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

Inspection report children‟s home: 1234624 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 is operated by a private organisation, and is registered to provide care and accommodation for up to three young people. The children may have emotional and/or behavioural difficulties.

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Information about this children’s home

Inspection dates: 28 to 29 November 2017

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Overall experiences and progress of

children and young people, taking into account

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inadequate

How well children and young people are helped and protected inadequate

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inadequate

The effectiveness of leaders and managers inadequate

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inadequate

There are serious and widespread failures that mean children and young people are not protected, their welfare is not promoted or safeguarded and the care and experiences of children and young people are poor and they are not making progress.

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inadequate

Overall judgement at last inspection: requires improvement to be good Inspection report children‟s home: 1234624 2 Enforcement action since last inspection: None.

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Key findings from this inspection

This children‟s home is inadequate because:

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Key findings from this inspection

 The registered provider has failed to recruit a manager who demonstrates sufficient experience and knowledge. During the course of the inspection, the acting manager failed to demonstrate sufficiently robust leadership and management qualities, and understanding of the responsibilities of the role.  The registered provider has not acted with due diligence to ensure that staff are safe to work with children. Evidence could not be provided that allegations made against staff in previous employment have been thoroughly investigated.  The acting manager has failed to perform monitoring checks to ensure that protocols for responding to allegations are ratified by the local authority.  The acting manager has failed to ensure that staff have completed training in a timely period. Therefore, not all staff have the skills or experience necessary to support the complex behaviours of the children living in the home.

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Key findings from this inspection

 The acting manager has failed to ensure that there is a sufficient proportion of experienced staff supporting the children living in the home.  The acting manager has failed to challenge the lack of formal education for one child. As a result, this child has remained out of formal education and without an assessment of her educational needs since moving into the home.  The acting manager has failed to ensure that children living in the home access therapeutic support in line with their care plans.

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Key findings from this inspection

 Senior leaders and the acting manager have made changes to the staff team recently. As a result, the staff are beginning to work well together, and are keen to improve the outcomes for the children.  The acting manager and the staff team have worked hard to enable a brother and sister to continue to enjoy living together in the same home.  The children live in a well-kept, comfortable home.

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Recent inspection history

Inspection report children‟s home: 1234624 3

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Inspection date Inspection type Inspection judgement

Full Requires improvement to be good Inadequate Inspection report children‟s home: 1234624 4

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Statutory requirements

This section sets out the actions that the registered person(s) 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(s) must comply within the given timescales.

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Requirement Due date

Engaging with the wider system to ensure children‟s needs are met

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Requirement Due date

In meeting the quality standards, the registered person must ensure that staff seek to involve each child‟s placing authority effectively in the child‟s care. In accordance with the child‟s relevant plans seek to secure the input and services required to meet each child‟s needs and if the registered person considers, or staff consider, a placing authority‟s or a relevant person‟s performance or response to be inadequate in relation to their role, challenge the placing authority or the relevant person to seek to ensure that each child‟s needs are met in accordance with the child‟s relevant plans. (Regulation 5(a)(b)(c)) 28/02/2018

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Requirement Due date

The quality and purpose of care standard

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Requirement Due date

The quality and purpose of care standard is that children receive care from staff who understand the children‟s home‟s overall aims and the outcomes it seeks to achieve for children. The conditions are that the care is approved, and kept under review throughout its duration, by the placing authority; that the care meets the child‟s needs; that the care is delivered by a person who has the experience, knowledge and skills to deliver that care; and is under the supervision of a person who is appropriately skilled and qualified to supervise that care. (Regulation 6(1)(a)(3)(a)(b)(c)(i)(ii)) 28/02/2018

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Requirement Due date

The children‟s views, wishes and feelings standard

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Requirement Due date

The children‟s views, wishes and feelings standard is that children receive care from staff who take their views, wishes and feelings into account in relation to matters affecting the children‟s care and welfare and their lives. In particular, the standard in paragraph (1) requires the registered person to ascertain and consider each child‟s views, wishes and feelings, and balance these against what they judge to be in the child‟s 28/02/2018 Inspection report children‟s home: 1234624 5 best interests when making decisions about the child‟s care and welfare; regularly consult children, and seek their feedback, about the quality of the home‟s care; ensure that each child and is given appropriate advocacy support. (Regulation 7(1)(c)(2)(i)(iv)(b)(iii))

