Children's Home run by Esland North Limited in Wiltshire

Inspection report children’s home: 2519260 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 is privately owned and provides care and accommodation for three children. According to the statement of purpose, this home is for children who are experiencing emotional and behavioural difficulties and/or learning disabilities. The manager has been a registered manager since February 2018.

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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: this is the first inspection since the home was registered in May 2019.

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good

Overall judgement at last inspection: not applicable

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good

Enforcement action since last inspection: not applicable Inspection report children’s home: 2519260 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

23: Medicines The registered person must make arrangements for the handling, recording, safekeeping, safe administration and disposal of medicines received into the children’s home. (Regulation 23 (1))

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Requirement Due date

In particular, ensure that suitable equipment is provided to prevent staff touching medication and posing a risk of contamination. 30/11/2019

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Recommendations

 Staff should continually and actively assess the risks to each child and the arrangements in place to protect them. (‘Guide to the children’s homes regulations including the quality standards’, page 42, paragraph 9.5) In particular, ensure that all known risks are included in written documents and ensure that the ground floor bathroom is fitted with a lock that will permit staff entry in an emergency.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

This is the first inspection of the home. The registered manager, the staff team and children moved to this property from an existing children’s home. Consultation with children is embedded in daily practice. Children were fully informed and involved in the planning of the house move, and the decoration, before moving in. Children’s views and wishes are routinely gathered for minor day-to-day decisions, more serious consultation about their care planning and towards the recruitment of new staff. This level of engagement empowers children in decision-making and therefore reduces their levels of anxiety.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Children experience carefully planned introductions to the home. This can involve staff from previous care settings working in the home to help children feel supported as they develop and transfer to new relationships. Moving to live here without time to visit is supported well by ensuring that children have photographs of the home and information such as the children’s guide. The manager and staff team are committed to supporting Inspection report children’s home: 2519260 3 children and work hard to avoid disruption and sudden endings to living here.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Children form very positive relationships with the manager and staff. Children are accepted for who they are by a staff team that embraces diversity. The development of trust and a sense of belonging to this home contributes to children feeling settled and secure. One child rates this home with a score of 10 out of 10 and another describes it as ‘outstanding’. Parents and social workers also report very positively about this home with comments such as, ‘my child receives good care’, ‘it’s fantastic’ and ‘I can’t fault them’.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Pets are very important to the children. Guinea pigs, a hamster and a ferret currently live in the home and grounds. Such animals not only provide comfort to the children but also responsibility as they learn about animal welfare. Children are expected to carry out research into the care of animals before having the responsibility for them.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Children are engaged in their learning and attending local schools. This is significant progress for those children who have not attended education for some time prior to living here. For one child, the motivation to learn led to a request for a tutor during the summer holidays. The manager promotes effective partnership with external education providers and virtual headteachers. Attendance at local schools enables children to make friends and be able to meet up with them outside of the school day. Children are supported to pursue their interests, such as joining a football team, learning to play an instrument, art and cycling.

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

Children are supported well to take measured risks through staff guidance and information. For example, children know how to use technology safely, go cycling, spend time without adults and most importantly, how to share any concerns or worries they may have. Overall, the staff have a very good understanding of risk management. However, some known risks when travelling in a car are not clearly listed within risk management documents.

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

The storage and recording of medication are managed safely. Children are involved to understand why they have been prescribed medication and to be aware of the benefits, and possible side-effects. The practice of touching medication when counting for a stock audit is not hygienic and risks contamination.

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

Children who self-harm are supported well by staff who demonstrate a good understanding as a result of their training and experience. A thoughtful pack of information and assessment tools has been created by a member of staff to support children who self-harm. Diaries, distraction techniques and an exploration of feelings provide a focus for talking about resilience and emotional well-being. The quality and success of this support tool have been recognised by the provider and disseminated to other children’s homes.

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

Children benefit from the staff team using a consistently nurturing approach. Care plans Inspection report children’s home: 2519260 4 and risk assessments provide useful guidance and support for staff to manage children’s behaviour when they are upset. The use of physical intervention is kept to a minimum. Records confirm that each intervention is effective at keeping children and staff safe.

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

Incidents of going missing from the home are low. The manager was pleased to report that since living at this home, one particular child has not gone missing – something that occurred regularly prior to living here. Safeguarding concerns are suitably managed and appropriately referred to external agencies.

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

Compliance with health and safety requirements does not detract from a family-style home. However, there is a sturdy bolt on a bathroom door and this would restrict staff gaining access in an emergency, therefore this requires an alternative style of lock.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

Strong effective leadership is provided by the registered manager. The manager has completed management and safeguarding training and is working towards a management qualification. The manager and staff team are supported well by senior managers within the organisation. There is a full complement of staff, with an established senior team. This stability in staffing supports the interim management arrangement to cover the registered manager’s impending period of planned absence.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

Children benefit from being cared for by a stable, permanent staff team. Staff retention is good; no staff have left since moving to this new home. New staff speak highly of the induction and support they received. All staff confirm that they receive regular supervision to reflect on their practice and professional development. Training is delivered through a variety of methods; online modules, face to face within the home, training events at head office and through external organisations. In addition to mandatory training, the manager ensures that staff are equipped with knowledge and skills to manage any emerging issues presented by the children.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

Staff are very enthusiastic about working in this home. Team morale is high. The arrangements to work over the Christmas period pose no difficulties. Staff are all keen to ensure that the children experience a special festive time while sensitively acknowledging that it can be emotionally difficult for children to be away from their families.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

Leaders and managers have sound systems to monitor the quality of care provided. Such systems inform leaders and managers to have a strong grasp of the strengths of this home and any areas for development. A recent change of an independent visitor led to a dip in the quality of the monthly monitoring report. The responsible individual has now rectified this. She has high expectations and welcomes the challenge and scrutiny from an independent visitor.

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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 Inspection report children’s home: 2519260 5 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: 2519260 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

Clare Davies, social care inspector Inspection report children’s home: 2519260 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

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