Children's home run by Esland North Limited

Inspection report for children’s home: 2721016 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 children’s home is privately owned. The home provides care for one child who may have social and/or emotional difficulties.

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Information about this children’s home

The manager has been in post since the home was registered in July 2023. She has the relevant experience and qualification to work with children. The manager also oversees another home, which is a short distance away from this setting.

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Information about this children’s home

This is the home’s first inspection following registration.

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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

Date of last inspection: not previously inspected

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good

Overall judgement at last inspection: not applicable

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good

Enforcement action since last inspection: not applicable Inspection report for children’s home: 2721016 2

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Children who live in this home receive good care and support that is tailored to their individual needs. Staff provide the children with a warm, nurturing, caring and positive environment that enables them to feel valued, respected and well cared for. This promotes children’s confidence, self-esteem and identity.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

A key strength of the home is the positive relationships that exist between children and staff. Children, including those who are new to the home, can identify staff that they like and trust. Children have also developed positive relationships with each other. This is notable progression for children who have previously struggled with group living.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Organised family time is supported well by the staff. They supervise and support the children to see their families, as requested by the children’s social workers. Staff also invite parents into the home to spend time with their children. This helps to ensure that family time is a positive experience for children and their parents.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Children’s families are positive about the way in which their children are cared for by staff. One parent said,

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

‘I really couldn’t ask for more. The approach the staff have with my child is spot on; they totally understand her needs. They are always welcoming when I visit, and I can see that my child is settling.’

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Professionals are equally positive about the home. One social worker said, ‘I’m really pleased with the care provided. It really melts my heart to see how comfortable and happy [name of child] is.’

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Staff understand the value of education and the influence it has on all areas of a child’s life. When children are new to the home, staff are quick to instil this value of learning both formally and informally. Over time, this builds confidence, which helps to better equip children with the skills needed to succeed.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Staff teach children essential practical skills, such as cooking, budgeting and doing their laundry, as well as helping them to develop emotional resilience. Every effort is made to help prepare children for their transitions to young adulthood. However, this work is undertaken by staff in an ad hoc manner, with little tracking of progress. This is a missed opportunity to fully evaluate the effectiveness of the work and inhibits the home’s contribution to the child’s pathway plan.

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

On the rare occasions when children do experience difficulties and concerning behaviours emerge, the manager is proactive. Professional advice is sought, and Inspection report for children’s home: 2721016 3 training is arranged. This upskills the whole staff team and means that staff can better meet the children’s ever-changing needs. Staff are able to reflect on and learn from incidents to improve their practice.

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

The manager undertakes reviews of serious incidents. They apply the learning from these incidents and make changes to staff practice when necessary. This supports the staff to improve the quality of care they provide for children.

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

Children do not go missing from the home. The staff are vigilant and understand the procedure that must be followed if this was to occur. Staff carry out direct work with children about the risks associated with using illegal substances and anti-social and criminal behaviour. This work is effective, and this has helped to reduce children’s risk-taking behaviour.

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

Staff recognise and respond to children’s unwanted behaviours. They maintain a high level of vigilance throughout the day and night to ensure children’s safety. Online safety is a key priority, and children are helped by staff to understand why certain restrictions are in place.

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

Staff’s practice is guided and supported through monthly consultations and training from an experienced in-house therapist. This, alongside support and direction from the manager, helps to upskill and equip staff to manage challenges when they arise.

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

Allegations against staff are rare. When they do happen, the manager takes effective action. This ensures that relevant professionals are notified, and investigations are undertaken in a timely manner. This helps to better protect children.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

Children benefit from living in a well-managed home. The registered manager is suitably experienced, and she is supported well by an effective deputy manager. Together as managers, they provide effective leadership with clear aims and objectives that place the children’s needs at the heart of everything.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

Staff receive regular supervision sessions that help them to reflect on their practice and highlight any issues. Regular team meetings provide staff with time together to discuss the children’s well-being and identify emerging themes. This results in a well-functioning and cohesive staff team.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

Managers lead by example. They provide a high level of support to individual staff and are committed to supporting staff members to develop and extend their knowledge. Training opportunities for staff are frequent and purposeful. Staff confirm that training helps them in their day-to-day role.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

Managers are very responsive to external and internal monitoring of the home. The manager takes effective action to address shortfalls, which ensures the operation of the home continues to develop. Inspection report for children’s home: 2721016 4 Managers have good relationships with external professionals. Feedback gathered from professionals during the inspection was very positive. The strength of these relationships supports managers to appropriately challenge and advocate to bring about positive change for children. Inspection report for children’s home: 2721016 5

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Recommendation

 The registered person should ensure that the staff have a good understanding of children’s capabilities and needs, and that the staff contribute to the children’s pathway planning process. The staff should actively seek to make the fullest contribution, working with other relevant persons. (‘Guide to the Children’s Homes Regulations, including the quality standards’, page 18, paragraph 3.28).

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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: 2721016 6

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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

Ceri Evans, Social Care Inspector Inspection report for children’s home: 2721016 7 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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