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Requirement Due date

The education standard is that children make measurable progress towards achieving their educational potential and are helped to do so. In particular, the standard in paragraph (1) requires the registered person to ensure that staff help each child to achieve the child‟s education and training targets, as recorded in the child‟s relevant plans, and raise any need for further assessment or specialist provision in relation to a child with the child‟s education or training provider and the child‟s placing authority. (Regulation 8(1)(2)(a)(i)(vii)) 28/02/2018

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Requirement Due date

The protection of children standard is that children are protected from harm and enabled to keep themselves safe. In particular, the standard in paragraph (1) requires the registered person to ensure that staff understand the roles and responsibilities in relation to protecting children that are assigned to them by the registered person and are familiar with, and act in accordance with, the home‟s child protection policies. (Regulation 12(1)(2)(a)(v)(vii)) 28/02/2018

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Requirement Due date

The leadership and management standard is that the registered person enables, inspires and leads a culture in relation to the children‟s home that helps children aspire to fulfil their potential; and promotes their welfare. In particular, the standard in paragraph (1) requires the registered person to lead and manage the home in a way that is consistent with the approach and ethos, and delivers the outcomes, set out in the home‟s statement of purpose; ensure that staff have the experience, qualifications and skills to meet the needs of each child; ensure that the home‟s workforce provides continuity of care to each child; understand the impact that the quality of care provided in the home is having on the progress and experiences of each child and use this understanding to inform the development of the quality of care provided in the home; demonstrate that practice in the home is informed and improved by taking into

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Requirement Due date

account and acting on research and developments in relation to 28/02/2018 Inspection report children‟s home: 1234624 6 the ways in which the needs of children are best met; and feedback on the experiences of children, including complaints received; and use monitoring and review systems to make continuous improvements in the quality of care provided in the home. (Regulation 13(1)(a)(b)(2)(a)(c)(e)(f)(g)(i)(ii)(h))

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Requirement Due date

A person may only manage a children‟s home if the person has the appropriate experience, qualification and skills to manage the home effectively and lead the care of children. For the purposes of paragraph (1)(b)(i), a person has the appropriate experience and qualification if the person has by the relevant date, attained the Level 5 Diploma in Leadership and Management for Residential Childcare (England) (“the Level 5 Diploma”). (Regulation 28(1)(i)(2)(c)(i)) 28/02/2018

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Requirement Due date

The registered person must prepare and implement a policy which is intended to safeguard children accommodated in the children‟s home from abuse or neglect; and sets out the procedure to be followed in the event of an allegation of abuse or neglect. The procedure to be followed in the event of an allegation of abuse or neglect must, in particular, provide for records to be kept of an allegation of abuse or neglect, and the action taken in response. (Regulation 34(1)(a)(b)(2)(d)) 28/02/2018

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Requirement Due date

The registered provider must appoint, at the registered provider‟s expense, a person (“the independent person”) to visit and report on the children‟s home carried on by the registered provider. Subject to paragraphs (4) and (5), the registered provider may not appoint the following as an independent person: if the registered provider is not a local authority, a person who is employed for payment by the registered provider. (Regulation 43(10)(3)(b)) 28/02/2018

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: inadequate

The acting manager cannot provide evidence that the two children living in the home have made progress in key areas since the last inspection. The care given to the children Inspection report children‟s home: 1234624 7 is nurturing and appropriate, confirming that the staff know and understand the children. However, the acting manager was unable to provide evidence of a comprehensive package of therapeutic support for each of the children. While there is consultation with a commissioned therapeutic service called Future Minds, the inspector found no evidence of any progress having been made in relation to specific direct work. In addition, there is no specific training for staff so that they can help support children with different ethnicities, or help children make sense of their current situations. Staff members spoken to confirm that they have not received training relating to equality and diversity.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: inadequate

The acting manager has been successful in recruiting a staff team. However, the children are cared for by staff who are mostly new to the role. As a result, the acting manager is not able to ensure that there is a sufficient proportion of experienced staff members supporting the two children at all times. Furthermore, not all staff have completed all of the necessary training in a timely manner. Consequently, not all staff are equipped with the relevant knowledge or skills required to support the complex needs of the children.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: inadequate

