Children's home run by Esland South Limited in Nottingham

Inspection report children‟s home: SC024089 1 SC024089 Registered provider: Esland South Limited

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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 who have learning disabilities and/or associated complex needs. Six young people have been accommodated in the home since the last inspection. At the time of this inspection, one young person was living in the home.

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Overall experiences and progress of

children and young people, taking into account

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requires improvement to be good

How well children and young people are helped and protected requires improvement to be good

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requires improvement to be good

The effectiveness of leaders and managers requires improvement to be good

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requires improvement to be good

The children‟s home is not yet delivering good help and care for children and young people. However, there are no serious or widespread failures that result in their welfare not being safeguarded or promoted.

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requires improvement to be good

Overall judgement at last inspection: improved effectiveness

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requires improvement to be good

Enforcement action since last inspection: none Inspection report children‟s home: SC024089 2

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Key findings from this inspection

This children‟s home requires improvement to be good because:

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Key findings from this inspection

 Incidents of bullying have not been recognised by staff and managers as such. Staff have not ensured that appropriate support and guidance is provided to young people involved in such incidents.  The manager has not ensured that up-to-date care plans and consents are available, resulting in one young person being at risk of delay should medical treatment be required. The lack of up-to-date care plans means that staff are unable to provide the necessary support to ensure that young people are working towards their identified targets.  Staff do not always give the necessary support to young people in order to help them to make sense of their past experiences.  Key working is not planned effectively and is not responsive to young people‟s individual targets.  Risk assessments do not always provide the strategies and necessary guidance to staff in order for them to reduce or prevent the risk of harm to young people.

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Key findings from this inspection

 Young people are not always supervised as closely as agreed in their plans, and this has provided opportunities for their involvement in risk-taking behaviour.  Not all staff have received training in fire safety.  The children‟s guide is not written in a language which is conducive to the needs and understanding of the young people placed.  The manager does not have an oversight of all aspects of the service and her use of internal monitoring systems is ineffective. The manager has failed to identify and address areas of weakness.  External monitoring does not provide an impartial and robust assessment of the service. The shortfalls demonstrated during this inspection had not previously been identified. External monitoring reports do not provide a useful evaluation of the service.

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Key findings from this inspection

 Young people live in a well-maintained home which is nicely furnished and decorated. Young people are encouraged to personalise their bedrooms and this creates a sense of belonging.  The relationships between staff and young people are a strength, and young people trust staff and feel safe.  Educational outcomes are good. Staff work closely with education providers to support young people. This has resulted in raising young people‟s aspirations and sense of achievement.  Staff positively promote contact between young people and their families. For one Inspection report children‟s home: SC024089 3 young person, this has made a significant positive difference to his life.  Staff provide excellent support to young people, creating a strong foundation for their transition to adult life. Two young people have successfully moved into semi- independent provision and are making good progress.  Good recruitment procedures are in place and safety checks on new staff are

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Key findings from this inspection

carried out, thus ensuring that only those who are fit to work with children and young people do so.

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Inspection date Inspection type Inspection judgement

29/03/2017 Interim Improved effectiveness 14/11/2016 Full Good 11/02/2016 Interim Sustained effectiveness 18/11/2015 Full Outstanding Inspection report children‟s home: SC024089 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

11. The positive relationships standard (1) The positive relationships standard is that children are helped to develop, and benefit form, relationships based on— (a) respect and trust; (b) an understanding about acceptable behaviour; and (c) positive responses to other children and adults. (2) In particular, the standard in paragraph (1) requires the registered person to ensure— (a) that staff— (xiii) have the skills to recognise incidents or indications of bullying and how to deal with them. (Regulations 11(1)(a)(b)(c)(2)(a)(xiii)) 01/04/2018

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Requirement Due date

12. The protection of children standard (1) The protection of children standard is that children are protected from harm and enabled to keep themselves safe. (2) In particular, the standard in paragraph (1) requires the registered person to ensure— (a) that staff— (i) assess whether each child is at risk of harm, taking into account information in the child‟s relevant plans, and, if necessary, make arrangements to reduce the risk of any harm to the child: (iii) have the skills to identify and act upon signs that a child may be at risk of harm; (iv) manage relationships between children to prevent them harming each other; (v) understand the roles and responsibilities in relation to protecting children that are assigned to them by the registered 01/04/2018 Inspection report children‟s home: SC024089 5 person; (vi) take effective action whenever there is serious concern about a child‟s welfare; (b) that the homes‟ day-to-day care is arranged and delivered

