Children's home run by Esland North Limited in Amber Valley

Inspection report for children’s home: 1240433 1 Registered provider: Esland North Limited Full inspection Inspected under the social care common inspection framework

p.1

Information about this children’s home

The home provides care for up to four children on a medium- or long-term basis. It supports children who may experience social and emotional difficulties because of past trauma. Two children were living in the home at the time of the inspection.

p.1

Information about this children’s home

A new manager registered on 20 December 2023 to cover long-term leave of the existing registered manager.

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 good

p.1

good

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

p.1

good

Overall judgement at last inspection: outstanding

p.1

good

Enforcement action since last inspection: none Inspection report for children’s home: 1240433 2

p.1

Inspection date Inspection type Inspection judgement

02/08/2022 Full Outstanding 14/12/2021 Full Outstanding 10/09/2019 Full Good 29/01/2019 Full Requires improvement to be good Inspection report for children’s home: 1240433 3

p.2

Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Staff use a caring and nurturing approach in order to create a welcoming family atmosphere in the home. This positive environment helps children develop trusting relationships with staff. As a result, children feel confident to approach trusted adults to confide in if they are worried.

p.3

Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Children contribute to decisions made in the home. Children are aware of the home’s complaints procedure and are able to use it effectively. Complaints are taken seriously and investigated. This gives children a compelling message that their voice is important. This ensures that children feel valued and respected.

p.3

Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Education attendance is variable. Staff understand the barriers to children’s learning, and advocate for children so that they get the right educational support. This helps children to learn to recognise the importance of education.

p.3

Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Children’s health needs are well met by staff. Staff also help children to access regular therapeutic support from clinicians. In addition, staff have ongoing discussions with children to help them process their thoughts and feelings about their past lived experiences.

p.3

Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Children enjoy a range of leisure activities. These activities allow children to have age-appropriate experiences and develop their self-esteem. Staff reach out to those people who are important to children, to enable these links to be maintained. In addition, staff remain in contact with children who have moved on. This ensures that children maintain strong support networks.

p.3

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

Staff fully understand children’s risks. Detailed risk management plans identify children’s risks and vulnerabilities. Staff apply strategies to minimise risk, and keep them under review. This ensures that the staff are able to keep children safe.

p.3

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

Staff work with children to develop their understanding of risks in an age- appropriate way. Ongoing discussions on topics such as healthy relationships, dangers of going missing from care and online safety help the children to understand how to keep themselves safe.

p.3

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

Missing-from-home procedures are followed when children leave the home without permission. All children have a missing-from-home support plan, with clear steps to take should children go missing from care. Children are given opportunities to reflect following these incidents. Clear management oversight of records ensures that staff’s actions are appropriate.

p.3

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

Staff provide children with a calm environment. Consistent strategies to influence Inspection report for children’s home: 1240433 4 children’s behaviour mean that the children feel safe. As a result, there have been no incidents of physical intervention since the last inspection.

p.3

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

Leaders and managers adhere to safer recruitment procedures. They complete all necessary employment checks and verification processes for new staff. Allegations against staff are appropriately referred on, and addressed in line with statutory safeguarding procedures. This ensures that children are safeguarded effectively.

p.4

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

Bedroom door alarms are used to monitor the movement of children in the home. However, for one child, there are no safeguarding reasons for this measure to be in place. This does not give reassurance that this monitoring system is being used purposefully.

p.4

The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

The registered manager has recently gone on long-term leave. A new registered manager has taken over for this period. The responsible individual has vigorous oversight of this home while the new manager settles in. There has been a seamless handover period, which has ensured that there is continuity in the care provided to children.

p.4

The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

Internal and external monitoring systems enable the leaders and managers to review the quality of care that children receive. This means that the service continues to evolve to meet children’s changing needs.

p.4

The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

Mandatory training is kept up to date, and there are systems in place for monitoring this. Staff are trained to meet the specific needs of the children they care for. Regular team meetings are used as a platform to share knowledge and practice issues. Support from the provider’s therapists ensure that staff are equipped with strategies to provide consistent care to the children.

p.4

The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

Staff work closely with social workers, therapists, educational professionals and the police. This provides children with consistent, joined-up care and support.

p.4

The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

The staff are happy in their work. They benefit from regular informal and formal supervision. Formal supervision is not always reflective. This is a missed opportunity to provide staff with time and space to scrutinise and challenge their practice in order to improve the outcomes for the children . Inspection report for children’s home: 1240433 5

p.4

Statutory requirements

This section sets out the actions that the registered persons 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 persons must comply within the given timescales.

p.5

Requirement Due date

The registered persons may only use devices for the monitoring or surveillance of children if—

p.5

Requirement Due date

the monitoring or surveillance is for the purpose of safeguarding and promoting the welfare of the child concerned, or other children. (Regulation 24 (1)(a)) 12 April 2024

p.5

Recommendations

 The registered persons should ensure that systems are in place so that all staff, including the manager, receive supervision of their practice from an appropriately and experienced professional, which allows them to reflect on their practice and the needs of the children assigned to their care. (‘Guide to the Children’s Homes Regulations, including the quality standards’, page 61, paragraph 13.2)

p.5

Information about this inspection

The inspector has 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: 1240433 6

p.5

Children’s home details

Registered provider: Esland North Limited

p.6

Children’s home details

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

p.6

Children’s home details

Registered managers: Cemile Turkmen and David Fairclough

p.6

Inspector

Evelyn Chafota, Social Care Inspector Inspection report for children’s home: 1240433 7 regulates and inspects 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.6

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.7

Inspector

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

p.7

Inspector

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

p.7