Children's Home run by Esland North Limited in Derbyshire

Inspection report for children’s home: SC433430 1 SC433430 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

The home is run by a private company. The home provides care and accommodation for a maximum of four children and young people with social, emotional and/or behavioural difficulties.

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Information about this children’s home

The manager has been in post since October 2020 and is currently undertaking the required qualification.

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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: 1 September 2021

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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 for children’s home: SC433430 2

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Inspection date Inspection type Inspection judgement

01/09/2021 Full Good 13/08/2019 Full Outstanding 01/05/2018 Full Good 31/05/2017 Full Good Inspection report for children’s home: SC433430 3

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improvement to be good

Since the home was last inspected, there have been considerable changes in the staff team, with high staff turnover. There has also been an increase in disruptive incidents in the home. Weaknesses in behaviour management and safeguarding practice mean that children have not had consistently good experiences or made good progress. However, the home has recently started to become a more stable environment again.

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improvement to be good

Staff are strong advocates for children. For example, the manager has worked closely with local authority virtual schools, headteachers and social workers to ensure that children receive their full education entitlement and that children’s views are considered in decision-making. When children do not attend school, the home ensures that home tutors and educational activities are provided.

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improvement to be good

Children are sensitively supported to maintain relationships with people who are important to them. Staff ensure, where appropriate, that parents are consulted whenever care plans are reviewed. The views of parents are taken into account in decision-making. One parent said, ‘They ask our thoughts and include us in decisions that are made. This means so much to us and ensures we are all working together.’

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improvement to be good

Children are confident and comfortable to talk to staff about sensitive or personal issues. As a result, staff are able to give appropriate guidance to children on a range of topics, including self-harm, internet safety and relationships. Staff help children to develop their own strategies to overcome problems and difficulties. A child said, ‘Staff have helped me to learn how to talk about my feelings.’

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improvement to be good

The manager and staff ensure that children’s health needs are met. When children have anxieties about attending health appointments, staff reassure them. This has enabled children to access important services. Children are provided with healthy home-cooked meals. However, children’s access to unhealthy snacks is not always monitored, which can result in children having an unhealthy diet overall.

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improvement to be good

Staff help children to learn important independence skills in preparation for adulthood. Children assist with age-appropriate chores, such as washing dishes, doing laundry, going food shopping and preparing meals.

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improvement to be good

Night-time protocols, in place to keep children safe, have not been followed consistently by staff. As a result, a child was able to leave their bedroom during the Inspection report for children’s home: SC433430 4 night undetected by staff. Although no harm came to the child, ineffective monitoring systems have the potential to increase children’s vulnerabilities.

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improvement to be good

On one occasion, staff and managers failed to recognise that a child had made an allegation. As a result, prompt action was not taken. However, the organisation’s auditing systems did identify the concern, which was then acted on. Following this issue, staff have been provided with additional guidance to ensure that they fully understand allegation management processes.

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improvement to be good

Children know how to make a complaint. Managers make sure that all complaints are thoroughly investigated. The investigation process and the outcome of the complaint were fully explained to each child. This transparent and informative approach means that children have confidence in the complaints process.

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improvement to be good

The manager ensures that appropriate action is taken when any concerns are identified about staff practice or conduct. Performance management systems are effective in addressing any shortfalls in practice. When appropriate, information is shared with safeguarding agencies in an open and transparent manner.

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good

Shortfalls in management monitoring mean that potentially serious issues are not identified quickly enough. Managers have, appropriately, focused on supporting staff and children through an unsettled period in the home. However, they have not been thorough enough in reviewing and evaluating incidents. As a result, safeguarding errors have occurred.

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good

Despite these shortfalls, the manager and deputy have considerable strengths. Their energy and motivation has meant that the home has continued to function and care for children with complex needs during a period of high staff turnover. Managers have a clear understanding of the actions that are required to improve the home.

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good

Staff confirm that the manager is very supportive. She operates an open-door policy, ensuring that staff can always access guidance and advice. One staff member said, ‘I couldn’t wish for a better manager, she is so supportive. The children are at the centre of all that she does and, as a team, she really values us.’

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good

All staff, including bank staff, are provided with regular formal supervision. This means that staff have regular opportunities to reflect on their practice. Supervision is also used well to provide staff with guidance on children’s particular needs and to review care strategies.

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good

Staff training is of a good standard. The manager identifies and commissions bespoke training for staff that relates to the specific needs of children. This ensures that staff are confident and knowledgeable. Inspection report for children’s home: SC433430 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 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

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

help each child to understand how to keep safe;

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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

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

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Requirement Due date

are familiar with, and act in accordance with, the home’s child protection policies

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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)(a)(i)(ii)(iii)(v)(vi)(vii)(b))

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Requirement Due date

This specifically relates to staff following night-time risk management plans and to the managing and reporting of allegations. 20 May 2022 Inspection report for children’s home: SC433430 6 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 work as a team where appropriate;

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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 has sufficient staff to provide care for each child;

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Requirement Due date

ensure that the home’s workforce provides continuity of care to 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)(b)(d)(e)(h))

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Requirement Due date

This specifically relates to managers embedding monitoring systems in the home to improve the quality of care provided. 20 May 2022

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Recommendation

 The registered person should ensure that each child’s day-to-day health and well- being needs are met. This is in relation to children having large quantities of unhealthy snacks. (‘Guide to the Children’s Homes Regulations, including the quality standards’, page 33, paragraph 7.3)

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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: SC433430 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: Esland Ltd, Suite 1 & 5, Riverside Business Centre, Foundry Lane, Milford, Belper DE56 0RN

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Inspector

Zoey Lee, Social Care Inspector Inspection report for children’s home: SC433430 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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