Children's home run by Esland North Limited

Inspection report for children’s home: 2649739 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 registered to provide care for one child who may have social and emotional difficulties. The home is privately owned and managed.

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Information about this children’s home

The registered manager’s post has been vacant since 9 April 2022.

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Overall experiences and progress of

children and young people, taking into account

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inadequate

How well children and young people are helped and protected inadequate

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inadequate

The effectiveness of leaders and managers inadequate

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inadequate

There are serious widespread failures that mean children are not protected and that their welfare is not promoted or safeguarded. The care and experiences of children are poor and they are not making progress.

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inadequate

Date of last inspection: Not previously inspected

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inadequate

Overall judgement at last inspection: not applicable

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inadequate

Enforcement action since last inspection: not applicable Inspection report for children’s home: 2649739 2

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Inspection date Inspection type Inspection judgement

Not previously inspected Inspection report for children’s home: 2649739 3

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inadequate

The home was registered with Ofsted in March 2022. One child lived in this home for a short period of time. There have been no children living in this home since May 2022.

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inadequate

Contrary to the home’s statement of purpose and registration conditions, a child moved into the home who had a diagnosis of autism spectrum disorder and associated sensory needs, along with being at risk of self-injurious behaviour and child sexual exploitation. Managers had not considered how they could safely support the child or if the staff team had the skills and experience required to keep the child safe. Consequently, the child’s placement ended quickly, and the child experienced further trauma in their life.

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inadequate

The poor standard of care and support provided at this home meant that the child’s safety, health and emotional well-being were not adequately met. The lack of coordinated placement planning to support the child effectively placed them at risk of significant harm.

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inadequate

The management team could not provide documents relating to the child’s care, such as a transition plan, referral information or a placement plan. As a result of staff being unaware of the child’s needs, they were unable to effectively plan their care or keep the child safe.

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inadequate

The home has been closed since the child left in May 2022. Managers have not made sure that the home is clean or well maintained since this time. This does not ensure that the home is welcoming for a new child.

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

Managers and staff were unable to identify, manage or minimise risks to the child. Risk management plans did not give staff a clear understanding of the child’s needs and vulnerabilities. Staff did not have access to information on how to reduce the risks, or actions to take if an incident was to occur. Therefore, staff did not have effective strategies to enable them to keep the child safe.

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

Managers and staff do not understand their roles and responsibilities in safeguarding children. They do not take effective action when there is a safeguarding concern about children’s welfare. For example, when a child had climbed on the roof and displayed significant self-injurious behaviours, appropriate action was not taken to protect them, and a further serious incident occurred.

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

The manager has reported safeguarding concerns to the appropriate professionals. However, the manager has not followed up on any responses to ensure that no further information or action is required. In addition, the manager has not sent Inspection report for children’s home: 2649739 4 updates to the regulator after reporting safeguarding concerns. This reduces the regulator’s oversight of actions taken to ensure that children are safe.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: inadequate

The manager resigned from the home in April 2022. A new manager has recently been recruited and has applied to Ofsted to register. However, staff have been redeployed to other homes in the company, and this home remains closed at this time.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: inadequate

The leadership and management team have not ensured that the aims and objectives of the home as set out in the statement of purpose are achieved. Managers confirmed that staff had not received training to support the child with their individual needs. Therefore, the staff did not have the skills and knowledge to care for the child safely or support the child to build positive relationships.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: inadequate

The leadership and management team have not made sure that they have retained all the child’s documents relating to their time living in the home. Given the lack of records, there is no meaningful insight into the child’s life and experiences while living in this home. Due to the limited information provided, the inspector was unable to measure the child’s progress or identify the effectiveness of the support provided.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: inadequate

Managers were unable to demonstrate effective monitoring and review systems that promote continuous improvements in the quality of care provided to children. There was no visit from an independent person in the month that the child was living there, and subsequent reports have not raised shortfalls in relation to the child’s records. Consequently, areas for improvement have not been addressed, and managers have not taken action to resolve these issues.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: inadequate

Managers are not aware of the local offer that sets out the support available for children with special educational needs and/or disabilities. This is a missed opportunity to access additional resources for children. Inspection report for children’s home: 2649739 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, the 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)) 9 June 2023

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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 9 June 2023 Inspection report for children’s home: 2649739 6 promotes their welfare.

