Children's home run by Esland North Limited

Inspection report for children's home: 2501397 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

The home is privately owned. It is registered to provide care for one child with emotional, social and behavioural difficulties.

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Information about this children’s home

The home is led by an acting manager. She has applied to become registered.

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Overall experiences and progress of

children and young people, taking into account

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good

How well children and young people are helped and protected good

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good

The effectiveness of leaders and managers good

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good

The children’s home provides effective services that meet the requirements for good.

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good

Overall judgement at last inspection: good

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good

Enforcement action since last inspection: none Inspection report for children's home: 2501397 2

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Inspection date Inspection type Inspection judgement

18/05/2021 Full Good 07/11/2019 Interim Improved effectiveness 29/05/2019 Full Requires improvement to be good Inspection report for children's home: 2501397 3

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Children receive sensitive and nurturing care from an experienced staff team. The manager and staff work hard to build strong relationships with children. This demonstrates to children that staff care. The home has recently been decorated, reflecting the preferences of the child currently living there. The staff have created pictures and photos of the child’s achievements which are displayed throughout. The child has quickly made good progress because his needs are very well met.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

The manager and staff prioritise the child’s education. He is enrolled at school and making progress with his school attendance. The manager and staff have positive relationships with the school. Any problems or difficulties can be discussed and plans made to overcome them. If the child struggles to attend school, the staff ensure that he takes part in constructive activities which include educational elements.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

The child has an active social life. He takes part in a range of activities both inside and outside the home. For example, the manager and staff have supported the child to become a volunteer at a local youth club. This has enabled him to make friends locally, build his confidence and learn new skills. The child is very proud of these achievements.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Children are well supported to see their family and friends. The staff travel long distances to ensure that these important relationships are maintained. The child currently living at the home sees his family regularly and has frequent video calls in between visits. This helps the child to maintain his sense of identity and belonging.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

The manager and staff are attentive to children’s health and well-being. The child has a healthy, varied diet and he is encouraged to cook, with support from staff. The child is supported to attend routine health appointments. He has informal support regarding age-appropriate issues such as body image, sexual health and relationships. This helps him learn the importance of taking care of himself as he gains more independence.

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How well children and young people are helped and protected: good

The manager and staff have an in-depth understanding of the risks posed to and from the child. A range of risk assessments have been developed. These are well considered and take into account the child’s age and stage of development. The child is supported to take age-appropriate risks. The staff talk to the child about keeping safe in different situations, as any good parent would.

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How well children and young people are helped and protected: good

The child has recently been involved in an accident. The manager and staff worked tenaciously to ensure that he received timely medical attention. They provided him with high levels of emotional support and reassurance. Their attention to detail and Inspection report for children's home: 2501397 4 liaison with a range of professionals throughout this incident are commendable. Due to the diligence of the manager and staff the child is making an excellent recovery.

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How well children and young people are helped and protected: good

Staff use their skills and experience to keep incidents to a minimum. They provide consistent boundaries to promote positive behaviour. There have been very few situations requiring physical intervention. When incidents have occurred, they are recorded in detail and children are given the opportunity to talk through their feelings. Restorative work is undertaken following an incident to help children improve relationships. This enables children to learn healthy ways of resolving conflicts and difficulties.

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How well children and young people are helped and protected: good

One child who previously lived at the home was missing on several occasions, sometimes for prolonged periods. The manager and staff worked closely with other agencies to find the child and support him back to the home safely. This shows their commitment to keeping children safe from risks such as exploitation and criminal activity.

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How well children and young people are helped and protected: good

Staff recruitment is carried out in accordance with safer recruitment protocols. This helps to prevent unsafe adults caring for children. The manager and staff do not require agency staffing support and so this means that the child receives care and support from staff they know and trust.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

There is an acting manager who is fully committed to leading the home. She is currently in the process of registering with Ofsted. The manager is passionate about caring for children and she expects high standards from her team. To achieve this, she adopts an assertive and compassionate approach. This motivates the staff to work consistently to the best of their ability.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

The staff are well motivated and enjoy their jobs. They benefit from good-quality supervision which encourages them to reflect on their strengths and areas to work on. As a result, they have developed self-awareness which enhances their practice with children in their care. The manager ensures that training provided is relevant to the needs of the child. There is also support from an in-house psychotherapist, which enables staff to offer care from a trauma-informed perspective.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

Leaders and managers have good oversight of the quality of care provided. They implement lessons learned from children’s experiences of living at the home. Senior managers have developed good practice regarding decisions about children moving into the home. This is because they want children to settle and prevent them having to move in unplanned ways.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

The manager and staff have very good relationships with external agencies. Communication and information-sharing with involved professionals and agencies are excellent. Regular meetings take place and there is good coordination between all agencies working with children. The manager is influential in decision-making processes regarding children’s lives. Inspection report for children's home: 2501397 5

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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: 2501397 6

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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: Richard Matthews

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Inspector

Laura Walker, Social Care Inspector Inspection report for children's home: 2501397 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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