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

Inspection report children’s home: SC478991 1 SC478991 Registered provider: Esland North 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 offers placements for up to four young people who have learning disabilities and associated complex needs. The home can offer planned, emergency and respite placements, which are offered following consideration of the particular needs of the young person referred, and the compatibility and needs of the resident group.

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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 good

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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

Overall judgement at last inspection: good

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good

Enforcement action since last inspection: none Inspection report children’s home: SC478991 2

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Inspection date Inspection type Inspection judgement

25/07/2017 Full Requires improvement to be good 08/02/2017 Interim Sustained effectiveness 18/10/2016 Full Good Inspection report children’s home: SC478991 3

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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

The quality and purpose of care standard is that children receive care from staff who—

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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 meet the needs of each child; and enable each child to participate in the daily life of the home. (Regulation 6(c)(i)(ii)) 18/05/2018

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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.

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Requirement Due date

In particular, the standard in paragraph (1) requires the registered person to ensure—

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Requirement Due date

that staff 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. (Regulation 12(1)(2)(a)(i)) 18/05/2018

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Requirement Due date

The care planning standard is that children receive effectively planned care in or through the children’s home; and have a positive experience of arriving at or moving on from the home.

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Requirement Due date

In particular, the standard in paragraph (1) requires the registered person to ensure—

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Requirement Due date

that children are admitted to the home only if their needs are within the range of needs of children for whom it is intended that the home is to provide care and accommodation, as set out in the home’s statement of purpose. (Regulation 14(1)(a)(b)(2)(a)) 18/05/2018 Inspection report children’s home: SC478991 4

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Young people benefit from being cared for by staff who show considerable patience, and are attentive to their individual and complex needs. Because of this, young people develop good relationships with staff, and appreciate the support they are provided with.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

When young people are admitted to the home, matching is not undertaken to ensure that their needs and those of the other young people already living at the home can be effectively met.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

The manager ensures that young people have clear health plans and are registered with the relevant primary health care services. Staff receive oversight from relevant professionals to support their work with individual young people, so that they can meet their emotional and psychological needs.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Medication is stored safely and arrangements for the administration and recording of prescribed and non-prescribed medication are effective. All staff receive suitable training to support young people’s health and well-being.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Education is a priority at the home. Attendance at school for some young people is good. Staff work in partnership with education departments and other relevant professionals to ensure that young people have every opportunity to reach their full potential.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Staff encourage young people to make a positive contribution to the home. The young people contribute their views through young people’s meetings and regular communication with staff. Young people know how to make a complaint if they are unhappy or have any concerns about their care.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

The manager works closely with placing authorities to promote contact with family and friends that is positive and safe. This ensures that young people continue to build relationships and attachments with those who are significant to them.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Young people have made progress in developing their independence skills, which empowers them to do more for themselves. For example, they assist in the preparation of meals, improve their self-care skills and communicate their needs to the adults around them. Learning is individualised and relevant to the young person’s age, level of understanding and ability.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Young people enjoy a wide range of social activities. These include attendance at local youth clubs, swimming, horse riding and cinema trips. Staff discuss any identified areas of interest with young people and endeavour to arrange for them to try out new things during their time in the home.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

The home is mainly well maintained and decorated. However, there has been some historic damage to the home, for which the repairs are not complete. This means that Inspection report children’s home: SC478991 5 young people’s bedrooms contain damaged furniture and there is some graffiti still visible on a previously painted wall.

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

Staff have a good understanding of safeguarding practice and the ways that they can protect the welfare of young people. There is effective working with partner agencies such as placing authorities, the local authority and police to ensure a strong multi- agency approach to safeguarding young people.

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

Risk assessments are used as working documents by staff, who understand young people’s known risks and vulnerabilities. In most instances, risk assessments are written up in good detail. However, some risk assessments do not have identified risk levels, which means that staff are working with documents that do not contain all the relevant information needed to keep young people safe.

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

Behaviour management is addressed with sensitivity and consistency. Challenging or unsafe behaviour by young people is well managed, with young people being kept safe. Staff support young people who have complex needs to find ways in which they can manage their anxiety and reduce unwanted and harmful behaviour. Staff work with a range of professionals to understand and identify strategies that are most helpful to them.

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

The manager ensures that staff comply with locally agreed protocols for young people that go missing. When young people do go missing, staff liaise with the police and complete detailed records of actions taken and appropriate individuals contacted. Young people have access to an independent person to speak to on their return home. This provides information that may help in protecting them from going missing again.

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

Staff complete regular health and safety checks and follow a range of safety procedures to protect young people from potential hazards. This includes fire drills and emergency evacuations, to ensure that young people know what to do in case of an emergency.

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

The home’s procedures for vetting and recruiting staff are thorough. This helps to make sure that only suitable adults work there.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

There is a new manager in charge of the home. He took up post in January 2018 and is currently in the process of registering formally with Ofsted. The manager is currently undertaking a diploma in leadership, health and social care at level 5.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

The manager uses staff meetings and supervision well to communicate the positive ethos of the home. Staff report that they find supervision helpful and supportive. Performance management systems are effective in challenging staff to maintain high Inspection report children’s home: SC478991 6 standards of care. Annual appraisals are used well to ensure that staff are provided with appropriate development opportunities.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

Staff are well trained and competent. They have good access to training opportunities to ensure that they have the knowledge and skills that they need for their work with young people. All staff are qualified or working to gain the relevant qualification for their role.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

Partnership working with educational settings, parents, health professionals and placing social workers is effective. This ensures that appropriate support is in place to assist young people’s progress and to maximise their potential.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

Suitable action has been taken to address some shortfalls from the previous inspection. Discussions with staff after a physical intervention are now taking place and restraints are now being used proportionately. The use of bedroom door alarms is now regularly reviewed; medication systems are now more effective; and staff are now providing young people with continuity of care, and understand their roles and responsibilities in relation to safeguarding. Managing and reviewing of placement care planning is not yet taking place, so the care planning standard has been repeated.

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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: SC478991 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: Esland Ltd, Suite 1, Riverside Business Centre, Foundry Lane, Milford, Belper, Derbyshire DE56 0RN

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Inspector

Dave Carrigan: social care inspector Inspection report children’s home: SC478991 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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