Children's Home run by Esland North Limited in Lincolnshire

Inspection report for children’s home – monitoring visit: 2505378 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 is a privately run children’s home. It provides care and accommodation for up to three children and young people with emotional and/or behavioural difficulties, and those who may have moderate learning disabilities. There were two children living at the home at the time of the visit.

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This monitoring visit

This monitoring visit was undertaken to monitor the safeguarding arrangements for the children living at the home, and to review the leadership and management arrangements, following concerns raised from recent notifications.

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This monitoring visit

The registered manager has recently returned from maternity leave. Although a manager was identified to lead and manage the home as an interim measure during this period of absence, a number of shortfalls have been identified. These are predominantly in relation to managing safeguarding incidents.

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This monitoring visit

Prior to the return of the registered manager, the home had a period of instability. Management arrangements were not effective. This resulted in low staff morale.

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This monitoring visit

The lack of a consistent manager in the home has resulted in staff feeling unsupported. However, the registered manager has now returned to her post and she has quickly addressed this.

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This monitoring visit

Safeguarding practice at the home is weak. A child was placed at increased risk as a result of safeguarding procedures not being followed. The interim manager failed to notify the local authority of a significant incident and there was a delay in medical treatment being sought for a child. Inspection report for children’s home – monitoring visit: 2505378 2 Management monitoring systems are ineffective. The interim manager failed to take action when it was identified that safety arrangements for monitoring the children’s use of the internet and social media were not robust. Furthermore, a child was able to access social media without staff being aware.

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This monitoring visit

Not all staff have the required skills and training to meet the needs of the children. The manager has identified this on her return to work and specialist training is now planned.

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This monitoring visit

Structured, well-planned team meetings are now taking place. Staff are able to reflect on previous incidents, with the support of the manager and the responsible individual, to ensure that lessons are learned and safeguarding practice improves as a result.

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This monitoring visit

Despite this unsettled period, children have made progress. They have been able to form positive relationships with staff. The children benefit from having consistent boundaries and staff who understand their needs.

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This monitoring visit

The manager has developed an extremely positive culture in the home. She leads by example, and staff learn from her calm, can-do approach.

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This monitoring visit

All staff spoke about the manager in exceptionally positive terms. One staff member said, ‘She’s the most amazing manager that I have ever had in any job. She always does what she says she is going to do, always does the best for everyone. So supportive and her positive attitude filters through.’

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Recent inspection history

Inspection date Inspection type Inspection judgement 10/02/2020 Interim Sustained effectiveness 25/06/2019 Full Good Inspection report for children’s home – monitoring visit: 2505378 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 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

ensure that staff have the experience, qualifications and skills to meet the needs of each child;

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Requirement Due date

understand the impact that the quality of care provided in the home is having on the progress and experiences of each child and use this understanding to inform the development of the quality of care provided in the home;

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Requirement Due date

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

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Requirement Due date

This specifically relates to ensuring that staff have suitable training, skills and experience to meet the needs of the children, and that monitoring systems are embedded within the home effectively. 1 April 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—

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Requirement Due date

that staff— 1 April 2021 Inspection report for children’s home – monitoring visit: 2505378 4 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;

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Requirement Due date

help each child to understand how to keep safe;

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Requirement Due date

have the skills to identify and act upon signs that a child is at risk of harm;

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Requirement Due date

understand the roles and responsibilities in relation to protecting children that are assigned to them by the registered person;

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Requirement Due date

take effective action whenever there is a serious concern about a child’s welfare; and

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Requirement Due date

are familiar with, and act in accordance with, the home’s child protection policies;

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Requirement Due date

that the home’s day-to-day care is arranged and delivered so as to keep each child safe and to protect each child effectively from harm.

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Requirement Due date

(Regulation 12 (1) (2)(a)(i)(ii)(iii)(v)(vi)(vii)(b))

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Requirement Due date

This specifically relates to: appropriate action being taken to safeguard children; reporting incidents in line with the home’s policies and procedures, and notifying the local authority of such incidents; and reporting concerns without delay to all required agencies.

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Requirement Due date

The registered person must prepare and implement a policy which—

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Requirement Due date

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

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Requirement Due date

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

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Requirement Due date

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

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Requirement Due date

provide for the prompt referral of an allegation about current or ongoing abuse or neglect in relation to a child to the 1 April 2021 Inspection report for children’s home – monitoring visit: 2505378 5 placing authority and, if different, the local authority in whose area the home is located;

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Requirement Due date

provide for the prompt referral of an allegation about past abuse or neglect in relation to a child to the placing authority and, if different, the local authority in whose area the alleged abuse or neglect occurred;

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Requirement Due date

provide for records to be kept of an allegation of abuse or neglect, and the action taken in response;

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Requirement Due date

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

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Requirement Due date

describe how and to whom staff are to report, without delay, any concern about abuse or neglect of a child.

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Requirement Due date

(Regulation 34 (1)(a)(b) (2)(b)(d)(e)(f))

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Requirement Due date

This specifically relates to the need for procedures to be followed in the event of safeguarding incidents, and for local authorities to be notified. Incidents must be thoroughly investigated on all occasions, and any lessons to be learned from incidents must be identified in order to prevent reoccurrences.

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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.

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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 DE56 0RN

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Children’s home details

Registered manager: Charlotte Forey Inspection report for children’s home – monitoring visit: 2505378 6

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Inspector

Zoey Lee, Social Care Inspector Inspection report for children’s home – monitoring visit: 2505378 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.

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Inspector

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Inspector

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Inspector

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