Children's home run by Esland North Limited

Inspection report for children’s home - monitoring visit: 1264840 1

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Esland North Limited

Monitoring visit Inspected under the social care common inspection framework

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Information about this children’s home

This privately owned home provides medium- to long-term care and accommodation for up to three children who have complex social and emotional needs.

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Information about this children’s home

There has been no registered manager since February 2020. A new manager was recruited and took up post in March 2020, however left in October 2020 without an explanation. The deputy manager has been appointed as the new manager. He started in post in November 2020; his application to register has not been received by Ofsted.

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This monitoring visit

This visit took place in response to concerns arising through notifications. During the monitoring visit, the inspector spoke to children and staff and reviewed documentation.

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This monitoring visit

There are currently three children living in the home. Two children have lived in the home for over a year. It is positive that staff have been able to meet children’s needs and provide continuity, given the lack of stability in management arrangements over this period. Staff identified the uncertainty this had caused the staff team and children.

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This monitoring visit

Recently, there have been three allegations against staff members. This has raised concerns about the professionalism and culture within the staff team. The manager and the regional manager have investigated these allegations thoroughly and acted where necessary. Subsequently, managers have introduced a cultural change plan and commenced reflective sessions with the staff team. Inspection report for children’s home - monitoring visit: 1264840 2 Ofsted has not received a review of the quality of care provided to children since October 2019. There is no evidence of a review being completed for the period October 2019 to March 2020. For the subsequent six-month period, a review was completed and sent to Ofsted. Unfortunately, this was not received, as the wrong email address was used. Therefore, Ofsted does not have oversight of the quality of care provided to children. Ofsted has not received a statement of purpose since

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This monitoring visit

February 2020, despite there being changes of managers and the staff team. Consequently, Ofsted does not know who is working in the home.

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This monitoring visit

Some work to the home environment has taken place since the last inspection. However, further improvements remain outstanding. Despite the last inspection taking place six months prior to the first national lockdown, the provider reports that this delay is due to the impact of COVID-19 (coronavirus). There are further shortfalls in the physical conditions of the home. Staff support children to personalise their bedrooms. However, one child’s bedroom and ensuite are not clean. There are issues with damp in the home observed in the upstairs bathroom, where there is damp on the ceiling and mould around the bath and shower screen. Paint is flaking from the living room ceiling. Throughout the home, walls and doors are marked and unkempt, some furniture is marked or broken, including the dining table, and there are punch marks to the fridge freezer. The hallway carpet is marked and fraying at the edge of the living room. There is a burn to the living

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This monitoring visit

room carpet. This does not provide children with a homely environment.

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This monitoring visit

Incident reports are thorough and have management oversight. Incidents of self- harm are reflected in children’s risk assessments and plans. Staff take appropriate action including providing feedback to children’s social workers about any incidents that arise.

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This monitoring visit

During the visit, a local bridge was identified as a place children have attended and where they have threatened to self-harm. However, this is not reflected in the home’s location risk assessment. This does not give placing authorities the information they need to consider local risks for children before they move into the home. Despite this, children’s social workers were complimentary of the care provided to children.

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This monitoring visit

The inspector raised requirements in response to identified shortfalls and repeated four requirements, which remain untested from the previous inspection in September 2019.

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Recent inspection history

Inspection date Inspection type Inspection judgement 04/09/2019 Full Good 30/01/2019 Interim Sustained effectiveness 09/05/2018 Full Good Inspection report for children’s home - monitoring visit: 1264840 3

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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 quality and purpose of care standard is that children receive care from staff.

