Children's Home run by 2nd Nurture Limited in St Helens

Inspection report children’s home: SC413223 1 SC413223 Registered provider: 2nd Nurture 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

A private company owns this home. It is registered to give care and accommodation for one young person who may have behavioural and emotional difficulties.

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Information about this children’s home

The current manager was registered with Ofsted in May 2014.

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Information about this children’s home

Inspection dates: 31 July to 1 August 2018

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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: 13 December 2017

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good

Overall judgement at last inspection: good

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good

Enforcement action since last inspection: none Inspection report children’s home: SC413223 2

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Inspection date Inspection type Inspection judgement

13/12/2017 Full Good 21/02/2017 Interim Sustained effectiveness 26/10/2016 Full Good 31/03/2016 Interim Sustained effectiveness Inspection report children’s home: SC413223 3

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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, 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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Requirement Due date

The registered person must ensure that an independent person visits the children’s home at least once each month. The independent person must produce a report about a visit (‘the independent person’s report’) which sets out, in particular, the independent person’s opinion as to whether—

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Requirement Due date

children are effectively safeguarded; and the conduct of the home promotes children’s well-being. (Regulation 44 (1)(4)(a)(b))

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Requirement Due date

In addition to this, the independent person must ensure that the report is evaluative and includes regular consultation with the young person, professionals and parents. 01/10/2018

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Requirement Due date

The protection of children standard is that children are protected from harm and enabled to keep themselves safe.

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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 the home’s day-to-day care is arranged and delivered so as to keep each child safe and to protect each child effectively from harm. (Regulation 12 (1)(2)(b))

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Requirement Due date

In particular, ensure that the young people’s information in their risk assessments is in order and that staff have clear guidance on the strategies and action to take in the event of an incident. 01/10/2018

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

This home provides a caring and nurturing environment. As a result, the young person is making good and sustained progress in his life. A parent said, ‘I could not wish for a better place for him to be. He is doing really well here.’ A professional said, ‘The care Inspection report children’s home: SC413223 4 that he receives is excellent. I wish that the company had more children’s homes.’ The young person said, ‘I really like it here and I want to stay.’

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Young people’s care plans are regularly updated. Any changes are discussed with the young person and his family. Changes are also discussed in staff meetings and shared with professionals so that everyone is clear about the support that the young person needs daily. The young person shares his views, wishes and feelings through regular key-worker sessions and daily chats. The young person said, ‘I can talk to any member of staff about any concerns or worries that I may have.’ A parent said, ‘I am involved and kept informed about everything.’

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

In April 2018, the young person’s school placement broke down. He was tutored at the home until he finished his formal education. The tutor’s school report shows that he engaged fully in the home tutoring sessions, that he caught up with the outstanding work that had been missed and that his attitude and behaviour were excellent. This has helped him to secure an interview at a college in August 2018 for a catering course that will, hopefully, lead to him achieving his ambition of becoming a chef.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

The young person is in good health. He attends all medical appointments. The staff team is trained in administering medication and in first aid. The young person engages positively with a range of healthcare and other professionals, and this has helped support his emotional, behavioural and sexual health. The professionals involved in his care meet regularly in order that there is a wraparound service that gives care and support to the young person and the staff team.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Staff support the young person to have regular contact with his family. This contact includes daily and overnight stays. Staff transport him to and from the family home and remain in touch throughout the day with his family and with him. This means that the staff team is alerted should the young person not be where he should be. A parent said, ‘I have a really good relationship with all of the staff. I cannot thank them enough.’ A professional said, ‘This home excels at forming relationships with parents, and this means so much to the family and the young person.’

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

A range of activities are offered to the young person. However, he prefers to spend time with his family or in the local community with his friends. Some of these relationships are not positive. The staff and family are working closely with a range of professionals to break the cycle of criminal behaviour and the young person’s attitude towards this. The manager said that the young person is now starting to consider the consequences of his behaviour and the impact of this on others and that he has matured. A professional said, ‘It is really difficult as he has been embedded in this behaviour for years. However, staff are making inroads and they know him well.’

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

The home is warm, welcoming and decorated and furnished to a good standard. The young person takes pride in his home. He cooks meals and helps around the home with chores. Inspection report children’s home: SC413223 5

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

The young person, his mother and his social worker were all very positive about the care that the young person receives. They all feel that although there are difficulties regarding the young person’s safety in the community, the staff support and take the necessary action when needed. A parent said, ‘I think that they have saved his life. I do not know where he would be without them.’

