragement to personalise their bedrooms and make this space their own. The home is a warm and welcoming family home that provides young people with a safe and secure environment.

p.8

Good

There are instances of young people going missing from the home. Though these numbers are not high, the reporting is not sufficiently detailed or clear about whether a return interview took place. This means that young people are not being given the opportunity to speak to someone independent of the home about their behaviours.

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Good

The home has an appropriately qualified registered manager in place. The manager has been in post since March 2013 and holds a level 5 diploma in leadership, health and social care.

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Good

Staff confirm that they are well supported and receive regular supervision. Appraisals take place within timescales, and there is access to a range of training opportunities in particular areas, such as self-harm, substance misuse and radicalisation. All staff are qualified or working to gain the relevant qualification for their role within regulatory timescales. This ensures that staff keep their skills and knowledge and are kept up to date with professional practice information.

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Good

The home’s statement of purpose provides good information about how the home works. The document is made available to professionals and parents so that they understand how young people are cared for. The home meets the aims and objectives that are set out in this document. Young people are provided with a good-quality children’s guide that allows young people to see where they will live and who will be looking after them. It also informs them about their rights and what to do if they have a concern or complaint.

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Good

The manager ensures that independent monitoring arrangements provide robust scrutiny of practice and performance of the home, identifying areas for improvement. It provides an effective check for compliance with regulations and standards, ensuring that young people’s needs are central to proceedings and they are safely cared for at all times.

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Good

The manager ensures that there is positive partnership working with external agencies to benefit young people. Staff are proactive in their efforts to engage the relevant agencies as and when required. For example, the local police community support officer visits the home to meet the young people on a regular basis. A professional commented, ‘I have been able to establish a very positive and productive working relationship with the manager.’ This partnership approach promotes young people’s safety and welfare.

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Good

There were no requirements or recommendations raised at the last inspection.

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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 looked after children 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 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 0300 123 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, work- based 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

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

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Information about this inspection

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

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