Children's home run by Esland North Limited

Inspection report children’s home: 1274670 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 privately owned children’s home provides care for up to two children who experience social and emotional difficulties or learning disabilities.

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Information about this children’s home

Since the last inspection, the manager has left. There is a new manager who has been in post since December 2021. He is experienced and has the required qualification for the role. He has applied to Ofsted to register as the manager.

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Inspection date: 23 March 2022

Date of last inspection: 19 October 2021

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Inspection date: 23 March 2022

Judgement at last inspection: requires improvement to be good

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Inspection date: 23 March 2022

Enforcement action since last inspection: none Inspection report children’s home: 1274670 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 improved effectiveness.

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children and young people since the most recent full inspection

Seven requirements were made at the last inspection. Five of these requirements have been met. Two requirements have not been met and have been raised again.

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children and young people since the most recent full inspection

The new manager in post is experienced and appropriately qualified. He has a good understanding of the home’s strengths and weaknesses and has worked hard to make improvements.

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children and young people since the most recent full inspection

One child lives at the home. They have lived here for more than one year. The child told the inspector that they feel happy and safe living at the home.

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children and young people since the most recent full inspection

Managers have paused moving a new child into the home in recognition of the shortfalls at the last inspection. Therefore, the planning and matching of children moving into the home have been untested, and this requirement has been restated. The manager is reviewing the staff’s skill set and training to ensure they have the skills to meet the needs of any new child moving into the home.

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children and young people since the most recent full inspection

The new manager has been effective in making progress with the child’s education. The manager works with professionals to advocate on the child’s behalf to achieve the best outcomes for them. He has escalated concerns where there have been delays. The child is now engaged in online learning regularly. Staff at the child’s school told the inspector that she is making ‘steady progress’ and has shown a ‘commitment to her study’.

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children and young people since the most recent full inspection

The child is making good progress and incidents have significantly reduced. She has not gone missing from home and there has only been one low-level intervention required during this period. The child has made progress in recognising her emotions. This good progress impacts positively on her overall experiences in the home.

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children and young people since the most recent full inspection

Staff support the child to see people who are important to her. This includes supervising visits with her best friend and they have recently been ice skating. Staff also help with travel arrangements so the child can see her brother to ensure they can spend time together. Staff helped the child to purchase a Mother’s Day gift. This supports her to maintain and build on positive friendships and family relationships.

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children and young people since the most recent full inspection

Staff have completed training relevant to contextual safeguarding. They benefit from regular practice-based supervision and annual appraisals. One member of staff continues to be out of the regulatory time scale to complete their level 3 Inspection report children’s home: 1274670 3 qualification. Managers report that this is now close to completion. This requirement was raised at the last inspection and is being raised again.

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children and young people since the most recent full inspection

There have been missed opportunities for staff to contribute to the child’s memories that help her to understand her journey. The new manager has identified this shortfall and has been proactive in encouraging staff to take photos since he joined the team. Consequently, not all of the child’s time at the home has been captured.

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children and young people since the most recent full inspection

Staff offer the child natural praise and encouragement, in recognition of her positive behaviour and achievements. However, staff have implemented consequences for behaviours that have not been restorative. These have included restriction of the internet and an activity.

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children and young people since the most recent full inspection

The children’s guide continues to be unsuitable for primary-age children and does not explain what advocacy is. This leaves children without important information that is easily accessible for them. The new manager plans to address this document. Inspection report children’s home: 1274670 4

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Inspection date Inspection type Inspection judgement

19/10/2021 Full Requires improvement to be good 02/12/2019 Full Outstanding 06/02/2019 Interim Improved effectiveness 28/11/2018 Full Good Inspection report children’s home: 1274670 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 care planning standard is that children—

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Requirement Due date

receive effectively planned care in or through the children’s home. (Regulation 14 (1)(a))

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Requirement Due date

This is in relation to ensuring that the assessment of the service’s ability to meet a child’s needs prior to them living at the home is thorough and adequately considers the impact for them and any other child living at the home.

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Requirement Due date

This requirement was made at the previous inspection and is restated. 31 May 2022

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Requirement Due date

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

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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,

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Requirement Due date

if the individual satisfies requirements in paragraph (3).

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Requirement Due date

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

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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—

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Requirement Due date

the Level 3 Diploma for Residential Childcare (England) ("the Level 3 Diploma"); or 31 May 2022 Inspection report children’s home: 1274670 6 a qualification which the registered person considers to be equivalent to the Level 3 Diploma.

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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

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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 (4)(a)(b) (5)(a)(b))

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Requirement Due date

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

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Recommendations

 The registered person should ensure that the children’s guide helps children to understand: - what the day to day routines of the home are (‘what happens in the home’); - the Statement of Purpose of the home (the care they can expect to receive while living there); - how to make a complaint in line with the home’s complaints procedure; - how they can access advocacy support or independent advocacy if eligible; and - how to contact the Office of the Children’s Commissioner. (‘Guide to the Children’s Homes Regulations, including the quality standards’, page 24, paragraph 4.22)  The registered person should ensure that any sanctions used to address poor behaviour should be restorative in nature, to help children recognise the impact of their behaviour on themselves, other children, the staff caring for them and the wider community. (‘Guide to the Children’s Homes Regulations, including the quality standards’, page 46, paragraph 9.38)

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Recommendations

 The registered person should ensure that staff play a full role in children’s life story work. (‘Guide to the Children’s Homes Regulations, including the quality standards’, page 16, paragraph 3.14)

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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. Inspection report children’s home: 1274670 7 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: 1274670 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: Esland Ltd, Suite 1 & 5, Riverside Business Centre, Foundry Lane, Milford, Belper DE56 0RN

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Children’s home details

Responsible individual: Jodie Whitehouse

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Inspector

Jodie Lewis, Social Care Inspector Inspection report children’s home: 1274670 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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Inspector

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Inspector

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Inspector

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