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

Inspection report for children’s home: 1240433 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 provides care for up to three children on a medium- and long-term basis. The home cares and supports children who have emotional, social and behavioural difficulties as a result of past emotional trauma. The home provides a safe, nurturing and stimulating environment to help children achieve their full potential.

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Information about this children’s home

The manager was registered in July 2020 and is currently undertaking her level 5 diploma in leadership and management.

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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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outstanding

How well children and young people are helped and protected outstanding

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outstanding

The effectiveness of leaders and managers outstanding

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outstanding

The children’s home provides highly effective services that consistently exceed the standards of good. The actions of the children’s home contribute to significantly improved outcomes and positive experiences for children and young people who need help, protection and care.

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outstanding

Date of last inspection: 10 September 2019

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outstanding

Overall judgement at last inspection: good

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outstanding

Enforcement action since last inspection: none Inspection report for children’s home: 1240433 2

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Inspection date Inspection type Inspection judgement

10/09/2019 Full Good 29/01/2019 Full Requires improvement to be good 01/11/2017 Full Good 24/01/2017 Full Good Inspection report for children’s home: 1240433 3

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outstanding

The children who have lived at this home receive highly individualised care and support from a committed staff team. The ethos of the home is embedded in the statement of purpose and truly replicates a family environment. As one child commented, ‘It’s been my home for nearly four years, and I have some fantastic memories. It’s been the making of me.’

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outstanding

Children move on from the home when the time is right for them. They have an age-appropriate voice in all aspects of their care, and the children’s views and opinions are considered. Such are the positive relationships they have with the manager and the staff, that children are able to confide their innermost worries and fears. This has helped them to move forward in their lives with confidence.

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outstanding

A key strength of this home is the ability to involve parents in the lives of their children. This helps to nurture and repair family relationships. This has enabled the children to have meaningful and safe family time, and for some children it helps to keep them safe. The transition of a child back to their home area was advocated strongly by the manager to promote the child’s reintegration with his family.

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outstanding

The manager and staff see education as a passport to enriching the children’s lives and in giving them more options for their future. Considerable focus is placed on ensuring that the right provision is in place for the children to help them to reach their full potential. One child is on track to go to university and is a young spokesperson for children in care on the Youth Council.

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outstanding

Children’s physical and emotional health needs are being met. The children have formed strong relationships with the staff, and this helps them to open up about issues affecting their lives, such as their identity or past trauma. Small yet important touches, such as knowing which staff are sleeping in which room, help the children to feel safe and comfortable in their surroundings.

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outstanding

The children living at the home have differing needs. New admissions are undertaken through good-quality impact risk assessments and sensitive planning. Decisions are made in the best interests of all the children. This promotes minimal disruption and helps children to settle quickly.

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outstanding

The achievements and progress of the children are celebrated. This helps the children to have a good sense of self and have confidence in their abilities. The children invest in their home and it remains part of their life, even when they have left. Inspection report for children’s home: 1240433 4

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outstanding

The quality of care is highly individualised and consistent across the staff team. Staff build positive relationships with the children. Staff listen and engage with children and take time to get to know them extremely well. The children say that they feel safe and are able to put trust in the adults that look after them.

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outstanding

The manager and staff have established strong partnership working arrangements with professionals that help to better protect children from harm. Multi-agency safety plans ensure that, when children go missing, there is a well-coordinated response. The manager and staff go above and beyond in their efforts to safeguard the children and, as a result, missing episodes have reduced.

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outstanding

The staff are very mindful and attuned to the risks for each child. This is clearly reflected in their risk assessments and individual behaviour support plans. Physical intervention is rarely used as staff are effective in their restorative approach to manage and deescalate behaviour.

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outstanding

Feedback from professionals and parents validates the diligence and commitment in place by the managers and staff in their endeavours to keep the children safe. A professional said, ‘It doesn’t matter who I speak to, all the staff know the children well, their risks and vulnerabilities, and they are kept safe living at this home.’

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outstanding

The daily conversations with the children with the manager and staff help them to develop their own sense of safety and identity. It gives them much needed advice and support on, for example, what it feels like to be exploited and keeping safe online. The children are better informed and make better choices as a result.

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outstanding

The recruitment policies and procedures in place ensure that only suitable staff are employed to work with children and young people. If there is a need to use a pool of bank staff, the same rigorous vetting criteria is in place.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: outstanding

The manager has lived and breathed this home for a number of years, starting from a residential childcare worker and progressing to becoming the registered manager. She is highly motivated and self-driven. Her dedication and commitment have helped to improve the lives of children in her care.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: outstanding

The transition of children arriving and leaving the home is done with much care and attention to detail. The manager and staff view the children as ‘deserving nothing but the best’. They advocate and challenge professionally to achieve this for them. This means that children live at this home for as long as they need to.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: outstanding

Despite some relatively new staff working at the home, the manager has created an excellent team culture. Staff spoken to felt well supported, empowered and valued. The home replicates a family vibe with a weekly ‘chill and chat’ gathering, Sunday Inspection report for children’s home: 1240433 5 lunches, competitions and pamper nights. This really helps the children to feel stable and secure and for their voice to be heard.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: outstanding

The manager is passionate about the lives and outcomes of the children. She sees herself as on a continuous journey of discovery and improvement. The manager will source information and use research to enhance practice in areas such as gender identity and all forms of exploitation. This means that staff are better equipped and trained to meet the differing needs of the children.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: outstanding

The team is supportive of each other and morale is high. The positive atmosphere in the home rubs off on the children. Staff have managed the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic well and covered shifts when they have been short staffed. This means that priority has been given to ensuring that children have familiar faces and consistency of care.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: outstanding

New staff experience a well-coordinated induction and probationary period. Supervision and staff appraisal promote continuous professional development, and this has a positive impact on staff retention. Inspection report for children’s home: 1240433 6

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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: 1240433 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

Cath Sikakana, Social Care Inspector Inspection report for children’s home: 1240433 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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