Children's Home run by Esland North Limited in Derby

Inspection report children’s home: SC478986 1 SC478986 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 privately owned home provides care for up to five children aged between 11 and 17 years who experience social, emotional and behavioural difficulties. The accommodation comprises the main house and a separate lodge. The main house can accommodate up to four children and the lodge can accommodate one child.

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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

Overall judgement at last inspection: good

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requires improvement to be good

Enforcement action since last inspection: none Inspection report children’s home: SC478986 2

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Inspection date Inspection type Inspection judgement

13/07/2021 Full Good 08/05/2019 Full Good 04/09/2018 Full Good 17/07/2018 Full Inadequate Inspection report children’s home: SC478986 3

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improvement to be good

The home is not decorated and furnished to a good standard. In recent months, there has been considerable damage to the home, some of which is still evident. The bathrooms require attention because they are in poor condition. Managers have requested that the organisation carries out repairs. However, there have been delays in carrying out this work. The current condition of the home prevents children taking pride in where they live and can impact on their self-esteem. For example, one child did not want their family to visit because of how the home looks.

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improvement to be good

Despite these shortfalls, children say that they are generally happy at the home. They build trusting relationships with staff and enjoy doing activities with them. One child is supported to play football for a team, and another child is being encouraged to start boxing lessons. Some children have lived at the home for a long length of time and have made progress. Children move on in planned ways and stay in touch with staff. One parent in particular values the support her son received and commented on the ‘kindness, compassion and love’ that were shown to him.

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improvement to be good

Children are enrolled in education. There have been some good education outcomes. However, the manager and staff are yet to implement effective strategies to support all children to reach their educational goals. Children are not consistently achieving high levels of attendance. Staff are working constructively with children and with specialist agencies to improve attendance levels.

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improvement to be good

Children are in good physical health and are helped to develop good emotional health. Staff work hard to support children who are experiencing significant emotional distress. Staff have consultations with an in-house therapist, which is building their capacity to understand and respond to children’s behaviours. When required, the manager and staff ensure that children can access specialist services which, over time, help them to manage their feelings in less harmful ways.

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improvement to be good

The manager and staff build good relationships with families and people who are important to children. They ensure that children spend time with their families, even when this involves travelling long distances. As children get older, they are supported to socialise with their friends independently. One child has an established group of friends who he sees regularly. This has helped him to increase his self- esteem and confidence.

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improvement to be good

Children have been involved in a number of serious incidents, some of which have required support from the police. There has been a significant incident during the night which staff did not respond to and were therefore unaware of. During this Inspection report children’s home: SC478986 4 incident, children were at risk of significant harm. This incident is being investigated. Managers have taken steps to prevent similar situations happening again.

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improvement to be good

Leaders and managers recognise that there have been shortfalls in the responses to some incidents. Managers have begun to implement strategies to improve this area of practice. These include increased training of staff, making careful decisions about when children move into the home and strengthening therapeutic approaches to behaviour management. As a result, the frequency of serious incidents is starting to reduce. Leaders and managers understand that the strategies need to be further embedded to ensure that children’s safety is maintained.

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improvement to be good

Children’s individual risk assessments contain relevant information about their specific vulnerabilities. However, the approaches identified to manage risk are not set out clearly and they do not always correlate to the strategies agreed within the children’s multi-agency networks. For example, core staff are aware of agreed multi- agency responses to one child’s self-injurious behaviours, but the absence of an accurate risk assessment leaves room for error. This is particularly relevant to staff who are covering shifts in the home.

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improvement to be good

The manager has not ensured that all staff have received training in relation to self- injurious behaviour. For example, only one member of staff has up-to-date training in responding to a specific risk. During the inspection, the manager responded to this issue and requested that all staff attend a mandatory course as a matter of urgency.

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improvement to be good

Overall, children who go missing from the home experience a well-coordinated response. Staff work effectively with other agencies to return children safely. Incidents of missing from home have reduced for two children where this had previously been an issue. This has reduced the risk of children being exploited or harmed.

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good

The home has an established manager who clearly cares about the children and who builds positive relationships with them and their families. The manager has also developed effective working relationships with external agencies. However, there are shortfalls in his management of the home. Until recently, the manager has had considerable additional responsibilities outside the home. This, coupled with the loss of a deputy manager, has reduced his oversight of the home.

