Children's home run by Esland North Limited

Inspection report for children’s home: 2785393 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 home is owned by a private company. It provides care for up to two children with social and emotional difficulties.

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Information about this children’s home

The manager was in post when the home registered in August 2024. This was the first inspection since the home was registered.

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Information about this children’s home

There were no children living at the home at the time of the inspection.

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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: 2785393 2

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

One child has moved into the home since it was registered and has recently moved out. The child was spoken to during the inspection and said that staff were ‘lovely’ and that the home was a good place to live. The child made progress at the home and was kept safe. However, the child moved on from the home sooner than planned as all of their needs could not be met. The move was in line with the child’s wishes and feelings.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

The atmosphere in the home is warm and welcoming. The home is comfortable, spacious and decorated to a high standard. Staff put photos of the child on display, and the child was supported to personalise their bedroom. This enhanced the child’s sense of belonging and supported them to feel valued in the home.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

The child’s moves into and out of the home were well planned and included visits to the home the child was moving in to. The manager ensured that the child had opportunity to ask questions before they moved. As a result of the time and care taken by staff and the manager, the child’s moves into and out of the home were positive experiences.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Staff supported the child to develop independence skills. They had regular discussions with the child about independence and introduced responsibilities gradually, which helped the child to develop their abilities and confidence. Some of the skills the child demonstrated included managing a budget, cooking their own meals, arranging their own medical appointments and taking responsibility for their own medication. The child successfully moved on to a semi-independent home.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Managers and staff prioritise and promote education. Staff encouraged the child to consider their options for education or employment, and educational activities were planned into the child’s daily routine. The manager ensured that professionals met regularly to discuss the child’s needs relating to education, and followed up swiftly when there was a delay in the transfer of the child’s education plan.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Staff consulted regularly with the child to obtain their views and acted in response to the child’s requests. The child benefited from the support of an advocate who helped them to express their wishes. The child said that they felt listened to at the home.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Staff supported the child to spend time with people who were important to them. As a result, the child maintained a support network.

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

Safeguarding arrangements are effective. Staff held regular one-to-one discussions with the child that helped to develop the child’s understanding of risk. Plans and risk assessments provided staff with clear guidance on the steps they needed to take to keep Inspection report for children’s home: 2785393 3 the child safe. There were no incidents of the child going missing from the home. This was a significant reduction in risk for this child.

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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 benefit from the support of a specialist therapeutic team. The therapeutic team lead regular, reflective discussions that are focused on a child’s needs. As a result, staff understood how to support the child and incidents were rare and well responded to. Physical intervention was not used.

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

Systems for managing medication are effective and there have been no errors in administration. Staff benefit from training and receive competency assessments that help to ensure that they are suitably skilled. The manager has good oversight of records relating to administration and completes regular audits. Audits ensure that recording errors are picked up quickly. The manager takes effective action to address any shortfalls.

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

Systems for managing health and safety are robust. Staff complete regular checks that help to ensure that the home environment is safe and free from hazards.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

The registered manager is dedicated to the home and aspirational for the types of experiences that he wants children to have. He prioritises the welfare of the child and works hard to maintain a stable, nurturing and well-run home. The manager was fully involved in the child’s life and advocated strongly for them.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

Staff team meetings and supervisions are regular and well organised. They include the opportunity for staff to reflect on practice. Supervision meetings are used to set clear actions that promote development. Staff say that they feel well supported. Staff describe the home as ‘fantastic’ and say they find the manager approachable and available to them.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

The manager carries out comprehensive evaluations after incidents. Evaluations identify learning and triggers that may have led to the incident. As a result, practice is continually developing.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

The manager has good systems for auditing and monitoring in the home. As a result of effective oversight, the manager has a good understanding of the strengths and areas for development for the home.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

The manager has systems in place for sharing information with other professionals. However, weekly reports were not always sent to the child’s social worker on time. As a result, there was a delay in the social worker learning about appointments the child had attended. There was no direct impact on the child as a result of the delay, and the manager has a plan for how he will improve the system for sharing this information.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

Staff benefit from a comprehensive range of training, and training is individualised to meet the needs of the children living in the home. As a result, the child benefited from Inspection report for children’s home: 2785393 4 the support of staff who are suitably skilled and understand their roles and responsibilities well.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

There is good senior leadership support and oversight, which includes regular audits. Audits result in clear action plans and support the development of the home.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

There were no requirements raised as a result of this inspection. One recommendation was made. Inspection report for children’s home: 2785393 5

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Recommendations

 The registered person should ensure that they work in close partnership with all those who play a role in protecting and caring for the child, but particularly the child’s local authority and statutory social worker. This includes sharing reports in a timely way. (‘Guide to the Children’s Homes Regulations, including the quality standards’, page 11, paragraph 2.3)

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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: 2785393 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

Laura Norcop, Social Care Inspector Inspection report for children’s home: 2785393 7 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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