Children's Home run by Esland North Limited in Leicestershire

Information about this children’s home

The home provides care and accommodation for up to three children with emotional and behavioural difficulties. The home has not had a registered manager since April 2020. The newly appointed manager is preparing her application to be registered.

p.1

Information about this children’s home

Previous inspection date: 8 October 2019

p.1

Information about this visit

Due to COVID-19 (coronavirus), Ofsted suspended all routine inspections in March 2020. As part of a phased return to routine inspection, we are undertaking assurance visits to children’s social care services that are inspected under the social care common inspection framework (SCCIF).

p.1

Information about this visit

At these visits, inspectors evaluate the extent to which:

p.1

Information about this visit

 children are well cared for  children are safe  leaders and managers are exercising strong leadership. This visit was carried out under the Care Standards Act 2000, following the published guidance for assurance visits.

p.1

Information about this visit

Her Majesty’s Chief Inspector of Education, Children’s Services and Skills is leading Ofsted’s work into how England’s social care system has delivered child-centred practice and care within the context of the restrictions placed on society during the COVID-19 pandemic.

p.1

Findings from the visit

We did not identify any serious or widespread concerns in relation to the care or protection of children at this assurance visit. Assurance visit report: 2483693 2

p.1

The care of children

Staff have a good understanding of children’s needs. Despite the home being without a registered manager for several months, the staff team has remained stable and consistent, which has enabled children to build trusting, nurturing relationships.

p.2

The care of children

Staff are confident. They have the required skills to meet children’s needs. The manager and team have high aspirations for the children. One staff member said, ‘I enjoy every minute of working here. It’s a happy home, not just some residential home, the young people feel safe and we want them to do well.’ Another staff member said, ‘We are a really strong team, like a family.’

p.2

The care of children

Staff have done well to ensure that all children are able to access education quickly after moving into the home. Education is currently provided at the home or online by tutors. The manager and staff have a clear vision for children to return to school as soon as possible.

p.2

The care of children

Children are supported to maintain relationships with those who are important to them, as set out in their individual care plans. One child who has recently moved on from the home said, ‘I can’t thank you enough for everything you have done. While being at the home I have turned my life around and now I’m back living with my family, which I never thought would happen.’

p.2

The care of children

Children are supported to personalise their bedrooms. Although other areas of the home are starting to look tired and in need of redecoration. The manager has started some redecoration work already.

p.2

The safety of children

Staff understand children’s vulnerabilities. However, risk assessments and plans do not always accurately reflect these. Multiple errors were identified within the documents. The new manager is in the process of overhauling the risk assessments, combining these into one document, making them more user friendly and ensuring that they are an accurate reflection of individual needs.

p.2

The safety of children

Correct procedures are generally followed for the reporting of safeguarding incidents. However, on occasion, an internal investigation was not thoroughly completed. There was not a clear outcome and lessons learned were not identified.

p.2

The safety of children

Transitions are well planned. Staff are good at helping children settle into the home quickly. One social worker said, ‘The child received a really child-centred children’s guide with pictures that communicated at her level. She found this really useful and it helped to reduce her anxieties and make the transition positive.’

p.2

The safety of children

Children benefit from structured routines and consistent boundaries. Staff use a range of de-escalation and calming techniques to support children to manage their Assurance visit report: 2483693 3 behaviours. One of these techniques is the use of a weighted blanket. However, this has not been risk assessed for the child.

p.2

The safety of children

The team has worked hard to keep children occupied and engaged throughout the COVID-19 pandemic. This included a wide range of activities from mountain biking to pamper sessions. One child who was on a brick-laying apprenticeship was supported to build a brick barbecue in the home’s garden during this time. This enabled him to practise the skills he was learning in a creative way.

p.3

The safety of children

All staff have received safeguarding training. This is completed at the point of staff induction and refreshed at set intervals. Staff feel confident in managing safeguarding incidents.

