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

Inspection report children’s home: 1240433 1 Registered provider: Esland North Limited Full inspection Inspected under the social care common inspection framework

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Information about this children’s home

The home provides care and accommodation for up to three children who have emotional and/or behavioural difficulties. It is operated by a private company.

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Overall experiences and progress of

children and young people, taking into account

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good

How well children and young people are helped and protected outstanding

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good

The effectiveness of leaders and managers good

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good

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

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good

Date of last inspection: 24 January 2017

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good

Overall judgement at last inspection: good

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good

Enforcement action since last inspection: none

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Key findings from this inspection

 Young people develop strong trusting relationships with staff.  Staff have a comprehensive understanding of young people’s needs due to a holistic overview undertaken when young people move in.  Robust individualised risk management systems and excellent safeguarding practices keep young people safe and protected. Inspection report children’s home: 1240433 2  Staff are excellent at educating young people to keep themselves safe, which leads to a significant reduction in their risk-taking behaviours.  Robust behaviour management leads to a reduction in negative behaviours.  Key working is excellent and provides guidance and understanding to young people about issues that affect them.  Staff promote and support contact between young people and their families.

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Key findings from this inspection

The children’s home’s areas for development:

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Key findings from this inspection

 Regular supervisions have not always taken place as outlined within the statement of purpose, particularly for new staff members.  The manager should ask for necessary information from the placing authority prior to the child moving in to avoid disruption and instability for the child in future and for other children in the home.

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Inspection date Inspection type Inspection judgement

24/01/2017 Full Good Inspection report children’s home: 1240433 3

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Statutory requirements

This section sets out the actions that the registered person must take to meet 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 must comply within the given timescales.

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Requirement Due date

The registered person must ensure that all employees undertake appropriate continuing professional development; and receive practice-related supervision by a person with appropriate experience. (Regulation 33(4)(a)(b)) In particular, ensure that the supervision of new recruits is completed in line with the home’s statement of purpose. 31/12/2017

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Recommendations

 It is essential that homes understand what will be required of them before they accept responsibility for a child’s placement, to avoid disruption and instability for the child in future and for other children in the home. (‘Guide to the children’s homes regulations including the quality standards’, page 57, paragraph 11.5) Specifically, that staff ask for the necessary information from the placing authority prior to the child moving in to the home.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Relationships between staff and young people are good because staff invest time and effort getting to know young people. As a result, young people settle quickly and strong trusting relationships are nurtured. They open up to staff, express their feelings and can talk about sensitive issues. These positive relationships have been influential in young people accepting external therapeutic support. A professional said: ‘[Name of young person] has settled in well within a very short period of time, is happy there and staff provide good emotional support.’

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Comprehensive plans and detailed chronologies provide useful background information. When young people move in, an independent psychological assessment is commissioned to provide a holistic overview. This appraises the staff team about young people’s complex histories and provides guidance on how to manage associated behaviours. Staff are skilled and put into practice the knowledge gained from training, particularly in the importance of attachment. Young people are reassured that staff understand the impact of their experiences. They receive high levels of emotional support, and staff take an Inspection report children’s home: 1240433 4 interest in their well-being. A parent said: ‘They are a dedicated team of people who genuinely care for my child. I know [name of young person] is in a place where staff care for them.’

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

One of the staff team’s strengths is the key working with young people. Staff provide guidance and understanding about a whole range of issues important in young people’s lives. Extensive, individualised direct work with one young person provided her with information to keep herself safe. This was instrumental in her returning home. Regular young people’s meetings include looking at topics such as stereotypes. This provides staff with the opportunity to understand young people’s beliefs and values. Staff challenge negative views in a safe environment, which leads to young people being more understanding of others.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Young people have access to a range of opportunities to involve themselves in their care and the day-to-day running of the home, including interviewing new recruits. Young people know how to complain, and if they do, their complaints are taken seriously and independently investigated. Young people have access to an independent advocate. They feel listened to and take an active role in making decisions and choices about their plans, both now and in the future.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Young people have mixed responses to education, particularly for those with disrupted school histories. For some, they have engaged with home tutoring, college and work. Young people have educational placements but have recently refused to attend. For those not in school or college, they follow a school timetable and staff provide informal educational activities during the day. This includes young people developing independence skills. Staff have a good working relationship with school staff, who also visit young people at home to encourage them. However, despite staff’s constant motivation and support, they are unable to engage one young person in education, but continue to persist.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Staff understand the importance of young people maintaining links with family. They work in partnership with the placing authority and parents to make contact as productive as possible. This includes staff following an intensive contact schedule, travelling a significant distance to the family home and staying nearby. Contact is successful as young people feel safe and supported throughout as they have the reassurance of staff completing welfare checks.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

There is a good matching procedure for young people referred to the home. However, one young person was moved to an alternative provision shortly after being admitted. This was after the manager became aware that the placing authority had not provided sufficient information. This caused disruption to the existing young people. The manager has put measures in place so a further incident is not repeated.

