Children's home run by Esland North Limited

Inspection report for children’s home: 2680726 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 is a privately run children’s home that provides care for one child with emotional and behavioural difficulties and associated complex needs.

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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 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: not applicable

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good

Enforcement action since last inspection: none Inspection report for children’s home: 2680726 2

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

At the time of this inspection, one child was living in the home. Staff know the child well and have developed warm relationships with him.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Consistent and clear boundaries help the child to understand how he is expected to behave. Previous behaviours displayed by the child, such as climbing into a neighbour’s garden, are no longer an issue.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Staff have helped the child to tackle their fear of water and, because of this, he now attends swimming lessons and goes swimming with staff. The child has recently got a new bike and is being encouraged to learn to ride it.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Staff have helped the child to understand the need for regular health appointments. This means that they are up to date with all routine health checks. The staff understand the child’s specific health needs well and are working sensitively with them and health professionals to address them.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

The registered manager advocated on the child’s behalf when a school placement was not found quickly enough. She escalated her concerns to the local authority and, subsequently, the child has started school. They now attend half days, and plans are in place for them to attend full time before the end of the summer term.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Staff support the child to safely spend time with people who are important to him. Staff have also helped to re-establish links with family members who the child has not seen for some time.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Professionals speak very highly of the care given to the child. They have observed warm relationships develop between the child and staff, and they say that worrying behaviours have reduced significantly since the child moved to live in the home. One professional said that they can speak to any of the team as they all know the child well and understand his needs. The child says that the home should have ‘nine gold stars’.

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

Staff are up to date with their mandatory training, including safeguarding and physical intervention, and have had bespoke input from the clinical lead on managing specific behaviours that the child presents. Staff understand their safeguarding responsibilities, including in relation to allegations made against any member of the staff team, and described the bespoke training as helping them to understand and respond to the child’s behaviours.

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

Some restrictions are in place to keep the child safe. These have been reviewed and endorsed by the court. The home keeps the need for the restrictions under review, Inspection report for children’s home: 2680726 3 and, when it assessed as safe to do so, these are amended or removed. Consequently, cutlery is no longer locked away and windows are opened, although restricted. The child has only been missing once, for a very short period, shortly after they moved in to the home. Staff understand what they need to do if the child went missing in future.

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

Staff found that the normal physical intervention methods used in the home were not effective or appropriate for the child. The registered manager sought advice, and adaptations were made to the approach used. Incidents of physical intervention have decreased markedly from the first few months when the child moved in to the home.

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

Safer recruitment processes are in place to reduce the likelihood of an unsuitable person being employed in the home.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

The registered manager is qualified and experienced. Staff and professionals speak highly of her and the ethos that she has developed in the home. The registered manager ensures that she and her staff take into account the child’s need for emotional warmth and play, as well as consistent, clear and firm boundaries. She is a strong advocate for the child and has challenged partners when it has been in the child’s interest to do so.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

The registered manager has several systems to monitor the safety and quality of practice in the home. She has a clear understanding of the progress that the child is making and the care he is given.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

There has been some turnover in the staff team since the home opened. However, there is a consistent core staff team, and vacancies or gaps in the rota arising from sickness are filled by staff from other homes in the company who know the child.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

Supervision takes place regularly, and staff told the inspector that they value the professional and personal support they receive.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

The child’s introduction to the home was carefully planned and, as a result, was successful. However, the children’s guide to the home and the guide for children on how to make a complaint are not written in accessible language or presented in a way that would help him to understand their content. The registered manager accepted this and will review and revise both documents. Inspection report for children’s home: 2680726 4

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Recommendations

 The registered person should ensure that they provide children living in the home with a guide that is written in a way that is age-appropriate and accessible to them. It should help them to understand the content. It should include an explanation of the daily routines and how to make a complaint. (‘Guide to the Children’s Homes Regulations, including quality standards’, page 24, paragraph 4.21)

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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: 2680726 5

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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

Janet Fraser, His Majesty’s Inspector Inspection report for children’s home: 2680726 6 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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