Children's home run by Esland North Limited in Amber Valley

Inspection report children’s home: 1240433 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

The home provides care for up to three children or young people on a medium- or long- term basis. The home accommodates children and young people who have emotional, social and behavioural difficulties as a result of past emotional, sexual or physical trauma. The home offers a safe, nurturing and stimulating environment to help children and young people achieve their full potential.

p.1

Information about this children’s home

Inspection dates: 10 to 11 September 2019

p.1

Overall experiences and progress of

children and young people, taking into account

p.1

good

How well children and young people are helped and protected outstanding

p.1

good

The effectiveness of leaders and managers good

p.1

good

The children’s home provides effective services that meet the requirements for good.

p.1

good

Date of last inspection: 29 January 2019

p.1

good

Overall judgement at last inspection: requires improvement to be good

p.1

good

Enforcement action since last inspection: none Inspection report children’s home: 1240433 2

p.1

Inspection date Inspection type Inspection judgement

29/01/2019 Full Requires improvement to be good 01/11/2017 Full Good 24/01/2017 Full Good Inspection report children’s home: 1240433 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, the Children’s home (England) Regulations 2015 and the ‘Guide to the children’s home regulations including the quality standards’. The registered person(s) must comply within the given timescales.

p.3

Requirement Due date

The registered person must ensure that all employees—

p.3

Requirement Due date

receive practice-related supervision by a person with appropriate experience. (Regulation 33 (4)(b))

p.3

Requirement Due date

In particular, new staff members must receive supervision and support as stated in the home’s statement of purpose. 30/10/2019

p.3

Requirement Due date

For the purposes of paragraph (3)(b), an individual who works in the home in a care role has the appropriate qualification if, by the relevant date, the individual has attained—

p.3

Requirement Due date

the Level 3 Diploma for Residential Childcare (England) (‘the Level 3 Diploma’); or

p.3

Requirement Due date

a qualification which the registered person considers to be equivalent to the Level 3 Diploma.

p.3

Requirement Due date

in the case of an individual who starts working in a care role in a home after 1st April 2014, the date which falls 2 years after the date on which the individual started working in a care role in a home; or

p.3

Requirement Due date

in the case of an individual who was working in a care role in a home on 1st April 2014, 1st April 2016. (Regulation 32 (4)(a)(b)(5)(a)(b)) 30/10/2019

p.3

Recommendations

 It is for the registered person to judge whether the incident is sufficiently serious to make formal notifications and, if it is, which other relevant persons may be notified, for example, the police, probation service, health professionals, the local authority for the area the home is located in (if this is not the child’s placing Inspection report children’s home: 1240433 4 authority) and others involved with the care or protection of the child. (‘Guide to the children’s home regulations including the quality standards’, page 63, paragraph 14.12)  The following elements of the workforce plan should be included in the Statement of Purpose: (in accordance with Schedule 1 (paragraphs 19 and 20)) the staffing structure; experience and qualifications of staff and arrangements for supervision of staff practice. (‘Guide to the children’s home regulations including the quality standards’, page 53, paragraph 10.10)

p.3

Recommendations

 Those commissioning training in restraint for children’s homes staff should see evidence that any restraint techniques the training advocates for have been medically assessed to demonstrate their safety for use in a context of caring for children who are still developing, physically and emotionally. The registered person should routinely review the effectiveness of any restraint system commissioned. In particular, they should check the medical assessment of the system remains up to date. (‘Guide to the children’s home regulations including the quality standards’, page 49, paragraph 9.58)  The registered person is responsible for deciding what each review should focus on, based on the specific circumstances of the home at that particular time and any areas of high risk to the children that the home is designed to care for, such as missing or exploitation. They will also consider what information or data

p.4

Recommendations

recorded in the home will form part of the evidence base for their analysis and conclusions. There is no expectation that the registered person will review the home against every part of the Quality Standards every six months – registered persons should use their professional judgement to decide which factors to focus on. The review should enable the registered person to identify areas of strength and possible weakness in the home’s care, which will be captured in the written report. The report should clearly identify any actions required for the next 6 months of delivery within the home and how those actions will be addressed. The whole review process and the resulting report should be used as a tool for continuous improvement in the home. (‘Guide to the children’s home regulations including the quality standards’, page 65, paragraph 15.4)

p.4

Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Young people have strong relationships with staff and are listened to and supported to have a voice. This empowers young people who are then able to ask for support and advice.

p.4

Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

The staff team is committed to the young people and strives for them to meet their full potential. The staff recognise achievements and progress. This builds the young people’s confidence and self-esteem.

