Children's home run by Esland North Limited

Inspection report for children’s home: 2483823 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 owned by a private provider. It provides care for up to four children with social and emotional difficulties and children with learning disabilities.

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Information about this children’s home

The registered manager has been in post since April 2022.

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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

Date of last inspection: 18 January 2022

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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: 2483823 2

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Inspection date Inspection type Inspection judgement

18/01/2022 Full Good 17/12/2019 Interim Declined in effectiveness 29/07/2019 Full Good Inspection report for children’s home: 2483823 3

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

The staff provide children with a good standard of care. The home is large and comfortable, with a homely feel. When the home was decorated, the views of the children were taken into consideration. Each child has been able to personalise their bedroom and make their own unique living space that reflects their personalities.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

All the children access some form of daily education, which is helping them to make progress. Staff recognise the importance of education, and they encourage children to complete all the required work. Where children are not attending school, staff help them to engage in educational activities that support their ongoing learning. The staff encourage children to attend education because they know how important this is for the children’s future.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

All the children are treated as individuals. Staff adapt their approach to meet the needs of each child. Staff have a playful approach when working with the children and use humour to de-escalate more-difficult situations. This helps to provide a relaxed atmosphere.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Staff know and understand the children’s care plans. For example, in a few months, a child is hoping to move and live independently. Staff are supporting and enabling this child to develop a range of independent living skills. This will equip them with the essential skills they need when living on their own.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Staff recognise the value of children maintaining links with important people in their lives. The managers and staff work collaboratively with other professionals to enable children to maintain these important relationships. At times, children are driven considerable distances by staff to maintain these crucial relationships. This helps to promote and encourage positive relationships in the children’s lives.

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

Staff and managers regularly update the children’s individual risk assessments and behaviour support plans. These key documents outline the risks and needs of the children. Staff prioritise signing these documents once they have been updated. This ensures that staff are equipped with the most up-to-date information about the children and how to appropriately respond to them and keep them safe.

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

Children have access to the internet. Staff manage a system that monitors the activity of children when they are online and keeps them safe. Any issues arising from the children being online mean action can be taken to restrict their access if this is required. Staff then work with the children regarding online safety and how to keep themselves safe while enjoying the internet and social media. Inspection report for children’s home: 2483823 4 Staff are caring and nurturing in their approach to the children. Over time, this has enabled trusted and safe relationships to develop. Children share their worries with staff, and they know that staff will respond in a caring way.

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

There is a significant focus on the staff completing individual direct-work sessions with children. These are both ad hoc and planned. The sessions are thoroughly recorded, and any follow-up action is completed. Staff will use resources to explore topics with children to reinforce important messages and promote their safety and well-being.

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

Children have not been missing from care. They are not involved in any criminal activity or exploitation. The home is very settled. Staff support the children to take age-appropriate risks. For example, one child is working towards living independently, and they have been supported to manage their own medication.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

The manager is very passionate about his role and is dedicated to improving outcomes for children. Furthermore, he is supportive and caring towards the children and staff. He promotes a learning culture and leads by example. He shows a willingness to learn, improve and adapt his management approach.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

The leaders place a strong emphasis on the staff team being equipped with the right skills and knowledge to support children. All staff have completed mandatory and additional training to meet children’s needs. The staff also attend team meetings and monthly reflective discussions with a psychotherapist. These meetings are very useful because they assist the team in understanding the range of issues impacting on children. Staff are then able to tailor their support based on the needs of the children.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

The leadership team undertakes a thorough and carefully considered approach to admitting new children. Leaders carefully consider the life experiences of the child, as well as the children who are already placed and staff skills. They consult with staff and children to seek their views on any potential new child coming to the home. Proactive matching reduces the risk of issues arising when a new child moves in.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

Children’s records are stored electronically. This allows the leadership team to have clear oversight of all documents. Staff receive automatic prompts to read key documents when they have been updated. This enables the team to remain appraised of any changes and adapt its approach accordingly. Consequently, the children have a better care experience as their carers know how to respond to them.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

Overall, staff ensure that information on children’s files is kept up to date. However, on occasion, key details are missed, and these are crucial to providing the right context to situations. The leadership team understands the need to reinforce to staff the importance of recording specific and detailed information. This will ensure that all key information is captured, and any safeguarding issues can be clearly seen. Inspection report for children’s home: 2483823 5

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Recommendation

 The registered person should ensure that staff understand the importance of clear and detailed recording in case records. Information about the child must always be recorded in a way that will be helpful to the child. (‘Guide to the Children’s Homes Regulations, including the quality standards’, page 62, paragraph 14.4)

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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: 2483823 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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Inspector

Lizette Watts, Social Care Inspector Inspection report for children’s home: 2483823 7 regulates and inspects 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 looked after children, safeguarding and child protection.

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Inspector

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Inspector

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Inspector

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