Children's home run by Esland North Limited

Inspection report children’s home: 1276249 1 Registered provider: Esland North Limited Interim inspection Inspected under the social care common inspection framework

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Information about this children’s home

This is a privately owned children’s home that provides care and accommodation for a maximum of three children aged between 10 and 17 years. The home cares for children who have emotional and/or behavioural difficulties. There has been no registered manager since 2 September 2019.

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Enforcement action since last inspection:

None. Inspection report children’s home: 1276249 2

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Inspection date Inspection type Inspection judgement

04/06/2019 Full Good 28/11/2018 Full Requires improvement to be good Inspection report children’s home: 1276249 3

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children and young people since the most recent full inspection

This home was judged good at the last full inspection. At the interim inspection, Ofsted judges that it has declined in effectiveness.

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children and young people since the most recent full inspection

Between October 2019 and January 2020, there was a spike in serious incidents. Staff were not always able to control young people’s behaviour sufficiently to keep everyone safe.

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children and young people since the most recent full inspection

Several young people have had to move out because their needs could not be met. This has caused unnecessary disruption to their lives. On one occasion, swift, decisive action was not taken to move young people out, even when they were posing risks to one another. In another case, a young person was not told that he was moving out until he was on the journey to his new placement. He had originally thought that staff were picking him up to bring him home. The young person was not given the opportunity to have a positive ending to his placement.

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children and young people since the most recent full inspection

Some behaviour management shortfalls stem from poor admission decisions. The home’s own impact risk assessment process, which is designed to ensure that young people are suitably matched with one another, has not been effective. Managers have allowed young people to move into the home without satisfying themselves that their behaviours could be safely managed. In one case, the impact risk assessment was completed after the child had already moved into the home.

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children and young people since the most recent full inspection

An acting manager was put in charge of the home after the registered manager left in September 2019. He did not receive formal supervision, and neither did the staff. This was at a time when the home was experiencing significant difficulties and morale was low.

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children and young people since the most recent full inspection

During the recent unsettled period, the organisation’s monitoring was not effective in identifying shortfalls. Not enough action was taken to support the management of the home. However, senior leaders do now acknowledge the shortfalls, and already have plans in place to monitor the home carefully as it continues to develop.

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children and young people since the most recent full inspection

The organisation has not informed Ofsted of the staff and management changes that have taken place since the last inspection.

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children and young people since the most recent full inspection

A new acting manager has been in post since January 2020. She is preparing her application to Ofsted to become the permanent registered manager. She is experienced, very committed and passionate about getting things right for young people. She has started to turn the home around. One staff member said, ‘She has stepped things up, the home took an instant U-turn.’

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children and young people since the most recent full inspection

There is currently only one child placed. She is extremely positive about her care, about the staff and about the acting manager. She is pleased to be living at the Inspection report children’s home: 1276249 4 home and has settled extremely well. She said, ‘The manager is constantly on it all day, she has changed things a lot.’ Inspection report children’s home: 1276249 5

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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

The care planning standard is that children—

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Requirement Due date

receive effectively planned care in or through the children’s home;

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Requirement Due date

have a positive experience of arriving at or moving on from the home. (Regulation 14(1)(a)(b)) 31/03/2020

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Requirement Due date

The organisation has not informed Ofsted of the many staff changes that have taken place since the last inspection. Therefore, Ofsted have been unaware and unable to regulate on the situation.

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Requirement Due date

The registered person must provide a copy of the statement of purpose to HMCI and make a copy of it available upon request to— a person who works at the home; a child, or a child for whom accommodation in the home is being considered; a parent of a child, or a parent of a child for whom accommodation in the home is being considered; a child’s placing authority; and in the case of a qualifying school, the Secretary of State. (Regulation 16(2)(a)(b)(c)(d)(e)) 31/03/2020 Inspection report children’s home: 1276249 6

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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.

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Information about this inspection

Inspectors have looked closely at the experiences and progress of children and young people, 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: 1276249 7

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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 Limited, Suite 1, Riverside Business Centre, Foundry Lane, Milford, Belper, Derbyshire DE56 0RN

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Inspector

Caroline Brailsford, Social Care Inspector Inspection report children’s home: 1276249 8 to 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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