p.4

Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

The staff team has been proactive in challenging the lack of education provision for the Inspection report children’s home: 1240433 5 young people. The team has escalated concerns to ensure that the young people receive the education they are entitled to. Tutors have been provided for the young people in the interim. This means that young people have maintained their education and now have access to suitable provisions.

p.4

Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

The young people are supported to access many activities. The staff are creative in managing this access against the risks the young people face, to ensure that young people do not miss out. This builds the young people’s confidence, socialisation and sense of belonging.

p.5

Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

The home has clear models of care which are evident throughout the young people’s care plans. However, not all the staff are aware of these models and of how to apply them. This does not affect the young people, but does prevent some staff from being able to incorporate these into suggestions for new ways of working.

p.5

Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

When placements have ended in an unplanned way, the team has supported the young people to transition as smoothly as possible. This has provided the young people with a positive experience.

p.5

Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Young people are supported to see family and friends. The staff go to great measures to ensure that arrangements are safe and that these are positive times for all involved. This ensures that the young people are able to maintain positive relationships with those who are important to them.

p.5

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

The young people have made significant progress in keeping themselves safe. This is evident through the reduction in staffing ratios, missing from home incidents and risks of exploitation.

p.5

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

The young people are protected and feel safe. The team has worked with other agencies to ensure that staff have the knowledge to support the young people. This underpins the strategies in place for the young people and enables the staff to keep the young people safe.

p.5

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

The staff have promoted the young people to work with other agencies. This has led to direct work being carried out with some young people. For other young people, the staff have been creative in their approach to carrying out the work. This has provided the young people with the necessary knowledge to keep themselves safe.

p.5

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

Risk assessments are detailed and based on the knowledge of the team. The risk assessments focus not only on the risk but also on how to support the young person after an incident. This helps the young people to develop and build the skills to manage their own emotions and behaviours.

p.5

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

When young people are new to the home, there is extensive planning and assessment in place for processes through which staff can keep the young person safe and mitigate the Inspection report children’s home: 1240433 6 risk to the other young people. This includes consultation with professionals and the staff team members to ensure that they have the skills to support the new young person. This is evident in a young person’s needs changing during the admission process. The planned move was re-assessed, and further resources were identified and put into place to enable the team to support the young person. This has resulted in a positive placement for the young person, whose development and progression are evident.

p.5

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

When complaints arise, these are fully investigated. The complaints form is supportive of the young person making a complaint. The staff team has worked hard to provide an open forum for the young people to voice their opinions. Reflection happens following the complaint, even when it is not upheld. This helps the team to learn and develop and has improved the ways in which they are supporting the young people.

p.6

The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

The manager is ambitious and motivated to provide high levels of care for the young people. The manager has been proactive in building a multi-agency network around the young people and the staff. This provides staff with support and training which enhances the care provided.

p.6

The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

The manager and deputy manager have a clear overview of the day-to-day running of the home. They are aware of new risks and address these quickly. This provides the team with support to manage risks effectively. However, the regulation 45 reports are lacking in clarity. The reports need to identify areas of development and the processes for addressing these.

p.6

The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

The manager is confident in challenging when statutory requirements are not met by the local authority. This has ensured that the staff and the young people have had the support they need.

p.6

The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

The manager leads a home where the needs of the young people are the focus. The progress for the young people is based on their individual starting points. This has developed a culture of positivity in the team and for the young people.

p.6

The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

The manager has sourced additional training to ensure that staff are able to learn and develop their skillset. However, there was a significant delay in one staff member enrolling on their level 3 qualification, and this is now outside the required timescale.

p.6

The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

The established staff have regular reflective supervisions. This enables the staff to learn and develop. However, newer members of staff have not received regular supervisions, and there is no evidence of additional support they have received.

p.6

The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

Team meetings are creative in their approach. This supports the staff to be innovative in thinking and applying new strategies. Team meetings provide an open forum for opinions to be discussed and respected. This has led to a team that is focused and motivated to support the young people. Inspection report children’s home: 1240433 7

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.7

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 home (England) Regulations 2015 and the ‘Guide to the children’s home regulations including the quality standards’. Inspection report children’s home: 1240433 8

p.7

Children’s home details

Registered provider: Esland North Limited

p.8

Children’s home details

Registered provider address: Esland Limited, Suite 1, Riverside Business Centre, Foundry Lane, Milford, Belper, Derbyshire DE56 0RN

p.8

Inspector

Debra Boldy: social care inspector Inspection report children’s home: 1240433 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 children looked after, safeguarding and child protection.

p.8

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 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.9

Inspector

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

p.9

Inspector

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

p.9