Children's home run by Esland North Limited

Inspection report for children's home: 2734020 1 Registered provider: Esland North Limited

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Full inspection Inspected under the social care common inspection framework

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Information about this children’s home

This is a privately owned home that is registered to care for up to two children who may have social and emotional difficulties and/or learning disabilities. The home was registered in October 2023, and this is their first inspection. The manager has been in post since the home was registered and is suitably qualified.

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Information about this children’s home

The home offers short-term placements of 12 weeks to children to assess their care needs before they move to longer-term care arrangements.

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Overall experiences and progress of

children and young people, taking into account

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requires improvement to be good

How well children and young people are helped and protected requires improvement to be good

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requires improvement to be good

The effectiveness of leaders and managers requires improvement to be good

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requires improvement to be good

The children’s home is not yet delivering good help and care for children and young people. However, there are no serious or widespread failures that result in their welfare not being safeguarded or promoted.

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requires improvement to be good

Date of last inspection: Not previously inspected

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requires improvement to be good

Overall judgement at last inspection: not applicable

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requires improvement to be good

Enforcement action since last inspection: not applicable Inspection report for children's home: 2734020 2

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improvement to be good

Five children have lived at the home since it was registered. Two children moved out of the home in a well-planned way. Their experience at the home was positive, and they made a lot of progress. The children were able to move together to another home in the organisation. This planning considered the positive relationship they had formed with each other. The third child moved to a home where they could experience greater independence. No children have had unplanned endings to their time at the home. This shows that the provider commits to children in what can be a challenging time for them. The two children living at the home were both spoken to. One of the children moved into the home during the inspection, so the conversation was brief. Shortfalls in how well children are protected, and in the leadership and management of the home, have impacted on children’s experiences at this home. Staff do not always provide care that is

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improvement to be good

therapeutic and understanding of children’s needs.

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improvement to be good

Children move into the home in a well-planned way. As a result, they settle quickly. A child was given a virtual tour of the home before they moved in and was able to meet the adults who would care for them. A social worker commented that the manager’s good pre-planning enabled her to spend quality time with her child at the home when she arrived and that this significantly enhanced her child’s experience of the move.

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improvement to be good

Children benefit from an extensive range of activities and are supported well to explore new experiences. Staff support children to access adventurous activities, such as mountain biking and climbing, that support children to build confidence, self-esteem and a sense of identity. Staff plan personalised experiences for children in the home. For example, when a child said they had never celebrated Christmas, the staff organised a Christmas experience for them. The celebration lasted a week and included decorations, a traditional meal and exchanging gifts. The child was so happy that they cried. Staff take photos of children and create books of their memories that provide children with a lasting reminder of their experiences.

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improvement to be good

Children say that they have people they can speak to at the home. A child said they ‘love’ some staff and think it is great when they are there. However, a child said that they feel some staff actions are frustrating for them and that they do not always feel listened to when those people are there. Children’s records reflect that staff do not always act therapeutically when they wake children in the morning. Staff did not show a good understanding of therapeutic practice when they spoke about removing an item from a child. This does not provide assurance that staff always understand how to provide therapeutic care and build positive relationships with children that are built on trust and respect. The manager has a plan to use targeted development plans and further training to increase staff understanding of therapeutic care and children’s needs. They also plan to discuss the concerns with the child and address the practice concerns

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improvement to be good

directly with staff the involved. Inspection report for children's home: 2734020 3

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improvement to be good

Children’s plans and risk assessments provide staff with clear guidance on the steps they need to take to keep children safe. When children are subject to an order that allows deprivation of their liberty, the conditions of those orders are clear in children’s plans and are adhered to by staff. However, staff do not always make good, dynamic assessments of children’s risks. Poor staff supervision resulted in a child obtaining money and going missing from home. On a separate occasion, a child, while under the supervision of staff, obtained alcohol and was unwell as a result. Children are not always kept safe when under the supervision of staff.

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improvement to be good

Staff are trained in strategies to de-escalate incidents, and the use of physical intervention is rare and proportionate. Staff speak to children after the incident and explore how children feel and whether improvements could be made to the support that staff provide. However, these discussions routinely take place with a person who was directly involved in the incident. This does not provide assurance that children’s views of restraint are carefully considered. A child said that they did not raise their concern with how a restraint was carried out because the person they spoke to was involved in the incident. Children are supported to speak in private with their social worker and other professionals who are independent from the organisation, and so have opportunity to raise concerns.

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improvement to be good

Children benefit from regular planned discussions, and they complete work booklets that support them to build on their skills and understanding about areas relevant to their needs. Plans are staged and contain units of work that have been accredited. As a result, children receive recognised certificates that credit their achievements, and their awareness of risk increases.

