Children's Home run by Esland North Limited in Leicestershire

Inspection report for children’s home - monitoring visit: 2637140 1 Esland North Limited

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Inspected under the social care common inspection framework

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Information about this children’s home

This home is owned and operated by a large provider. It is registered to provide care for one child who may have social and emotional needs.

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Information about this children’s home

The home does not currently have a registered manager, a temporary manager is supporting. They were present for this visit and supported by the responsible individual.

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Information about this children’s home

There is one child currently living in the home, and their views were considered.

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This monitoring visit

This monitoring visit was undertaken to assess the actions taken by the organisation to meet the compliance notices, issued after the last inspection. These compliance notices were in relation to regulation 12, the protection of children standard, and regulation 13, the leadership and management standard. At this visit, it was found that not all the steps contained in the compliance notices had been met. Subsequently, the compliance notices have been re-issued. Further concerns in the safeguarding of children and in the leadership and management of the home were identified at this monitoring visit.

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This monitoring visit

There have been some changes to the child’s daily routines, and this is having a positive impact on their health and well-being. The child is spending less time on electronic games with this now being restricted. The child is starting to engage more in activities and physical exercise away from the home. A healthier diet is being promoted and staff are supporting the child to try a wider variety of foods. The child’s bedtime routines have improved because staff are providing a calmer environment leading up to bedtime, with less reliance on screen time to help the child to settle. Inspection report for children’s home - monitoring visit: 2637140 2 The child has been supported to improve their social skills, and they have developed a friendship with another child who lives locally. This has led to shared activities and visiting each other’s homes, which has had a positive impact on the child. This means the child is less socially isolated as they currently do not attend school. The

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This monitoring visit

child’s education, health and care plan are in the process of being finalised and a new education provision will be sought once this has been completed.

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This monitoring visit

Despite training and guidance, staff have failed to act in line with safeguarding polices. On one occasion, staff failed to report an allegation made by a child to leaders and managers. This was not reported to the child’s social worker, despite them visiting the home on the same day. Staff also failed to report injuries to the child that resulted in a physical intervention. The staff member involved in this incident remained on shift for a further day following this incident, which had the potential to place the child at risk of harm. The independent visitor who was present during this incident failed to raise this as a concern to leaders. This does not provide assurances that this visitor is providing an accurate view of how children are safeguarded in the home.

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This monitoring visit

On another occasion, staff failed to seek medical advice following the child ligaturing and causing a mark to their neck. Leaders and managers did not report these concerns in a timely way to relevant professionals, which led to a delay in sharing safeguarding information. The regulator was not informed within prescribed timescales as there is no system in place for reporting concerns at weekends. This prevented independent oversight until several days after the event.

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This monitoring visit

A temporary manager is in place, and they have been role modelling positive parenting to the team and this is starting to have an impact on staff practices. Several staff have either left or are subject to HR processes since the last inspection, and staff from other homes are covering the shortfalls in the rota. This is providing the child with some consistency and stability but is described as not sustainable longer term.

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This monitoring visit

Leaders and managers have provided more oversight to the home and have started to implement some systems to support this. However, leaders and managers are not consistently providing critical oversight or reflection, especially around incidents, to help improve staff practices. There is an established closed culture within the team and there has been resistance from staff in changing and improving this. Leaders and managers are using internal systems to manage and address the concerns. Inspection report for children’s home - monitoring visit: 2637140 3

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Inspection date Inspection type Inspection judgement

29/01/2025 Full Inadequate 02/10/2023 Full Good 24/05/2022 Full Good 25/01/2022 Full Requires improvement to be good Inspection report for children’s home - monitoring visit: 2637140 4

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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 with 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

have the skills to identify and act upon signs that a child is at risk of harm;

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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;

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Requirement Due date

are familiar with, and act in accordance with, the home’s child protection policies;

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Requirement Due date

that the home’s day-to-day care is arranged and delivered so as to keep each child safe and to protect each child effectively from harm;

