Children's Home run by Esland North Limited in Nottinghamshire

Inspection report for children’s home: 1229229 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 owned and operated by a private provider. It is registered to provide care for up to 2 children who may experience emotional and social difficulties.

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Information about this children’s home

At the time of the inspection, 2 children were living in the home. The inspector spoke to both children.

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Information about this children’s home

The manager registered with Ofsted in September 2025. She was present for both days of the inspection.

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Overall experiences and progress of

children and young people, taking into account good

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Overall experiences and progress of

How well children and young people are helped and protected good

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Overall experiences and progress of

The effectiveness of leaders and managers good

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Overall experiences and progress of

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

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Overall experiences and progress of

Overall judgement at last inspection: outstanding

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Overall experiences and progress of

Enforcement action since last inspection: none Inspection report for children’s home: 1229229 2

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Inspection date Inspection type Inspection judgement

04/03/2025 Full Outstanding 06/02/2024 Full Outstanding 28/02/2023 Full Good 29/09/2021 Full Good Inspection report for children’s home: 1229229 3

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Positive practice and children’s achievements are celebrated within the home. Children are supported to express their views and experiences, and staff listen and act on these wherever possible. Staff capture important memories and milestones, helping children reflect on and make sense of their experiences. Children are encouraged to take part in a wide range of activities, and positive relationships between staff and children are evident. This helps children feel valued, develop confidence, and build trusting and supportive relationships with the adults who care for them.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Managers advocate appropriately when considering whether a child is ready to move into more independent living, and they review these decisions as new information emerges. Children’s moves into and out of the home are carefully planned, with flexibility shown where needed, including extending timescales to ensure moves happen at the right time for the child. Staff’s rigorous, thoughtful preparation helps children settle well, and when children move on, staff maintain appropriate contact.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Family members speak positively about the efforts made by staff to build relationships and work collaboratively with them. Staff support children to spend time with their families in ways that are meaningful and enjoyable, helping to strengthen these relationships. Professionals say that staff and managers work in partnership with them and that this collaborative approach supports children’s growing sense of identity and belonging.

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

Staff demonstrate a strong understanding of children’s needs and vulnerabilities, which is reflected in the high-quality written plans and the associated risk management strategies. Behaviour support plans are detailed and include both historical and potential risks, along with clear guidance for staff on how to respond. The plans are written in supportive, child-focused language and emphasise the importance of adapting care to meet individual needs.

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

Staff use a therapeutic approach alongside strategies recommended by specialist services to support children and understand the reasons behind their behaviour. Because staff are able to see beyond children’s presenting behaviours, there has been minimal need to hold children to keep them safe. On the occasions when physical intervention has been required, it has been managed and recorded appropriately. Staff speak with children following any holds and work to repair and rebuild relationships in line with a trauma-informed approach.

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

Staff take proactive steps to prevent children going missing and act promptly to locate them when they do. When children return, staff spend time with them to understand the Inspection report for children’s home: 1229229 4 reasons for the incident and to identify strategies to reduce the likelihood of this happening again. Missing-from-care protocols are clear, detailed and well understood by staff, including familiarisation with the local area. This means staff respond consistently and effectively to incidents of going missing, helping to reduce risk and improve children’s safety.

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

Effective partnership working with social care, education, health services and the police contributes to a coordinated approach to safeguarding. As a result, children receive consistent, well-informed support that reduces risk and promotes their safety.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

The manager has a strong understanding of the home’s strengths and areas for development. She maintains a clear vision of the home as a nurturing, family-style environment for the children living there and continues to advocate for improvements that align with this vision. Monitoring systems, including monthly audits, review a wide range of practice and provide the manager with good evaluative oversight. As a result, children benefit from a home that is continually reviewed and developed, helping to ensure that their needs are met and that practice remains safe, consistent and responsive over time.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

The manager advocates effectively for children, including challenging stigmatising attitudes within the local community, which has helped to improve relationships. She has worked tenaciously to understand and respond to the children’s needs in the context of the local area. The manager has made purposeful efforts to build relationships with local professionals, such as the police community support officer. As a result, one child has been invited to take part in community activities, helping them develop the confidence to participate independently of staff.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

Staff speak positively about the manager and the support she provides. She actively promotes a culture in which staff feel able to raise practice concerns, and these are addressed appropriately. Staff turnover is very low, and individuals who previously worked in the home on a temporary basis have expressed a preference to join the team permanently. Staff morale appears high and children benefit from a consistent, well-supported staff team whose members feel confident to reflect on and improve their practice.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

Training is relevant to the needs of the children and is adapted to ensure accessibility for all staff. Supervision is regular and provides opportunities for staff to reflect on their practice and the needs of children. Team meetings further support shared learning and reinforce practice expectations. This ensures that staff are better equipped to understand and respond to children’s individual needs, leading to more consistent and effective care. Inspection report for children’s home: 1229229 5

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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: 1229229 6

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Children’s home details

Registered provider: Esland North Limited

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Children’s home details

Registered provider address: Suites 1 & 5 Riverside Business Centre, Foundry Lane, Belper, Derbyshire DE56 0RN

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Inspector

Terrianne George, Social Care Inspector Inspection report for children’s home: 1229229 7 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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Inspector

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