Children's home run by Esland North Limited

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

p.1

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. The home cares for children who may have emotional and/or behavioural difficulties or learning disabilities.

p.1

Information about this children’s home

The home does not currently have a registered manager. However, a new manager has been appointed.

p.1

Information about this children’s home

Due to COVID-19 (coronavirus), at the request of the Secretary of State, we suspended all routine inspections of social care providers on 17 March 2020.

p.1

Information about this children’s home

We last visited this setting on 3 February 2021 to carry out a monitoring visit. The report is published on the Ofsted website.

p.1

Overall experiences and progress of

children and young people, taking into account

p.1

requires improvement to be good

How well children and young people are helped and protected requires improvement to be good

p.1

requires improvement to be good

The effectiveness of leaders and managers requires improvement to be good

p.1

requires improvement to be good

The children’s home is not yet delivering good help and care for children and young people. However, there are no serious or widespread failures that result in their welfare not being safeguarded or promoted.

p.1

requires improvement to be good

Overall judgement at last inspection: Declined in effectiveness

p.1

requires improvement to be good

Enforcement action since last inspection: None Inspection report children's home: 1276249 2 Inspection report children's home: 1276249 3

p.1

Inspection date Inspection type Inspection judgement

05/03/2020 Interim Declined in effectiveness 04/06/2019 Full Good 28/11/2018 Full Requires improvement to be good Inspection report children's home: 1276249 4

p.3

improvement to be good

There has been a high turnover of staff. Consequently, children have experienced some disrupted relationships. Staffing issues are now resolved and a full staff team and new manager have been appointed.

p.4

improvement to be good

Staff support children to keep in touch with family, friends and others who are important to them. This provides children with a sense of belonging and value.

p.4

improvement to be good

Staff spend quality time with children. Children are starting to develop positive relationships with staff and have been able to explore their personal and health issues more effectively. Key working has become a strength of the home.

p.4

improvement to be good

Children receive good healthcare. This includes specialist support. There is strong partnership working with mental health services. Children receive therapy and counselling as appropriate to meet their needs.

p.4

improvement to be good

Children enjoy a range of activities and have enriching experiences. Staff encourage children to participate in community-based activities and to join clubs. These varied opportunities help to improve children’s confidence and enhance their social engagement.

p.4

improvement to be good

The home provides strong support and encouragement to children who struggle to engage in education. As a result, some progress has been made by each child.

p.4

improvement to be good

Poor-quality risk assessments prevent staff from having a clear understanding of children’s vulnerabilities. They do not address all known risks. This fails to keep children safe and does not ensure that risks are managed consistently by staff.

p.4

improvement to be good

Staff do not always follow guidance on medication administration. On one occasion, medication was left accessible to a child. Consequently, the child was able to consume an additional tablet.

p.4

improvement to be good

Maintenance works have not been completed in a timely manner. This has had an impact on children’s safety. A young child was able to leave the home without permission because a gate latch had not been promptly repaired.

p.4

improvement to be good

Staff have failed to supervise children effectively. This has resulted in one child being able to display inappropriate behaviour towards a peer. Inspection report children's home: 1276249 5

p.4

good

The management team is working to change the culture of the home. Managers are adopting a therapeutic model that is less reliant on sanctions to manage behaviour. Although staff have completed training in this model, a number of staff are not yet implementing this effectively. As a result, children have continued to be given sanctions that are not in keeping with the new approach.

p.5

good

Managers fail to analyse and evaluate incidents. For example, they have failed to learn from previous incidents and, as a result, incidents are repeated. Monitoring systems are not effective. One record of physical intervention had been signed off by managers even though it did not contain all required information. This does not ensure proper oversight of practice. The independent visitor, who monitors the quality of care, has made recommendations to improve the home. Not all these recommendations have been acted on in a timely manner. This prevents the home from being improved.

p.5

good

A large proportion of the team are unqualified. However, new staff recruited to the home complete a thorough, structured induction process, equipping them with the skills and knowledge required . Inspection report children's home: 1276249 6

p.5

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.6

Requirement Due date

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

p.6

Requirement Due date

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

p.6

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.6

Requirement Due date

help each child to understand how to keep safe;

p.6

Requirement Due date

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

p.6

Requirement Due date

manage relationships between children to prevent them from harming each other;

p.6

Requirement Due date

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

p.6

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;

p.6

Requirement Due date

that the premises used for the purposes of the home are designed, furnished and maintained so as to protect each child from avoidable hazards to the child’s health.

p.6

Requirement Due date

(Regulation 12 (1) (2)(a)(i)(ii)(iii)(iv)(v)(b)(d))

p.6

Requirement Due date

This is specifically in relation to ensuring that risk assessments reflect the needs of the child and include guidance on how staff should respond to risks. It also relates 27 May 2021 Inspection report children's home: 1276249 7 to managing day-to-day risks effectively in line with the child’s risk assessment and not deviating from this. Staff should support children to understand how to keep themselves safe. Managers should ensure required maintenance works are completed to keep children safe.

p.6

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—

p.7

Requirement Due date

Helps children to fulfil their potential; and

p.7

Requirement Due date

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

p.7

Requirement Due date

ensure that staff work as a team where appropriate;

p.7

Requirement Due date

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

p.7

Requirement Due date

ensure that the home’s workforce provides continuity of care to each child;

p.7

Requirement Due date

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

p.7

Requirement Due date

This specifically relates to the team predominantly being unqualified and inexperienced. Staff should apply the training that they receive to their day-to-day practice. Managers should ensure a consistent team approach and embed monitoring systems within the home to improve the quality of care. 27 May 2021

p.7

Requirement Due date

within 24 hours of the use of a measure of control, discipline or restraint in relation to a child in the home, a record is made which includes—

p.7

Requirement Due date

details of the child’s behaviour leading to the use of the measure;

p.7

Requirement Due date

details of any methods used or steps taken to avoid the need to use the measure; 27 May 2021 Inspection report children's home: 1276249 8 within 48 hours of the use of the measure, the registered person, or a person who is authorised by the registered person to do so ("the authorised person")—

p.7

Requirement Due date

has spoken to the user about the measure; and

p.8

Requirement Due date

has signed the record to confirm it is accurate.

p.8

Requirement Due date

This is in relation to the lack of detail in records of physical intervention and ensuring that all relevant information is recorded before the manager reviews the incident.

p.8

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 9

p.8

Children’s home details

Registered provider: Esland North Limited

p.9

Children’s home details

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

p.9

Inspector

Zoey Lee, Social Care Inspector Inspection report children's home: 1276249 10 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.9

Inspector

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.10

Inspector

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

p.10

Inspector

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

p.10