Children's Home run by Nurture Childcare Services Ltd in Lancashire

Interim inspection report children’s home: 1238043 1 Registered provider: Nurture Childcare Services Limited Interim inspection Inspected under the social care common inspection framework

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Information about this children’s home

The home is registered to provide care and accommodation for up to five children. It is owned and operated by a private company. It is registered to care for children who may have emotional and/or behavioural difficulties.

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Judgement at last inspection: requires improvement to be good

Enforcement action since last inspection: none

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and young people since the most recent full inspection

This home was judged requires improvement to be good at the last full inspection. At the interim inspection, Ofsted judges that it has improved effectiveness. Only one young person has lived in the home since the last inspection. This young person has some complex needs and there are significant risks associated with his care. From his starting point, he has made excellent progress in a number of areas, including a reduction in high-risk behaviours and an improvement in his social and emotional well- being. For example, the young person is now able to settle comfortably at bedtimes, which was previously an anxious time for him. The young person continues to benefit from positive relationships with staff. This promotes his emotional well-being and social development. He has made demonstrable progress in his social development. As a result, he has significantly reduced his negative behaviours and is now socialising with his peers in a more positive manner. The young

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and young people since the most recent full inspection

person has recently made a positive friendship for the first time, which staff are Interim inspection report children’s home: 1238043 2 encouraging. Staff support the young person to maintain important relationships. Contact arrangements are frequently reviewed and ongoing dialogue with external professionals helps to ensure that there is effective planning in place to support the young person to enjoy family contact. Where appropriate and agreed with the social worker, family members are made welcome at the home. For example, the young person was able to invite several members of his family to spend Christmas Day with him at the home. It is evident that the young person’s views are valued and acted upon. The young person was recently involved in the recruitment of a manager at the home, interviewing candidates with questions that he had prepared himself. Staff have recently supported the young person to develop a range of visual aids, to assist him in expressing his

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and young people since the most recent full inspection

thoughts and wishes. This is helping to build the young person’s confidence and ability to express himself. At the last inspection of the home, a requirement was made in relation to the protection of young people. Arrangements for the identification of risk to young people’s safety and well-being required improvement, as did the arrangements to measure and manage the risks. This requirement has now been suitably addressed. Although there are significant risks associated with the young person’s care, staff demonstrate a good awareness of these risks and work well with external professionals to maintain the young person’s safety. Risk assessments are in place, which identify specific concerns and provide guidance for staff about the measures that they must take to safeguard the young person. In a small number of examples, this guidance could be expanded upon to provide a greater level of information. A recommendation is raised to support this further

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and young people since the most recent full inspection

improvement. Staff support the young person’s health well. Staff ensure that any specific health concerns are addressed and encourage the young person to attend routine medical appointments. There are procedures in place for the safe storage and administration of the young person’s medication. However, it was noted that the young person had been prescribed a medication which he self-administered at times. It was confirmed that there had been no formal assessment as to the young person’s ability to self-administer the medication. In addition, some medication administration records were found to lack information relating to specific medications, for example side effects that can be experienced. A recommendation is raised in relation to medication procedures, to support further improvement and to help to ensure that the young person’s medicines are consistently managed in a safe manner. The young person faces some barriers to education. The registered manager and staff

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and young people since the most recent full inspection

work closely with external professionals to ensure that he receives the appropriate level of support. The registered manager demonstrates their ability to challenge services in an appropriate way, to ensure that the young person’s best interests are consistently promoted. Following the last inspection, a requirement was made in relation to behaviour support. Good improvements have been made in this area that include a review of young people’s individual behaviour support planning. The provider has appointed an in-house trainer to help to ensure that all staff receive appropriate training in behaviour management. Records confirmed that all staff were up to date with their training, which helps to Interim inspection report children’s home: 1238043 3 ensure that the young person receives consistently appropriate support and care. Processes for monitoring safety and quality across the service have been improved. The

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and young people since the most recent full inspection

registered manager has implemented a number of audit tools and trackers, which enable her to closely monitor all areas. Audit tools assist the registered manager in identifying areas for development, and evidence is available to demonstrate that when issues are identified, they are addressed promptly. This addresses a requirement made following the last inspection in relation to leadership and management. It was confirmed that requirements in relation to record-keeping and the notification of significant incidents, which were made at the last inspection, have been suitably addressed. The standard of record-keeping has improved and there was no evidence of any significant incidents that have not been notified to Ofsted. The registered manager has suitable arrangements in place to evaluate and reflect on significant incidents, so that any potential learning can be identified. This helps to support continuous

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and young people since the most recent full inspection

development and means that the young person benefits from a constantly improving service.

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Inspection date Inspection type Inspection judgement

22/06/2017 Full Requires improvement to be good

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Recommendations

 Please see Regulation 23. Care must be taken to ensure prescribed medicines are only administered to the individual for whom they are prescribed. Medicines must be administered in line with a medically approved protocol. Records must be kept of the administration of all medication, which includes occasions when prescribed medication is refused. Regulation 23 requires the registered person to ensure that they make suitable arrangements to manage, administer and dispose of any medication. These are fundamentally the same sorts of arrangements as a good parent would make but are subject to additional safeguards. Children who wish to keep and take their own medication should be supported to, if they are able to do so safely. Staff should be mindful that children holding their own prescribed medication must only use it for themselves in accordance with the prescription. (‘Guide to the children’s homes regulations including the quality standards’, page

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Recommendations

 Staff should continually and actively assess the risks to each child and the arrangements in place to protect them. Where there are safeguarding concerns for a child, their placement plan, agreed between the home and their placing Interim inspection report children’s home: 1238043 4 authority, must include details of the steps the home will take to manage any assessed risks on a day-to-day basis. (‘Guide to the children’s homes regulations including the quality standards’, page 42, paragraph 9.5)

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Information about this inspection

Inspectors have looked closely at the experiences and progress of children and young people. Inspectors considered the quality of work and the differences made to the lives of children and young people. They watched how professional staff work with children and young people and each other and discussed the effectiveness of help and care provided. Wherever possible, they talked to children and young people and their families. In addition, the inspectors have tried to understand what the children’s home knows about how well it is performing, how well it is doing and what difference it is making for the children and young people whom it is trying to help, protect and look after.

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Information about this inspection

This inspection focused on the effectiveness of the home and the progress and experiences of children and young people since the most recent full inspection.

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Information about this inspection

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’.

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Children’s home details

Registered provider: Nurture Childcare Services Limited

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Children’s home details

Registered provider address: 71 Edge End Lane, Great Harwood, Blackburn BB6 7QD

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Inspector

Marie Cordingley, social care inspector Interim inspection report children’s home: 1238043 5 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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