Children's Home run by Esland South Limited in Greenwich

Inspection report children‟s home: SC386134 1 SC386134 Registered provider: Esland South 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 privately run children‟s home provides care and accommodation for up to four young people aged between 12 and 17 years. The statement of purpose states that the home cares for young people who have social and/or behavioural difficulties.

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Information about this children’s home

An interim manager has been in post since the resignation of the registered manager on 15 July 2019. She has yet to apply to Ofsted to be registered as manager for the home.

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Information about this children’s home

Ofsted completed a monitoring visit to the home on 28 August 2019. This followed the inadequate inspection in July.

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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: inadequate

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good

Enforcement action since last inspection: none Inspection report children‟s home: SC386134 2

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Inspection date Inspection type Inspection judgement

15/07/2019 Full Inadequate 14/08/2018 Full Good 23/11/2017 Full Good 08/02/2017 Interim Declined in effectiveness Inspection report children‟s home: SC386134 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

In order to complete a quality of care review the registered person must establish and maintain a system of monitoring, reviewing and evaluating—

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Requirement Due date

the quality of care provided for children; the feedback and opinions of children about the children’s home, its facilities and the quality of care they receive in it; and any actions that the registered person considers necessary in order to improve or maintain the quality of care provided to children. (Regulation 45 (2)(a)(b)(c)(d)) 30/12/2019

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Requirement Due date

The registered person must ensure that an independent person visits the children’s home at least once each month.

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Requirement Due date

When the independent person is carrying out a visit, the registered person must help the independent person—

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Requirement Due date

if they consent, to interview in private such of the children, their parents, relatives and persons working at the home as the independent person requires; and

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Requirement Due date

to inspect the premises of the home and such of the home’s records (except for a child’s case records, unless the child and the child’s placing authority consent) as the independent person requires.

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Requirement Due date

A visit by the independent person to the home may be unannounced.

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Requirement Due date

The independent person must produce a report about a visit (“the independent person’s report”) which sets out, in particular, the independent person’s opinion as to whether— 30/12/2019 Inspection report children‟s home: SC386134 4 children are effectively safeguarded; and

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Requirement Due date

the conduct of the home promotes children’s well-being.

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Requirement Due date

The independent person’s report may recommend actions that the registered person may take in relation to the home and timescales within which the registered person must consider whether or not to take those actions. (Regulation 44 (1)(2)(a)(b)(3)(4)(a)(b)(5))

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Recommendations

 The registered person should only accept placements for children when they are satisfied that the home can respond effectively to the child’s assessed needs. (‘Guide to the children’s homes regulations including the quality standards’, page 56, paragraph 11.4)  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 45, paragraph 9.30)  Staff should take account of information provided by return home interviews following episodes when a child has been missing. (‘Guide to the children’s homes regulations including the quality standards’, page 45, paragraph 9.30)

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Recommendations

 Ensure that the registered person and staff work closely with the placing authority so that the young person is supported and enabled to resume full-time education as soon as possible. The focus should be on the provision of support to sustain or regain confidence in education and engagement in suitable structured activities. (‘Guide to the children’s homes regulations including the quality standards’, page 27, paragraph 5.5)

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Inspection report children‟s home: SC386134 5 Young people are happy in their home and make good progress from their own starting points. One young person informed the inspector, ‘I can do really fun things here, everybody is so nice.’ Staff and young people share a sense of trust and belonging within the home.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

One placing social worker praised the ‘proactive and flexible’ approach of staff, and a young person’s relative commented on the ‘positive impact’ of the placement.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Recommencing contact with family is integral to the progress of young people. Staff support young people to travel long distances and stay overnight for family time. This approach supports young people to develop a sense of their own identity and an understanding of often difficult family histories.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Young people enjoy a broad range of activities, based on their own individualised ‘bucket list’ of preferences. Recent successful outings include trips to the seaside, local cinemas and a bowling alley. Regular activities help young people develop important social skills such as patience and build relationships with staff.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Practice in relation to supporting young people in their education is variable. Staff strive to pursue placing authorities for education provision and specialist assessments, where appropriate. Less positively, this inspection found one young person watching television during school hours.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Young people spoken with said that they feel heard and valued in their home. They contribute to important reports and assessments of their progress. Each young person has their own, private communication book. Recently this helped one young person choose a new table and chair for her room.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Young people learn important independence skills. Structured key-work sessions on cookery, laundry and basic budgeting help young people develop self-esteem.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Young people enjoy good access to independent advocacy and have the confidence to represent themselves, where appropriate. Staff continue to remind young people of their rights and the responsibility of placing authorities. Staff supported one young person to contact the children’s commissioner, to challenge the poor level of support offered by his placing authority.

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

Safeguarding is improved, and the home continues to develop a working relationship with the local police. The home now benefits from a thorough assessment of risk of the local community, which incorporates information from police. This supports more informed decisions on potential admissions.

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

Risk assessments continue to improve and offer a clear insight into the complex needs of young people. Risk assessments support young people to learn to manage their own Inspection report children‟s home: SC386134 6 behaviour, for example by suggesting a walk around the local park when they are needing additional staff support.

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

Behaviour management is improved, and financial sanctions are no longer used. Staff use effective incentives, such as working towards the purchase of another pet rabbit, to encourage young people to improve their behaviours. Progress made by young people towards reaching their behaviour targets is warmly celebrated by staff.

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

Staff are reflective and seek to learn lessons when young people struggle. For example, on noticing a young person experiencing behavioural difficulties at night, staff purchased a DVD player and bath salts to help him settle. These strategies had a positive impact and continue to work well.

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

Practice in relation to missing-from-home behaviour is safer and staff have benefited from recent training. On the sole occasion that one young person left the building without staff, staff followed from a safe distance until he chose to return home. The two recommendations relating to missing-from-home behaviour are repeated for this inspection, as they remain unassessed.

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

Ofsted has not received an application for formal registration from the interim manager. She acknowledges the delay and attributes it to her priority being the implementation of the home’s action plan. The interim manager receives positive support from a new deputy manager and senior managers within the organisation.

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

Ofsted has not received an independent person’s visit report since June 2019. This is of concern, given the flaws outlined at the last full inspection.

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

Despite their short tenure, managers have achieved good levels of change. Managers are aware that the home is ‘on the road to recovery’ and are committed to restricting admissions until both staff and young people are ready. There have been no new admissions to the home since the last inspection.

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

Managers have addressed two requirements and three recommendations from the recent monitoring visit. There is an additional requirement and recommendation resulting from this inspection.

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

The home has benefited from a successful programme of recruitment. The introduction of new and committed staff offers fresh ideas and energy which areof benefit to young people.

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

Staff morale is more positive. This is supported by more regular supervision and a bespoke training package. One staff member commented, ‘It seems like a new home. We are all working together. It’s been really good.’

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

A programme of redecoration continues in the home. Young people are presently being Inspection report children‟s home: SC386134 7 consulted on the creation of a new ‘cinema style’ projector facility in one of the communal areas.

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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 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: SC386134 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

Barnaby Dowell, social care inspector Inspection report children‟s home: SC386134 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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