Children's Home run by Esland North Limited in Warrington

Inspection report for children’s home: 2621334 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 owned by a private company and is registered to care for up to three children who may have social and/or emotional difficulties.

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Information about this children’s home

One child was living in the home at the time of the inspection and one child had recently moved out. Both children spoke to the inspector about their experiences of living in the home.

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Information about this children’s home

The manager has been registered with Ofsted since April 2023.

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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 and/or widespread failures that mean children and young people are not protected or their welfare is not promoted or safeguarded and the care and experiences of children and young people are poor and they are not making progress.

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inadequate

Date of last inspection: 8 December 2022

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inadequate

Overall judgement at last inspection: good

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inadequate

Enforcement action since last inspection: none Inspection report for children’s home: 2621334 2

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Inspection date Inspection type Inspection judgement

08/12/2022 Full Good 05/01/2022 Full Good Inspection report for children’s home: 2621334 3

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inadequate

Since the last inspection, there has been a lack of clear leadership and guidance to the team. This has negatively impacted on the quality of care provided to children and on the progress that they are supported to make. Consequently, children’s experiences of living in the home are poor.

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inadequate

One child has been living in this home for over two years and has achieved a sense of stability. However, the child has not been supported to develop a sense of belonging. Staff frequently prioritise doing paperwork over spending time with the child, despite the child regularly asking staff to spend time with him. During the inspection, there was little interaction observed between staff and the child. This does not demonstrate nurturing care or enable the child to feel valued and cared for.

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inadequate

Children’s needs are not understood or considered when decisions are made about their care. One child, who has additional needs, was moved into an annex area to improve their independence skills. This was done with minimal preparation work to improve the child’s basic independence abilities prior to moving the child to this area. The rationale and decision-making for progressing children’s plans to live more independently are not clear.

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inadequate

Children do not feel listened to. Their views, wishes and feelings are not consistently heard and do not contribute to the care that they receive. Decisions made by staff often overrule requests from children, and they are not communicated in ways that are helpful. This lack of effective communication from the team has led to a number of incidents for one child. When another child raised concerns about the way that staff had spoken to them, their feelings were dismissed. This prevents children from feeling included and does not support them to develop their sense of worth.

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inadequate

The child living in the home struggles with school and is supported to attend a school that is owned by the same organisation as the home. The child is taught on a one-to-one basis and is accompanied by a staff member from the home. The child does not have a peer group at school and has limited interactions with people outside of the organisation when in education.

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inadequate

Staff do not help children to develop interests outside of the home. Staff do not take children on regular outings or activities. Children are not enrolled in any clubs or groups to explore their interests. Consequently, children’s social networks are largely limited to the organisation that runs this home. Staff were told by the manager to use weekend shifts to work on their own development. This reduces opportunities for staff to provide positive experiences for the children. Inspection report for children’s home: 2621334 4 Staff have not completed age-appropriate direct work with children. Children with additional needs have not been supported to understand puberty and the changes in their body. This does not enable children to understand positive or safe relationships.

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inadequate

Expectations and boundaries implemented by staff lack consistency. Children’s plans are updated regularly but are not routinely implemented into practice. One child has a very specific routine in place; however, both children stated that this child spends most of their time watching television and that their routine is not followed. This does not provide children with clear routines or boundaries.

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

Children do not consistently feel safe living in this home. One child who has recently moved from the home said, ‘Overall, I felt physically safe, but not mentally safe. My feelings were always dismissed.’ The child had previously shared these views with the team, but they had not been adequately explored. This does not support children’s welfare.

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

The inspector identified that the child living in the home did not have sufficient clothing. Staff stated that the child did not need more clothing as he preferred a single outfit that was washed regularly. This is something that managers were unaware of, which they had failed to address until it was raised by the inspector. More clothing was purchased for the child during the inspection. However, this does not reflect adequate or nurturing care, and it means that managers have ineffective oversight of the care provided to children.

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

Staff do not have the required skills to effectively de-escalate situations or to respond to children who are distressed. On numerous occasions, staff responses have led to situations escalating. For example, staff have followed a child when the child has removed themselves from a situation, or insisted on continuing discussions about behaviour when the child attempts to self-regulate. On other occasions, incidents have occurred because staff put their own preferences ahead of the child’s preferences. An example of this was when the child wanted only one light on at mealtime and staff insisted that two lights were switched on. This then led to an incident of self-harm and property damage. Management oversight of incidents is poor and does not consider the actions of staff. This limits opportunities to ensure that staff practice is appropriate and to identify any learning for the team.

