Children's home run by Esland North Limited

Inspection report for children’s home: 1264840 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 privately owned home is registered to provide care for up to three children who may experience emotional and social difficulties.

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Information about this children’s home

At the time of the inspection, three children were living in the home. All three children were spoken to as part of the inspection process.

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Information about this children’s home

The manager registered with Ofsted in December 2022.

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Overall experiences and progress of

children and young people, taking into account

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outstanding

How well children and young people are helped and protected outstanding

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outstanding

The effectiveness of leaders and managers outstanding

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outstanding

The children’s home provides highly effective services that consistently exceed the standards of good. The actions of the children’s home contribute to significantly improved outcomes and positive experiences for children and young people who need help, protection and care.

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outstanding

Date of last inspection: 18 November 2024

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outstanding

Overall judgement at last inspection: good

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outstanding

Enforcement action since last inspection: none Inspection report for children’s home: 1264840 2

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Inspection date Inspection type Inspection judgement

18/11/2024 Full Good 31/01/2024 Full Good 17/10/2023 Full Inadequate 08/11/2022 Full Good Inspection report for children’s home: 1264840 3

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: outstanding

Children make exceptional progress as a result of the highly nurturing and emotionally attuned support they receive from staff. Every milestone and achievement is celebrated with genuine pride, reinforcing children’s sense of self-worth and belonging. Certificates and awards are prominently displayed throughout the home, serving as daily reminders of each child’s journey and the remarkable progress they have made. This culture of celebration and recognition empowers children to continue striving and thriving.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: outstanding

Children feel an immense sense of pride in their accomplishments and are consistently supported by a dedicated and aspirational staff team to reflect on their progress and set meaningful goals for the future. Staff work closely with children to nurture ambition and build confidence, ensuring that each child feels valued and capable. One family member powerfully shared, ‘I thank God every day that he is here. He is a different child. Looking back at where he was, to see how far he has come, it’s a little miracle’. This heartfelt feedback reflects the transformative impact of the care provided and the deep trust families place in the team.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: outstanding

Staff passionately advocate on behalf of children. They use research-informed practice to identify the most effective ways to capture and understand children’s wishes and feelings. One example of this is how the staff team used research to identify the specific learning style of a child. This enabled staff to use the most effective ways to support the child to learn new skills and reach their full potential.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: outstanding

Children make remarkable progress in their education. One child had missed a full academic year prior to moving into the home. As a result of the exceptional planning by the staff team, the child has consistently achieved 100% attendance. The education provider told the inspector, ‘He is so settled and feels so safe that he is able to access school fully now.’ This child was awarded the role of house captain and received an award at the virtual school’s event, recognising their continued effort and progress.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: outstanding

Children participate in an extensive range of activities that they enjoy. When a child shows a particular interest in an activity, staff work creatively to enhance these experiences in ways that build self-esteem and confidence. For example, when one child began attending regular football training, staff supported them to become a mascot for the local women’s team. This approach enables children to develop new skills, build confidence in exploring opportunities, and establish positive support networks beyond the home environment.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: outstanding

Staff build strong relationships with the people that children identify as important in their lives. When barriers arise in relationships between families and external professionals, the staff team identifies and facilitates innovative solutions, such as ‘family-led’ meetings, to help overcome these challenges. This enables effective communication and ensures the best possible outcomes for children. Inspection report for children’s home: 1264840 4

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

Staff use a therapeutic and restorative approach to help and protect children. Children have access to a wide range of specialist support to help them understand and manage experiences from their past. When staff identify that a child may not be ready to explore these experiences, they are creative in finding alternative ways to offer support at a pace that feels right for the child. They achieve this through utilising professional networks within the community to identify alternative opportunities for children to build confidence. As a result, children access a variety of therapeutic programmes tailored to their individual needs. One child engages in equine therapy. For another, support is provided through weekly drama therapy. This empowers children to explore their world in a safe and supportive environment.

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

Children’s individual risks are well understood by the staff team. Children are regularly consulted to explore how staff help them feel safe and secure. Management oversight of any recorded incident is of a high standard, clearly capturing how effective safeguarding measures are and identifying learning to further support children in building resilience.

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

Since the last inspection, there has been one recorded occasion when a child was absent from the home for a short period. Staff followed the missing-from-home policy effectively and worked closely with the child’s support network to ensure their safe return. For another child, the risk of going missing has significantly reduced. As a result of the nurturing relationships staff build, one child shared with staff the details of the ‘pull factors’ contributing to their missing episodes. Staff recognise these reachable moments and use them to identify ways to effectively disrupt the presenting risks.

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

The manager regularly assesses and reviews staff’s understanding of risk through a range of safeguarding scenarios explored in supervision and team meetings. Staff are supported to consider how they would respond, based on their understanding of each child’s needs and the guidance within individual risk assessments. This enables the manager to identify any gaps in staff knowledge and ensure that all staff maintain the skills required to effectively safeguard children.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: outstanding

The manager has high aspirations for the children in her care and remains extremely committed to continuous improvement. She regularly reviews how the staff team captures and monitors children’s progress. The team produces a monthly newsletter showcasing the achievements of every child and staff member. This is one of many examples of how the team demonstrates to children how valued they are and how proud staff are of their accomplishments. This practice supports children to make exceptional progress.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: outstanding

Leaders and managers take the well-being of their staff seriously. Staff are supported through regular supervision sessions, team meetings, and training. As a result, children are cared for by staff who are highly motivated and feel well supported by their Inspection report for children’s home: 1264840 5 management team. One staff member shared: ‘Managers are professional, approachable, and supportive. They provide clear guidance and oversight while also ensuring that staff feel listened to and valued.’ This creates an environment where staff can thrive in their roles and children can flourish in their care.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: outstanding

The manager demonstrates a strong commitment to continuous improvement by using team meetings as a platform to reflect on and review children’s progress. This ensures that care planning remains dynamic and responsive to each child’s evolving needs. Regular, purposeful meetings between the home and education providers promote highly effective collaboration, resulting in a consistent and well-coordinated approach that supports children to thrive both at home and in their educational settings.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: outstanding

The manager displays an unwavering commitment to delivering the highest quality of care for children by investing in the development of her staff team and nurturing their progression. She has cultivated a culture of innovation, where staff feel empowered to contribute creative ideas that enhance practice and improve outcomes for children. This inclusive and aspirational environment enables staff to take ownership of their roles and make meaningful contributions to the lives of the children they care for, resulting in consistently exceptional experiences and progress.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: outstanding

Managers and staff show exemplary partnership working with external agencies. They collaborate with professionalism and purpose, maintaining proactive and transparent communication that consistently promotes the best outcomes for children. Feedback from external stakeholders is overwhelmingly positive. One professional shared, ‘This placement for [child’s name] is a shining example of what it looks like when professionals work together to provide a stable and loving environment for a traumatised child to begin to heal. We could not be more impressed’.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: outstanding

No requirements or recommendations were raised during the inspection. Inspection report for children’s home: 1264840 6

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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: 1264840 7

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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

Charlotte Tippett, Social Care Inspector Inspection report for children’s home: 1264840 8 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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