Children's home run by Esland North Limited

Inspection report for children’s home: 2699847 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 operated by a private provider. It provides care for up to two children who may have social and emotional difficulties.

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Information about this children’s home

At the time of the inspection, one child was living in the home.

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Information about this children’s home

The manager registered with Ofsted in March 2024.

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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 requires improvement to be good

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good

The effectiveness of leaders and managers requires improvement to be good

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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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good

Overall judgement at last inspection: good

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good

Enforcement action since last inspection: none Inspection report for children’s home: 2699847 2

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Inspection date Inspection type Inspection judgement

29/05/2024 Full Good 23/05/2023 Full Inadequate Inspection report for children’s home: 2699847 3

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improvement to be good

Children’s experiences of living in the home are varied. One child has lived in the home since the last inspection and continues to make good progress. Another child has moved into and out of the home due to shortfalls in decision-making by leaders and managers. Leaders and managers did not fully consider the child’s needs alongside the skills and experiences of the staff team. This led to the child’s placement breaking down.

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improvement to be good

Staff are not always consistent in their approaches to children’s routines and behaviours. Consequently, children have received inconsistent care from the team.

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improvement to be good

Children’s progress in education is varied. One child is attending school full time and meeting their targets. Staff support the child in their education, and they are making progress and developing aspirations for the future. The child who recently moved out did not attend school for the duration of their time at the home despite this forming part of their care plan before they moved in. Expectations around their attendance were unclear and their learning was not consistently promoted by the team. This does not ensure that children are consistently supported to achieve their educational potential.

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improvement to be good

Children have opportunities to attend a range of activities and are supported to explore new interests and hobbies. Children’s views are listened to and prioritised. This helps children to feel heard. Staff celebrate children’s achievements. This supports children to develop their confidence and self-esteem.

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improvement to be good

Children are encouraged to form appropriate friendships with their peers. Staff involve friends and important people in plans and activities. This helps children to maintain important relationships and have fun experiences safely.

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improvement to be good

Professionals say that they are happy with the care provided by the team. The manager and staff communicate well and ensure that relevant people are kept up to date.

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improvement to be good

Managers and staff were not fully aware of all risks for one child before they left the home. The child’s risks were not included in their risk management plans. Although this did not impact on the safety of the child, the lack of information meant that staff and managers were unable to safeguard children in the home and wider community effectively. Inspection report for children’s home: 2699847 4 When children make allegations, they are appropriately investigated and shared with relevant safeguarding agencies.

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improvement to be good

Records about incidents are detailed. However, when physical interventions have been needed, records do not contain the times that holds have taken place as required by regulation. This limits management oversight of practice in the home.

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improvement to be good

Staff spend time talking to the child about online safety and appropriate relationships. Incidents for the child have reduced, and they are very aware of risks that they may be exposed to in the home, community and online.

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good

The home is managed by an experienced manager. She is supported by a deputy manager. Staff say that they feel supported by managers, and they value the ‘open door’ ethos. Staff share that the home environment is positive. They enjoy coming to work, and managers encourage professional development.

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good

There are shortfalls around identifying and addressing a lack of structure and routine for one child. Leaders and managers do challenge professionals, but this is not always timely or effective and escalation processes are not followed. Consequently, opportunities to advocate effectively for children have been missed.

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good

Team meetings are held regularly, and these are used as an opportunity to share learning and celebrate achievements. Meetings are used to provide staff with opportunities to reflect on their practice and the progress of children.

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good

Leaders and managers have undertaken a lessons learned review to identify any learning for the team following the child’s placement ending in an unplanned way. They are continuing to implement systems to improve oversight of practice in the home. However, these are not yet fully embedded.

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good

The registered manager has not ensured that all documents relevant to children are available. Correspondence from professionals is not always recorded and retained. This means that staff are not always fully informed about children’s needs. Inspection report for children’s home: 2699847 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

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

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Requirement Due date

manage relationships between children to prevent them from harming each other;

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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

take effective action whenever there is a serious concern about a child’s welfare; and

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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. (Regulation 12 (1) (2)(a)(i)(iii)(iv)(v)(vi)(b))

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Requirement Due date

Specifically, the registered person must ensure that children’s plans are individualised to each child and contain clear steps for staff to follow should an incident arise.

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Requirement Due date

This requirement was made at the last inspection and is restated. 22 August 2025 Inspection report for children’s home: 2699847 6 The care planning standard is that children—

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Requirement Due date

receive effectively planned care in or through the children’s home; and

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Requirement Due date

have a positive experience of arriving at or moving on from the home.

