Children's Home run by Nestlings Care Limited in Bolton

Inspection report children’s home: 1271581 1 Registered provider: Nestlings Care Ltd

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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 operated by a private company. It is registered to provide care and accommodation for up to two young people, irrespective of gender. The home specialises in caring for young people who have learning disabilities, complex needs and mental ill health.

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Information about this children’s home

There is a registered manager at this home.

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Information about this children’s home

The provider is also registered with the Care Quality Commission to provide treatment of disease disorder or injury.

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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 requires improvement to be 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: this is the first inspection

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good

Overall judgement at last inspection: not applicable

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good

Enforcement action since last inspection: none Inspection report children’s home: 1271581 2

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Inspection date Inspection type Inspection judgement

This is the first inspection. Inspection report children’s home: 1271581 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 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 promotes their welfare.

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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

ensure that staff work as a team where appropriate;

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Requirement Due date

ensure that the home’s workforce provides continuity of care to each child. (Regulation 13(1)(a)(b)(2)(b)(e)) 03/12/2018

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Requirement Due date

The registered person must recruit staff using recruitment procedures that are designed to ensure children’s safety.

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Requirement Due date

The registered person may only employ an individual to work at the children’s home; or

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Requirement Due date

if an individual is employed by a person other than the registered person to work at the home in a position in which the individual may have regular contact with children, allow that individual to work at the home, if the individual satisfies the requirements in paragraph (3).

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Requirement Due date

The requirements are that— the individual is of integrity and good character;

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Requirement Due date

full and satisfactory information is available in relation to the individual in respect of each of the matters in Schedule 2. (Regulation 32(1)(2)(a)(b)(3)(a)(d))

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Requirement Due date

Specifically, the telephone discussion to verify the reason for why employment ended should be captured in records following that conversation. 03/12/2018 Inspection report children’s home: 1271581 4

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Young people are settled and happy living in the home. They make good progress in different areas of their development. For example, a young person who previously did not attend school is now enjoying full-time education. Another young person is growing in confidence and building positive relationships with the staff. These are positive steps forward for young people who have complex mental health needs.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Young people receive a good standard of care. Their mental health needs feature highly in their day-to-day care. Comprehensive multi-disciplinary care plans are guided by specialist in-house professionals. Medication is safely managed, and the staff team members are first aid trained. This ensures that young people’s health needs are very well met.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

The relationships between the staff, young people, professionals and parents are effective. They all work in partnership to achieve the best outcomes for young people. A parent said, ‘There should be a [Name of home] in every county.’ Effective consultation is regularly undertaken with young people to ensure that they have the opportunities to voice their views and opinions.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Careful and considered planning informs the young people’s introduction to the home. Young people are fully involved in the decisions made. These plans demonstrate a gradual move at the individual pace of each young person. A parent said, ‘The transition for [Name] was excellent.’

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Young people have plans in place to prepare them for independent living. The staff work individually with young people on practical and emotional life skills. This is helping young people to recognise their changing needs as they grow and develop. In addition, young people are developing new hobbies and interests, such as playing the drums, playing pool and art activities. This demonstrates their growing confidence.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

The staff ensure that they meet the needs of young people who live far from their home town. For example, the staff facilitate contact regularly. They transport young people back home to see their families. In addition, family members are welcomed into the home to spend quality time together.

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

Young people said that they ‘feel safe’ and ‘protected’. Their risk-taking behaviours, such as going missing from care and incidents of self-harming, have significantly reduced. Regular therapeutic input from qualified mental health professionals and multi- disciplinary care are crucial to this success. Inspection report children’s home: 1271581 5 Risk assessment and management plans are comprehensive and unique to the specific risks to each young person. Detailed control measures support the staff to help young people manage risks and ensure that they are safely cared for. These are reviewed weekly with the in-house multi-disciplinary mental health team to check that they are effective.

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

The staff have access to the mental health nurses 24 hours a day for advice and guidance. This provides further safeguards in managing the complex mental health needs of young people living here.

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

The staff work with young people individually to educate them in keeping themselves safe. For example, the staff provide guidance on using social media safely. The staff also support young people to understand the dangers of smoking. This ensures that young people have access to the right information to make informed choices.

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

Young people’s anxieties are managed sensitively and safely without the need for further escalation. As a result, the use of physical intervention is rare. When it is required, documents demonstrate that actions taken are proportionate, and these are appropriately reviewed by the manager.

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

Recruitment practice involves checks with the Disclosure and Barring Service and obtaining references from previous employers. These are verified by telephone; however, the content of the discussion is not captured in the records to further demonstrate the integrity of the staff member.

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

Safeguarding policies and procedures are in place for the staff to refer to if they encounter any concerns of abuse. Furthermore, they have regular safeguarding training. The staff spoken with demonstrate a good understanding of how to recognise the signs of abuse and the processes that they need to follow to report any concerns. This helps to protect young people.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: requires improvement to be good

The registered manager has been in position since the home first opened in May 2017. She is suitably qualified and experienced in working with young people in residential care. She strives to achieve the very best outcomes for young people.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: requires improvement to be good

There are sufficient numbers of staff members working at the home. However, these staff are shared across two other settings. In addition, agency staff members are used regularly. This does not provide stability and predictability for young people. The manager is in the process of addressing this shortfall, and new staff have recently been recruited to provide a consistent team around young people.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: requires improvement to be good

The staff spoken to during the inspection said that they enjoy their work. They feel supported by the manager and their team members. The staff are suitably qualified or working towards a recognised qualification. They have regular supervision, team Inspection report children’s home: 1271581 6 meetings and training. This helps to ensure that care practice meets the standards expected in the home’s statement of purpose. In addition, there are in-house healthcare professionals who regularly support young people. They are supervised separately by a clinical lead professional.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: requires improvement to be good

Good-quality audit systems are in place and provide an overview of care practice. The manager is fully aware of the strengths and areas for development in the service. For example, she plans to re-decorate the home in consultation with young people.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: requires improvement to be good

Liaison with partner agencies and young people’s parents is effective. Feedback received throughout the inspection process about the staff, the communication with them and the progress young people make was very positive.

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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: 1271581 7

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Children’s home details

Registered provider address: 185 Grove Lane, Hale, Altrincham WA15 8LU

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Children’s home details

Responsible individual: Anthony Thompson

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Inspectors

Caroline Jones, social care inspector Jenny Brady, social care inspector Inspection report children’s home: 1271581 8 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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Inspectors

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Inspectors

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Inspectors

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