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

Staff receive a range of training about safeguarding issues, such as child criminal exploitation, gang culture, drug and alcohol misuse and knife crime. They work closely with the youth offending service and Catch 22. Therefore, they have the knowledge and skills to care for the young person well. In addition to this, they are vigilant, and the young person receives a high level of support and supervision.

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

The young person is well mannered and polite, and his behaviour in the home does not give cause for concern. The young person’s good behaviour is celebrated and encouraged with incentives and rewards.

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

The young person has been reported missing from the home on 15 occasions since the last inspection in December 2017. However, this is a significant reduction from the previous 52 reported missing episodes in the same period the year before. In addition to this, the length of time he has been missing for has reduced. The staff team follows the young person’s missing from home protocol. The staff telephone him and search the local area and known places to try to encourage him to return to the home. A professional said, ‘This is always going to be an issue for him as he cannot pull himself away from his friends. But the staff are continuing to work with him and are doing everything in their power to make sure he is safe.’

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

The young person’s involvement in criminal behaviour is exhibited in differing ways. However, the range of behaviours are all covered in one risk assessment. As a result, there are no clear strategies or guidance for staff about the approach they should take to manage the varying elements and incidents of criminal behaviour. On the other hand, the manager has risk assessed in more detail some activities, such as personal appearance, self-medicating and bullying, when there are no apparent issues in these areas for the young person. Consequently, there is a need to distinguish between the need to provide detailed guidance and assessment for some areas of risk, such as those associated with criminal behaviour, and to not overly assess areas that are not necessarily applicable to the young person.

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

The company follows the safer recruitment guidance. All checks are completed and verified to make sure that members of staff are suitable to work with the young person. Regular health and safety checks mean that the home is physically safe and secure. Inspection report children’s home: SC413223 6

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

An experienced and suitably qualified manager manages the home. She maintains good oversight of the home and works alongside the staff and with the young person. This means that she can observe and evaluate the staff’s practice and relationships with the young person.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

The statement of purpose sets out the ethos and objectives of the home and it is kept under review. The young person’s records are well maintained and reviewed regularly. Professionals and parents confirmed that they had been given a copy of the statement of purpose and that they receive monthly updates about the young person’s care.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

The manager and staff work collaboratively with a range of agencies and professionals who are involved in the young person’s care. When services have been slow or not available, the manager has challenged these shortfalls effectively. This means that the young person has received additional services to meet his emerging needs.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

Good levels of staffing mean that the young person’s needs are met. Staff show a real commitment to their role and speak proudly of the young person’s achievements and progress. A parent said, ‘It feels like we are all looking after him together. The staff have taken the time to get to know us, and we appreciate this. ‘

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

Most of the staff hold a relevant childcare qualification. New staff, should they not hold the recognised qualification, are enrolled on the course after their induction period. The staff receive a high level of support through regular supervision, training and staff meetings. They continue to broaden their knowledge through additional training, such as training on understanding the impact of child criminal exploitation, and on the impact of domestic violence on young people. The manager includes practice-related articles on the staff meeting agenda, such as those that the action for children society produces on care-related subjects. This proactive approach to continued professional development and good oversight of staff practice mean that the staff have the skills and knowledge to care for the young person well.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

At the last inspection, the manager was asked to ensure that regulation 44 reports were sent in a timely way to Ofsted. These are now being received within the required timescales. However, independent scrutiny of the home needs improving. The monthly reports lack evaluation, and identified actions are too generic, for example, ‘to continue to offer activities’ or ‘continue with support’, rather than identifying specific shortfalls. This approach does not provide effective external oversight of the home. In addition, the independent visitor does not regularly speak with the young person, his parents or professionals to seek their opinions about the standard of care offered.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

On a positive note, the manager now has a workforce plan that identifies different aspects of support for staff, such as supervision, induction and probationary periods. This is used alongside the home’s development plan to show how the home is striving to improve and develop the service. Inspection report children’s home: SC413223 7

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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

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 children’s home: SC413223 8

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Children’s home details

Registered provider: 2nd Nurture Limited

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Inspector

Pam Nuckley, social care regulatory inspector Inspection report children’s home: SC413223 9 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 children looked after, safeguarding and child protection.

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Inspector

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Inspector

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Inspector

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