Children's home run by Esland North Limited

Inspection report for children’s home: 2647445 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 privately operated. It provides care for up to one child who may experience 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, and they were spoken with.

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Information about this children’s home

The manager registered with Ofsted in January 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 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

Date of last inspection: 15 October 2024

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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: 2647445 2

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Inspection date Inspection type Inspection judgement

15/10/2024 Full Good 17/04/2024 Full Inadequate 06/12/2023 Full Good 16/11/2022 Full Good Inspection report for children’s home: 2647445 3

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

The child has made progress since moving to the home. This has been achieved by staff remaining patient with the child and being a consistent presence for them. The home is a safe place for the child and has provided them with a sense of stability and belonging.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

The child has positive relationships with some staff. Staff have created a nurturing environment, where the child can feel cared for and supported. The child says that they have at least two staff who they feel close to and can talk to if needed.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Staff support the child to understand the importance of education. Before moving to the home, there was a significant period where the child declined to attend school. Staff have worked in partnership with education professionals to engage the child in their learning, organised in-house tutoring and identified suitable education placements. When these have not worked out, staff have tried to bridge the gap between placements while continuing to search for the right provision to best meet the child’s needs

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Meeting the child’s health needs has been a priority for the staff. The child is registered with the appropriate main healthcare services. Staff are vigilant in helping the child stay healthy and support them to attend any necessary appointments. Staff have been determined in building the child’s confidence to accept medical treatment, as they have anxieties about attending some appointments. Staff went at the child’s pace and have worked with health professionals to adapt appointments to meet the child’s needs, resulting in improved health outcomes for the child.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Staff collaborate with the in-house clinician to promote the inclusion of consistent, therapeutic care in the child’s plans. The clinician supports the team to better understand the child’s history, while providing it with a therapeutic approach to best meet the child’s needs. When there have been issues with staff morale, the clinician has supported the staff to realign their views and expectations on the progress made by the child.

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

The child is helped to understand the dangers and risks associated with knife crime, substance misuse and online safety. This broadens the child’s knowledge and skills about how to keep themselves safer. It also gives the child an understanding of the impact their own actions can have on other people. This work is done at the child’s pace, using external resources and innovative approaches to encourage the child to engage. Inspection report for children’s home: 2647445 4 Missing-from-home incidents are well managed. There is a clear response protocol in place, and staff act quickly and look for the child in the local area. A coordinated response with local authorities and the police helps the child return home safely, minimising the risks associated with being missing from home. Staff use creative ways to encourage the child to not go missing.

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

The child knows what to do if they want to make a complaint. Complaints and allegations are rare, but when they have occurred, the manager takes them seriously and conducts thorough investigations. The manager seeks appropriate advice and guidance from safeguarding professionals and keeps the child involved and up to date throughout the process. This gives the child assurances that their voice is valued and heard.

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

Reward is a key feature in this home, and staff encourage the child to display positive behaviour and achieve their goals. Effective use of incentives helps the child to understand that they can have better experiences by collaborating with staff. Also, the incentives used by staff are creating lifelong experiences and memories for the child.

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

Safer recruitment procedures are followed. This ensures that staff who care for the child are thoroughly vetted and appropriate to care for children.

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good

The manager’s expectations and aspirations for the child are too high, resulting in staff feeling deflated when they are not achieved. This can negatively impact on the morale of the staff and the atmosphere in the home.

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good

The manager has not addressed issues relating to the child’s daily routines. The child does not have a positive routine that promotes healthy sleeping. Staff do not have clear guidance on how to manage routines and expectations in the home.

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good

The manager has a risk-averse approach that is not age appropriate for the child. The manager is reluctant to work with positive risk, restricting the child’s time in the community and mobile phone use when issues arise, with no clear resolution.

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good

Staff know the child’s individual needs. They understand how to keep the child safe. The staff have a lovely nurturing approach in the way they engage with the child. However, this is not always translated into the child’s records, with language used that is not helpful to the child. The manager does not address this directly to support staff’s professional development.

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good

Leaders and managers have acknowledged the shortfalls in the management of the home and have clear plans to address these issues with support for the manager. However, this has not yet been implemented. Inspection report for children’s home: 2647445 5 There is a clear training schedule for each member of staff. Leaders and managers have identified and sourced training in line with the risks and vulnerabilities that affect the child in the home. This approach supports the staff in responding to the specific needs of the child.

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good

There are positive working relationships between the home and professionals connected to the child. The child’s social worker is happy with the care the child receives. There is good collaboration between leaders and managers, the virtual school and the child’s local authority. The manager has repeatedly challenged the virtual school regarding the child’s need for a suitable school placement. Inspection report for children’s home: 2647445 6

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Statutory requirements

This section sets out the actions that the registered person 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 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 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. (Regulation 13 (1)(a)(b) (2)(a)(b)(e)(f))

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Requirement Due date

In particular, the registered person must ensure that there are consistent daily and safeguarding routines in place for staff to follow to support children to reach their individual potential. 12 December

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Recommendation

 The registered person should ensure that staff understand the importance of careful, objective and clear recording. Staff should record information on individual children in a non-stigmatising way that distinguishes between fact, opinion and third-party information. Information about the child must always be recorded in a Inspection report for children’s home: 2647445 7 way that will be helpful to the child. (‘Guide to the Children’s Homes Regulations, including the quality standards’, page 62, paragraph 14.4)

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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: 2647445 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: Suite 1 & 5, Riverside Business Centre, Foundry Lane, Milford, Belper DE56 0RN

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Inspector

Deirdre Silkstone, Social Care Inspector Inspection report for children’s home: 2647445 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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