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Requirement Due date

so as to keep each child safe and to protect each child effectively from harm. (Regulation 12(1)(2)(a)(i)(iii)(iv)(v)(vi)(b)) This is with specific reference to ensuring that risk assessments are in place and reviewed, and that these detail the steps to be taken by staff to reduce or prevent the risk of harm to any child. 13. The leadership and management standard (1) The leadership and management standard is that the registered person enables, inspires and leads a culture in relation to the children‟s home that— (a) helps children aspire to fulfil their potential; and (b) promotes their welfare. (2) In particular, the standard in paragraph (1) requires the registered person to— (f) 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; (g) demonstrate that practice in the home is informed and

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Requirement Due date

improved by taking into account and acting on— (ii) feedback on the experiences of children, including complaints received; and (h) use monitoring and review systems to make continuous improvements in the quality of care provided in the home. (Regulation 13(1)(a)(b)(2)(f)(g)(ii)(h)) This is with specific reference to ensuring that the registered person(s) has oversight of all aspects of the service, identifies any shortfalls and takes appropriate action to address these. 01/04/2018

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Requirement Due date

Regulation 25 (1) After consultation with the fire and rescue authority, the registered person must— (c) make arrangements for persons working at the home to receive suitable training in fire prevention; and (d) ensure, by means of fire drills and practices at suitable intervals, that persons working at the home and, so far as 01/04/2018 Inspection report children‟s home: SC024089 6 reasonably practicable, children are aware of the procedure to be followed in case of fire. (Regulation 25(1)(c)(d)) Regulation 36 (1) The registered person must maintain records (“case records”) for each child which— (a) include the information and documents listed in Schedule 3 (17)(18)(19)(20) in relation to each child; (b) are kept up to date; and (c) are signed and dated by the author of each entry. Schedule 3 17. A copy of any EHC plan or statement of special educational needs in relation to the child. 18. Every school report received in respect of the child while the

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Requirement Due date

child is accommodated in the home. 19. A copy of any plan for the care of the child prepared by the child‟s placing authority, and of the placement plan. 20. The date and result of any review of the placing authority‟s plan for the care of the child, or of the child‟s placement plan. (Regulation 36(1)(a)(b) Schedule 3(17)(18)(19)(20)) This is with specific reference to ensuring that children‟s records contain copies of relevant care plans and signed consents, and that the care provided to any child is in accordance with those relevant plans. 01/04/2018

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Recommendations

 Staff should have the skills and confidence to communicate easily and understand the importance of listening to, involving and responding to the children they care for. Staff should understand that they have a responsibility to observe, notice and respond to children who are expressing their views, acknowledging that it is not the sole responsibility of the child to „tell‟. („Guide to the children‟s homes regulations including the quality standards‟, page 22, paragraph 4.10.5) In particular, ensure that staff listen carefully and respond appropriately when children raise concerns about their past experiences.

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Recommendations

 The children‟s home must produce a children‟s guide. The children‟s guide must be made available to all children when their placement in the home is agreed (or on arrival at the home if their placement is made in an emergency) and must be age appropriate, provided in an accessible format and explained to each child to make sure that they understand it. („Guide to the children‟s homes regulations including the Inspection report children‟s home: SC024089 7 quality standards‟, page 24, paragraph 4.21) In particular, ensure that the children‟s guide is tailored to the understanding of children placed.  Staff should understand what they must do to prevent bullying of children by other children or adults. Staff should be able to recognise and address different types of abuse such as peer abuse, cyber-bullying and bullying in day-to-day relationships in the home. Registered persons must ensure that procedures for dealing with

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Recommendations

allegations of bullying are in place and that staff have the skills required to intervene, protect and address bullying behaviours effectively. (See regulation 34(3) on the policy for the prevention of bullying.) („Guide to the children‟s homes regulations including the quality standards‟, page 39, paragraph 8.16)  Staff should continually assess the risks to each child and the arrangements in place to protect them. Where there are safeguarding concerns for a child, their placement plan, agreed between the home and the placing authority, must include details of the steps the home will take to manage any assessed risks on a day-to-day basis. („Guide to the children‟s homes regulations including the quality standards‟, page 42, paragraph 9.5)  Any individual appointed to carry out visits to the home as an independent person must make a rigorous and impartial assessment of the home‟s arrangements for

