Children's home run by Esland North Limited in Amber Valley

Inspection report for children’s home: 1214270 1 Registered provider: Esland North Limited Full inspection Inspected under the social care common inspection framework

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Information about this children’s home

The home is registered to provide care for one child. The home’s statement of purpose describes the care as being for a child with EBD (social and emotional difficulties) and associated complex needs. The home is privately run and managed.

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Information about this children’s home

Since the last inspection, the registered manager voluntarily cancelled their registration. The home currently has an interim manager while the provider appoints a new manager.

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Information about this children’s home

Due to COVID-19, at the request of the Secretary of State, we suspended all routine inspections of social care providers carried out under the social care common inspection framework (SCCIF) on 17 March 2020. We returned to routine SCCIF inspections on 12 April 2021.

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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: inadequate

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good

Enforcement action since last inspection: none Inspection report for children’s home: 1214270 2

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Inspection date Inspection type Inspection judgement

17/08/2021 Full Inadequate 28/10/2019 Full Outstanding 24/01/2019 Full Good 15/11/2017 Full Good Inspection report for children’s home: 1214270 3

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Since the last full inspection, and subsequent monitoring visit, there have been significant and positive changes in the home to ensure that the quality of care provided by the home is good.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

A child, who displays complex emotional needs, is now living at the home. Staff provide a warm and nurturing environment for this child to feel safe and secure. There are adaptations in place to ensure ongoing safety and management in the home, including the external grounds, without compromising the homely atmosphere.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

The child moved into the home shortly after the last full inspection. Although still early days, she has begun to form positive attachments with the staff team. The child spoke with the inspector and said that she liked the home, saying that ‘it was good’. She liked the staff and particularly liked her bedroom. The child is active and has continued to engage in her dance classes. She is enjoying a wide range of activities in the community that contribute to her social and emotional development.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

The quality of key-work sessions is dynamic, creative and detailed. Sessions are age- appropriate and sensitively adapted to the child’s level of understanding. Talking about feelings after incidents is supporting the child to reflect on her own behaviour and become more sensitive to the feelings of others. Staff engage in a range of discussions that help the child to understand the impact of her behaviour on herself and her environment. Staff are working hard to build positive, warm and trusting attachments. One staff member has created a Christmas board to gain a better understanding of what Christmas means for the child. For some children, Christmas can be an emotionally challenging time, therefore talking about traditions and expectations encourages staff to take the necessary steps to ensure that it is a happy and positive experience for her.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Education is provided by the provider’s own school resource. As the child is not in full- time education yet, a creative timetable, including several activities and additional tutoring in the home, provides a positive learning outcome and structure to the child’s day. Education meetings, which include discussions about personal education plans, ensure ongoing monitoring and review of the child’s progress.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

All health requirements are met, and the child is registered with local general practitioner and dental services. Detailed consultations have taken place with the specialist nurse for children in care. There is a strong emphasis on therapeutic support for the child and guidance for staff. Therapeutic support and management are provided by the in-house therapist, who provides therapeutic support to the child in school and consultations for staff.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Professional feedback is positive. Social workers report good communication, and the social worker is kept up to date regarding any incidents. The social worker reported that Inspection report for children’s home: 1214270 4 the home is focused on managing and stabilising the child’s behaviour. A family member reported that she is happy with the quality of care provided.

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

Risk management plans and behaviour support plans, known as individual behaviour support plans, are detailed and provide clear guidance for staff to manage behaviours. Individual support plans identify the risks and strategies to manage complex behaviours. Documents are regularly updated to ensure that staff can respond to each presenting risk. Regular reflection among the team takes place to help understand new and emerging patterns of behaviour to ensure that the child is helped and protected.

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

To ensure that the child is less likely to harm herself, environmental sweeps ensure a safe environment for the child to live in. This includes regular bedroom checks that occur three times a day to remove any objects that could be used to cause harm. The inspector discussed with the manager the importance of ensuring that when incidents take place, and the effect is potentially serious, they are notified to Ofsted. Managers complete their own daily checks to ensure that the home has been made safe. During the inspection, the inspector discussed how the staff office could be made safer, with reference to an incident in which the child gained entry to the office and picked up a pair of scissors. The manager took swift action to rectify this and overnight adapted the office to ensure ongoing safety.

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

A multi-agency approach ensures detailed planning and support to staff to manage risk- taking behaviour. Specialist meetings, known as ‘team around the child’ meetings, occur monthly, involving staff from the home, health and social care professionals. Risk management meetings and a multi-agency approach demonstrate a good understanding of the risks around the child and ongoing management of new behaviour.

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

Physical restraint is used as a last resort to manage challenging behaviour. One incident required the overview of the designated officer. Furthermore, a meeting on lessons learned took place with senior managers and the lead person for physical training, to ensure that appropriate physical hold measures are implemented to promote the safety of the child should physical restraint be required again.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

Since the last full inspection, an experienced interim manager is now managing the home. Changes to the staffing structure have brought significant positive changes to the home’s environment. The management strengths demonstrate expertise in working with children with emotional and behavioural concerns. There is a strong emphasis on developing a therapeutic workforce. Managers and staff are responsive and continue to strive to understand the needs of the child.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

Supervision and training have now been updated to manage the current risks. Staff have had training on choking, first aid, therapeutic response to self-harm and attachment. Specialist training has increased staff’s knowledge and confidence to improve their practice to ensure an effective response to the child. Team meetings are now reflective Inspection report for children’s home: 1214270 5 and include supportive strategies to continue to support the staff and her carers. Team meeting discussions are reflective and demonstrate a good understanding of the child and her needs.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

Feedback from the child is constant and this is reflected in the day-to-day running of the home. Staff are child-centred and focused on building warm and nurturing relationships with the child. Staff are responsive and listen to the child but ensure that firm boundaries continue to help her feel safe without having a negative effect on her emotional growth.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

Effective and clear communication with key stakeholders is good. Regular discussions take place with therapists and health and professionals. The local authority social worker is consulted and involved in risk management meetings.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

The inspector was pleased to see a positive change in the leadership and management since the last inspection. The emphasis of the home is to continue to provide a therapeutic home environment and therapeutic response to the child. The electronic recording system is now fully embedded into practice.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

Internal and external monitoring by an independent visitor is ongoing. The independent person will continue to provide an overview of the progress and development of the home. Inspection report for children’s home: 1214270 6

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recommendation

 The registered person should notify Ofsted and other relevant persons if one of the situations specified in regulation 40(4)(a)-(d) occurs, or if there is an incident relating to the protection, safeguarding or welfare of a child living in the home which the registered person considers to be serious (40(4)(e)). (‘Guide to the children’s homes regulations, including the quality standards’, page 63, paragraph 14.10)

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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 for children’s home: 1214270 7

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Children’s home details

Registered provider: Esland North Limited

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Children’s home details

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

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Inspector

Kamal Bhamra, Social Care Inspector Inspection report for children’s home: 1214270 8 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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