Children's home run by Esland North Limited

Inspection report for children’s home: 1253008 1 Registered provider: Esland North Limited Interim inspection Inspected under the social care common inspection framework

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Information about this children’s home

This home is owned and managed by a private provider. It is registered to provide care and accommodation for up to two children who may have emotional and/or social difficulties.

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Information about this children’s home

The manager registered with Ofsted in February 2021.

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Inspection date: 13 January 2022

Judgement at last inspection: requires improvement to be good

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Inspection date: 13 January 2022

Enforcement action since last inspection: none Inspection report for children’s home: 1253008 2

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children and young people since the most recent full inspection

This home was judged requires improvement to be good at the last full inspection.

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children and young people since the most recent full inspection

At the interim inspection, Ofsted judges that it has sustained effectiveness. Five requirements under regulation 12, 13, 14, 21 and 35 are to be reissued. No recommendations are to be made.

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children and young people since the most recent full inspection

Children’s overall experiences of living in the home are variable.

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children and young people since the most recent full inspection

Care plans and risk assessments are clear, comprehensive and well written. They are child focused and child centred. They provide a good understanding of the child’s needs, both historical and current. The provider has clear behaviour support plans that assess the child’s risk of harm. Plans and risk assessments are reviewed as behaviours change and new risks emerge. Staff are aware of the contents of the care plans and assessments and are trained in the model of care on which the plans are based. However, there is a lack of flexibility in the day-to-day care arrangements to adapt to the changing needs and risks identified in the children’s plans. This means that the provider cannot safely meet the needs of all children, meaning that some children are experiencing further placement breakdowns likely to be detrimental to their well-being.

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children and young people since the most recent full inspection

Some children have trusted and secure relationships with some staff, but there has continued to be instability in the staff team with the need to use agency staff or staff from other homes to cover. This means that children are not always being cared for by a consistent and trusted adult.

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children and young people since the most recent full inspection

The home is welcoming and decorated to a good standard and there was evidence of children’s personal belongings, thus increasing their sense of identity in their home. Young people are involved in decisions about how their rooms are decorated and have their own personal space in the home. However, there have been repeated incidences of staff locking internal doors and denying young people’s access to all areas of their home. This is not being undertaken in line with regulations and creates an institutionalised environment.

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children and young people since the most recent full inspection

When new children are admitted to the home, an impact risk assessment is completed. When possible, introductory visits take place to enable the child to meet staff and see the home. The views of the children in the home and the views of staff are considered as part of the matching process. The children’s presenting needs at admission are in line with the home’s statement of purpose. However, despite this, recent matching decisions have not been effective, and children placed in the home continue to experience placement breakdown and further disruption to their lives. Inspection report for children’s home: 1253008 3 The manager is visible in the home and spends time with the children, and reviews the records relating to children. However, not all staff have been debriefed following physical interventions with children. This does not afford staff with the opportunity to reflect on incidents and consider alternative strategies. The manager has not yet

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children and young people since the most recent full inspection

developed robust auditing and performance processes. This lack of management oversight means that the provider is unable to identify deficits in the quality of care being provided and to understand the impact this has on the progress that children are making.

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children and young people since the most recent full inspection

Staff have completed mandatory training, and the manager has been proactive at sourcing additional training in line with the home’s statement of purpose and the identified needs of the children placed in the home. A new training matrix allows the manager to keep track of staff training. However, staff development and individual training needs are not discussed within supervision or in team meetings, meaning that staff are not provided with the opportunity to discuss what they need to do their job well. Monthly meetings with the provider’s clinical team discuss the children’s progress and provide an opportunity to improve the team’s knowledge and skills for working with individual children. However, children are not discussed within supervision, meaning that staff are not provided with consistent opportunities to reflect on a one-to-one basis about their practice and care with children.

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children and young people since the most recent full inspection

The provider completes an assessment of the location of the home and considers potential risks and the measures required to help protect children. These are updated when new children are admitted to the home. Inspection report for children’s home: 1253008 4

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Inspection date Inspection type Inspection judgement

26/07/2021 Full Requires improvement to be good 18/02/2020 Full Good 31/10/2018 Full Outstanding 07/11/2017 Full Good Inspection report for children’s home: 1253008 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 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

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

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

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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)(a)(i)(iii)(b)) 14 February 2022

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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

lead and manage the home in a way that is consistent with the approach and ethos, and delivers the outcomes, set out in the home’s statement of purpose;

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Requirement Due date

ensure that the home’s workforce provides continuity of care to each child; and 14 February 2022 Inspection report for children’s home: 1253008 6 use monitoring and review systems to make continuous improvements in the quality of care provided in the home. (Regulation 13 (1)(a)(b) (2)(a)(e)(h))

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Requirement Due date

The care planning standard is that children—

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Requirement Due date

receive effectively planned care in or through the children’s home; and

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Requirement Due date

have a positive experience of arriving at or moving on from the home.

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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

manage and review the placement of each child in the home; and

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Requirement Due date

that each child’s relevant plans are followed. (Regulation 14 (1)(a)(b) (2)(b)(ii)(c)) 14 February 2022

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Requirement Due date

the privacy of children is appropriately protected;

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Requirement Due date

children can access all appropriate areas of the children’s home’s premises and;

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Requirement Due date

any limitation placed on a child’s privacy or access to any area of the home’s premises—

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Requirement Due date

is intended to safeguard each child accommodated in the home;

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Requirement Due date

is kept under review and, if necessary, revised; and

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Requirement Due date

allows children as much freedom as is possible when balanced against the need to protect them and keep them safe. (Regulation 21 (a)(b)(c)(i)(ii)(iii)(iv)) 14 February 2022

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Requirement Due date

The registered person must prepare and implement a policy ("the behaviour management policy") which sets out— 14 February 2022 Inspection report for children’s home: 1253008 7 how appropriate behaviour is to be promoted in the children’s home; and

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Requirement Due date

the measures of control, discipline and restraint which may be used in relation to children in the home.

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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 (1)(a)(b) (3)(b)(i)(ii)(c))

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Information about this inspection

This inspection focused on the effectiveness of the home and the progress and experiences of children and young people since the most recent full inspection.

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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: 1253008 8

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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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Inspectors

Victoria Horsfield, Social Care Inspector Louise Hollick, Social Care Inspector Inspection report for children’s home: 1253008 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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Inspectors

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Inspectors

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Inspectors

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