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Recommendations

safeguarding and promoting the welfare of the children in the children‟s home. („Guide to the children‟s homes regulations, including the quality standards‟, page 65, paragraph 15.5)

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improvement to be good

Although young people living in this home make progress, shortfalls in safeguarding and leadership have a negative impact on their experiences. For example, staff have not always recognised the negative actions between young people to be bullying, which has resulted in a lack of appropriate support and guidance to both the victim and the instigator. This has resulted in young people feeling unsafe. Young people are not always adequately monitored, observed or supervised. One young person‟s placing authority has requested that the young person be supervised by two staff at all times. However, the young person is frequently left alone to use his gaming console, with staff checking on him every ten minutes. This resulted in the young person accessing the internet unsupervised. Staff know young people well and are generally alert to their individual signs of upset. Staff are proactive in calming them through the use of effective distraction techniques,

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improvement to be good

before things become too distressing for them. However, in doing so, staff have not always provided the appropriate responses to one young person in supporting him to make sense of his past experiences. As a result, staff failed to demonstrate an understanding that the young person‟s behaviour can be used as a means to communicate his feelings of unhappiness, or his desire to talk about this. While key-working sessions occur regularly, they are often unstructured and appear Inspection report children‟s home: SC024089 8 unplanned. The absence of proactive and prepared sessions means that young people‟s goals are not addressed. Records of sessions indicate that they are used to remind young people to improve behaviour, rather than as an opportunity to meaningfully engage them in working towards their targets. Recordings of key-working meetings are of variable quality, and are not conducive to the needs of young people who may wish to

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improvement to be good

access their records at some stage in the future. Despite identified shortfalls, positive interactions between the young person currently living at the home and staff were observed during the inspection. The young person described staff as „caring‟. The positive relationships that staff have developed with young people have created a nurturing environment. Young people trust staff, who are attentive towards them. One young person was observed to approach staff confidently and was relaxed in their company. Young people live in a warm and homely house which is decorated and furnished to a high standard. Young people are supported and encouraged to personalise their own bedrooms. One young person said that this was important as it helped him to settle in and develop a sense of belonging. Staff fully support young people‟s education and they have good attendance at school. Staff work closely with education providers to ensure that consistency is achieved. These

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improvement to be good

relationships help young people to be supported in meeting their educational goals, which raises their aspirations. Young people are supported well to maintain and improve relationships with their families and significant people in their lives. Staff understand that good and well- supported contact with parents and family members can form the basis for the development of positive relationships that will be helpful to the young person in the future. One parent expressed her gratitude to staff and managers for their flexibility and hospitality, and the efforts that they had made to ensure that contact arrangements were positive experiences for all concerned. The young person involved spoke about the amazing impact that such positive contact has had on him, and how he feels an increased sense of belonging to his family. Staff demonstrate good attention to all aspects of young people‟s health to ensure that

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improvement to be good

they receive the services that they require. Staff enthusiastically support young people to understand the importance of good health, through teaching them about the importance of healthy eating and good personal care. Staff work to develop young people‟s independence skills in line with their age and stage of development. This work is underpinned by a high level of support and ongoing review in order that young people are able to learn these skills in a staged way. This means that young people can successfully develop the necessary life skills to prepare them for adulthood. With the support of staff, two young people have successfully transitioned into semi-independent provision.

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improvement to be good

Inspection report children‟s home: SC024089 9 The assessment and management of risk does not consistently identify clear strategies for reducing the potential for young people to experience harm. Where strategies and guidance are provided, staff do not always follow this, for example leaving one young person unsupervised while using his game console and accessing the internet, contrary to his plan. This leaves the young person vulnerable to harm. Behaviour management plans are equally lacking and, while these identify possible behaviours, they do not provide staff with guidance on how to de-escalate situations effectively. The strategies used to address young people‟s behaviour do not include consultation with young people. One young person said that he doesn‟t always know what to expect from staff in relation to their response to his more challenging behaviour, and that he finds this frightening, due to past experiences. The young person was clear