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

Behaviour management strategies and consequences used by staff are restrictive and are not child centred. One child has been prevented from accessing the internet and social media for significant periods of time to avoid them becoming heightened when asked to come off devices. The child is also not allowed to use the television remote control following an incident where they threw it at the television. The measures are not reviewed and do not have an end date or plan to reintroduce them. This reduces opportunities to support the child to safely follow interests that they enjoy and to enable them to develop skills to regulate their emotions. Inspection report for children’s home: 2621334 5 The manager does not adequately investigate concerns unless they are raised as a formal complaint. One child raised concerns about a member of staff responding to them in a transphobic manner. This was not appropriately investigated by managers

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

and the child was not provided with support around this. Staff are not provided with transgender awareness training. This does not provide an inclusive environment for all children.

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

This home is large with plenty of space. However, children have limited input into the décor and furnishings, and their photos and interests are not reflected around the home. Maintenance of the home is poor. There are a number of maintenance tasks that have not been addressed, including cracks in internal and external doors, damage to walls, and mould on the bath. These had not been addressed prior to them being raised by the inspector.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: inadequate

Significant shortfalls were identified in the leadership and management of the home. Management oversight of incidents and practice in the home is not robust. The manager’s evaluation is poor and does not fully consider all aspects of staff practice. This does not enable the manager to identify patterns and trends, analyse actions taken by staff, or consider effective solutions to improve the quality of care provided to children.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: inadequate

The management team is not proactive in providing effective leadership and guidance to the team. The manager relies heavily on checklists and does not have clear aspirations for the home or the children living there. In attempting to develop senior staff members, the manager has failed to take responsibility for the daily care provided to children.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: inadequate

Independent oversight is provided each month by an external professional. However, the independent person has not provided sufficient scrutiny to ensure that children’s welfare is being fully safeguarded. The manager completes a biannual review of the quality of care provided to children. This review lacks evaluation or consideration of how the care provided is supporting children to make progress.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: inadequate

Feedback from professionals is varied. Professionals state that communication from staff is suitable and that the manager is responsive to requests. However, professionals also recognise that children have limited social opportunities and that information around decision-making is not always clear.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: inadequate

The organisation’s clinical psychotherapist provides guidance for the staff team. However, therapeutic consultations frequently use language that blames the child, and records do not demonstrate practice that is trauma-informed.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: inadequate

There are sufficient staff to take care of the child living in the home. However, the staff team is relatively inexperienced, and most staff have only worked in this home. Staff do not have access to adequate training to meet the needs of the children. The oversight of training is poor, and mandatory training is not completed by all staff, Inspection report for children’s home: 2621334 6 including the manager, as required by the organisation. This reduces opportunities to ensure that children are cared for by staff who are suitably skilled to meet their needs. This was a requirement at the last inspection and has been restated.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: inadequate

Staff say that they feel supported and that the manager is approachable. They receive regular supervisions and have access to team meetings. The manager has improved the supervision process to implement more-reflective practice and has begun to implement more learning and development in team meetings. Inspection report for children’s home: 2621334 7

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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

* The quality and purpose of care standard is that children receive care from staff who—

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Requirement Due date

understand the children’s home’s overall aims and the outcomes it seeks to achieve for children;

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Requirement Due date

use this understanding to deliver care that meets children’s needs and supports them to fulfil their potential.

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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

understand and apply the home’s statement of purpose;

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Requirement Due date

understand and apply the home’s statement of purpose;

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Requirement Due date

protect and promote each child’s welfare;

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Requirement Due date

treat each child with dignity and respect;

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Requirement Due date

provide personalised care that meets each child’s needs, as recorded in the child’s relevant plans, taking account of the child’s background;

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Requirement Due date

help each child to understand and manage the impact of any experience of abuse or neglect;

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Requirement Due date

help each child to develop resilience and skills that prepare the child to return home, to live in a new placement or to live independently as an adult;

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Requirement Due date

provide to children living in the home the physical necessities they need in order to live there comfortably;

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Requirement Due date

provide to children personal items that are appropriate for their age and understanding; and 6 December 2023 Inspection report for children’s home: 2621334 8 make decisions about the day-to-day arrangements for each child, in accordance with the child’s relevant plans, which give the child an appropriate degree of freedom and choice. (Regulation 6 (1)(a)(b) (2)(a)(b)(i)(ii)(iii)(iv)(v)(vi)(vii)(viii)(ix))

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Requirement Due date

The children’s views, wishes and feelings standard is that children receive care from staff who—

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Requirement Due date

develop positive relationships with them;

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Requirement Due date

take their views, wishes and feelings into account in relation to matters affecting the children’s care and welfare and their lives.

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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

ascertain and consider each child’s views, wishes and feelings, and balance these against what they judge to be in the child’s best interests when making decisions about the child’s care and welfare;

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Requirement Due date

help each child to express views, wishes and feelings;

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Requirement Due date

help each child to understand how the child’s views, wishes and feelings have been taken into account and give the child reasons for decisions in relation to the child;

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Requirement Due date

regularly consult children, and seek their feedback, about the quality of the home’s care;

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Requirement Due date

is enabled to provide feedback to, and raise issues with, a relevant person about the support and services that the child receives;

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Requirement Due date

is given appropriate advocacy support. (Regulation 7 (1)(a)(b)(c) (2)(a)(i)(ii)(iii)(iv)(b)(i)(iii))

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Requirement Due date

Specifically, the registered person must ensure that children’s views, wishes and feelings are heard. If there is a reason 20 December Inspection report for children’s home: 2621334 9 why a child’s views cannot be followed through, there should be clear rationale of why this is not in a child’s best interests. When children raise informal concerns, these should always be fully investigated.