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Requirement Due date

that the effectiveness of the home’s child protection policies is monitored regularly. (Regulation 12 (1)(a) (2)(a)(i)(iii)(v)(vii)(b)(e))

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Requirement Due date

In particular, this relates to the recording, reporting and management oversight of allegations, staff knowledge and understanding of safeguarding policies, staff understanding of whistle-blower policies and keeping the child safe online. 18 April 2025 Inspection report for children’s home - monitoring visit: 2637140 5 *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

lead and manage the home in a way that is consistent with the approach and ethos, and delivers the outcomes, set out in the home’s statement of purpose;

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Requirement Due date

ensure that staff work as a team where appropriate;

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Requirement Due date

ensure that staff have the experience, qualifications and skills to meet the needs of each child;

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Requirement Due date

ensure that the home’s workforce provides continuity of care to each child;

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Requirement Due date

understand the impact that the quality of care provided in the home is having on the progress and experiences of each child and use this understanding to inform the development of the quality of care provided in the home;

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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)(a)(b)(c)(e)(f)(h))

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Requirement Due date

In particular, this relates to leaders and managers providing effective oversight and scrutiny of the home to ensure that children are receiving safe and consistent care. 18 April 2025

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Requirement Due date

The registered provider must appoint a person to manage the children’s home if—

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Requirement Due date

there is no registered manager in respect of the home; and

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Requirement Due date

is not, or does not intend to be, in day-to-day charge of the home. (Regulation 27 (1)(a)(b)(iii)) 18 April 2025 Inspection report for children’s home - monitoring visit: 2637140 6 The registered person must prepare and implement a policy which—

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Requirement Due date

is intended to safeguard children accommodated in the children’s home from abuse or neglect; and

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Requirement Due date

sets out the procedure to be followed in the event of an allegation of abuse or neglect.

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Requirement Due date

The procedure to be followed in the event of an allegation of abuse or neglect must, in particular—

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Requirement Due date

provide for the prompt referral of an allegation about current or ongoing abuse or neglect in relation to a child to the placing authority and, if different, the local authority in whose area the home is located;

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Requirement Due date

provide for the prompt referral of an allegation about past abuse or neglect in relation to a child to the placing authority and, if different, the local authority in whose area the alleged abuse or neglect occurred;

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Requirement Due date

provide for records to be kept of an allegation of abuse or neglect, and the action taken in response;

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Requirement Due date

describe how and to whom staff are to report, without delay, any concern about abuse or neglect of a child. (Regulation 34 (1)(a)(b)(2)(b)(c)(d)(f))

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Requirement Due date

In particular, this relates to staff knowing and understanding and implementing this policy. 18 April 2025

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Requirement Due date

*These requirements are subject of a compliance notice.

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Recommendations

 The provider should have a system in place so that all serious events are notified, within 24 hours, to the appropriate people. This should cover the action that should be followed if the event arises at a weekend or a public holiday. (‘Guide to the Children’s Homes Regulations, including the quality standards’, page 63, paragraph 14.13)  The provider should appoint an independent person to carry out visits to the home that provide a rigorous and impartial assessment of the home’s arrangements for safeguarding and promoting the child’s welfare. This visit should also allow for the sharing and reporting of safeguarding concerns that may arise during a visit. (‘Guide to the Children’s Homes Regulations, including the quality standards’, page 65, paragraph 15.5) Inspection report for children’s home - monitoring visit: 2637140 7

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Information about this inspection

The purpose of this visit was to monitor the action taken and the progress made by the children’s home since its last Ofsted inspection.

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Information about this inspection

This inspection was carried out under the Care Standards Act 2000. Inspection report for children’s home - monitoring visit: 2637140 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

Sarah Orriss, Social Care Inspector Inspection report for children’s home - monitoring visit: 2637140 9 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.

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Inspector

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Inspector

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Inspector

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