Children's home run by Esland North Limited

Inspection report for children’s home - monitoring visit: 2649739 1 Registered provider: Esland North Limited

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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 offers care for one child who may experience social and emotional difficulties.

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Information about this children’s home

A manager is in post and has applied to register with Ofsted.

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Information about this children’s home

No children were living at the home at the time of the inspection.

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This monitoring visit

A full inspection was carried out on 29 and 30 July 2025, during which the home was judged to be good. In February 2026, the provider informed Ofsted that a child was not living in the home, there was no registered manager in post, and there were insufficient staff to provide care for a child. On 31 March 2026, a 3-month condition was imposed by Ofsted under Section 13 of the Care Standards Act 2000.

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This monitoring visit

This visit took place to review the actions taken by the provider to ensure that the home is ready for a child to move in and to review the experiences of the child who had lived at the home since the last inspection.

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This monitoring visit

One child moved out of the home in February 2026 to return to the care of their family. The move took place because the home did not have sufficient staffing resources to meet the child’s needs safely and effectively. While living at the home, the child developed some positive relationships with members of the staff team. However, they made limited progress in relation to their care and support needs.

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This monitoring visit

Care planning for the child was not robust. The previous manager did not contact the child’s previous home to gather information about their experiences or the reasons for their move. Leaders also failed to ensure that staff had access to the most up-to-date information about the child. In addition, key statutory documents Inspection report for children’s home - monitoring visit: 2649739 2 remain outstanding, and leaders have not escalated requests effectively to obtain them. As a result, staff do not have all the information they need to meet the child’s individual needs fully or promote their safety and wellbeing.

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This monitoring visit

A manager has been appointed, and they have applied to register with Ofsted. Five members of staff are employed to work at the home, and most members of the team have worked for the organisation for several years. There is currently one staff vacancy. Leaders and managers are actively recruiting to fill this position.

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This monitoring visit

During the period of closure, staff have been deployed at various homes throughout the organisation. They have continued to receive supervision and support from the home’s manager and have attended refresher training courses.

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This monitoring visit

The new manager has updated the home’s statement of purpose. However, this has not been shared with Ofsted as required by regulation. The manager took action to address this during the visit.

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This monitoring visit

The home is decorated and furnished to a high standard and will be a homely environment for a child. The child’s bedroom contains adequate furnishings and is ready for them to personalise.

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This monitoring visit

Requirements raised at the last inspection are outside the scope of this visit. These will be reviewed at the next inspection. Inspection report for children’s home - monitoring visit: 2649739 3

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Inspection date Inspection type Inspection judgement

29/07/2025 Full Good 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 - monitoring visit: 2649739 4

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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 with 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 - monitoring visit: 2649739 5 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 that 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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Requirement Due date

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. (Regulation 14 (1)(a)(b) (2)(a))

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Requirement Due date

Specifically, the registered provider must ensure that all professionals are consulted before a child moves into the home. Each child must be supported to have a positive experience moving out of the home. 25 August 2026

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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; and 25 August 2026 Inspection report for children’s home - monitoring visit: 2649739 6 are signed and dated by the author of each entry. (Regulation 36 (1)(a)(b)(c))

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Requirement Due date

The registered provider must ensure that all up-to-date statutory documents are received for the child.

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Recommendations

 The registered person should ensure that the home’s workforce plan and training matrix clearly outline the agreed timescales for the completion of staff training. (‘Guide to the Children’s Homes Regulations, including the quality standards’, page 53, paragraph 10.8)  The registered person should ensure that the information gathered through independent and internal monitoring systems is used effectively to drive 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

The purpose of this visit was to monitor the action taken and the progress made by the children’s home since its last Ofsted inspection.

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Information about this inspection

This inspection was carried out under the Care Standards Act 2000. Inspection report for children’s home - monitoring visit: 2649739 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: Suites 1 and 5 Riverside Business Centre, Foundry Lane, Belper, Derbyshire DE56 0RN

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Inspector

Kelly McCurdy, Social Care Inspector Inspection report for children’s home - monitoring visit: 2649739 8 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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