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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 children are admitted to the home only if their needs are within the range of needs of children for whom it is intended that the home is to provide care and accommodation, as set out in the home’s statement of purpose;

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Requirement Due date

ensure the effective induction of each child into the home;

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Requirement Due date

manage and review the placement of each child in the home; and

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Requirement Due date

plan for, and help, each child to prepare to leave the home or to move into adult care in a way that is consistent with arrangements agreed with the child’s placing authority;

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Requirement Due date

that each child’s relevant plans are followed;

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Requirement Due date

that the child’s placing authority is contacted, and a review of that child’s relevant plans is requested, if—

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Requirement Due date

the registered person considers that the child is at risk of harm or has concerns that the care provided for the child is inadequate to meet the child’s needs. (Regulation 14 (1)(a)(b) (2)(a)(b)(i)(ii)(iii)(c)(e)(i))

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Requirement Due date

Specifically, the registered person must ensure that staff have the skills and experience to meet the needs of children living in the home and that agreed actions in the child’s care plan are completed. 22 August 2025

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Requirement Due date

The education standard is that children make measurable progress towards achieving their educational potential and are helped to do so. 22 August 2025 Inspection report for children’s home: 2699847 7 In particular, the standard in paragraph (1) requires the registered person to ensure—

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Requirement Due date

help each child to achieve the child’s education and training targets, as recorded in the child’s relevant plans;

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Requirement Due date

support each child’s learning and development, including helping the child to develop independent study skills and, where appropriate, helping the child to complete independent study;

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Requirement Due date

understand the barriers to learning that each child may face and take appropriate action to help the child to overcome any such barriers;

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Requirement Due date

help each child to understand the importance and value of education, learning, training and employment;

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Requirement Due date

promote opportunities for each child to learn informally;

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Requirement Due date

maintain regular contact with each child’s education and training provider, including engaging with the provider and the placing authority to support the child’s education and training and to maximise the child’s achievement;

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Requirement Due date

raise any need for further assessment or specialist provision in relation to a child with the child’s education or training provider and the child’s placing authority;

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Requirement Due date

help a child who is excluded from school, or who is of compulsory school age but not attending school, to access educational and training support throughout the period of exclusion or non-attendance and to return to school as soon as possible;

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Requirement Due date

help each child to attend education or training in accordance with the expectations in the child’s relevant plans; and

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Requirement Due date

that each child has access to appropriate equipment, facilities and resources to support the child’s learning. (Regulation 8 (1) (2)(a)(i)(ii)(iii)(iv)(v)(vi)(vii)(viii)(x)(b))

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Requirement Due date

Specifically, the registered person must ensure that when children struggle to access formal education, staff provide consistent opportunities for learning in the home. Inspection report for children’s home: 2699847 8 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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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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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. (Regulation 13 (1)(a)(b) (2)(a)(b)(c)(e)(f))

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Requirement Due date

Specifically, the registered person must ensure that staff respond to children with a consistent approach. Routines and behaviour management strategies must be understood and implemented by all staff. 22 August 2025

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Requirement Due date

The registered person must maintain records (“case records”) for each child which—

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Requirement Due date

include the information and documents listed in Schedule 3 in relation to each child;

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Requirement Due date

are kept up to date. (Regulation 36 (1)(a)(b))

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Requirement Due date

Specifically, the registered person must ensure that each child’s records are completed and maintained. 22 August 2025 Inspection report for children’s home: 2699847 9 This requirement was made at the last inspection and is restated.

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Requirement Due date

The registered person must prepare and implement a policy (“the behaviour management policy”) which sets out—

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Requirement Due date

how appropriate behaviour is to be promoted in the children’s home; and

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Requirement Due date

the measures of control, discipline and restraint which may be used in relation to children in the home.

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Requirement Due date

The registered person must keep the behaviour management policy under review and, where appropriate, revise it.

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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

the date, time and location of the use of the measure. (Regulation 35 (1)(a)(b) (2) (3)(a)(iii)) 22 August 2025

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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: 2699847 10

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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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Children’s home details

Registered manager: Aulora-Jayne Mortimer

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Inspectors

Danielle Allen, Social Care Regulatory Inspector Kelly McCurdy, Social Care Regulatory Inspector Inspection report for children’s home: 2699847 11 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 children looked after, safeguarding and child protection.

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Inspectors

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Inspectors

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Inspectors

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