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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

lead and manage the home in a way that is consistent with the approach and ethos, and delivers the outcomes, set out in the home’s statement of purpose;

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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

understand the impact that the quality of care provided in the home is having on the progress and experiences of each child and use this understanding to inform the development of the quality of care provided in the home;

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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)(a)(c)(f)(h))

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Requirement Due date

The care planning standard is that children—

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Requirement Due date

receive effectively planned care in or through the children’s home; and

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Requirement Due date

have a positive experience of arriving at or moving on from the home.

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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 children are admitted to the home only if their needs are within the range of needs of children for whom it is intended that the home is to provide care and accommodation, as set out in the home’s statement of purpose;

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Requirement Due date

ensure the effective induction of each child into the home;

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Requirement Due date

manage and review the placement of each child in the home; and

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Requirement Due date

that each child’s relevant plans are followed. (Regulation 14 (1)(a)(b) (2)(a)(b)(i)(ii)(c)) 9 June 2023 Inspection report for children’s home: 2649739 7 The registered person must compile in relation to the children’s home a statement (“the statement of purpose”) which covers the matters listed in Schedule 1.

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Requirement Due date

Subject to paragraph (6), the registered person must ensure that the home is at all times conducted in a manner which is consistent with its statement of purpose. (Regulation 16 (1) (5)) 9 June 2023

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Requirement Due date

The registered person must maintain records (“case records”) for each child which—

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Requirement Due date

include the information and documents listed in Schedule 3 in relation to each child;

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Requirement Due date

in cases not falling within sub-paragraph (a), for 75 years from the child’s date of birth;

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Requirement Due date

securely in the children’s home during the period when the child to whom the case records relate is accommodated there; and

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Requirement Due date

in a secure place after the child has ceased to be accommodated in the home. (Regulation 36 (1)(a)(b) (2)(b)(c)(d)) 9 June 2023

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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

a child is involved in or subject to, or is suspected of being involved in or subject to, sexual exploitation;

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Requirement Due date

an incident requiring police involvement occurs in relation to a child which the registered person considers to be serious;

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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

a child protection enquiry involving a child —

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Requirement Due date

concludes (in which case, the notification must include the outcome of the child protection enquiry); or 9 June 2023 Inspection report for children’s home: 2649739 8 there is any other incident relating to a child which the registered person considers to be serious. (Regulation 40 (4)(a)(b)(c)(d)(i)(ii)(e))

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Requirement Due date

The registered person must ensure that an independent person visits the children’s home at least once each month.

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Requirement Due date

When the independent person is carrying out a visit, the registered person must help the independent person—

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Requirement Due date

if they consent, to interview in private such of the children, their parents, relatives and persons working at the home as the independent person requires; and

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Requirement Due date

to inspect the premises of the home and such of the home’s records (except for a child’s case records, unless the child and the child’s placing authority consent) as the independent person requires.

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Requirement Due date

A visit by the independent person to the home may be unannounced.

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Requirement Due date

The independent person must produce a report about a visit (“the independent person’s report”) which sets out, in particular, the independent person’s opinion as to whether—

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Requirement Due date

children are effectively safeguarded; and

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Requirement Due date

the conduct of the home promotes children’s well-being.

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Requirement Due date

The independent person’s report may recommend actions that the registered person may take in relation to the home and timescales within which the registered person must consider whether or not to take those actions. (Regulation 44 (1) (2)(a)(b) (3) (4)(a)(b) (5)) 9 June 2023

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Requirement Due date

* These requirements are subject to a compliance notice. Inspection report for children’s home: 2649739 9

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Recommendations

 The registered person should ensure that children live in a homely environment. Specifically, that the home is clean and well maintained. (‘Guide to the Children’s Homes Regulations, including the quality standards’, page 15, paragraph 3.9)  The registered person should ensure that managers and staff are aware of the local offer which sets out the support available for children with special educational needs and/or disabilities. (‘Guide to the Children’s Homes Regulations, including the quality standards’, page 26, paragraph 5.4)

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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: 2649739 10

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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

Pam Nuckley, Social Care Inspector Inspection report for children’s home: 2649739 11 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 children looked after, safeguarding and child protection. If you would like a copy of this document in a different format, such as large print or Braille, please telephone 0300 123 1231, or email enquiries@ofsted.gov.uk . You may reuse this information (not including logos) free of charge in any format or medium, under the terms of the Open Government Licence. To view this licence, visit

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Inspector

www.nationalarchives.gov.uk/doc/open-government-licence , write to the Information Policy Team, The National Archives, Kew, London TW9 4DU, or email: psi@nationalarchives.gsi.gov.uk .

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Inspector

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Inspector

T: 0300 123 1231 Textphone: 0161 618 8524 E: enquiries@ofsted.gov.uk W: www.gov.uk/ofsted

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