Children's Home run by Esland South Limited in Kent

Inspection report children’s home: SC059037 1 SC059037 Registered provider: Esland South Limited 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 provides care for up to four children.  The home is one of many managed by this independent provider.  In its statement of purpose, the provider states that care is provided for children with emotional and/or behavioural difficulties.  A manager was registered with Ofsted in June 2018. However, they recently left the post.

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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 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

Overall judgement at last inspection: outstanding

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good

Enforcement action since last inspection: none Inspection report children’s home: SC059037 2

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Inspection date Inspection type Inspection judgement

15/08/2017 Full Outstanding 01/03/2017 Interim Sustained effectiveness 04/08/2016 Full Outstanding 31/03/2016 Interim Sustained effectiveness Inspection report children’s home: SC059037 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 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 promotes their welfare.

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Requirement Due date

The standard in paragraph (1) requires the registered person to—

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Requirement Due date

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;

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Requirement Due date

ensure that staff work as a team where appropriate;

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Requirement Due date

ensure that staff have the experience, qualifications and skills to meet the needs of each child;

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Requirement Due date

ensure that the home has sufficient staff to provide care for each child; and

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Requirement Due date

ensure that the home’s workforce provides continuity of care to each child. (Regulation 13 (1)(a)(b)(2)(a)(b)(c)(d)(e))

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Requirement Due date

Specifically, as far as possible, the registered person must provide a stable staff and management team to provide continuity of care from a child’s perspective and ensure that a suitable member of staff is available to deputise in the acting manager’s absence. 28/03/2019

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Requirement Due date

The independent person must provide a copy of the independent person’s report to—

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Requirement Due date

HMCI. (Regulation 44 (6)(a)(7)(a)(b)(c)(d)(e))

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Requirement Due date

Specifically, provide these reports in a timely manner. 28/03/2019 Inspection report children’s home: SC059037 4

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Recommendations

 The ethos of the home should support each child to learn, emphasising the value of independent study and reading for enjoyment. The home must make available suitable facilities, equipment and resources for learning and ensure that the home’s routines do not form barriers to children wishing to use the home’s resources to study. Staff must support children with home study by encouraging them to learn independent study skills and helping them to practice those skills. (‘Guide to the children’s homes regulations including the quality standards’, page 29, paragraph 5.18) Specifically, ensure that those children not attending school are supported to learn during school time. Also, promote an interest in reading for enjoyment.  The registered person should ensure that children are provided with nutritious meals suitable for each child’s needs. (‘Guide to the children’s homes regulations including the quality standards’, page 15, paragraph 3)

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Recommendations

Specifically, further encourage all children to eat regularly throughout the day and to extend the range of foods that some children eat.  For children’s homes to be nurturing and supportive environments that meet the needs of their children, they will, in most cases, be homely, domestic environments. Children’s homes must comply with relevant health and safety legislations (alarms, food hygiene etc.); however, in doing so, homes should seek as far as possible to maintain a domestic rather than ‘institutional’ impression. (‘Guide to the children’s homes regulations including the quality standards’, page 15, paragraph 3.9) Specifically, remove waste items in the garden, repair/replace the broken bench, review the use of signs and information displayed, consider the safety of the use of a TV directly on one bed and improve the appearance of the third bedroom and staff sleep-in room.  Staff should provide a nurturing environment that is welcoming, supportive, and

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Recommendations

which provides appropriate boundaries in relation to children’s behaviour. (‘Guide to the children’s homes regulations including the quality standards’, page 15, paragraph 3.7) Specifically, review boundaries around encouraging children to settle at night, notably the use of TV, games and screens in bedrooms.  As set out in Regulations 31–33, the registered person is responsible for maintaining good employment practice. They must ensure that recruitment, supervision and performance management of staff safeguards children and minimises potential risks to them. (‘Guide to the children’s homes regulations including the quality standards’, page 61, paragraph 13.1) Specifically, ensure that staff receive supervision at the frequency set by the organisation. Inspection report children’s home: SC059037 5

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

In surveys, children said that they are well looked after and one child said, ‘I am treated with respect.’ A parent said that staff ‘give children a voice and a sense of control that many feel they have lost through being looked after’.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Children build trusting relationships with staff. Some children have rebuilt relationships with their families as they learn to understand the impact of their behaviour on loved ones. Those children with a negative view of the police have been encouraged to form positive relationships with them.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Children experience a good range of activities, based on each child’s likes. Some children have started new hobbies, such as fishing, snooker and swimming, as staff share their interests with them.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Children learn valuable skills for adult life. They said that they like working through their independence books as they learn, for example to prepare meals or open a bank account.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Children who have been out of education have re-engaged, although attendance is not always consistent. Sometimes, staff take children who are not attending school to places of interest. However, further encouragement to learn and opportunities to read would assist children’s progress.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Health outcomes are mixed but there is progress, which is good in some cases. Some children who have previously refused all health services have engaged with such support since being in the home. Despite staff encouragement to give up, some children continue to smoke cigarettes. Improved personal hygiene has boosted children’s self- esteem.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Children benefit from eating meals with staff at the dining table. Some children are now more willing to try new foods or to drink more regularly. Despite staff encouragement, not all children eat regularly or from a wide range of food groups.

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

The safety of children with a history of going missing has improved, with a significant reduction in incidents. Staff work with children to help them to better understand healthy relationships and the risks posed to them when using social media.

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

New staff are checked thoroughly before they start to work with children. This helps to keep children safe. Managers advised that a new recruitment process may help to recruit staff who have a realistic idea of the work and therefore who will be more likely to stay. Inspection report children’s home: SC059037 6 Behaviour management is reliant on good relationships between staff and children. Staff help children to reflect on any challenging behaviour so that they can learn the impact of their behaviour on others. Some children struggle to adopt good night-time routines. The use of games/TV in their bedrooms may exacerbate this.

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

Staff work well with several agencies and with children’s families. They share information effectively so that everyone is kept informed of children’s behaviour and progress.

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

Refresher training in safeguarding was provided to staff following a delay in reporting an allegation. Staff are now confident about reporting concerns immediately. However, there is confusion in the team about distinguishing safeguarding from whistleblowing.

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

The building is maintained safely. There is a good approach to fire safety, for example by involving children in fire drills. The appearance of some parts of the building could be improved. For instance, there were waste items in the garden and a broken bench, while the appearance of the third bedroom and staff sleep-in room required attention.

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

The main issue has been staff turnover. The home’s stability has been affected by five different managers (which affected staff) and nine new staff since the last inspection. Staff also cover shifts at other homes, which creates further inconsistency. As children have not stayed long term, staff changes have not unduly affected their care.

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

The current registered manager has moved to another position in the company but is providing support to the acting manager. However, there is no senior member of staff to cover in the acting manager’s absence.

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

Monitoring of the service has been reasonable in identifying strengths and weaknesses. However, there has been a delay in providing some reports by the independent person to Ofsted.

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

Staff find their induction, support and training to be good. Staff do receive supervision but not at the frequency set by the provider.

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

Staff advocate well for children. For example, they challenge placing authorities when they feel a child’s safety may be compromised. They are proactive in seeking out suitable education provision for children.

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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 Inspection report children’s home: SC059037 7 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: SC059037 8

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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 Graves: social care regulatory inspector Inspection report children’s home: SC059037 9 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

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Inspector

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Inspector

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