Children's home run by Esland North Limited

Interim inspection report children’s home: 2501397 1 Registered provider: Esland North Limited Interim 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 one child or young person, aged between 8 and 16, who has emotional and behavioural difficulties including, but not exclusively, mild to moderate learning disabilities. The registered manager’s post is currently vacant. There is a manager in post who is yet to submit her application to Ofsted.

p.1

Judgement at last inspection: requires improvement to be good

Enforcement action since last inspection: none

p.1

and young people since the most recent full inspection

This home was judged requires improvement to be good at the last full inspection. At the interim inspection, Ofsted judges that it has improved effectiveness.

p.1

and young people since the most recent full inspection

The previous registered manager and the senior management team were proactive in addressing the identified shortfalls from the last inspection. One of the significant changes made is in relation to the management arrangements at the home. The previous registered manager was also the manager of another children’s home. She and her deputy divided their time between the two homes but were not sufficiently visible to staff.

p.1

and young people since the most recent full inspection

The deputy manager has now been appointed as the full-time manager of this home. This has allowed her to ensure that she has full oversight of what is happening in the Interim inspection report children’s home: 2501397 2 home on a day-to-day basis. Consequently, standards have significantly improved.

p.1

and young people since the most recent full inspection

All four of the requirements set at the last inspection have been met. No new requirements or recommendations have been made.

p.2

and young people since the most recent full inspection

One young person has left the home since the last inspection. The ending of the placement was due to decisions made that were entirely out of the home’s control. Management and staff ensured that the ending of the placement was as smooth as possible.

p.2

and young people since the most recent full inspection

Another young person has moved into the home. Although the young person has only been in the placement for a short period of time, they have settled well. The manager has already attended a meeting to ensure that plans are made in relation to the young person’s educational needs. Therapeutic support is also being sourced for the young person. The manager is an exceptionally strong advocate for young people. Her tenacity assists in ensuring that young people have the support required to address their complex needs. A social worker said: ‘I was very impressed when I visited the home. The manager is very knowledgeable. Since they have been placed, the home has been very proactive in ensuring that all the young person’s needs are met.’

p.2

and young people since the most recent full inspection

Incidents of young people going missing and the use of physical intervention have previously been very rare at the home. However, there have been some recent incidents. These incidents have been managed well by the staff, who are still getting to know the young person. Incidents of physical intervention have been for short periods and have been proportionate in ensuring the safety and well-being of the young person.

p.2

and young people since the most recent full inspection

Staff have good relationships with young people and offer them consistent care and support. Following the last inspection, all staff received training which has helped to enhance their practice. The staff team is relatively stable. There have been some changes in staffing since the last inspection, but core staff have remained the same.

p.2

and young people since the most recent full inspection

Improvements in the home mean that young people’s records, including risk management plans, are now more thorough and identify young people’s needs more effectively. Management and staff now ensure that there is a robust multi-agency approach and good partnership working in respect of young people’s care. This ensures that young people have a good level of help and protection and undoubtedly assists to ensure their safety. This is now a strength of the home.

p.2

and young people since the most recent full inspection

Key-work sessions and debriefs with young people are comprehensive. They are meaningful and carried out in a sensitive and nurturing way. Sessions cover a range of pertinent issues relevant to the young person. This enables the young person to feel safe enough to share and disclose their traumatic childhood experiences.

p.2

and young people since the most recent full inspection

Improvements to the home environment mean that the home is now a warm, friendly and nice place for young people to live. A young person said: ‘Staff are all lovely. I like living here. When I arrived, staff made me feel really welcome and I like the house.’ Interim inspection report children’s home: 2501397 3 The manager and the senior management team have ensured that staff now feel more supported. This has improved staff morale. One member of staff spoke about how the home is now ‘a completely different place’.

p.2

and young people since the most recent full inspection

The manager has developed effective monitoring and review systems. This ensures that she has good oversight of what is happening in the home. If necessary, she challenges practice which she does not consider to be child focused. This helps to ensure that young people are receiving good standards of care. The manager is highly motivated and fully committed to improving young people’s lives. She has many innovative ideas about how she can continually develop the home and ensure that young people receive the highest quality of care.

p.3

Inspection date Inspection type Inspection judgement

29/05/2019 Full Requires improvement to be good

p.3

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.3

Information about this inspection

This inspection focused on the effectiveness of the home and the progress and experiences of children and young people since the most recent full inspection.

p.3

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’.

p.3

Children’s home details

Unique reference number: 2501397 Interim inspection report children’s home: 2501397 4 Provision sub-type: Children’s home

p.3

Children’s home details

Registered provider: Esland North Limited

p.4

Children’s home details

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

p.4

Inspector

Davinia Lawton, social care inspector Interim inspection report children’s home: 2501397 5 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.4

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.5

Inspector

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

p.5

Inspector

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

p.5