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Requirement Due date

In particular, the standard in paragraph (1) requires the registered person to ensure that the premises used for the purposes of the home are designed and furnished so as to enable each child to participate in the daily life of the home. (Regulation 6 (1) (2)(c)(ii)) 11 March 2021

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Requirement Due date

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

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Requirement Due date

In particular, the standard in paragraph (1) requires the registered person to ensure that the premises used for the purposes of the home are located so that children are effectively safeguarded. (Regulation 12 (1) (2)(c)) 11 March 2021

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Requirement Due date

The leadership and management standard is that the registered person enables, inspires and leads a culture in relation to the children’s home that

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Requirement Due date

helps children aspire to fulfil their potential; and

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Requirement Due date

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

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Requirement Due date

lead and manage the home in a way that is consistent with the approach and ethos, and delivers the outcomes, set out in the home’s statement of purpose; and

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Requirement Due date

ensure that the home’s workforce provides continuity of care to each child. (Regulation 13 (1) (2)(a)(e)) 11 March 2021

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Requirement Due date

The registered person must keep the statement of purpose under review and, where appropriate, revise it; and 11 March 2021 Inspection report for children’s home - monitoring visit: 1264840 4 notify HMCI of any revisions and send HMCI a copy of the revised statement within 28 days of the revision. (Regulation 16 (3)(a)(b)) The registered person must recruit staff using recruitment procedures that are designed to ensure children’s safety. (Regulation 32 (1)) 11 March 2021

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Requirement Due date

The registered person must ensure that all employees have their performance and fitness to perform their roles appraised at least once every year. (Regulation 33 (4)(c)) 11 March 2021

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Requirement Due date

The registered person must ensure that an independent person visits the children’s home at least once each month.

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Requirement Due date

The independent person must produce a report about a visit (‘the independent person’s report’) which sets out, in particular, the independent person’s opinion as to whether children are effectively safeguarded; and

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Requirement Due date

the conduct of the home promotes children’s well-being. The independent person must provide a copy of the independent person’s report to HMCI. (Regulation 44 (1) (4)(a)(b) (7)(a)) 11 March 2021

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Requirement Due date

The registered person must complete a review of the quality of care provided for children (‘a quality of care review’) at least once every 6 months.

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Requirement Due date

In order to complete a quality of care review the registered person must establish and maintain a system for monitoring, reviewing and evaluating the quality of care provided for children;

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Requirement Due date

the feedback and opinions of children about the children’s home, its facilities and the quality of care they receive in it; and

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Requirement Due date

any actions that the registered person considers necessary in order to improve or maintain the quality of care provided for children.

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Requirement Due date

After completing a quality of care review, the registered person must produce a written report about the quality of care review and the actions which the registered person intends to take as a result of the quality of care review (‘the quality of care review report’).

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Requirement Due date

The registered person must supply to HMCI a copy of the quality of care review report within 28 days of the date on which the quality of care review is completed; and 11 March 2021 Inspection report for children’s home - monitoring visit: 1264840 5 make a copy of the quality of care review report available on request to a placing authority, if the placing authority is not the parent of a child accommodated in the home. (Regulation 45 (1) (2)(a)(b)(c) (3) (4)(a)(b) (5)) The registered person must review the appropriateness and suitability of the location of the premises used for the purposes of the children’s home at least once in each calendar year taking into account the requirement in regulation 12 (2)(c) (the protection of children standard).

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Requirement Due date

When conducting the review, the registered person must consult, and take into account the views of, each relevant person. (Regulation 46 (1) (2)) 11 March 2021

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Recommendations

 The registered person should ensure that children’s homes are 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 legislations (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 the children’s homes regulations including the quality standards’, page 15, paragraph 3.9)  The registered person should ensure that the children’s guide helps children to understand: – what the day to day routines of the home are (‘what happens in the home’); – the statement of purpose of the home (the care they can expect to receive while living there); – how to make a complaint in line with the home’s complaints procedure; – how they can access advocacy support or independent advocacy if eligible;

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Recommendations

and – how to contact the Office of the Children’s Commissioner. (‘Guide to the children’s homes regulations including the quality standards’, page 24, paragraph 4.22)

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Information about this inspection

The purpose of this visit was to monitor the action taken and the progress made by the children’s home since its last Ofsted inspection.

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Information about this inspection

This inspection was carried out under the Care Standards Act 2000. Inspection report for children’s home - monitoring visit: 1264840 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 DE56 0RN

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Inspector

Ann-Marie Jones, Social Care Inspector Inspection report for children’s home - monitoring visit: 1264840 7 to achieve excellence in the care of children and children, 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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