Children's Home run by Esland North Limited in Staffordshire

Inspection report children’s home: 2623568 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

The home is operated by a private organisation and provides care for up to three children who have experienced emotional difficulties and have complex needs.

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Information about this children’s home

The manager registered with Ofsted in April 2021 as part of the registration of the home. The manager is currently undertaking a Level 5 diploma in leadership and management for residential childcare.

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Information about this children’s home

Date of last inspection: 22 September 2021

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Information about this children’s home

Judgement at last inspection: requires improvement to be good

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Information about this children’s home

Enforcement action since last inspection: none Inspection report children’s home: 2623568 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. At this interim inspection, Ofsted judged that it has declined in effectiveness.

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children and young people since the most recent full inspection

During this inspection, inspectors identified repeated and serious failures in the leadership and management of the home. In response, Ofsted has issued a compliance notice under regulation 13 (the leadership and management standard).

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children and young people since the most recent full inspection

Management oversight and monitoring of the home are inadequate. Managers have failed to identify hazards in the home’s environment and shortfalls in children’s risk assessments. Managers have also failed to identify that staff had not followed strategies in a risk assessment that was intended to reduce a child’s self-harming behaviours. The inadequate leadership and management have the potential to affect the safety of children.

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children and young people since the most recent full inspection

Managers could not provide evidence that staff receive regular supervision and annual appraisal of their performance. This means that staff are not provided opportunities to reflect on their practice and consider how they are promoting the welfare of children.

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children and young people since the most recent full inspection

Leaders do not ensure that staff receive support to manage children’s anxieties. Staff are not routinely spoken to or debriefed following significant incidents involving children. This means that leaders fail to provide staff with adequate guidance and learning to support them in keeping children safe.

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children and young people since the most recent full inspection

Leaders and managers fail to ensure that assessments reflect children’s known risks. They are inaccurate and are not routinely updated. For example, there is no risk assessment in place for one child to evidence how staff manage risks linked to sexualised behaviour. Furthermore, a plan to manage a child’s self-harm is inaccurate and the strategies to keep her safe are not up to date. Consequently, staff failed to follow the plan effectively and they did not complete a room search when the child was in crisis. These shortfalls leave children vulnerable.

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children and young people since the most recent full inspection

Children’s bedroom doors are fitted with sensors. This means that staff are alerted when children enter and leave their bedrooms. However, the registered manager has failed to regularly review this form of surveillance. Also, he has failed to gain the consent from one child’s placing authority. Consequently, the sensors have remained in place when there are no risks to one child. This means that children’s privacy is not always respected.

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children and young people since the most recent full inspection

At the last inspection, Ofsted raised five requirements and two recommendations. However, leaders have failed to meet three of these requirements. Staff still do not receive regular supervision or feedback on their performance. Furthermore, Inspection report children’s home: 2623568 3 managers have not ensured that all behaviour-management records are regularly reviewed, or that staff are debriefed following incidents requiring physical restraint with children. This does not reassure the regulator that leaders and managers have the skills to take action to improve the care received by children.

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children and young people since the most recent full inspection

There were two children living in the home at the time of this inspection. Since the last inspection, one child has left the home and one child has moved into the home. These moves were well planned and supported by staff. Also, leaders consulted with children and external professionals to ensure that risk assessments and matching processes were effective. This means that children’s transitions are well managed and planned.

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children and young people since the most recent full inspection

Staff support children to engage with education, employment and training. Since the last inspection, staff have worked well with the virtual school and education professionals to identify appropriate support for one child. As a result, the child is now engaging positively with her education and there are plans to support her back into school.

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children and young people since the most recent full inspection

Senior managers in the organisation have recently become more involved in the day- to-day running of the home. For example, an operations manager is providing additional support to the registered manager. Also, the responsible individual is taking action to address the shortfalls. However, it is too early to determine the impact of this. Inspection report children’s home: 2623568 4

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Inspection date Inspection type Inspection judgement

22/09/2021 Full Requires improvement to be good Inspection report children’s home: 2623568 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. (Regulation 12 (1) (2)(a)(i))

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Requirement Due date

In particular, the provider should ensure that staff understand children’s risk assessments and implement the correct strategies to keep children safe. This includes when identifying and addressing the risks in relation to self-harm and sexualised behaviour. 6 March 2022

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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 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. (Regulation 12 (1) (2)(d))

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Requirement Due date

In particular, the provider should ensure that hazards are identified and appropriate action is taken in order to safeguard children. 6 March 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— 6 March 2022 Inspection report children’s home: 2623568 6 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

understand the impact that the quality of care provided in the home is having on the progress and experiences of each child and use this understanding to inform the development of the quality of care provided in the home; and

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Requirement Due date

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)(f)(h))

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Requirement Due date

In particular, managers should have clear monitoring and review systems in place to improve practice and understand children’s progress. Furthermore, these systems need to ensure that staff receive appropriate guidance and support in order to be able to safeguard children and promote their welfare.

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Requirement Due date

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

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Requirement Due date

The registered person may only use devices for the monitoring or surveillance of children if—

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Requirement Due date

the monitoring or surveillance is for the purpose of safeguarding and promoting the welfare of the child concerned, or other children;

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Requirement Due date

the child’s placing authority consents in writing to the monitoring or surveillance; and

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Requirement Due date

the monitoring or surveillance is no more intrusive than necessary, having regard to the child’s need for privacy. (Regulation 24 (1)(a)(b)(c)(d))

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Requirement Due date

In particular, the provider should ensure that the use of sensors on children’s bedroom doors is regularly reviewed and not used for any longer than is necessary. Furthermore, 6 March 2022 Inspection report children’s home: 2623568 7 the provider is to ensure that consent for this type of surveillance is gained from children’s placing authorities.

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Requirement Due date

The registered person must ensure that all employees—

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Requirement Due date

undertake appropriate continuing professional development; and

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Requirement Due date

receive practice-related supervision by a person with appropriate experience. (Regulation 33 (4)(a)(b))

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Requirement Due date

In particular, leaders must ensure that all staff receive regular supervision and feedback on their performance.

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Requirement Due date

This requirement was made at the last inspection and is restated. 6 March 2022

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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. (Regulation 35 (3)(b)(i))

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Requirement Due date

In particular, managers should ensure that all behaviour- management records are regularly reviewed, and that staff are debriefed following incidents requiring physical restraint with children.

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Requirement Due date

This requirement was made at the last inspection and is restated. 6 March 2022

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Requirement Due date

* These requirements are subject to a compliance notice. Inspection report children’s home: 2623568 8

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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 children’s home: 2623568 9

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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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Children’s home details

Responsible individual: Jodie Whitehouse

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Inspector

Dean Wilton, Social Care Inspector Inspection report children’s home: 2623568 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.

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Inspector

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Inspector

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Inspector

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