Children's home run by Esland North Limited

Inspection report for children’s home: 2649739 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

The home is operated by a private provider. It provides care for one child who may experience social and emotional difficulties.

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Information about this children’s home

The manager registered with Ofsted in July 2025.

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Information about this children’s home

The child spoke to the inspector about their experiences of living in the home.

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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 requires improvement to be good

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good

The children’s home provides effective services that meet the requirements for good.

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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: 2649739 2

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Inspection date Inspection type Inspection judgement

02/07/2024 Full Good 29/08/2023 Full Requires improvement to be good 22/03/2023 Full Inadequate Inspection report for children’s home: 2649739 3

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

The same child has lived at the home since the last inspection. They are being supported to transition out of the home in line with their wishes and feelings.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Due to staffing shortages, the home has relied on staff from other homes, which has led to a lack of consistency for the child. However, leaders and managers are taking action to address this to ensure that there is greater stability and consistent messages and boundaries across the team.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

The manager and staff work in partnership with other professionals, as well as encouraging and enabling the child to be fully involved in their own care planning. This means that the child receives support while also understanding and contributing to their current and future plans.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Staff support the child to manage their health and to attend health appointments. Following a medication error, which did not impact on the child, the manager took action to ensure that there was further training for all staff.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Staff support the child’s education. The child has aspirations, and college provisions are now being explored.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Staff support the child to have relationships with people who are important to them in line with their plans. The child’s family and friends are welcomed in the home. These relationships help the child to develop a strong sense of identity and to benefit from support outside of the home.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

The home is welcoming and physically safe.

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

The child said they feel safe living in the home, and they can identify staff who they trust.

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

The child’s risks and vulnerabilities are understood by staff. Incidents are well managed with clear oversight from the manager. The child’s risk plans provide information for staff on how to help the child stay safe. When the child has gone missing from the home, they have received a well-coordinated response. The child was spoken to on return, and their views have influenced change.

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

Staff hold meaningful conversations with the child, offering guidance and support. This supports the child to develop strategies and understand risks. Inspection report for children’s home: 2649739 4 When a child made a complaint, this was addressed and the child was updated on the outcome, which they were happy with.

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

Staff are trained in a therapeutic model that is used in their day-to-day practice for the benefit of the child. Positive behaviour is routinely encouraged and rewarded. The home’s therapist also provides support and guidance to staff, which enables them to reflect on, and understand, the children’s current and emerging needs.

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

Safer recruitment processes are in place to ensure that only adults who are safe to work with children are employed in the home.

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good

There have been several changes of the leadership and management of the home since the last inspection. The manager is new to the role and is motivated and committed.

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good

Staff are positive about the support they receive from the manager. They enjoy working at the home and spending time with the child.

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good

Staff, including the manager, receive reflective supervision. However, some new staff have not received supervision in line with the home’s workforce development plan. This does not help staff to carry out their roles effectively or provide formal opportunities for reflection.

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good

The team is supported to develop its knowledge through training, inductions and scenario-based discussions. Staff receive training that is tailored to the individual needs of the child. However, the home’s workforce development plan does not identify how often staff should undertake training and when this needs to be reviewed.

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good

Team meetings focus on the child and provide opportunities to reflect on practice. These learning opportunities further develop staff’s skills and enable the team to better understand children’s different care needs and risks and how to support children.

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good

When external complaints have been made, leaders have not taken appropriate action, and investigations lack learning and reflection. This limits opportunities to monitor and evaluate the care provided to children.

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good

The manager has completed the quality of care reports to review children’s experiences. However, the opinions of children, staff and parents are not considered in the report. This reduces opportunities to ensure that the feedback is being used to develop practice in the home. Inspection report for children’s home: 2649739 5 Leaders and managers have effective external monitoring systems in place. However, internal monitoring systems are not robust and therefore not effective in evaluating practice in the home. This does not ensure that there is continuous improvement. Inspection report for children’s home: 2649739 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 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 has sufficient staff to provide care for 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

demonstrate that practice in the home is informed and improved by taking into account and acting on—

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Requirement Due date

feedback on the experiences of children, including complaints received; and 19 September Inspection report for children’s home: 2649739 7 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)(d)(e)(f)(g)(ii)(h))

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Requirement Due date

Specifically, leaders and managers must ensure they have oversight of all work carried out in the home. This includes reviewing internal investigations to identify any learning and support to develop practice in the home.

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Requirement Due date

The registered person must ensure that all employees—

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Requirement Due date

receive practice-related supervision by a person with appropriate experience. (Regulation 33 (4)(b))

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Requirement Due date

Specifically, the registered person must ensure that staff receive supervision in line with the home’s workforce development plan. 19 September

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Recommendations

 The registered person should ensure that the home’s workforce plan and training matrix document the agreed timescales for staff training. (‘Guide to the Children’s Homes Regulations, including the quality standards’, page 53, paragraph 10.8)  The registered person should ensure that they make best use of the information from internal monitoring systems to ensure continuous improvement. (‘Guide to the Children’s Homes Regulations, including the quality standards’, page 55, paragraph 10.24)

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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: 2649739 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 Limited, Suite 1 & 5, Riverside Business Centre, Foundry Lane, Milford, Belper DE56 0RN

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Inspector

Michelle Snape, Social Care Inspector Inspection report for children’s home: 2649739 9 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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