Children's Home run by Esland North Limited in Staffordshire

Inspection report for children's home: 2642399 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

This home provides care and accommodation for up to two children with a variety of complex needs, including behavioural difficulties. The home is privately owned and forms part of a large social care organisation, which offers therapeutic support.

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Information about this children’s home

The manager registered with Ofsted in September 2021 at the same time that the home was registered. He holds the level 5 qualification in leadership and management.

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Overall experiences and progress of

children and young people, taking into account

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requires improvement to be good

How well children and young people are helped and protected requires improvement to be good

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requires improvement to be good

The effectiveness of leaders and managers requires improvement to be good

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requires improvement to be good

The children’s home is not yet delivering good help and care for children and young people. However, there are no serious or widespread failures that result in their welfare not being safeguarded or promoted.

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requires improvement to be good

Date of last inspection: not previously inspected

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requires improvement to be good

Overall judgement at last inspection: not applicable

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requires improvement to be good

Enforcement action since last inspection: not applicable Inspection report for children's home: 2642399 2

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improvement to be good

One child has lived at the home since it opened and they have recently moved on. The child was placed outside the home’s conditions of registration. Staff did not have the relevant knowledge, skills and experience to effectively meet the child’s needs. As a result, the child did not make good progress.

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improvement to be good

No children lived at the home at the time of the inspection.

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improvement to be good

High-staff turnover means that the child has not received consistent care from staff who know them well. Inconsistencies in management oversight have resulted in shortfalls in risk management, staff training and care planning that undermined the child’s overall experiences and welfare.

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improvement to be good

The child accessed a limited education timetable facilitated by a local special school owned by the provider. During periods of stability, the child either attended school or received outreach tutor support in the home. Consequently, the child had some positive learning experiences.

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improvement to be good

Staff enabled the child to spend time with their family in the child’s home area. As a result, they supported the child to maintain relationships with those who are important to them.

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improvement to be good

The home is spacious, well maintained and provides a homely place for children to live. Communal areas are inviting and children can have input into the decoration of the home. The child enjoyed spending time in the garden, which is equipped with a trampoline. In addition, they enjoyed playing with recently purchased sensory and soft-play toys.

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improvement to be good

The manager does not always ensure that staff understand how to respond to children’s known vulnerabilities. Risk management plans for the child did not consider key vulnerabilities around their mental health. Furthermore, risks relating to self-injurious behaviour were not thoroughly assessed, planned for and responded Inspection report for children's home: 2642399 3 to. For example, following an incident, managers did not make changes to the environment quickly. This left the child exposed to further risk of harm.

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improvement to be good

Staff do not ensure that restraint records always provide an accurate description of the restraint technique used. In addition, managers did not ensure that the child was spoken to after a restraint incident by someone not involved in it. These are missed opportunities to learn from incidents that happen and be assured that restraint practice is safe and proportionate.

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improvement to be good

The child received some good quality support from staff to help them to understand their emotions. Compassionate and understanding staff had some sensitive discussions with the child. This helped the child to talk about their worries and make sense of their feelings.

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good

Shortfalls in management oversight mean that the quality of care provided to children is not consistently good. For example, despite the child’s specific and complex needs, managers had not ensured that they were in receipt of key documents related to the child’s care. As a result, it was not clear if staff had all the necessary information to understand the children’s needs and deliver care in line with the expectations of the placing authority.

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good

Three staff hold the required level 3 diploma qualification and four are working to achieve this within the required timescales. However, staff have not received training to understand how to reduce risks relating to child sexual exploitation and mental health issues. This has left staff working with the child without all the knowledge and skills that they need to maintain the child’s safety and well-being.

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good

Good partnership working with professionals and the child’s family meant that information was shared well. As a result, relevant information about challenges and incidents, including how these were managed was shared with relevant people. This helped maintain the child’s safety and welfare.

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good

The registered manager is experienced and shows commitment to the professional development of the team by modelling some good practice. Staff benefit from regular team meetings and reflective supervision. As a result, they feel supported by the manager. Inspection report for children's home: 2642399 4

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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 that staff—

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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

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

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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.

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Requirement Due date

In particular, that the environment is made safe from ligature points and that risk assessments give clear direction to staff on reducing and managing self-harming behaviour. 28 Mar 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 helps children—

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Requirement Due date

In particular, the standard in paragraph (1) requires the registered person to— 17 Apr 2022 Inspection report for children's home: 2642399 5 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 staff have the experience, qualifications and skills to meet the needs of each child;

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Requirement Due date

ensure that the home’s workforce provides continuity of care to each child. (Regulation 13 (1)(a)(b)(2)(a)(c)(e))

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Requirement Due date

In particular, ensure that staff receive training to meet the additional needs of children and the staffing of the home provides children with consistent care. 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

that children are admitted to the home only if their needs are within the range of needs of children for whom it is intended that the home is to provide care and accommodation, as set out in the home’s statement of purpose;

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Requirement Due date

ensure that each child’s relevant plans are followed.

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Requirement Due date

(Regulation 14 (1)(a)(b)(2)(a)(b)(i)(c))

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Requirement Due date

Specifically, ensure that the home operates in line with its conditions of registration and the aims and objectives set out in the statement of purpose. In addition, that managers ensure that relevant documentation to inform their delivery of care to children is accessible to staff. 17 Apr 2022

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Requirement Due date

The registered person must prepare and implement a policy ("the behaviour management policy") which sets out—

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Requirement Due date

how appropriate behaviour is to be promoted in the children’s home; and the measures of control, discipline and restraint which may be used in relation to children in the home. 17 Apr 2022 Inspection report for children's home: 2642399 6 The registered person must ensure that within 24 hours of the use of a measure of control, discipline, or restraint in relation to a child in the home, a record is made which includes—

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Requirement Due date

a description of the measure and its duration.

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Requirement Due date

the name of the person who used the measure ("the user"), and of any other person present when the measure was used.

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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.

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Requirement Due date

(Regulation 35 (1)(a)(b)(2)(3)(a)(iv)(vi)(c))

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Requirement Due date

This relates to ensuring that managers scrutinise restraint incident reports, identify and address any shortfalls. In addition, that children have the opportunity to talk about the incident with someone not involved in it.

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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: 2642399 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: Suites 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

James Tallis, Social Care Inspector Inspection report for children's home: 2642399 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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