Children's Home run by Esland North Limited in Staffordshire

Inspection report for children's home: SC063794 1 SC063794 Registered provider: Esland North Limited Interim inspection Inspected under the social care common inspection framework

p.1

Information about this children’s home

This private home provides care for up to three children who have complex social and emotional needs.

p.1

Information about this children’s home

There has been an acting manager in post since January 2022 who is not yet registered with Ofsted.

p.1

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.

p.1

Inspection date: 8 March 2022

Enforcement action since last inspection: none Inspection report for children's home: SC063794 2

p.1

children and young people since the most recent full inspection

This home was judged good at the last full inspection.

p.2

children and young people since the most recent full inspection

At the interim inspection, Ofsted judges that it has sustained effectiveness.

p.2

children and young people since the most recent full inspection

This inspection was carried out in order to address specific concerns relating to the safeguarding notifications received by Ofsted.

p.2

children and young people since the most recent full inspection

Managers ensure that investigations into allegations made by children are managed appropriately. There is good communication with the designated officer, the social worker and the regulator who are kept updated of the outcomes. There is a coordinated approach to manage complex allegations. Staff who are subject to allegations are also adequately supported. This approach ensures that children are kept safe and are protected from further harm.

p.2

children and young people since the most recent full inspection

The manager ensures that concerns are escalated with the local authority when children are struggling to get settled in the home. Regular meetings are held to discuss plans for children and how to support them to make progress. This ensures that children’s progress is monitored and reviewed, and that appropriate planning takes place to ensure that their needs are met.

p.2

children and young people since the most recent full inspection

Staff and managers ensure that there is good communication with professionals and families. For example, an independent reviewing officer has shared that they are given regular updates and that they have a good awareness of the child’s progress in the home. Staff ensure that any concerns are shared with the child’s professionals. As a result, decisions are not made in isolation, and there is shared accountability when decisions are being made for children.

p.2

children and young people since the most recent full inspection

The manager has good oversight of incidents involving physical restraints of children. The records are sufficiently detailed. Staff and children are given an opportunity to reflect on the incident. The manager evaluates all incidents to ensure that they are effective, appropriate and proportionate. This level of scrutiny ensures that she is able to identify shortfalls in staff’s practice.

p.2

children and young people since the most recent full inspection

The manager ensures that impact risk assessments consider the needs of all the children and the impact they may have on each other. Strategies to manage children who present with complex needs are considered prior to them moving into the home. However, children who have moved into the home have presented with unanticipated risks and needs. This has had an impact on the well-being of children and staff.

p.2

children and young people since the most recent full inspection

Overall, staff manage risks well. However, when children have gone missing, staff do not consistently follow the appropriate protocols. On some occasions, staff have not reported children going missing in a timely manner. On one occasion, staff did Inspection report for children's home: SC063794 3 not use their professional judgement to dynamically risk assess a child who had recently gone missing. Managers have identified this shortfall in staff’s practice; however, this may impact on children being kept safe from harm.

p.2

children and young people since the most recent full inspection

On one occasion, children were left in the home’s vehicle and staff did not take the appropriate action to ensure that the children were kept safe. This poor practice was immediately identified by the manager and a lessons learned review was completed to prevent future failings. Appropriate action was taken to develop the staff’s practice, including disciplinary processes being initiated. This response to staff’s poor practice demonstrates that the manager’s monitoring and reviewing systems are effective.

p.3

children and young people since the most recent full inspection

The independent person’s report has not been sent to the regulator within the required timescales. Consequently, the regulator is not consistently able to evaluate and scrutinise the progress of children in the home and the quality of care provided by the staff.

p.3

children and young people since the most recent full inspection

The home environment feels unwelcoming and lacks warmth. Children have caused significant damage to some areas which impacts on the overall environment. Some areas not being used by children had rubbish in them. This means that the home does not create a homely or nurturing environment for children.

p.3

children and young people since the most recent full inspection

Some staff have not completed the relevant qualification to work in children’s homes within the required timescales. Inspection report for children's home: SC063794 4

p.3

Inspection date Inspection type Inspection judgement

18/05/2021 Full Good 08/04/2019 Full Requires improvement to be good 10/10/2018 Full Good 10/07/2017 Full Good Inspection report for children's home: SC063794 5

p.4

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.

