Children's home run by Esland North Limited

Inspection report for children’s home: 1274670 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

This home is operated by a private company. It is registered to provide care for up to two children with social and emotional difficulties or learning disabilities.

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Information about this children’s home

The home has a registered manager who is suitably experienced and qualified. At the time of the inspection, the manager was on extended leave due to bereavement.

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Information about this children’s home

In March 2023, an assurance inspection was carried out. There were no serious or widespread concerns in relation to the care or protection of children.

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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: improved effectiveness

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requires improvement to be good

Enforcement action since last inspection: none Inspection report for children’s home: 1274670 2

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Inspection date Inspection type Inspection judgement

23/03/2022 Interim Improved effectiveness 19/10/2021 Full Requires improvement to be good 02/12/2019 Full Outstanding 06/02/2019 Interim Improved effectiveness Inspection report for children’s home: 1274670 3

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improvement to be good

There is one child living at the home. He has been living at the home since March 2023. Prior to this, the home had not been operational for 10 months.

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improvement to be good

Some aspects of the child’s move to the home were not well considered. For example, there was a lack of clarity as to how long the child’s placing local authority intended for the child to live at the home. The child was aware of this uncertainty, and he found this unsettling. Managers were not effective in their communication and challenge to the local authority to ensure that this issue was concluded.

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improvement to be good

The lack of clarity on how long the child will remain living in the home has been a barrier to him building trusting relationships with staff. The poor quality of relationships with staff has been a contributing factor to the limited progress that the child has made at the home.

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improvement to be good

Staff have not been able to support the child to behave as expected, and this has resulted in the child causing damage to the home. Repairs to the home are required on a continuous basis. While some repairs have been completed in a timely way, others have been delayed. This means that several smashed windows have yet to be replaced. Consequently, the house does not look well maintained or homely.

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improvement to be good

Education is a high priority at the home. The child has a good routine in place, and he has excellent attendance at school. Staff recognise that he thrives on the routine of attending school. Staff stay with the child during his school day so that they can provide him with the support that he needs. The deputy headteacher told the inspector that the staff are always professional in their approach and are fully supportive of the school.

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improvement to be good

Staff support the child to attend health appointments and seek medical attention when necessary. The child is confident in asking for support around his physical health. Staff manage the storage, administration and recording of medication appropriately.

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improvement to be good

The child knows how to make a complaint, and does so when they feel that they need to. Complaints made are taken seriously by the manager, and the child receives a formal written acknowledgement and response. This helps the child to feel listened to.

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improvement to be good

Assessments of risk do not identify all known risks. Furthermore, in some instances, there is a lack of guidance about the actions that staff need to take to reduce the Inspection report for children’s home: 1274670 4 risk of harm for the child. The lack of clear guidance compromises staff’s ability to keep the child safe.

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improvement to be good

Staff understand the therapeutic model used by the provider. In some instances, staff use this model of care to successfully de-escalate the child’s behaviours. However, staff are not always confident in managing the child’s behaviours. As a result, behavioural incidents for the child have increased in frequency and severity of risk and, in some cases, the police have been called to attend the home.

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improvement to be good

Staff are increasingly using physical intervention in response to the child’s behaviour. Following the use of a physical intervention, debriefs are not always completed with the child or staff involved. This is a missed opportunity to learn from these incidents and develop staff’s practice. On one occasion, an agency staff member, who is not trained to use the home’s chosen model of physical intervention, was involved in the restraint of a child. While the agency staff member acted with good intentions, restraints by untrained staff has the potential to increase the risk of a child being hurt while they are restrained.

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improvement to be good

While there have been no missing incidents, occasions of the child walking off from the home have increased. Staff actively follow the child and always keep him in sight. Staff know what to do if the child were to go missing.

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improvement to be good

The provider takes allegations seriously. Staff know how to respond to allegations and understand the importance of accurate recording and reporting. The provider has taken steps to safeguard the child when allegations have been made. For example, one staff member is currently suspended due to an investigation taking place.

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improvement to be good

The provider has taken action to increase staffing levels for the child, as a safeguarding measure. The additional staff have been sourced from across the organisation. There has been minimal use of agency staff. The provider ensures that all staff who are recruited to work in the home are subject to all the necessary checks.

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good

Managers have not taken effective action to progress plans for the child. For example, when it was agreed that the child needed an advocate, it was not escalated. There is insufficient record-keeping around partnership working with other agencies. In the manager’s absence, it is unknown what actions, if any, are being taken to progress some tasks. As a result, there is drift in securing services that are needed by the child, such as mental health services and advocacy.

