Children's Home run by Esland South Limited in Hertfordshire

Inspection report children’s home: SC425418 1 SC425418 Registered provider: Esland South Limited Full inspection Inspected under the social care common inspection framework

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Information about this children’s home

The home provides care for a maximum of four children aged between 10 and 17, who have behavioural difficulties, including, but not exclusively, mild to moderate learning disabilities.

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Information about this children’s home

The manager has been registered since August 2020.

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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.

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Information about this children’s home

We last visited this setting on 30 September 2020, to carry out a monitoring visit. The report is published on the Ofsted website.

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Overall experiences and progress of

children and young people, taking into account

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good

How well children and young people are helped and protected good

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good

The effectiveness of leaders and managers good

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good

The children’s home provides effective services that meet the requirements for good.

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good

Overall judgement at last inspection: good

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good

Enforcement action since last inspection: none Inspection report children’s home: SC425418 2

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Inspection date Inspection type Inspection judgement

02/07/2019 Full Good 03/05/2018 Full Good 26/04/2017 Full Good 27/10/2016 Interim Improved effectiveness Inspection report children’s home: SC425418 3

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Children have begun to make progress since moving to the home. Staff work hard with other professionals to help the children to improve their behaviours, emotional well-being and school attendance. A social worker said that one child’s behaviour has significantly improved.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Some children were out of education prior to moving to the home. The staff actively support children with education and this has improved the children’s attendance. However, the children’s personal education plans are not on their files. Therefore, the staff are not fully aware of the children’s individual education targets and the specific support that each child needs.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Children have weekly house meetings. However, the staff do not provide feedback after the meetings, and therefore the children do not know whether their views and wishes have been acted on. This does not encourage children to express their views.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Staff have built positive relationships with the children. Staff know and understand the children’s individual needs well. Interactions between the staff and the children are genuine, caring and warm. Children speak positively about the staff and the manager. These positive relationships have helped to reduce children’s unsafe behaviours.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Staff recognise the importance of children and their families staying in touch. Children visit and phone their families in agreement with their social workers. Staff are aware that for some children visits can be difficult, and they provide support when needed.

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How well children and young people are helped and protected: good

Staff know their roles and responsibilities in safeguarding the children. They have had appropriate safeguarding training and they know how to report concerns. However, following investigations, the actions and outcomes are not recorded well or kept in a way which provides a clear rationale for the decisions made.

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How well children and young people are helped and protected: good

Children’s placement plans and risk assessments are updated and support the staff in working with the children. The organisation has developed new risk assessments and behaviour plans to incorporate its model of working with children. This provides a consistent approach to behaviour management and keeping children safe.

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How well children and young people are helped and protected: good

Children know and understand their vulnerabilities. The staff encourage them to read and comment on their individual risk assessments. The staff use key-work sessions to agree strategies with the children and identify how these risks can be reduced. Inspection report children’s home: SC425418 4 The children said that they know how to complain. There have been two complaints since the last inspection. These have been managed well and children have been updated on the outcomes and the actions taken. A child said that staff help him if he is worried or upset about anything. This helps the children to feel that their concerns are listened to.

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How well children and young people are helped and protected: good

Sanctions are fair and proportionate. The children have the opportunity to comment on and sign sanction records, and the manager evaluates the effectiveness of these The staff reward the children for their positive behaviours rather than focus on the negatives. Positive reinforcement encourages the children to reduce unwanted behaviours.

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How well children and young people are helped and protected: good

Physical restraint is rarely used. Staff complete detailed records which look at the triggers and behaviours leading up to the restraint. The staff do not always follow up incidents with the children, to ascertain their feelings about the restraint. This means that children may not be supported to understand why the restraint was used, and may not have the chance to discuss how they felt about it.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

The manager has been registered with Ofsted since August 2020, and is currently working towards the level 5 qualification.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

The manager and the deputy manager work well together. They have a clear vision for the home and recognise the strengths and areas for development. There are clear monitoring systems in place. These systems support the manager to look at patterns in incidents and identify triggers, in order to reduce these incidents.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

The children are clearly at the centre of the staff’s practice. Professionals said that the manager is approachable and knowledgeable about the children. There is clear evidence that the manager confidently raises issues with professionals if he feels that actions or proposed actions are not in the best interests of the child.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

The manager provides the staff with regular supervision. The staff spoken to said that they found this supports their work with the children. Regular staff meetings take place, which supports the development of the staff team.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

Staff have undertaken the organisation’s mandatory training. The staff have completed or are working towards a relevant level 3 qualification. This means that the staff are suitably qualified to work in the home.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

One requirement from the last inspection has been met. The second requirement made at the last inspection will be repeated. The recommendation from the last inspection has been met. Inspection report children’s home: SC425418 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 children’s views, wishes and feelings standard is that children receive care from staff who—

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Requirement Due date

develop positive relationships with them;

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Requirement Due date

take their views, wishes and feelings into account in relation to matters affecting the children’s care and welfare and their lives.

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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

help each child to express views, wishes and feelings; and

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Requirement Due date

regularly consult children, and seek their feedback, about the quality of the home’s care. (Requirement 7 (1)(a)(b)(c) (2)(a)(ii)(iv))

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Requirement Due date

This specifically relates to children having feedback following house meetings.

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Requirement Due date

This requirement was made at the last inspection and is restated. 30 November 2021

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Requirement Due date

The education standard is that children make measurable progress towards achieving their educational potential and are helped to do so.

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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— 30 November 2021 Inspection report children’s home: SC425418 6 support each child’s learning and development, including helping the child to develop independent study skills and, where appropriate, helping the child to complete independent study. (Regulation 8 (a)(ii))

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Requirement Due date

In particular, ensure that children have a current personal education plan and an education, health and care plan.

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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 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. (Regulation 12 (1) (2)(b))

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Requirement Due date

In particular, ensure that the actions from safeguarding incidents are clearly recorded. 30 November 2021

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Requirement Due date

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’)—

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Requirement Due date

has spoken to the user about the measure; and

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Requirement Due date

has signed the record to confirm it is accurate; and

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Requirement Due date

within 5 days of the use of the measure, the registered person or the authorised person adds to the record confirmation that they have spoken to the child about the measure. (Regulation 35 (3)(b)(i)(ii)(c))

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Requirement Due date

In particular, ensure that children’s views are gained and recorded following a physical intervention. 30 November 2021 Inspection report children’s home: SC425418 7

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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: SC425418 8

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Children’s home details

Registered provider: Esland South Limited

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Children’s home details

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

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Inspector

Trish Palmer, Social Care Inspector Inspection report children’s home: SC425418 9 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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