Children's home run by Esland North Limited

Inspection report children’s home: 1257013 1 Registered provider: Esland North Limited

p.1

Full inspection Inspected under the social care common inspection framework

p.1

Information about this children’s home

This home is privately owned. It provides care and accommodation for up to six children aged between 10 and 17 years of age. It is set over two buildings on the same gated site. The home cares for children who have emotional, social and/or behavioural difficulties. The home’s manager has now returned to work following maternity leave. She is submitting her application to Ofsted to be registered.

p.1

Overall experiences and progress of

children and young people, taking into account

p.1

requires improvement to be good

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

p.1

requires improvement to be good

The effectiveness of leaders and managers requires improvement to be good

p.1

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.

p.1

requires improvement to be good

Date of last inspection: 25 September 2018

p.1

requires improvement to be good

Overall judgement at last inspection: Requires improvement to be good

p.1

requires improvement to be good

Enforcement action since last inspection: None Inspection report children’s home: 1257013 2

p.1

Inspection date Inspection type Inspection judgement

25/09/2018 Full Requires improvement to be good 08/01/2018 Full Good Inspection report children’s home: 1257013 3

p.2

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.

p.3

Requirement Due date

The enjoyment and achievement standard is that children take part in and benefit from a variety of activities that meet their needs and develop and reflect their creative, cultural, intellectual, physical and social interests and skills. In particular, the standard in paragraph (1) requires the registered person to ensure— that staff help each child to— develop the child’s interests and hobbies; participate in activities that the child enjoys and which meet and expand the child’s interests and preferences; (Regulation 9(1)(2)(a)(i)(ii)) 28/06/2019

p.3

Requirement Due date

The positive relationships standard is that children are helped to develop, and to benefit from, relationships based on— mutual respect and trust; an understanding about acceptable behaviour; and positive responses to other children and adults. In particular, the standard in paragraph (1) requires the registered person to ensure that staff— understand how children’s previous experiences and present emotions can be communicated through behaviour and have the competence and skills to interpret these and develop positive relationships with children. (Regulation 11(1)(a)(b)(c)(2)(a)(ix)) 28/06/2019

p.3

Requirement Due date

The protection of children standard is that children are protected from harm and enabled to keep themselves safe. In particular, the standard in paragraph (1) requires the registered person to ensure— 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)) 24/05/2019

p.3

Requirement Due date

The leadership and management standard is that the registered 28/06/2019 Inspection report children’s home: 1257013 4 person enables, inspires and leads a culture in relation to the children’s home that— helps children aspire to their full potential; and promotes their welfare. In particular, the standard in paragraph (1) requires the registered person to— 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)

p.3

Recommendations

 When a child returns to the home after being missing from care or away from the home without permission, the responsible local authority must provide an opportunity for the child to have an independent return home interview. Homes should take account of information provided by such interviews when assessing risks and putting arrangements in place to protect each child. (‘Guide to the children’s homes regulations including the quality standards’, page 44, and paragraph 9.30)  Ensure that staff are familiar with the home’s policies on record keeping and understand the importance of careful, objective, and clear recording. Staff should record information on individual children in a non-stigmatising way that distinguishes between fact, opinion and third-party information. Information about the child must always be recorded in a way that will be helpful to the child. (‘Guide to the children’s homes regulations including the quality standards’ , April

p.4

improvement to be good

The management team has worked hard to meet the requirements that were set at the last inspection. Despite this, three of the five requirements made are unmet. These requirements have been made again. Additionally, a further requirement and two recommendations are made as a result of this inspection. The home requires improvement because of the inconsistencies in the quality of care. Some staff have failed to build a positive relationship with one child. Ineffective behaviour management and an inability of some staff to de-escalate challenging behaviours has contributed to the criminalisation of a child. Behaviour management strategies require significant improvement. The inability of some staff to be attuned to one child’s needs, at times, has left the child Inspection report children’s home: 1257013 5 in crisis. Some staff have failed to provide the consistency of care required to assist the child to overcome their difficulties. A child said, ‘When some staff are on shift it is