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How well children and young people are helped and protected: outstanding

Young people benefit from the excellent safeguarding practices and high levels of supervision that significantly protect their vulnerabilities. Staff follow strategies that Inspection report children’s home: 1240433 5 minimise potential dangers. They are effective at quickly identifying young people’s risks. Consequently, robust individualised risk management systems are kept under review. Young people let staff know if they are feeling upset or have a dip in mood. This is because of the secure relationships they have with staff. This offers young people added protection as it leads to staff’s early intervention to stop any self-harming behaviours. The implementation of a new handover checklist when staff begin their shift makes sure that staff know any changes in young people’s safeguarding plans. Staff keep young people safe as they are kept fully up to date with any new risk-taking behaviours or

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How well children and young people are helped and protected: outstanding

Staff spend considerable time educating young people about their risk-taking behaviours. As a result, young people learn how to keep themselves safe. There is no substance misuse nor any criminal behaviour. One young person has made significant progress, with a remarkable reduction in their identified risks since admission. Another young person engaged in exceptional personalised direct work spanning over several months. This intense work gave an awareness of sexual exploitation, led to a significant reduction in the level of risk, and enabled the young person to return home.

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How well children and young people are helped and protected: outstanding

There is a marked reduction in missing from home episodes and young people no longer abscond. This reduces their risk of exploitation. When young people stay away from home for unauthorised visits to family members, staff go out of their way to complete safe and well checks and challenge placing authorities to arrange strategy meetings. This provides a coordinated approach to risk management and for one young person this resulted in the placing authority agreeing to her moving home.

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How well children and young people are helped and protected: outstanding

Behaviour management is robust. The committed and enthusiastic staff team offers excellent role models for young people due to their measured approach. Staff use a range of effective strategies. These are personalised and young people are fully involved. Staff incorporate their ideas on how to manage negative behaviour, such as one young person asking for time alone outside the home to calm down. Staff are consistent in their approach and use restorative practice alongside incentives. Their exceptional knowledge of the young people provides a range of de-escalation techniques that are successful. Consequently, volatile situations are dealt with quickly and efficiently and physical intervention is rarely used. Young people learn how to regulate their behaviours, resulting in a significant reduction of angry outbursts and damage to property.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

An interim manager is managing the home while the current manager is on maternity leave. The regulator has been kept fully informed of the temporary arrangements. The interim manager has the necessary skills and experience to run the home, together with a comprehensive knowledge of the regulations.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

Leaders and managers provide effective oversight of the home. The manager is robust and challenges staff about their practice in separate single-subject supervisions. Inspection report children’s home: 1240433 6 New staff complete a thorough induction and training programme to prepare them for working at the home. Their ongoing development is promoted and they are able to progress to more senior positions. This retains existing experienced staff and the knowledge they have of the home. Young people’s relationships are also not disrupted.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

There is a mixed-gender staff team. Young people benefit from the different skills they bring and can indicate who they would prefer as a key worker. The employment of primary care practitioners, who work longer hours, offers continuity of care for young people and ensures that a senior staff member is on each shift. This provides support and reassurances to junior staff and young people. Staff present as fully committed, and speak of enjoying working at the home.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

Supervision and team meetings, with young people at the focus of discussions, ensure that staff reflect on their practice and the progress of young people. There have been some gaps in supervision. This leaves staff, particularly new recruits, not having their development reviewed. The interim manager has begun to address this shortfall. Recently booked training will address any gaps in staff’s knowledge and ensure that the staff team is working consistently to make a cohesive team.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

A monthly independent visitor report provides detailed actions for the manager to complete, which provides external scrutiny of the home. A comprehensive six-monthly report obtains feedback from stakeholders and clearly reflects the quality of care provided and outlines the progress of young people.

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Information about this inspection

Inspectors have looked closely at the experiences and progress of children and young people. Inspectors considered the quality of work and the differences made to the lives of children and young people. They watched how professional staff work with children and young people and each other and discussed the effectiveness of help and care provided. Wherever possible, they talked to children and 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 whom it is trying to help, protect and look after.

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Information about this inspection

Using the ‘Social care common inspection framework’, this inspection was carried out under the Care Standards Act 2000 to assess the effectiveness of the service, how it meets the core functions of the service as set out in legislation, and to consider how well it complies with the Children’s Homes (England) Regulations 2015 and the ‘Guide to the children’s homes regulations including the quality standards’. Inspection report children’s home: 1240433 7

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Children’s home details

Registered provider: Esland North Limited

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Children’s home details

Registered provider address: 1 Foundry Lane, Milford, Belper DE56 0RN

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Inspector

Tina Ruffles, social care inspector Inspection report children’s home: 1240433 8 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, further education and skills, adult and community learning, and education and training in prisons and other secure establishments. It assesses council children’s services, and inspects services for children looked after, safeguarding and child protection.

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Inspector

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Inspector

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Inspector

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