Children's Home run by Esland South Limited in Hertfordshire

Inspection report for children’s home: SC425418 1 SC425418 Registered provider: Esland South Limited Full inspection Inspected under the social care common inspection framework

p.1

Information about this children’s home

This home is privately owned and provides care for up to four children with complex needs and who require specialist support.

p.1

Information about this children’s home

The manager registered with Ofsted in July 2020.

p.1

Overall experiences and progress of

children and young people, taking into account

p.1

good

How well children and young people are helped and protected good

p.1

good

The effectiveness of leaders and managers outstanding

p.1

good

The children’s home provides effective services that meet the requirements for good.

p.1

good

Date of last inspection: 8 November 2022

p.1

good

Overall judgement at last inspection: good

p.1

good

Enforcement action since last inspection: none Inspection report for children’s home: SC425418 2

p.1

Inspection date Inspection type Inspection judgement

08/11/2022 Full Good 06/10/2021 Full Good 02/07/2019 Full Good 03/05/2018 Full Good Inspection report for children’s home: SC425418 3

p.2

Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Three children were living at the home at the time of this inspection. Since the last inspection, two children have moved in and one child has moved out. Children are helped to move in to the home and settle.

p.3

Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

The staff carefully assess new children moving in to the home. This means that children living at the home have similar needs, and they are able to live alongside each other successfully with few incidents.

p.3

Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Children are making consistent progress. The staff provide good care and support to children. Children enjoy spending time with staff, who show genuine emotional warmth and understanding to the children. This helps children to build trusting relationships.

p.3

Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

The manager and staff support children to attend education in line with their needs. The manager has advocated for bespoke education packages for each child. Staff motivate children to take part in home learning with their tutors. This improves children’s life chances.

p.3

Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Staff recognise children’s effort and achievements, which develops their confidence and self-esteem.

p.3

Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

The staff encourage children to express themselves. They explore children’s interests and talents. Children take part in activities, such as golf, swimming and cycling. A recent holiday gave children their first experience of staying at a hotel. These experiences are captured in photos, which provide the children with positive memories of their childhoods.

p.3

Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

As children become older, staff support them to prepare for adult life through creative independence work. This provides children with the necessary skills for adulthood. However, due to social anxieties, some children struggle to socialise with peers outside the home. This reduces the opportunities for children to build their social skills.

p.3

Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Children’s health needs are well known and, on the whole, met by staff. Staff work with a variety of health professionals. Staff understand the complexities of each child. This helps to maintain children’s health and emotional well-being. However, anxieties in regard to working with health professionals has led to one child having a minor health issue that is ongoing. This means that staff are not working creatively with individual children to address minor ailments. Inspection report for children’s home: SC425418 4

p.3

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

Staff understand children’s vulnerabilities. They follow well-developed risk assessments to keep children safe. Risks assessments are reviewed and updated regularly. Staff share new information promptly and clearly with relevant others.

p.4

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

Staff manage children’s behaviour positively. This is working well and physical intervention is not used. There are clear plans in place for responding to challenging behaviours. Staff reward children for positive behaviour. The manager monitors the effectiveness of consequences to ensure that these are proportionate.

p.4

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

Staff know how to keep children safe online. There are clear agreements and expectations in place around the children’s use of the internet. Staff talk to children about online risks and complete regular checks on children’s electronic devices. This means that children are kept safe when using the internet.

p.4

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

When allegations have been made, appropriate action has been taken with safeguarding partners. Children have been kept informed, meaning that their views are valued and they are involved in the process.

p.4

The effectiveness of leaders and managers: outstanding

The home is managed by an innovative and committed manager. He is enthusiastic about the children, and this is mirrored by the staff team. He runs the home in a supportive family style. This involves knowing the children and the staff individually. The manager is highly visible and involved in the children’s care. His inspirational approach to caring for the children and motivating staff is commended by his team and other professionals.

p.4

The effectiveness of leaders and managers: outstanding

The manager is dedicated to improving the children’s life chances. He and the staff team are eager to demonstrate the progress that children are making. They thoroughly review the children’s progress and outcomes.

p.4

The effectiveness of leaders and managers: outstanding

The manager meticulously reviews each area of staff practice and ensures that it is meeting the children’s needs. Any areas of weakness are identified through an exceptional quality assurance process, the outcome of which forms the home’s development plan.

p.4

The effectiveness of leaders and managers: outstanding

The manager is a prolific advocate for children. He has worked relentlessly with education partners to provide the optimum package for children, irrespective of their histories of non-attendance. The manager also challenges responses that he feels are not effective or in the children’s best interests.

p.4

The effectiveness of leaders and managers: outstanding

Team meetings are highly structured as a forum for learning and support staff with their well-being. Staff have specific training that meets the needs of the children, including training in autism spectrum disorder and attention deficit hyperactivity disorder. Inspection report for children’s home: SC425418 5 Feedback from professionals is exceptional. One social worker said, ‘They [the staff] have been able to build up his [the child’s] hope and confidence which he didn’t have before.’ When asked about their overall view of the home another social worker said, ‘I can’t think of anything they could do better.’ Inspection report for children’s home: SC425418 6

p.4

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.

p.6

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. (Regulation 9 (1))

p.6

Requirement Due date

In particular, ensure that children are provided with activities that promote social interaction with their peer group. 7 December 2023

p.6

Recommendation

 The registered person should ensure that the children’s home staff follow up minor health issues in creative ways, subject to the child’s age and understanding. (‘Guide to the Children’s Homes Regulations, including the quality standards’, page 34, paragraph 7.10)

p.6

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: SC425418 7

p.6

Children’s home details

Registered provider: Esland South Limited

p.7

Children’s home details

Registered provider address: Suites 1 & 5, Riverside Business Centre, Foundry Lane, Milford, Belper, Derbyshire DE56 0RN

p.7

Children’s home details

Responsible individual: Chelsea Lightfoot

p.7

Inspector

Hannah Phillips, Social Care Inspector Inspection report for children’s home: SC425418 8 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.

p.7

Inspector

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 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 .

p.8

Inspector

Interested in our work? You can subscribe to our monthly newsletter for more information and updates: http://eepurl.com/iTrDn .

p.8

Inspector

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

p.8