p.4

improvement to be good

miserable and boring in the house. I just stay in my room out of the way.’ Other staff have positive, nurturing relationships with children. They use their skills well to identify and address children’s complex behaviours. Some staff deal with children in a caring and compassionate way. Over the last two months, one child’s behaviours have stabilised. This is substantial progress. Children are receiving alterative educational provision, which is fully promoted by staff. One child has recently taken their GCSEs, which is exceptional progress. Shortfalls by local authorities in respect of the children’s educational needs have resulted in the senior management team paying for children to receive much-needed education. This is to be highly commended. There is a lack of activities for children to participate in. Staff fail to plan and organise activities that enable children to stay active and follow their interests. This is a lost

p.5

improvement to be good

opportunity to enrich children’s childhood experiences and provide them with positive memories. Children’s views are continually sought. As a result, children feel that they are listened to. Children know how to make a complaint. When complaints are made, the management team responds to them in a timely manner and provides children with a clear explanation about complaint outcomes.

p.5

improvement to be good

Staff have not always responded well when safeguarding incidents have occurred. During a particularly heightened period for one child, incidents of going missing and self- harm increased. Staff have not always followed the child when they have left the home, or have very quickly lost sight of them. Additionally, independent return home interviews are not consistently carried out. This means that staff are not able to access information about risk factors that might have emerged from the interview. On another occasion, staff failed to promptly check on a child, despite knowing that the child had been drinking alcohol in their bedroom. This failure potentially left the child at risk of harm. Despite these shortfalls, children report feeling safe in the home. A social worker said, ‘They are doing well, and they have settled down a lot. They are less angry and are more engaged than they ever were. Their risky behaviours have recently become much

p.5

improvement to be good

less frequent.’ Risk assessments are detailed and clearly outline the concerns relevant to children. They are updated regularly. Assessments provide clear and helpful information to staff about how each area of risk should be managed. Staff help children to understand and reflect on their behaviours through good-quality key-work sessions. Well-designed booklets help children to explore their thoughts, feelings and emotions. This structured work enables children to become more Inspection report children’s home: 1257013 6 emotionally resilient, and to develop a better understanding of the underlying issues that cause challenging behaviour. This is a strength of the home.

p.5

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

The home has gone through an unsettled period. It has seen some substantial changes in recent months. The registered manager left the home in August 2018. Although a new manager was appointed, difficulties within the management team adversely affected the whole of the staff team. The previous registered manager has now returned to the home and is keen to ensure that standards are improved for children. She and the senior management team fully acknowledge the shortfalls that have been identified. The manager has a clear vision for the development of the home. Her expectations about the way in which staff care for children are uncompromising. Staff feel confident about the manager’s ability to restore the home to a good standard. They are delighted that she has returned to the home. A number of new staff members have now joined the team. Some of the staff are inexperienced and still developing their skills. Half of the staff members are unqualified.

p.6

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

The home manager has the skills and experience necessary to provide good-quality support to these new staff. While some monitoring and review systems are now better, improvement is still needed. More specific attention is required when monitoring incidents to ensure that shortfalls are identified, and lessons learned. Recording across a range of important documents is inconsistent.

p.6

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.

p.6

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: 1257013 7

p.6

Children’s home details

Registered provider: Esland North Limited

p.7

Children’s home details

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

p.7

Inspector

Davinia Lawton, social care inspector Inspection report children’s home: 1257013 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.

p.7

Inspector

If you would like a copy of this document in a different format, such as large print or Braille, please telephone 0300 123 1231, or email enquiries@ofsted.gov.uk . You may reuse this information (not including logos) free of charge in any format or medium, under the terms of the Open Government Licence. To view this licence, visit http://www.nationalarchives.gov.uk/doc/open-government-licence , write to the Information Policy Team, The National Archives, Kew, London TW9 4DU, or email: psi@nationalarchives.gsi.gov.uk .

p.8

Inspector

Interested in our work? You can subscribe to our monthly newsletter for more information and updates: http://eepurl.com/iTrDn .

p.8

Inspector

T: 0300 123 1231 Textphone: 0161 618 8524 E: enquiries@ofsted.gov.uk W: http://www.gov.uk/ofsted

p.8