p.3

Leaders and managers

The home has not had a registered manager since April 2020. During this time, the home was supported by managers from other homes within the organisation. As a result, appropriate care standards were maintained.

p.3

Leaders and managers

The new manager is passionate and keen to develop the home. She understands the strengths and needs of the team and has already started to make a positive difference. The manager is thorough in her assessments of children’s needs prior to children moving into the home. One social worker said, ‘The manager requested so much information, we held two care planning meetings, she read all information we sent through and came back with questions. This is refreshing to see.’

p.3

Leaders and managers

Shortfalls were identified in the manager’s monitoring and oversight of documentation. Staff are being supported to develop their skills in report writing and the reviewing of risk assessments, however management oversight has not identified some errors in risk assessments.

p.3

Leaders and managers

Despite the COVID-19 pandemic, mandatory training has still been completed by each member of staff. Although staff have completed a range of training courses, this has not been accurately reflected in the home’s training matrix.

p.3

Leaders and managers

Staff have not received regular supervision because of the absence of a consistent manager. The new manager has devised a supervision log to ensure that all staff will now receive supervision. Supervision that was completed did not provide staff with an opportunity to reflect on their practice. This is a missed opportunity for the development of staff. Assurance visit report: 2483693 4

p.3

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.

p.4

Requirement Due date

The protection of children standard is that children are protected from harm and enabled to keep themselves safe.

p.4

Requirement Due date

In particular, the standard in paragraph (1) requires the registered person to ensure—

p.4

Requirement Due date

assess whether each child is at risk of harm, taking into account information in the child’s relevant plans, and, if necessary, make arrangements to reduce the risk of any harm to the child.

p.4

Requirement Due date

The registered person must prepare and implement a policy which—

p.4

Requirement Due date

is intended to safeguard children accommodated in the children’s home from abuse or neglect; and

p.4

Requirement Due date

sets out the procedure to be followed in the event of an allegation of abuse or neglect.

p.4

Requirement Due date

The procedure to be followed in the event of an allegation of abuse or neglect must, in particular—

p.4

Requirement Due date

describe the measures which may be necessary to protect children following an allegation of abuse or neglect.

p.4

Requirement Due date

(Regulation 34 (1)(a)(b)(2)(e)) 15/11/2020 Assurance visit report: 2483693 5 The leadership and management standard is that the registered person enables, inspires and leads a culture in relation to the children’s home that—

p.4

Requirement Due date

helps children aspire to fulfil their potential; and

p.5

Requirement Due date

In particular, the standard in paragraph (1) requires the registered person to—

p.5

Requirement Due date

use monitoring and review systems to make continuous improvements in the quality of care provided to the home.

p.5

Requirement Due date

(Regulation 13 (1)(a)(b)(2)(h)) 15/11/2020

p.5

Recommendations

 The registered person must have systems in place so that all staff, including the manager, receive supervision of their practice from an appropriately qualified and experienced professional, which allows them to reflect on their practice and the needs of the children assigned to their care. (‘Guide to Children’s homes regulations including the quality standards’, page 61, paragraph 13.2).  For children’s homes to be nurturing and supportive environments that meet the needs of their children, they will, in most cases, be homely, domestic environments. Children’s homes must comply with relevant health and safety legislation (alarms, food hygiene etc); however in doing so, homes should seek as far as possible to maintain a domestic rather than ‘institutional’ impression. (‘Guide to Children’s homes regulations including the quality standards’, page 15, paragraph 3.9). This is in relation to the home’s décor.

p.5

Children’s home details

Registered provider: Esland North Limited

p.6

Children’s home details

Registered provider address: Esland Limited, Suites 1 and 5 Riverside Business Centre, Foundry Lane, Milford, Belper, Derbyshire DE56 0RN

p.6

Inspectors

Zoey Lee, Social Care Inspector Catherine Honey, Social Care Inspector Assurance visit report: 2483693 7 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.

p.6

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 .

p.7

Inspectors

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.7

Inspectors

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

p.7

Inspectors

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

p.7