Children's home run by Esland North Limited

Inspection report children’s home: 1274670 1 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

This privately owned children’s home accommodates up to two children and young people who are at risk of child sexual exploitation, sexualised behaviours, self-harm, aggression, criminal behaviour and not engaging in education. The registered manager post is vacant. The new manager is applying to be the registered manager.

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Information about this children’s home

Inspection dates: 28 to 29 November 2018

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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 requires improvement to be 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: this is the home’s first inspection

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good

Overall judgement at last inspection: not applicable

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good

Enforcement action since last inspection: none Inspection report children’s home: 1274670 2

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Inspection date Inspection type Inspection judgement

This is the first inspection of this home. Inspection report children’s home: 1274670 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 registered person must notify HMCI and each other relevant person without delay if there is an allegation of abuse against the home or a person working there and if there is any other incident relating to a child which the registered person considers to be serious. (Regulation 40(4)(c)(e)) 31/12/2018

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Recommendations

 The registered person should only accept placements for children where they are satisfied that the home can respond effectively to the child’s assessed needs as recorded in the child’s relevant plans and where they have fully considered the impact that the placement will have on the existing group of children. (‘Guide to the children’s homes regulations including the quality standards’, page 56, paragraph 11.4)

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

The young person currently in placement benefits enormously from warm and trusting relationships with child-focused staff. She feels that staff care about her and listen to her. She knows how to make a complaint and is confident that staff will respond appropriately. Staff ensure that the young person spends time with her family. This supports her identity and ensures that she has support in place for when she becomes independent. The stability that she has achieved has enabled her to begin spending time with one family member for the first time. A family member commented, ‘Since being here, she is calmer. She gets on well with staff. It’s the best place she has been of all the placements.’

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Failings in the home’s leadership and management resulted in poor matching with three other young people who were placed when the home first opened. Their placements were ended, and one young person returned to his family. This led to young people experiencing disruption, but consistent and supportive staff have enabled the current young person to settle and make progress. Her placing authority has now agreed that Inspection report children’s home: 1274670 4 she needs a sole placement, which is proving to be of benefit to her.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

The home is welcoming and comfortable, and the young person has personalised her room. She has fun with staff who encourage her love of singing and dancing. They work with her on her fitness at the local gym, and she enjoys shopping, pamper nights and working on her independence with staff. Staff are aspirational for the young person, understand her plans for the future, and are working to help her find the right college placement and work placements. Staff engage her in discussions about her placement plans and in expressing her views, wishes and feelings.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Dedicated and skilled staff have enabled the young person to settle and experience stability after many failed placements. She is making progress in her independence skills, education and stability, and engaging in therapy for the first time. The support and care that staff provide have led to significant changes in her emotional well-being and ability to focus on her own needs. Her social worker stated, ‘We have a happy, content young person who is making plans for her future, which wasn’t her a few months ago.’

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

Highly trained and skilled staff keep the young person safe. Staff provide positive relationships, consistency and firm boundaries, which have enabled her to commit to staying at the home. After a history of regularly going missing from her previous placements, this risk has reduced significantly since she was placed here. Staff are trained to respond appropriately if young people go missing, and they are trained in and understand the links between going missing and child sexual exploitation. When young people self-harm, staff responded rapidly and appropriately.

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

Staff are highly skilled in behaviour management and de-escalation. They are vigilant and perceptive and use humour and music to provide a calm and relaxed atmosphere for young people. The young person in placement can talk to staff about her feelings and concerns, which reduces the need for challenging behaviour or going missing. Staff use physical intervention as a last resort and, when necessary, it is undertaken safely. Staff engage the young person in highly effective safeguarding keywork, and she evidences that she listens to what staff have to say and, as a result, has become increasingly safe.

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

High staffing levels contribute to keeping young people safe and this, along with good multi-agency work, means that staff are fully aware of potential risks and how to respond. Other professionals said that staff keep young people safe. A social worker said that she has been ‘massively impressed’, having placed a highly vulnerable young person at the home who was high risk for going missing and child sexual exploitation. The social worker also commented, ‘She [the young person] has gone missing but has not broken down the placement as in the past. She has returned and has stayed in placement.’

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

Risk assessments are detailed and relevant. Behaviour management plans provide staff with up-to-date guidance on how best to support and protect young people. Young people and staff are debriefed after incidents, providing them with an opportunity to reflect and learn. One social worker commented, ‘Staff attitudes to risk are professional Inspection report children’s home: 1274670 5 and well thought out.’

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

The young person in placement has made significant progress in not going missing, not engaging in criminal behaviour and stopping substance misuse . The home is well maintained, and safer recruitment practice is followed, ensuring that all aspects of young people’s care support their safety and well-being.

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

This is a new service, and the registered manager left in October 2018 after six months. There have been shortfalls in the registered manager’s practice, which require improvement. Senior managers in the company identified these issues and put additional support in place for him, but he subsequently left the company.

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

The registered manager did not evidence strong leadership and management skills, and staff lacked guidance and structure. He failed to notify Ofsted of an allegation against a staff member and of serious incidents involving young people. Pre-admission impact assessments were not effective, resulting in three inappropriate matches and young people having to leave the home. Record-keeping was poor, and information was not readily available for staff. Throughout this period, the dedicated staff team worked hard to minimise any negative impact on the young people in placement. Professionals said that staff have always worked in keeping with the ethos of the home.

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

The new manager had worked at the home as a staff member, prior to becoming the manager. She has been in post for five weeks and is applying to be the registered manager. She presents as being highly motivating, child focused and proactive. Staff spoke very highly of her and commented on the significant positive changes she has brought to the home. Staff find supervision supportive and reflective and they feel guided by the manager, who is focused on improving the planning of keywork. This makes them feel more confident in their roles. Staff also commented on how well the manager works with the young person.

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

The manager understands the team’s strengths and areas for development and has a clear direction for the service to drive up standards even further. She is reviewing and improving systems and enabling staff to develop their practice for the benefit of young people. Staff confirmed that systems are now working well, and the team is motivated to work hard to maintain standards.

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

Staff work very well with a range of agencies including social workers, youth offending services, colleges, therapists and the sexual crisis team. Feedback from professionals was very positive and they commented on the strong child focus in the home. A youth offending worker said, ‘I have nothing but praise for their work with the young person.’ Family members confirmed that staff update them regularly and are always helpful. One parent said, ‘The staff are great.’

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Information about this inspection

Inspection report children’s home: 1274670 6 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: 1274670 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: Suites 1 and 5, Riverside Business Centre, Foundry Lane, Milford, Belper, Derbyshire DE56 0RN

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Inspector

Louise Whittle, social care inspector Inspection report children’s home: 1274670 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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