Children's Home run by Esland North Limited in Lincolnshire

Inspection report children’s home: 2505378 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 children’s home provides care and accommodation for a maximum of three children and young people aged between eight and 17 years. The home will provide care and accommodation for children and young people who have emotional and behavioural difficulties, including children and young people who may have mild to moderate learning disabilities. The home is privately owned.

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Information about this children’s home

The home was registered on 19 January 2019 and this is its first inspection.

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Information about this children’s home

The manager has been registered with Ofsted since January 2019.

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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

Date of last inspection: not applicable. 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: 2505378 2

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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.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Children living at this home have good experiences. They begin to stabilise, and they experience positive changes in several areas of their lives. For one child, this home is the longest placement that they have had.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

In a very short space of time, staff begin to understand the needs of children and develop positive relationships with them. Once a need is identified, staff are proactive and ensure that the relevant agency becomes involved. The staff and manager understand the importance of providing children with sensitive and consistent care.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Staff understand the importance of children receiving education. Consequently, children have good arrangements for their education in place. Children who have previously had poor attendance, or have refused to engage in education, are now engaging and making progress. A tutor who visits the home said, ‘Staff are fantastic. Homework is always completed. If a session is taking place and the child is struggling, staff will help them. They allow the children to express themselves, but will enforce boundaries when necessary.’

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

The health and well-being of children is a high priority for the manager and staff. All Inspection report children’s home: 2505378 3 children are registered with universal health services. One child living at the home has a disability. The staff and manager have responded extremely well to ensure that this child’s individual needs are met. Significantly, staff received training that is pertinent to the needs of this child prior to the placement commencing. Specialist equipment has also been purchased to make living at the home as safe and easy as possible for the child. The support and care that have been offered to this child are highly commendable.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Children are supported to keep in touch with family and friends who matter to them. They are encouraged and helped to pursue their interests and stay active. This includes ensuring that they are supported to be integrated into their local community. This provides children with a sense of belonging and assists in promoting their self-esteem.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Transitions into the home are excellent. Careful consideration, forward planning and well-coordinated care packages ensure that children’s needs are fully understood and met. A parent said, ‘The transition was faultless. My child has been moved so many times, but none of the moves were as planned as this one. They delivered on all the promises they made.’

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

Children are safe at this home. There have been no significant safeguarding issues since the home opened. Safeguarding practice is effective, and staff know their roles and responsibilities.

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

From the point of admission, risks are well understood. Clear strategies are in place to manage risk. There are effective risk assessments and behaviour management plans for each child. They are regularly reviewed and updated following any significant event. As a result, risks to children are understood and they are reducing.

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

When incidents of self-harm occur, these are managed by the staff and manager effectively. However, at the time of the inspection, there were shortfalls in the implementation of preventative measures to ensure that children did not have the means to self-harm. These had the potential to leave children at risk. These shortfalls were, however, addressed quickly by the management team during the inspection.

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

Physical intervention is rare at this home. Effective behaviour management means that alternative ways are used to try and manage any difficulties that may arise. Staff help children to learn to regulate behaviours by using incentive and reward schemes. These are proving very effective for some children.

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

For one child, although there are still incidents of them going missing, these are well managed. Staff respond in a highly effective way if such incidents occur. They quickly follow and search for children, ensuring that children are returned home as swiftly and safely as possible.

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

Regular key-work sessions are carried out. These sessions are highly effective. They Inspection report children’s home: 2505378 4 focus on specific safeguarding concerns that are relevant to the child, and enable children to openly discuss their views. This helps children to safely explore the concerns that relate to them and begin to have a better understanding of the consequences and risks of their behaviours.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

The manager provides strong and decisive leadership. She has developed very good relationships with the children, and has an excellent understanding of their needs. She will advocate on behalf of children if she believes that other agencies are not acting in their best interests. She has high expectations of herself and the team, and is passionate about ensuring that children are receiving good care. She is a strong leader and role model.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

Staff spoke about the manager in very positive terms. Within a short space of time, the manager has developed a cohesive staff team. Staff respect her. A staff member said, ‘She is very supportive. She is always available, and her door is always open. Out of all the managers I have worked with, she is the one who is most hands-on with the children.’

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

Practice is underpinned by a good understanding of equality and diversity. The manager promotes an inclusive ethos in the home.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

Staff have a range of strengths, skills and interests. The staff who are not yet qualified are in the process of completing their mandatory qualification. Staff are motivated to ensure that children are making progress. All staff receive regular supervision and appraisals.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

Agencies spoke positively about their working relationships with staff and managers. All feedback received was extremely positive. Agencies consistently referred to the staff and manager as ‘nurturing’ individuals who ‘know the children very well’.

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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 Inspection report children’s home: 2505378 5 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: 2505378 6

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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:

Davinia Lawton: social care inspector Inspection report children’s home: 2505378 7 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:

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

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