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Requirement Due date

The enjoyment and achievement standard is that children take part in and benefit from a variety of activities that meet their needs and develop and reflect their creative, cultural, intellectual, physical and social interests and skills.

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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

develop the child’s interests and hobbies;

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Requirement Due date

participate in activities that the child enjoys and which meet and expand the child’s interests and preferences; and

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Requirement Due date

make a positive contribution to the home and the wider community; and

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Requirement Due date

that each child has access to a range of activities that enable the child to pursue the child’s interests and hobbies. (Regulation 9 (1) (2)(a)(i)(ii)(iii)(b))

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Requirement Due date

Specifically, the registered person must ensure that children are provided with activities outside of the home. Children’s interests should be promoted. Children’s activities and interests must be prioritised over staff tasks. 20 December

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Requirement Due date

* The positive relationships standard is that children are helped to develop, and to benefit from, relationships based on—

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Requirement Due date

an understanding about acceptable behaviour; and

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Requirement Due date

positive responses to other children and adults.

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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 staff— 6 December 2023 Inspection report for children’s home: 2621334 10 meet each child’s behavioural and emotional needs, as set out in the child’s relevant plans;

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Requirement Due date

encourage each child to take responsibility for the child’s behaviour, in accordance with the child’s age and understanding;

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Requirement Due date

communicate to each child expectations about the child’s behaviour and ensure that the child understands those expectations in accordance with the child’s age and understanding;

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Requirement Due date

help each child to understand, in a way that is appropriate according to the child’s age and understanding, personal, sexual and social relationships, and how those relationships can be supportive or harmful;

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Requirement Due date

help each child to develop the understanding and skills to recognise or withdraw from a damaging, exploitative or harmful relationship;

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Requirement Due date

strive to gain each child’s respect and trust;

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Requirement Due date

understand how children’s previous experiences and present emotions can be communicated through behaviour and have the competence and skills to interpret these and develop positive relationships with children;

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Requirement Due date

de-escalate confrontations with or between children, or potentially violent behaviour by children;

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Requirement Due date

have the skills to recognise incidents or indications of bullying and how to deal with them. (Regulation 11 (1)(a)(b)(c) (2)(a)(i)(iii)(v)(vi)(vii)(viii)(ix)(xi)(xiii))

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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; 6 December 2023 Inspection report for children’s home: 2621334 11 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

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;

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Requirement Due date

that the premises used for the purposes of the home are designed, furnished and maintained so as to protect each child from avoidable hazards to the child’s health. (Regulation 12 (1) (2)(a)(i)(ii)(iii)(iv)(v)(vi)(vii)(b)(d))

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Requirement Due date

Specifically, the registered person must ensure that children’s basic needs are always met. Staff must be provided with the skills and training to recognise when a child is struggling or likely to escalate their behaviour. Children’s needs must be prioritised over staff preferences. Staff should be fully aware of how children’s additional needs could impact on their perception and presentation. The home must be kept in good repair, with a warm and homely feel.

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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— 20 December Inspection report for children’s home: 2621334 12 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;

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Requirement Due date

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;

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Requirement Due date

demonstrate that practice in the home is informed and improved by taking into account and acting on—

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Requirement Due date

research and developments in relation to the ways in which the needs of children are best met; and

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Requirement Due date

feedback on the experiences of children, including complaints received;

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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)(g)(i)(ii)(h))

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Requirement Due date

The registered person must ensure that all employees—

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Requirement Due date

undertake appropriate continuing professional development. (Regulation 33 (4)(a))

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Requirement Due date

Specifically, the registered person must ensure that staff are provided with suitable training to fully understand and meet the needs of each child living in the home. 20 December

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Requirement Due date

* These requirements are subject to a compliance notice. Inspection report for children’s home: 2621334 13

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Recommendations

 The independent person should make a rigorous and impartial assessment of the care provided, taking into consideration information that is relevant to the care of the children and the leadership of the home. (‘Guide to the Children’s Homes Regulations, including the quality standards’ page 58, paragraph 11.18)

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Recommendations

 The independent person should review the care provided to children, including children’s experiences of living in the home, and the impact this care has on the progress of the children. (‘Guide to the Children’s Homes Regulations, including the quality standards’ page 64, paragraph 15.2)

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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: 2621334 14

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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

Aislinn Cooper, Social Care Regulatory Inspector Inspection report for children’s home: 2621334 15 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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