p.5

Requirement Due date

The protection of children standard is that children are protected from harm and enabled to keep themselves safe.

p.5

Requirement Due date

In particular, the standard in paragraph (1) requires the registered person to ensure—

p.5

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;

p.5

Requirement Due date

help each child to understand how to keep safe;

p.5

Requirement Due date

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

p.5

Requirement Due date

understand the roles and responsibilities in relation to protecting children that are assigned to them by the registered person;

p.5

Requirement Due date

take effective action whenever there is a serious concern about a child’s welfare; and

p.5

Requirement Due date

are familiar with, and act in accordance with, the home’s child protection policies. (Regulation 12 (1) (2)(a)(i)(ii)(iii)(v)(vi)(vii))

p.5

Requirement Due date

In particular, staff should take effective action to safeguard children.

p.5

Requirement Due date

In addition, they should demonstrate good skills and knowledge to help children reduce harm to themselves. 6 May 2022

p.5

Requirement Due date

The registered person must recruit staff using recruitment procedures that are designed to ensure children’s safety. 6 May 2022 Inspection report for children's home: SC063794 6 The registered person may only—

p.5

Requirement Due date

employ an individual to work at the children’s home; or

p.6

Requirement Due date

if an individual is employed by a person other than the registered person to work at the home in a position in which the individual may have regular contact with children, allow that individual to work at the home,

p.6

Requirement Due date

if the individual satisfies the requirements in paragraph (3).

p.6

Requirement Due date

the individual has the appropriate experience, qualification and skills for the work that the individual is to perform.

p.6

Requirement Due date

For the purposes of paragraph (3)(b), an individual who works in the home in a care role has the appropriate qualification if, by the relevant date, the individual has attained—

p.6

Requirement Due date

the Level 3 Diploma for Residential Childcare (England) ("the Level 3 Diploma"); or

p.6

Requirement Due date

a qualification which the registered person considers to be equivalent to the Level 3 Diploma.

p.6

Requirement Due date

in the case of an individual who starts working in a care role in a home after 1st April 2014, the date which falls 2 years after the date on which the individual started working in a care role in a home; or

p.6

Requirement Due date

in the case of an individual who was working in a care role in a home on 1st April 2014, 1st April 2016. (Regulation 32 (1) (2)(a)(b) (3)(b) (4)(a)(b) (5)(a)(b))

p.6

Requirement Due date

In particular, the manager should ensure that all staff have completed the relevant childcare qualification as soon as possible and are moving forward within regulatory timescales. Inspection report for children's home: SC063794 7

p.6

Recommendations

 The registered person should ensure that they have systems in place to ensure that the independent person’s report is sent to the regulator within the required timescales. (‘Guide to the Children’s Homes Regulations, including the quality standards’, page 55, paragraph 10.24)  The registered person should ensure that the environment is welcoming, homely and that all areas are kept tidy and clean. (‘Guide to the Children’s Homes Regulations, including the quality standards’, page 15, paragraph 3.9)

p.7

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.

p.7

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: SC063794 8

p.7

Children’s home details

Registered provider: Esland North Limited

p.8

Children’s home details

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

p.8

Inspector

Mazviita Makiyi, Social Care Inspector Inspection report for children's home: SC063794 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.

p.8

Inspector

If you would like a copy of this document in a different format, such as large print or Braille, please telephone 0300 123 1231, or email enquiries@ofsted.gov.uk . You may reuse this information (not including logos) free of charge in any format or medium, under the terms of the Open Government Licence. To view this licence, visit www.nationalarchives.gov.uk/doc/open-government-licence , write to the Information Policy Team, The National Archives, Kew, London TW9 4DU, or email: psi@nationalarchives.gsi.gov.uk .

p.9

Inspector

Interested in our work? You can subscribe to our monthly newsletter for more information and updates: http://eepurl.com/iTrDn .

p.9

Inspector

T: 0300 123 1231 Textphone: 0161 618 8524 E: enquiries@ofsted.gov.uk W: www.gov.uk/ofsted

p.9