Children's Home run by Esland North Limited in Staffordshire

Inspection report for children's home: 2742639 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

A private company owns this home. The home opened in December 2023. The home provides care for up to two children who may display complex behaviours because of their experiences. 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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Information about this children’s home

The registered manager left in January 2024, and an interim manager was appointed. The manager registered with Ofsted in May 2024. This is the home’s first full inspection.

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Information about this children’s home

There were no children living at the home when the inspection took place. A child who recently left the home was spoken to.

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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: none Inspection report for children's home: 2742639 2

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Inspection date Inspection type Inspection judgement

07/03/2024 Assurance inspection No serious or widespread concerns Inspection report for children's home: 2742639 3

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Two children have lived at the home since it opened. They did not live together. One child settled quickly and made substantial progress at the home. Staff built positive and trusting relationships with the child, and the child said that they were happy at the home and would have liked to stay longer. The child’s move out of the home was well planned and individualised to their needs. The second child did not complete their full assessment time because staff were unable to meet their needs. As a result, their move on from the home was more urgent. Despite the unplanned ending, the child made some progress at the home, and an assessment report was shared with professionals that included clear recommendations relating to the child’s care needs.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Children live in a home that is warm and welcoming. High-quality soft furnishings contribute to a nurturing home environment. Examples of children’s artwork are on display. Children are regularly consulted about their views of the home, and staff act in response to children’s requests. As a result, children feel a sense of belonging and feel valued in the home.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Children benefit from a range of activities that significantly enhance their experiences at the home. Activities are tailored to children’s interests and support them to build confidence and self-esteem. A child enjoyed a holiday to Scotland, where they walked to the top of the highest mountain, Ben Nevis. Staff prepared a welcome-home gift basket for the child to recognise and celebrate their achievement. All children have enjoyed a range of activities, including mountain biking and climbing.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Staff provide children with good support to meet their cultural needs. They supported a child to explore their own identity through regular, well-planned discussions. Staff support children well to develop their understanding of the world around them. Children enjoy regular themed nights with decorations, food and activities that are linked to diverse cultures.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Children’s health needs are generally responded to well, and children attend all routine medical appointments. However, when a child moved into the home, they did not have a record relating to a health assessment. This does not provide assurance that their health needs were fully considered. This was an oversight, and the manager has a plan to ensure that records are received in a timely way in the future.

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

When children move into the home, the manager ensures that their needs and areas of risk are well considered. Children’s plans and risk assessments provide staff with clear guidance on the steps they need to take to keep children safe. Inspection report for children's home: 2742639 4 Children and staff benefit from the support of a consistent clinical team that regularly attends the home. The clinical team delivers training for staff that is individualised to children’s needs. As a result, children are supported by staff who have a good understanding of their needs and how to deliver good-quality care.

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

Allegations and complaints have been responded to well, and records relating to these are clear and detailed. Children receive written responses to complaints, and the manager informs and consults with relevant professionals during investigations. When staff practice issues are identified, the manager ensures that concerns are addressed through supervision sessions, clear development plans and further training. Responses to allegations and complaints are effective and help to ensure that children feel listened to and are kept safe from harm.

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

Children benefit from regular and well-planned discussions with their key workers. Direct work on how to recognise and respond to risk helps to develop children’s understanding of how to stay safe. Risks for one child decreased as a result of moving to the home, and there were no significant incidents during their time there.

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

Staff receive training on how to de-escalate incidents, and physical intervention is only used as a last resort to keep children safe. When physical intervention occurs, children are given an opportunity to reflect on their experience. On one occasion, a child was spoken to by the person who carried out the physical intervention. Although this discussion was restorative, it does not provide assurance that the child’s experience has been considered. This was not consistent practice, and the manager plans to ensure that children always receive an opportunity to speak to someone independent after an incident.

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

Staff focus on the use of rewards and incentives to encourage and recognise positive behaviour, and the use of consequences is rare. However, when consequences have been used, records do not always include clear timescales to reflect how long the measure was in place. The manager plans to revisit the recording of consequences and keep them updated with the duration of the measure.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

The manager understands the home well and is aspirational for children and staff. The manager uses effective systems to evaluate the quality of care in the home and is continually reviewing and developing practice. An experienced responsible individual supports the manager, whom children and staff know well. A senior leadership team completes additional audits, and these audits result in clear action plans. As a result, children receive good-quality care and live in a home that is continually improving.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

The manager is inquisitive in her response to incidents and completes thorough evaluations. The manager ensures that learning from incidents is used to inform practice. As a result, children benefit from support that meets their needs and considers what works best for them. Inspection report for children's home: 2742639 5 Staff benefit from regular and well-planned supervision, and plans for staff development are well considered and clear. Staff say that they feel well supported. As a result, staff turnover is low, and children benefit from the support of a consistent staff team that knows them well.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

The manager fosters positive relationships with external organisations and ensures that professionals work together when responding to risks to children. As a result, children’s safety plans are appropriate and suitably consider their risks and needs.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

Managers deliver specific workshops in team meetings that are supported by research. For example, one meeting focused on a leading theory in relation to children’s sense of self and how this could be incorporated into practice. A separate workshop took place about contextual safeguarding that helped staff to understand how trauma impacts on children’s behaviours. Regular development opportunities ensure that staff have the necessary skills and understanding to provide care that meets children’s needs. Good understanding of how trauma impacts on behaviours supports staff to deliver nurturing care. Inspection report for children's home: 2742639 6

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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 health and well-being standard is that—

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Requirement Due date

the health and well-being needs of children are met;

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Requirement Due date

children receive advice, services and support in relation to their health and well-being; and

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Requirement Due date

children are helped to lead healthy lifestyles.

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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

that each child has access to such dental, medical, nursing, psychiatric and psychological advice, treatment and other services as the child may require. (Regulation 10 (1)(a)(b)(c) (2)(c))

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Requirement Due date

In particular, the registered person must ensure that they obtain information on a child’s health needs, including relevant health assessment records. 14 August 2024

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Recommendations

 The registered person should ensure that staff are familiar with the home’s policies on record-keeping and understand the importance of careful, objective and clear recording, including in relation to consequences. (‘Guide to the Children’s Homes Regulations, including the quality standards’, page 62, paragraph 14.4)  The registered person should ensure that any child who has been restrained is given the opportunity to express their feelings about their experience of the restraint as soon as is practicable, ideally within 24 hours of the restraint incident, taking the age of the child and the circumstances of the restraint into account. This person should be independent from the incident. (‘Guide to the Children’s Homes Regulations, including the quality standards’, page 50, paragraph 9.60) Inspection report for children's home: 2742639 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: 2742639 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: Esland Ltd, 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: 2742639 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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