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good

The organisation provides a comprehensive induction and training programme to staff. This prepares staff well for providing quality care to children. When planning for the child to move to the home, the manager identified some bespoke training that was needed for the staff team. However, this training has not been provided. Inspection report for children’s home: 1274670 5 As a result, staff have not been equipped with the knowledge to fully understand the child’s specific needs.

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good

The manager is in regular communication with the child’s family. However, when the manager was absent from work for a period, no one maintained contact with the child’s family. As a result, the family did not get an update about their child over a three-week period.

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good

Staff are provided with formal supervision on a regular basis. This provides an opportunity for reflection and supports staff development. As a result, staff feel well supported by managers at the home.

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good

The registered individual knows the strengths and shortfalls of the home. She is currently actively involved in the daily running of the home. There is management cover from across the organisation to provide support to the staff. Inspection report for children’s home: 1274670 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

In meeting the quality standards, the registered person must, and must ensure that staff—

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Requirement Due date

seek to involve each child’s placing authority effectively in the child’s care, in accordance with the child’s relevant plans;

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Requirement Due date

seek to secure the input and services required to meet each child’s needs;

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Requirement Due date

if the registered person considers, or staff consider, a placing authority’s or a relevant person’s performance or response to be inadequate in relation to their role, challenge the placing authority or the relevant person to seek to ensure that each child’s needs are met in accordance with the child’s relevant plans; and

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Requirement Due date

seek to develop and maintain effective professional relationships with such persons, bodies or organisations as the registered person considers appropriate having regard to the range of needs of children for whom it is intended that the children’s home is to provide care and accommodation. (Regulation 5 (a)(b)(c)(d)) 28 July 2023

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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 that staff—

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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; 28 July 2023 Inspection report for children’s home: 1274670 7 have the skills to identify and act upon signs that a child is at risk of harm;

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Requirement Due date

manage relationships between children to prevent them from harming each other;

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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)(iv)(v)(vi)(vii)(b))

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Requirement Due date

This specifically relates to ensuring that children’s plans clearly identify all risks for children and detail specific actions to take to reduce the risk of harm.

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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

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 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; 28 July 2023 Inspection report for children’s home: 1274670 8 ensure that the home’s workforce provides continuity of care to 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; and

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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)(b)(c)(d)(e)(f)(h))

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Requirement Due date

within 24 hours of the use of a measure of control, discipline or restraint in relation to a child in the home, a record is made which includes—

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Requirement Due date

details of the child’s behaviour leading to the use of the measure;

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Requirement Due date

the date, time and location of the use of the measure;

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Requirement Due date

a description of the measure and its duration;

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Requirement Due date

details of any methods used or steps taken to avoid the need to use the measure;

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Requirement Due date

the name of the person who used the measure ("the user"), and of any other person present when the measure was used;

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Requirement Due date

the effectiveness and any consequences of the use of the measure; and

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Requirement Due date

a description of any injury to the child or any other person, and any medical treatment administered, as a result of the measure;

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Requirement Due date

within 48 hours of the use of the measure, the registered person, or a person who is authorised by the registered person to do so ("the authorised person") has spoken to the user about the measure; and

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Requirement Due date

has signed the record to confirm it is accurate; and 28 July 2023 Inspection report for children’s home: 1274670 9 within 5 days of the use of the measure, the registered person or the authorised person adds to the record confirmation that they have spoken to the child about the measure. (Regulation 35 (3)(a)(i)(ii)(iii)(iv)(v)(vi)(vii)(viii)(b)(i)(ii)(c))

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Requirement Due date

This specifically relates to ensuring that all users of the measure are spoken to, and that the child and user are spoken to within the given timescales.

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Recommendations

 The registered person should ensure that the children’s home is a nurturing and supportive environment that meets the needs of the children. This includes ensuring that all home repairs are carried out without delay. (‘Guide to the Children’s Homes Regulations, including the quality standards’, page 15, paragraph 3.9)

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Recommendations

 The registered person should ensure that all children have access to appropriate advocacy support. Looked-after children are entitled to an independent advocate to advise them and ensure that they have the support needed to express their views, wishes and feelings about their care and lives. Managers must ensure that an advocate is appointed without delay as soon as the need is identified. (‘Guide to the Children’s Homes Regulations, including the quality standards’, page 23, paragraph 4.16)

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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: 1274670 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

Alison Snell, Social Care Inspector Inspection report for children’s home: 1274670 11 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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