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improvement to be good

Staff focus on rewarding positive behaviour, and records show that the use of consequences is rare. However, a child said that they lose time on their games console when they do not complete their education work. The child did not think that the consequences were fair. The manager clarified that such instances are not recorded as consequences since console time is earned rather than taken away. However, this is not consistent with practice, as children do not have to earn time at weekends and during holidays. Staff also referred to this measure as a consequence. The lack of recording impacts on the evaluation of the effectiveness of this for the child. There is a plan for staff to attend restorative practice training, and the manager plans to ensure that consequences are recorded whenever something is removed from a child.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: requires improvement to be good

The manager is dedicated to the home and has formed positive, caring relationships with children, which children reciprocate. A child asked for a hug from the manager when they saw her. Conversations between the manager and children were child-centred, and the manager demonstrates genuine care and affection towards children. Inspection report for children's home: 2734020 4 Although the manager has a lot of strengths, the manager’s oversight of the home is not always effective. Shortfalls relating to children’s experiences and the protection of children have not been identified before the inspection. The manager’s use of monitoring and review systems, particularly those relating to evaluations of incidents, has been poor. For example, the manager missed information that identified how staff practice had contributed to a child going missing. As a result, an opportunity to address this with the staff member was missed. The manager and responsible individual have a clear plan for

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: requires improvement to be good

how they will address the concerns raised at this inspection.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: requires improvement to be good

Staff benefit from an extensive range of training that is specific to children’s individual needs. There is good therapeutic support for staff through a clinical lead who regularly attends the home. The clinical lead completes structured assessments, which provide clear recommendations relating to children’s care needs. As a result, children directly benefit from their time at the home as their needs are understood.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: requires improvement to be good

Staff say that they feel well supported by the manager. A staff member said, ‘Managers are open and honest. They give us chance to speak our minds.’ Another staff member said the manager ‘has a natural nurturing nature’. They said they find the manager approachable and present for them.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: requires improvement to be good

The manager has been instrumental in developing the therapeutic model for the home. This was recognised at a national organisational awards ceremony where she was awarded ‘newcomer of the year’. The responsible individual commented on the strength of the manager and recognised her passion for achieving positive outcomes for children and the positive impact she has on the home.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: requires improvement to be good

The manager forms positive relationships with other professionals and ensures a multi- agency approach takes place in relation to safeguarding. The manager instigated investigations, which led to a complex strategy meeting that directly improved understanding of not just the child’s risks but the risks of other children they are connected to. This collaborative piece of work increased the safety of the children involved. Inspection report for children's home: 2734020 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 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;

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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; and

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Requirement Due date

take effective action whenever there is a serious concern about a child’s welfare; (Regulation 12 (1) (2)(a)(i)(v)(vi))

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Requirement Due date

In particular, the registered person must ensure that staff always take effective action to safeguard children that considers children’s individual risks. 8 August 2024

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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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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

strive to gain each child’s respect and trust; and 8 August 2024 Inspection report for children's home: 2734020 6 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. (Regulation 11 (1)(a)(b)(c) (2)(a)(viii)(ix))

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Requirement Due date

In particular, the registered person must ensure that staff practice does not impede the formation of positive relationships and that staff work in a child-centred way that is in keeping with the organisation’s therapeutic ethos.

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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—

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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)(h))

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Requirement Due date

In particular, the registered person must ensure that they effectively evaluate incidents taking into consideration whether there are any improvements that can be made to practice. 8 August 2024

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Requirement Due date

within 24 hours of the use of a measure of control, discipline or restraint in relation to a child in the home, a record is made which includes—

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Requirement Due date

details of the child’s behaviour leading to the use of the measure;

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Requirement Due date

the date, time and location of the use of the measure;

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Requirement Due date

a description of the measure and its duration;

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Requirement Due date

details of any methods used or steps taken to avoid the need to use the measure; 8 August 2024 Inspection report for children's home: 2734020 7 the name of the person who used the measure ("the user"), and of any other person present when the measure was used;

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Requirement Due date

the effectiveness and any consequences of the use of the measure; and

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Requirement Due date

a description of any injury to the child or any other person, and any medical treatment administered, as a result of the measure;

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Requirement Due date

within 48 hours of the use of the measure, the registered person, or a person who is authorised by the registered person to do so ("the authorised person")—

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Requirement Due date

has spoken to the user about the measure;

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Requirement Due date

has signed the record to confirm it is accurate; and

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Requirement Due date

within 5 days of the use of the measure, the registered person or the authorised person adds to the record confirmation that they have spoken to the child about the measure. (Regulation 35 (3)(a)(i)(ii)(iii)(iv)(v)(vi)(vii)(viii)(b)(i)(ii)(c)(iv))

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Requirement Due date

In particular, the registered person must ensure that they make a record of any consequence implemented in response to a child’s behaviour and that the record is compliant with the relevant regulation.

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Requirement Due date

The registered person must also ensure that children are always spoken to by staff who are independent from the incident after physical intervention has been used and that information relating to this discussion is clearly recorded.

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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: 2734020 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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Inspector

Laura Norcop, Social Care Inspector Inspection report for children's home: 2734020 9 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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