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improvement to be good

that he wished to be consulted and involved in devising and reviewing his behaviour management plans. Staff and managers demonstrate due regard for most matters of health and safety. There is routine and responsive servicing and maintenance of systems to ensure the health and safety of young people. The house and grounds are well maintained and have appropriate levels of security. Required checks of equipment are carried out diligently. A review of staff training profiles, however, showed that not all staff have undertaken training in fire safety. As a result, in the event of a fire, young people and staff are placed at risk of harm. Despite the shortfalls identified at this inspection, the young person in placement reported that he feels safe. He said, „Staff look after me and keep me safe. Sometimes, I don‟t like not being able to do as I want, but I know it is for my own good. That feels nice.‟ Sound recruitment processes ensure that all the necessary checks are completed before

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improvement to be good

a member of staff starts works. This protects young people from having contact with unsuitable people. Staff and managers have participated in a range of safeguarding training and are conversant with current safeguarding issues and processes. One staff member spoke positively about accessibility of the available training, and the benefits of training which is tailored to the specific needs of the young people placed.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: requires improvement to be good

The home is managed by a permanent manager who is registered with Ofsted and holds appropriate qualifications . She has been in post since February 2010. Managerial failures in the monitoring of the service have resulted in significant shortcomings. Monitoring systems are ineffective and leaders and managers have poor oversight of the service and a limited understanding of its weaknesses. Monitoring processes have not identified the shortfalls found in this inspection. There have been failings by the manager in relation to the scrutiny of staff responses to young people‟s behaviour, which have resulted in missed opportunities to support one Inspection report children‟s home: SC024089 10 young person appropriately in understanding events in his past. A lack of rigorous monitoring of risk assessments has resulted in a failure to provide staff with the necessary guidance to reduce or prevent the risk of significant harm to young people. A

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: requires improvement to be good

lack of analysis of the relationships between young people has failed to identify bullying behaviour, which resulted in the lack of support to the victim and instigator. The registered manager has not been proactive in identifying gaps in required documentation and care plans. One young person‟s records did not provide an updated placement plan detailing the young persons identified needs and the necessary guidance for staff to meet these. The manager had not identified the lack of appropriate consents, placing the young person at considerable risk of harm should emergency medical treatment be required. The manager‟s scrutiny of staff training profiles failed to spot training deficits on the part of two staff members in relation to fire safety. This resulted in the risk that the two staff members may work together and may not know how to respond appropriately in the event of a fire. External monitoring visits take place on a monthly basis. However, the reports produced

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: requires improvement to be good

contain limited analysis. Although numerous records and documents are examined, in addition to consultation with staff and young people, the reports do not provide managers with a rigorous and impartial assessment of the quality of care provided. This is a missed opportunity for managers to receive constructive criticism from which to drive improvement. These reports are not always submitted to Ofsted in a timely manner and some reports have not been submitted at all. Staff are provided with supervision, although this has not been sufficiently frequent or in line with the provider‟s policy. There are examples of good-quality discussions, providing staff and their line manager with opportunities to discuss personal development, the home and the young people. Staff members value their supervision, and say that this provides them with the opportunity to consider and shape their practice. Staff meetings take place on a regular basis and provide a forum for staff to review the

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: requires improvement to be good

progress being made by young people, ensuring a consistency in their approach and responses to young people. In addition, staff participate in discussions about aspects of their practice and its impact on the outcomes for young people. Handover meetings and weekly updates are recorded well, and outline prevalent matters and planning in relation to young people and the home. One young person was able to describe what he would do if he was unhappy about any aspect of his care. A children‟s guide is available to young people; however, the language used is not conducive to the needs and understanding of the young person in placement. There have been no complaints during this inspection period. A detailed statement of purpose provides an accurate description of the purpose of the service and how this is to be provided. The statement of purpose is regularly updated and is informed by the contribution of staff members. This creates a sense of ownership

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: requires improvement to be good

by the staff team and a common understanding of their collective and individual contribution to the service. Inspection report children‟s home: SC024089 11

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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: SC024089 12

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Children’s home details

Registered provider: Esland South Limited

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Children’s home details

Registered provider address: Suites 1 & 5, Riverside Business Centre, Foundry Lane, Milford, Belper, Derbyshire DE56 0RN

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Inspector

Jacqueline Georghiou, social care inspector Inspection report children‟s home: SC024089 13 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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