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good

The organisation has appointed a new responsible individual, who is actively addressing identified shortfalls. The manager’s additional responsibilities have been reassigned and a new deputy has been appointed. Work is being undertaken with the senior team to further develop their skills and understanding of their roles.

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good

Staff have raised concerns with the manager about some issues that have affected relationships within the staff team. These concerns have now been addressed by the Inspection report children’s home: SC478986 5 manager but not reviewed by senior managers in the organisation. As a result, they have not assessed whether the manager has dealt with the issues in a satisfactory way.

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good

Despite the concerns, staff say that they are generally happy working at the home. They speak warmly about the children and are proud of the relationships they have with them. Staff receive supervision. However, this is often with different supervisors and some sessions have been missed. Actions are not always recorded clearly and there have been missed opportunities for reflection on practice. This limits the consistency and accountability that supervision can provide to staff and has the potential to reduce the quality of care provided to children.

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good

Leaders and managers have not fulfilled some aspects of their safeguarding role. One member of staff requires an overseas police check. Although the manager has started this process, it is not yet complete. Ofsted has not been notified of all serious incidents. This limits the regulator’s ability to take any necessary action in relation to safeguarding issues. Inspection report children’s home: SC478986 6

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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 quality and purpose of care standard is that children receive care from staff who—

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Requirement Due date

understand the children’s home’s overall aims and the outcomes it seeks to achieve for children; and

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Requirement Due date

use this understanding to deliver care that meets children’s needs and supports them to fulfil their potential.

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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

ensure that the premises used for the purposes of the home are designed and furnished so as to—

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Requirement Due date

enable each child to participate in the daily life of the home. (Regulation 6 (1)(a)(b) (2)(c)(i)(ii))

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Requirement Due date

This specifically relates to improving and/or renewing areas of the home which have become outdated and need repair. 7 September 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 home’s day-to-day care is arranged and delivered so as to keep each child safe and to protect each child effectively from harm. (Regulation 12 (1) (2)(b))

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Requirement Due date

This specifically relates to ensuring that children’s individual risk assessments include all relevant information to keep them safe, particularly during serious incidents. This includes risk management strategies that have been agreed within the multi-agency network. 7 June 2022 Inspection report children’s home: SC478986 7 This also relates to ensuring that all staff understand and complete the required night-time checks and document these when completed. In addition, the manager must have oversight of this process to ensure that children’s safety during the night is maintained.

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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—

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Requirement Due date

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

ensure that staff have the experience, qualifications and skills to meet the needs of each child;

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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)(c)(h))

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Requirement Due date

This specifically relates to leaders and managers ensuring that staff undertake training which is specific to children’s needs, particularly when it relates to the safeguarding of children.

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Requirement Due date

In addition, leaders and managers must address any concerns about the home raised by staff and ensure that associated improvement plans are reviewed and monitored through accountable processes, such as supervision and audits. 7 June 2022

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Requirement Due date

The registered person must notify HMCI and each other relevant person without delay if—

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Requirement Due date

there is an allegation of abuse against the home or a person working there;

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Requirement Due date

there is any other incident relating to a child which the registered person considers to be serious. (Regulation 40 (4)(c)(e)) 7 April 2022 Inspection report children’s home: SC478986 8

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Recommendations

 The registered person should ensure that children are supported to sustain or regain their confidence in education and engage in suitable structured activities. (‘Guide to the Children’s Homes Regulations, including the quality standards’, page 28, paragraph 5.15)  The registered person should ensure that recruitment of staff safeguards children and minimises potential risks to them. (‘Guide to the Children’s Homes Regulations, including the quality standards’, page 61, paragraph 13.1)  The registered person should have systems in place so that all staff, including the manager, receive supervision of their practice from an appropriately qualified and experienced professional which allows them to reflect on their practice and the needs of the children assigned to their care. (‘Guide to the Children’s Homes Regulations, including the quality standards’, page 61, paragraph 13.2)

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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: SC478986 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: Esland Limited, Suite 1 and 5, Riverside Business Centre, Foundry Lane, Milford, Belper DE56 0RN

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Children’s home details

Responsible individual: Richard Matthews

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Inspectors

Laura Walker, Social Care Inspector Rachael Sprigg, Social Care Inspector Inspection report children’s home: SC478986 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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Inspectors

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Inspectors

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Inspectors

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