Care plans and weekly activity plans are in place and up to date. Children have a range of activities available to them that are well thought out, and that they enjoy. Unfortunately, as a direct result of a shortage of staff, on a number of occasions the children have not been able to leave their home and take part in these activities. Furthermore, risk assessments compiled by the acting manager relating to there not being enough staff to safely support the children have not been ratified by the placing social worker. When spoken with, the social worker confirmed that he was not aware that the children were not always being cared for in accordance with their plans.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: inadequate

Staff support the children to access education. One child has made progress and continues to go to school, learn and have time with friends. Conversely, the acting manager has failed to advocate and challenge the serious lack of formal education for one other child. As a result, this child has remained out of formal education and without an assessment of their educational needs since moving into the home. As a direct result of not going to school, this child lacks the opportunity to integrate with a peer group that would help them to develop the necessary skills to socialise, mature and make appropriate friends.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: inadequate

Both children attend all of the necessary health appointments and staff ensure that they have a balanced and nutritious diet.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: inadequate

The children have recently moved in to the home and already it is very well decorated and evidences well the children‟s likes and choices. There is also evidence of the children participating in planning activities and days out. Unfortunately, the acting manager could not provide sufficient evidence to confirm that consultation and inclusion of the children in regard to the day-to-day running of the home takes place routinely. In addition, the acting manager has not identified an independent advocate for the children in order to ensure that their voices are heard. Inspection report children‟s home: 1234624 8

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

Since the last inspection, leaders and managers have failed to ensure that historical allegations against a small number of staff have been thoroughly investigated.

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

The designated officer confirms that since the last inspection there has been some communication with the manager because allegations have been made against staff. The registered provider appointed an acting manager who has failed to follow policy and procedure, demonstrate a robust understanding of child protection, and ensure that staff who were appointed to the role were safe. As a result, the acting manager was unable to provide evidence which satisfactorily showed that all internal investigations had been completed prior to the staff working in the home.

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

In the main, communication between the home and the local authority takes place. The acting manager reports serious incidents in a timely manner to the appropriate agencies. However, the acting manager failed to inform the social worker of occasions when they had not been able to provide staff in line with the children‟s risk assessments and care plans.

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

Risk assessments are in place and there is evidence that these are regularly reviewed. However, despite the complex needs of the children, the acting manager has failed to ensure that these documents have been ratified by the placing social worker. As a result, some of the current risk assessments do not effectively and accurately reflect the needs of the children.

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

Children are mostly looked after by staff who have completed all of the necessary training. However, records indicate, and staff spoken with confirm, that they do not always receive training in a timely manner. One member of staff spoke of their concern that they started work without having received any training. In this instance, their complaint to senior management was listened to and responded to. This means that not all staff possess the skill and knowledge required to keep children safe.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: inadequate

The acting manager has failed to improve some of the outcomes for the children and ensure that all safeguarding and child protection procedures are followed in line with the home‟s statement of purpose.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: inadequate

Since the last inspection, the children and the staff team have moved homes. While the move has in the main been smooth, the registered provider has failed to appoint an acting manager who demonstrates leadership and management skills. Furthermore, under scrutiny, the acting manager was unable to demonstrate a sufficiently broad and robust understanding of the regulations, the role of the registered manager and associated responsibilities.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: inadequate

Monitoring of the home takes place, but has failed to identify a number of serious Inspection report children‟s home: 1234624 9 shortfalls including: inconclusive outcomes for two allegations made against staff, risk assessments and protocols that were not ratified by the placing social worker, and not all staff having completed all necessary training. As a result, the acting manager has failed to demonstrate rigorous monitoring and oversight, determine how to reduce future incidents, and ensure that all staff complete training in line with the home‟s workforce development plan.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: inadequate

Regulation 44 visits regularly take place, and provide a detailed oversight of the home. However, it is to be noted that the current independent visitor is employed by the company and provides training for all of the staff. This arrangement undoubtedly compromises the independence of the monitoring and reporting function.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: inadequate

The acting manager attempts to make sure that children are consulted with, and evidence was found of how the children make decisions about activities and the decoration of their rooms. However, children are not actively involved in the running and development of the home. In particular, children are not fully and wholly involved in the recruitment of the adults who will be looking after them.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: inadequate

The acting manager has produced a development plan that makes reference to a number of the shortfalls identified during the course of the inspection. Unfortunately this requires further improvement to ensure that it is more specific, timely and measurable.

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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: 1234624 10

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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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Children’s home details

Registered manager: Post vacant Megan Smith

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Inspector

Linda Bond: social care inspector Inspection report children‟s home: 1234624 11 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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