Children's Home run by Esland South Limited in Kent

Inspection report for children’s home: SC059037 1 SC059037

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Registered provider: Esland South Limited

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Inspected under the social care common inspection framework

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Information about this children’s home

This privately owned children’s home provides care for up to 3 children who experience social and emotional difficulties. There were 2 children living in the home at the time of the inspection.

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Information about this children’s home

The manager registered with Ofsted in March 2025.

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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 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: 14 October 2025

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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: SC059037 2

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Inspection date Inspection type Inspection judgement

14/10/2025 Full Good 17/12/2024 Full Good 16/01/2024 Full Good 23/03/2023 Full Outstanding Inspection report for children’s home: SC059037 3

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Summary of findings

Children make good progress from their starting points. Staff provide them with stable, individualised care and understand their needs. Staff promote education, collaborate effectively with partner agencies and challenge barriers to learning. Children develop positive relationships with staff. Staff provide support during challenging times and value children’s wishes and feelings.

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Summary of findings

Children are well prepared for transitions and independence. Their health needs are met through access to appropriate services. Children feel safe, risks are well managed and safeguarding practice is effective. Staff use positive behaviour management to reduce the need for physical interventions.

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Summary of findings

Leaders and managers provide a stable home. Managers’ oversight and support for staff allows for positive outcomes. Leaders and managers continue to develop equality, diversity and inclusive practice.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Children make good progress from their starting points. For example, one child experiences fewer missing-from-home incidents. This shows that care planning, risk management and regular reviews work well.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Children receive high-quality care from a staff team, whose members understand their needs and goals. Children experience stability, make progress and prepare well for the future. Staff know the children well. They provide support that helps them achieve positive outcomes. One child transitioned to foster care but later returned. She hopes to remain living where she is until her independence.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Staff actively encourage education. Multi-agency working with schools makes sure children receive the right support. Staff challenge the use of part-time timetables. Staff work with education providers to make sure part-time hours do not become a barrier to learning.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Children build strong and positive relationships with staff. Staff support both children and their families. Staff go above and beyond during challenging times, including helping families through bereavement. This helps children feel stable, supported and valued.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Children’s views matter. Staff listen to their wishes, feelings and preferences. Staff take children’s views into account when making plans and decisions. This helps children feel respected and heard.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

The home prepares children well for changes and future independence. Staff create plans that meet each child’s individual needs. Children are supported to develop Inspection report for children’s home: SC059037 4 important life skills. Staff supported one child to make a successful move into semi- independent accommodation.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Children’s health needs are met. Staff help children access healthcare, therapeutic support and specialist services when needed. This promotes their emotional, mental and physical wellbeing.

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

Children say they feel safe living in the home. Staff work closely with other agencies to identify, understand and reduce risks.

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

Risks are assessed and managed well. Measures, such as door alarms and waking night staff, are used when needed to help keep children safe. Staff balance children’s safety with their rights and growing independence.

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

Staff provide clear and consistent boundaries. This helps children understand expectations and feel secure. There are very few physical interventions. Staff focus on building positive relationships and preventing problems before they happen.

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

The home takes a proactive approach to online safety. Children complete direct work to help them understand online risks. Information displayed around the home reinforces important safety messages. This helps children understand dangers, such as online exploitation and bullying.

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

Children are listened to and involved in decisions that affect their lives. Staff encourage them to share their wishes, feelings and concerns. This helps children feel respected and valued.

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

Safeguarding concerns, allegations and complaints are taken seriously. Leaders and managers respond appropriately and make sure investigations take place when needed. They monitor concerns closely to make sure children remain safe.

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

Safeguarding arrangements are effective. However, there is a shortfall in reporting serious incidents to Ofsted. One child managed to leave in the middle of the night without staff knowledge. The child was returned home safely, but this has led to a requirement due to not notifying Ofsted.

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

In one instance, staff failed to notify Ofsted when a child was able to leave the home without staff knowledge and place themselves at risk of harm. This raises some concern about the systems employed to ensure children are safe and secure at night.

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

Overall, safeguarding is effective. Children feel safe and staff provide consistent care and support. Multi-agency working and listening to children strengthen the home’s ability to protect them.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

Inspection report for children’s home: SC059037 5 Leaders and managers create a stable and supportive environment for children and staff. Although recruiting and retaining staff remain challenging, managers do not use agency workers. As a result, children experience continuity of care even when there is not enough staff. However, the lack of staffing places pressure on staff wellbeing.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

Staff report positive morale and describe leaders as open, supportive and approachable. Staff feel able to raise concerns and ask for guidance. Staff receive regular supervision and monthly clinical supervision. This supports reflective practice and helps them meet children’s individual needs.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

Leaders and managers promote staff wellbeing and recognition. Staff use a positive feedback initiative to recognise each other’s contributions. Comments are read out during team meetings. This strengthens team relationships and staff engagement. The home remains committed to staff development. Team meetings include discussions about research, learning and current practice. Staff receive training regularly and bespoke training when required.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

Leaders and managers promote equality and diversity. Weekly cultural meals encourage children and staff to learn about different cultures. Creating opportunities for staff and children to develop a deeper understanding of inequality can be a challenge. Leaders continue to review how diversity and inclusion is promoted.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

Overall, leaders and managers support staff effectively. Leaders and managers provide oversight of practice. The inspection found a shortfall in diversity within the workforce. Managers and leaders acknowledged this and agreed that further development of equality, diversity and inclusion awareness will strengthen practice. Inspection report for children’s home: SC059037 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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Recommendations

 The registered person should monitor and review patterns and trends of staff turnover and understand and address negative trends where possible. The registered person should ensure that workforce planning promotes the development and retention of a diverse staff team with a range of skills, experiences and backgrounds. (‘Guide to the Children’s Homes Regulations, including the quality standards’, page 54, paragraph 10.19)

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Recommendations

 The registered person to notify Ofsted and other relevant persons if one of the situations specified in regulation 40(4)(a)-(d) occurs, or if there is an incident relating to the protection, safeguarding or welfare of a child living in the home which the registered person considers to be serious (40(4)(e)) ('Guide to the Children's Homes Regulations, including the quality standards', page 63, paragraph 14.10).

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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: SC059037 7

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Children’s home details

Registered provider: Esland South Limited

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Children’s home details

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

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Inspector

Kerry Meller-Rayment, Social Care Regulatory Inspector Inspection report for children’s home: SC059037 8 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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