Children's Home run by Esland North Limited in Leicestershire

Inspection report children’s home: 2483693 1 Registered provider: Esland North Limited Full inspection Inspected under the social care common inspection framework

p.1

Information about this children’s home

The home is privately owned and provides care and accommodation for a maximum of three children and young people with emotional and behavioural difficulties. The home opened in July 2018 and looks after children and young people aged between 10 and 17 years.

p.1

Information about this children’s home

The manager was registered with Ofsted on 22 July 2018.

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 good

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: 22 January 2019

p.1

good

Overall judgement at last inspection: good

p.1

good

Enforcement action since last inspection: none Inspection report children’s home: 2483693 2

p.1

Inspection date Inspection type Inspection judgement

22/01/2019 Full Good Inspection report children’s home: 2483693 3

p.2

Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Young people are happy and very settled. They receive a good standard of care from a dedicated group of staff who have their best interests at heart. One child said: ‘I love living here. When I arrived, I was so scared, but the staff soon helped me to settle in. The staff are so brilliant. I love them all.’

p.3

Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Management and staff have built positive and trusting relationships with both young people. The nurturing environment created by the management and staff provides young people with a strong sense of safety and well-being. A parent said: ‘Staff have become their family. They are exceptional and have got to know them so well. They are doing absolutely amazingly; I could not be more grateful for what they have done.’

p.3

Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Both children are making progress in mainstream education. This is despite having histories of sporadic school attendance prior to arriving at the home. For one young person, management and staff have ensured that he was supported to sit his exams. Staff subsequently supported him to enrol on his college course. This is significant progress.

p.3

Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Management and staff help both young people to live healthy and active lives. Young people participate in numerous indoor and outdoor activities. For example, one young person has developed a keen interest in climbing, so the young people and staff have built a climbing wall in the grounds of the property. Young people and staff have also completed the ‘Three Peaks Challenge’ and raised money for charity. Such achievements have improved young people’s confidence and provided them with positive memories of their childhood.

p.3

Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Young people are respected and valued by the staff. Their views are fully considered and acted on. Young people are supported to write some of their own care plans, particularly in relation to how they want staff to work with them. This enables young people to feel that they have control over their own lives.

p.3

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

Young people are fully safeguarded. Good-quality risk assessments mean that staff understand young people’s particular risks and vulnerabilities. Staff adhere fully to risk management plans. Effective behaviour management plans also support young people to be safe.

p.3

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

Staff are extremely diligent, responsive and robust in relation to all safeguarding matters. The significant reduction in incidents as young people settle into the home has been fundamental in reducing young people’s vulnerabilities.

p.3

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

There have been no incidents of young people going missing even though, prior to their placement, both young people were classed as at high risk. A social worker said: ‘They Inspection report children’s home: 2483693 4 have made massive progress and are doing so well. Staff have been very proactive. The fact there have been no missing incidents is so impressive. Staff have really helped them to turn things around.’

p.3

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

Regular and high-quality key-work sessions are a significant strength of the home. This input from staff and other professionals has assisted young people to understand the risks associated with their behaviours. Consequently, despite both young people having a history of substance misuse, there have been no such concerns since arriving at the home.

p.4

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

Another significant strength of the home is the staff’s ability to ensure young people’s online safety. The manager has liaised with the police to ensure that she fully understands how to keep young people safe. Parental controls, limited screen time, monitoring of internet activity and a host of other strategies are in place to promote young people’s safety online.

p.4

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

Behaviour support systems are very effective. Incentives, which are agreed with young people, are motivating them and giving them goals to work towards. This is proving successful. There is a clear focus on positive reinforcement, support, praise and encouragement.

p.4

The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

The registered manager is passionate and forward-thinking. She understands the needs of young people and works hard to ensure that they receive consistently good care. All the requirements made at the last inspection have been met.

p.4

The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

Staff morale is high. They are experienced and enjoy their roles. The majority of staff are suitably qualified. The manager’s approach ensures that the staff team feels valued and important. Staff feel fully supported by the manager and the senior management team.

p.4

The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

The manager is a strong advocate for children. Her tenacity and ability to challenge the decisions of other professionals have ensured that young people have access to all the services that they need. This approach supports good outcomes for young people.

p.4

The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

Well-organised team meetings and staff supervision ensure that staff have regular opportunities to reflect on their practice and identify potential improvement. The manager has good monitoring and review systems in place to ensure that she is able to respond quickly to any identified weakness. Inspection report children’s home: 2483693 5

p.4

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 difference 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.5

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: 2483693 6

p.5

Children’s home details

Registered provider: Esland North Limited

p.6

Children’s home details

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

p.6

Inspector

Davinia Lawton, social care inspector Inspection report children’s home: 2483693 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 looked after children, safeguarding and child protection.

p.6

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.7

Inspector

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

p.7

Inspector

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

p.7