Children's Home run by Esland North Limited in Rotherham

Inspection report children’s home: SC488223 1 SC488223 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

This children’s home provides medium- to long-term care and accommodation for up to three children or young people. Staff provide care for very challenging children or young people who may have emotional, social and/or behavioural difficulties as a result of past emotional, sexual or physical trauma. The manager has been registered since April 2019.

p.1

Information about this children’s home

Inspection dates: 19 to 20 November 2019

p.1

Overall experiences and progress of

children and young people, taking into account

p.1

outstanding

How well children and young people are helped and protected outstanding

p.1

outstanding

The effectiveness of leaders and managers outstanding

p.1

outstanding

The children’s home provides highly effective services that consistently exceed the standards of good. The actions of the children’s home contribute to significantly improved outcomes and positive experiences for children and young people who need help, protection and care.

p.1

outstanding

Overall judgement at last inspection: outstanding

p.1

outstanding

Enforcement action since last inspection: none Inspection report children’s home: SC488223 2

p.1

Inspection date Inspection type Inspection judgement

25/04/2018 Full Outstanding 06/06/2017 Full Good 21/09/2016 Interim Sustained effectiveness 11/05/2016 Full Good Inspection report children’s home: SC488223 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 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.

p.3

Requirement Due date

The registered person must notify HMCI and each other relevant person without delay if—

p.3

Requirement Due date

a child is involved in or subject to, or is suspected of being involved in or subject to, sexual exploitation;

p.3

Requirement Due date

an incident requiring police involvement occurs in relation to a child which the registered person considers to be serious;

p.3

Requirement Due date

there is an allegation of abuse against the home or a person working there;

p.3

Requirement Due date

a child protection enquiry involving a child—

p.3

Requirement Due date

concludes (in which case, the notification must include the outcome of the child protection enquiry); or

p.3

Requirement Due date

there is any other incident relating to a child which the registered person considers to be serious. (Regulation 40 (4)(a)(b)(c)(d)(i)(ii)(e))

p.3

Requirement Due date

In particular, ensure that notifications are submitted to Ofsted without delay. 31/12/2019

p.3

Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: outstanding

Children and young people thoroughly enjoy living at the home. Staff are dedicated to providing the children and young people with a nurturing and family environment. The children and young people are provided with the highest level of care and support, offering them new experiences and opportunities. The children and young people have made significant and sustained progress in all areas Inspection report children’s home: SC488223 4 from their individual starting points. Children and young people are attending their school and college placements. For one young person, who has recently moved into the home, the manager has arranged an on-site tutor. Staff proactively encourage the children and young people to maintain attendance and engagement in education. Staff provide additional support for each child or young person, such as staying in school with them when needed. Professional feedback about the staff is highly positive. Professionals

p.3

Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: outstanding

said that staff ‘know the young people well’, and that they are ‘extremely supportive’. The staff are committed to the children and young people and have high aspirations for them to reach their individual potential. The staff celebrate the children and young people’s successes and achievements with them and their families. This builds the children and young people’s confidence and self-esteem. Children and young people have built strong and trusting relationships with the staff which have enabled them to be able to discuss issues and concerns about their safety and well-being. Some children have remained in touch after they have moved on from the home and continue to be supported by the staff team. Staff consult with children and young people daily. This consultation makes them feel they are listened to and respected. Key-work sessions take place with children and young people. This work gives the children and young people a better understanding

p.4

Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: outstanding

about important things affecting their lives. Children and young people’s family time is promoted. The staff proactively work to build positive and effective relationships with families. These steps have increased the quality and length of family time for all children and young people. One parent said: ‘They have helped me build a strong relationship with my son and I feel part of his life for the first time in four years.’

p.4

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

The manager and staff are insightful and use their skills to identify risks associated with each of the children and young people. These risks are documented clearly in the individual risk assessments and risk management plans. The children and young people rarely go missing from the home. There are good connections with the police community support officers, who visit the home regularly to meet with the children and young people and staff. The manager and staff team have created an open and honest safeguarding culture in the home. All risk-taking behaviour is discussed with the children and young people via individual key-work sessions or in children and young people’s meetings to raise any concerns or issues. The children and young people engage in discussion and learning in a variety of themed topics, such as bullying, online safety, fire safety, personal safety, child sexual exploitation, child criminal exploitation and unhealthy relationships. The information

p.4

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

provided to children and young people helps them make well-informed choices about how to keep themselves safe. Risks for children and young people have reduced as a result of living in the home. Children and young people feel safe due to the individualised support and intervention from the staff. One young person said they were ‘well supported’ and ‘helped to be kept safe’. The competence and experience of the staff are excellent, which means the Inspection report children’s home: SC488223 5 children and young people’s individual needs are met very well. When complaints are made, these are fully investigated in a timely manner. Children and young people making a complaint are fully supported. The manager and staff team have worked hard to provide open discussions for young people to have their voice. The manager and staff are reflective when complaints are not upheld and support the children and young people to discuss the issues they raised.

p.4

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

The manager and staff team have excellent professional relationships with colleagues from social care, health and education to provide emotional support to children and young people, which has led to children and young people feeling able to speak to staff about how they are feeling and access support. There is a very robust safer recruitment process in place, which means that staff are thoroughly vetted before employment. They then receive a well-structured induction and probationary period to give them a clear understanding of their role and responsibilities.

p.5

The effectiveness of leaders and managers: outstanding

The manager is creative and ambitious in offering a family environment for the children and young people which gives them the highest level of care, support, experiences and opportunities. The manager is proactive in researching and sourcing additional training to ensure that the staff develop their skills to provide the best support and levels of care to meet the individual needs of the children and young people in the home. For example, the manager undertook a comprehensive review into the behaviours and life events of one young person, which highlighted a medical condition. She then secured an assessment and developed detailed information on how best to support the young person. The manager has full oversight of the day-to-day running of the home. She is aware of any new risks and will address these with a quick response to reduce and minimise the risk for the children and young people. One young person recently had a tattoo that

p.5

The effectiveness of leaders and managers: outstanding

required medical attention. The manager encouraged the young person to share where the tattoo had taken place, so she could appropriately challenge and raise the issue with the licensing body. There is fantastic partnership working with professionals from health, social care, leaving care and education, who say ‘communication is good’, ‘the manager and the staff team are creative in their approach’, they are ‘resilient’, and that the staff ‘do not give up on children and young people’. Staff receive supervision, training and support which enhances their personal and professional development. Staff say they feel valued and well supported by the manager. She provides a hands-on approach which gives the staff clear expectations and guidance to support the children and young people’s individual needs. The manager has a monitoring and quality assurance system in operation to ensure that children and young people continue to receive high-quality care. There has been a delay

p.5

The effectiveness of leaders and managers: outstanding

in the submission of two notifications to Ofsted. The staff team is fully informed and up to date with any changes which will impact on children and young people’s lives.

p.5

Information about this inspection

Inspection report children’s home: SC488223 6 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.6

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: SC488223 7

p.6

Children’s home details

Registered provider: Esland North Limited

p.7

Children’s home details

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

p.7

Inspectors

Sue Hatton: social care inspector Parveen Hussain: regulatory inspection manager Inspection report children’s home: SC488223 8 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.7

Inspectors

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.8

Inspectors

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

p.8

Inspectors

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

p.8