Children's Home run by Esland North Limited in Leicestershire

Inspection report children’s home: 1245565 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 a maximum of three young people with emotional and/or behavioural difficulties, including, but not exclusively, mild to moderate learning disabilities. Young people may also have sexualised behaviours, be non- compliant with education, self-harm and be engaging in criminal behaviours. There has not been a registered manager in the home since February 2018. However, an application has been made by the current acting manager to become the registered manager.

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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: sustained effectiveness

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good

Enforcement action since last inspection: none Inspection report children’s home: 1245565 2

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Inspection date Inspection type Inspection judgement

13/03/2018 Interim Sustained effectiveness 25/07/2017 Full Outstanding Inspection report children’s home: 1245565 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 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 the home’s day-to-day care is arranged and delivered so as to keep each child safe and to protect each child effectively from harm. (Regulation 12 (1)(2)(b))

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Requirement Due date

In particular, this is in relation to ensuring that young people’s risk assessments are clear, updated and specifically relate to the young person’s identified risks. 20/07/2018

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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—

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Requirement Due date

helps children aspire to fulfil their potential; and

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Requirement Due date

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

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Requirement Due date

use monitoring and review systems to make continuous improvements in the quality of care provided in the home. (Regulation 13 (1)(a)(b) and (2)(h)) 20/07/2018 Inspection report children’s home: 1245565 4

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Young people are making good progress. They each have a package of care that is tailored to their needs.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Young people have positive relationships with staff. They benefit from a staff team whose members show a high level of resilience, patience and commitment. A police community support officer said, ‘Staff are very engaging with the youngsters. There is a good rapport and they manage the young people’s behaviours very, very well.’

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Some young people are happy in the home, whereas others who have recently moved in are taking time to settle. A young person said, ‘I know I have only been here a short period of time but to be honest it’s OK really.’

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Bespoke packages of education are tailored to young people’s individual needs. A special educational needs coordinator said, ‘Compared to how they were when they arrived, they are so much more settled and engaged. Staff have tried their utmost to support them with their education and ensure they remain in school.’

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Staff encourage young people to take part in activities, to stay active and to follow their interests. Staff respect and value young people. A staff member said, ‘We appreciate that this is the young people’s home and we do everything we can to make sure they are safe and happy. We try and make life as enjoyable as possible for them.’

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Partnership working is effective. Professionals all gave good feedback. They all report good levels of communication. Social workers are impressed with the progress that young people are making.

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

Young people are safe and appropriately protected. Staff work hard to ensure that young people understand risks and begin to develop safer behaviours.

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

Risk assessments identify young people’s individual risks and vulnerabilities. They also set out the actions that should be taken to safeguard young people. However, some assessments have not been updated and are unclear. For one young person, there was not a specific risk assessment in relation to self-harm. Managers took immediate action to rectify this shortfall.

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

Going missing from care episodes have dramatically reduced for one young person. A safeguarding professional said, ‘In her previous homes, she would not comply with anything. She would immediately run away from wherever she was placed. This is the most stable and settled she has ever been.’

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

Staff have completed training in the use of physical restraint. Verbal de-escalation and Inspection report children’s home: 1245565 5 distraction techniques help to ensure that physical intervention is only used as a last resort. Incidents are properly recorded and monitored.

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

Key-working sessions are comprehensive and cover issues that are relevant to the unique safeguarding needs of each young person.

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

Restorative practice is used in the home. This helps young people to begin to take responsibility for their behaviour. Restorative practice also supports in creating an environment of accountability and fairness.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

The acting manager is suitably experienced and is currently undertaking the level 5 qualification in leadership and management.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

The acting manager is committed and child-focused. She and the staff team have a clear vision and are passionate about improving outcomes for young people. The whole management team is held in high regard by staff. One staff member said, ‘You can talk to the mangers about anything. I trust them all. They are so knowledgeable about the needs of young people.’

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

Young people know how to make a complaint and feel listened to by the staff. Managers and staff advocate well on behalf of young people to ensure that their needs are met. For example, when a return home interview did not take place, the acting manager ensured that this was addressed with the local authority.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

Although there are some monitoring systems in place, these need to be developed further. A lack of detailed assessment of the effectiveness of the home makes it difficult for managers to identify the strengths and weaknesses in the home.

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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 Inspection report children’s home: 1245565 6 children’s homes regulations including the quality standards’. Inspection report children’s home: 1245565 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 Limited, Suite 1, Riverside Business Centre, Foundry Lane, Milford, Belper, Derbyshire DE56 0RN

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Inspector(s)

Davinia Lawton: social care inspector Inspection report children’s home: 1245565 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 looked after children, safeguarding and child protection.

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Inspector(s)

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Inspector(s)

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Inspector(s)

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