Children's home run by Esland South Limited in Nottingham

Inspection report children’s home: SC024089 1 SC024089 Registered provider: Esland South Limited Interim inspection Inspected under the social care common inspection framework

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Information about this children’s home

The home is privately owned and is registered to provide care for up to three children. According to the home’s statement of purpose, care is provided for children who experience emotional and behavioural difficulties and/or learning disabilities (social and emotional difficulties).

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Information about this children’s home

The manager has been registered with Ofsted since 27 July 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: SC024089 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 the interim inspection, Ofsted judges that it has sustained effectiveness.

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children and young people since the most recent full inspection

Children enjoy the care and attention they receive from a warm and caring team of staff. The culture is in keeping with a family home, and children learn how to live with others and share the staff’s attention.

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children and young people since the most recent full inspection

Attentive staff support and encourage the children to communicate their needs and wishes. Individualised communication systems are available for children who are less able to verbalise their likes and dislikes. Promoting the children’s choices, however small, is well embedded in the staff’s practice.

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children and young people since the most recent full inspection

The registered manager promotes an inclusive ethos at the home. Staff are mindful of the children’s uniqueness, and diversity is celebrated. This assists the children to develop a positive self-view and a sense of identity.

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children and young people since the most recent full inspection

Since the last inspection, two children have left the home to return to live with their families. This was part of a planned transition arrangement in line with the children’s care plans. Staff are thoughtful about the changes and adjustments that the children need to make, for example in preparation to live more independently.

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children and young people since the most recent full inspection

The progress and positive experiences of the current children living in the home are varied. For example, through the staff’s endeavours, one child is making tremendous strides in every area of his development. However, another child, who has recently joined the home, is struggling to settle and a school place has not been identified. This is being addressed by the child’s social worker and the registered manager. They are working closely with the virtual school team and the local authority to ensure that there is a quick resolution.

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children and young people since the most recent full inspection

The staff provide a warm and sensitive welcome to new children who join the home. The registered manager ensures that there is careful and considered planning. They consider the children’s views and needs alongside the potential impact on the other children living in the home.

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children and young people since the most recent full inspection

The manager and the staff respond proactively when children go missing from the home. Staff follow the children and search for them. The staff have a good understanding of their roles and responsibilities in relation to keeping the children safe. Safeguarding procedures are consistently applied by the staff when children are missing from home. The registered manager maintains regular contact and planning with the children’s social workers, parents and outside agencies. Every effort is made for a child to be located and to return home quickly.

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children and young people since the most recent full inspection

Online monitoring systems ensure that the children’s records and safeguarding information are kept up to date. Records of when a child is missing from the home Inspection report children’s home: SC024089 3 are set out clearly in a chronology of the actions and responses taken. This ensures that information can be quickly shared so that decisions can be made to protect the children.

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children and young people since the most recent full inspection

Staff undertake individual direct work with the children to address high-risk behaviour, and they have focused discussions about supporting the children in line with their care plans. Staff use a range of tools to engage the children’s interest. This targeted work helps to develop the children’s awareness of risks and supports them to develop alternative ways of thinking about difficult issues.

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children and young people since the most recent full inspection

The registered manager has an up-to-date system for monitoring staff training. The staff receive a range of child-specific and mandatory training to ensure that they are equipped with the right skills to meet the needs of the children.

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children and young people since the most recent full inspection

Two members of staff are overdue in completing their childcare diploma. In part, this is because of frequent changes in their assessors during the COVID-19 pandemic. Nevertheless, the manager has good oversight of the staff’s progress with their qualification, and this is followed up during each supervision meeting.

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children and young people since the most recent full inspection

Staff morale is good in the home. Staff say they feel well supported and are complimentary about the quality of supervision and training that they receive. Senior staff who provide practice-related supervision have appropriate experience and training. Consequently, the staff develop competence to meet the needs of the children well.

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children and young people since the most recent full inspection

Staff reassure and encourage children to express their views and wishes. There have been no complaints since the last inspection. However, one child told the inspector that she had expressed concern about a staff member’s tone of voice. The registered manager has addressed this but had not perceived this as a complaint. Therefore, the requirement concerning complaints has been restated. All other requirements made at the previous inspection have been met.

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children and young people since the most recent full inspection

The registered manager has continued to improve the quality of the provision through her oversight of staff performance and practice. There have been significant improvements in the streamlining of records since moving to the new online system. As a result, the monitoring and review systems ensure that there are continuous improvements in the quality of care provided in the home. Inspection report children’s home: SC024089 4

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Inspection date Inspection type Inspection judgement

02/06/2021 Full Requires improvement to be good 07/08/2019 Full Outstanding 19/02/2019 Interim Improved effectiveness 29/10/2018 Full Good Inspection report children’s home: SC024089 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 registered person must ensure that a record is made of any complaint, the action taken in response, and the outcome of any investigation.

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Requirement Due date

The registered person must ensure that no child is subject to any reprisal for making a complaint or representation. (Regulation 39 (3) (4)) 30 April 2022

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Recommendation

 The registered person should ensure that all staff in a care role, including external agency or bank staff, have the qualification in regulation 32(4) within the relevant timescale listed in regulation 32(5). (‘Guide to the Children’s Homes Regulations, including the quality standards’, page 53, paragraph 10.12)

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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: SC024089 6

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Children’s home details

Registered provider: Esland South Limited

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Children’s home details

Registered provider address: Suites 1 and 5, Riverside Business Centre, Foundry Lane, Milford, Belper, Derbyshire DE56 0RN

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Inspector

Anne-Marie Davies, Social Care Inspector Inspection report children’s home: SC024089 7 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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