Children's Home run by Esland North Limited in Lancashire

Inspection report for children's home: 2648027 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 run by a private provider. It provides care for one child who may have emotional and/or behavioural difficulties.

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Information about this children’s home

One child was living at the home at the time of the inspection.

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Information about this children’s home

The registered manager post has been vacant since 23 October 2023. A manager has been appointed. They have not submitted an application to register with Ofsted.

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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

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good

The effectiveness of leaders and managers 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: good

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good

Enforcement action since last inspection: none Inspection report for children's home: 2648027 2

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Inspection date Inspection type Inspection judgement

18/07/2022 Full Good Inspection report for children's home: 2648027 3

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

The child has lived in the home since before the last inspection and has made significant progress. They are happy in the home and have been supported to form positive, trusting relationships with the staff. The child said that staff ‘genuinely care about me and my progress’ and that, ‘They have worked hard to build strong and positive relationships with me.’ The child is now preparing to move to semi- independent living.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Staff have supported the child with education. The child has good attendance and is enjoying their college course in performing arts. Staff ensure that the child can enjoy safe and appropriate time with their college friends. Staff nurture and encourage the child’s interests in dancing and performing arts. They take the child to competitions and watch performances that the child is in. This helps to increase the child’s confidence and supports their goals and aspirations.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

The child is listened to and feels able to raise concerns. The registered manager takes appropriate action to provide a resolution to any concerns raised. The child is also encouraged to suggest ideas to improve their experiences in the home, and these are explored and acted on. This helps the child to feel heard and enables them to communicate their wishes and feelings in positive ways.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

The child is helped to develop life skills, including cooking, budgeting and travelling on public transport, in preparation for living more independently. Staff advocate for the child and have supported them to share their views with their placing authority about their transition to semi-independent living.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

The child’s physical and emotional health needs are well understood. Staff support the child to attend routine and specialist health appointments as required, to ensure that their health needs are being met. Staff are proactive in helping the child to improve their dental health.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

The child is helped to keep in touch with people who are important to them. Staff regularly communicate with the child’s family and help the child to develop positive relationships that they can continue to benefit from into adulthood.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

The home is well decorated, with sufficient space for the child to relax and socialise. There is a corner dedicated to the child’s trophies and there are photos around the home of them enjoying activities. This helps the child to develop a sense of belonging in the home. There is an ongoing drainage issue with the main bathroom that has been reported by the manager but has not yet been resolved. Internal and external door alarms are routinely used, which unnecessarily restricts the child’s privacy. Inspection report for children's home: 2648027 4

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

The child is safeguarded effectively. Their risk management plan is detailed and helps staff to keep them safe, alongside supporting their independence. The child’s plans are regularly reviewed and updated with input from the child and there is clear oversight from the manager.

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

The child is supported to talk to staff about issues that are affecting them. This helps them to understand their vulnerabilities and risks and has enabled them to develop alternative ways to manage negative feelings. Staff also support the child through well-planned and focused direct-work sessions. Consequently, the child can alert staff to any concerns and there has been a reduction in incidents of the child self-harming.

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

Staff receive therapeutic training and supervision from the therapist employed by the provider. This helps them to further develop their understanding of the child and ensures that their interventions are effective.

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

Staff have positive relationships with the child and communicate well with them when they are out of the home. Staff have provided appropriate levels of supervision while increasing the child’s independence. The child has not gone missing from this home.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

The manager is child-centred. They previously worked as a senior staff member in the home and knows the child and the team well. The manager has oversight of care planning and work conducted with the child by the staff. This ensures that plans are proportionate and enable the child to make progress.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

Team meetings are held regularly and are task orientated, reflective and used to develop communication in the team. Staff now receive regular reflective supervision with opportunities for development. However, opportunities to provide consistent challenge to the team and to ensure that any issues in staff practice are addressed have been missed. This is something that the manager is taking action to address.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

The child is cared for by a stable staff team. The team is child-centred and committed to improving outcomes for the child. Staff receive core and therapeutic training, in addition to training tailored to the needs of the child. The new manager is motivating staff to complete the required qualifications by setting clear targets. The team feels well supported. One staff member described the home as somewhere ‘everyone is celebrated’.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

The manager supports the team to foster good working relationships with external professionals and the child’s family. The manager is a strong advocate for the child and appropriately challenges other professionals to ensure that the child’s needs are being met. Inspection report for children's home: 2648027 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 registered person may only use devices for the monitoring or surveillance of children if—

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Requirement Due date

the monitoring or surveillance is for the purpose of safeguarding and promoting the welfare of the child concerned, or other children;

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Requirement Due date

the child’s placing authority consents in writing to the monitoring or surveillance;

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Requirement Due date

so far as reasonably practicable in the light of the child’s age and understanding, the child is informed in advance of the intention to do the monitoring or surveillance; and

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Requirement Due date

the monitoring or surveillance is no more intrusive than necessary, having regard to the child’s need for privacy. (Regulation 24 (1)(a)(b)(c)(d))

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Requirement Due date

Specifically, the registered person must ensure that any limits to children’s privacy and access in the home, such as the use of bedroom door alarms, are for safeguarding purposes only. 1 February 2024

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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 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 work as a team where appropriate; 1 February 2024 Inspection report for children's home: 2648027 6 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

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

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. (Regulation 13 (1)(a)(b) (2)(a)(b)(c)(d)(e)(g)(i)(ii))

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Requirement Due date

Specifically, the registered person must ensure that staff supervision sessions provide opportunities for appropriate professional challenge and that any identified actions are followed up.

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Recommendation

 The registered person should ensure that children live in a warm and welcoming environment that has a homely feel, and that repairs are carried out in the main bathroom. (‘Guide to the Children’s Homes Regulations, including the quality standards’, page 15, paragraph 3.9) Inspection report for children's home: 2648027 7

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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: 2648027 8

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Children’s home details

Registered provider: Esland North Limited

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Children’s home details

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

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Inspectors

Sarah Gilbert, Social Care Inspector Kelly McCurdy, Social Care Inspector Inspection report for children's home: 2648027 9 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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Inspectors

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Inspectors

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Inspectors

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