Children's Home run by Nestlings Care Limited in Bolton

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

Date of last inspection: 25 October 2018

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Information about this children’s home

Enforcement action since last inspection: none

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and young people since the most recent full inspection

This home was judged good at the last full inspection.

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and young people since the most recent full inspection

At the interim inspection, Ofsted judges that it has sustained effectiveness.

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and young people since the most recent full inspection

The same young people have remained living in the home since the last inspection. One young person was receiving in-patient treatment in hospital at the time of the visit.

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and young people since the most recent full inspection

The manager has effective systems in place to monitor the quality of care and how this improves young people’s experiences. She takes prompt action to address identified shortfalls and listens to what young people have to say about their home and plans. She works well with a range of external professionals to ensure that young people have their needs met promptly. She actively chases local area services to provide the right mental healthcare for them. This is not reflected in her six-monthly monitoring report, because it lacks reference to what young people have said and does not evaluate the efforts that Inspection report children’s home: 1271581 2 staff make to promote positive outcomes for young people. This limits an overall understanding of the development needs of the home.

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and young people since the most recent full inspection

Young people receive significant levels of support from a multidisciplinary team that includes medical, therapy and care staff. A partnership approach is seen in young people’s detailed care plans, where their voice is captured clearly and their wishes given full consideration. Young people’s needs are complex, and their care and treatment records are comprehensive and wide ranging. The records reflect young people’s changing needs. Records are not easily navigated, because they are not integrated into a single, overarching plan. This will create difficulties for young people who wish to read about their time living in the home.

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and young people since the most recent full inspection

Young people make progress that reflects their starting points and the impact of variable emotional and mental health and well-being. Staff are skilled in interpreting young people’s behaviour, and respond well to any critical situations that arise. They offer a consistent, warm approach to young people and are resilient when young people reject this. Staff identify the small steps of progress that young people take, such as improving their self-care or overcoming social anxiety. They keep sight of these improvements when young people decline in their overall mental health, so that they can encourage young people to overcome their difficulties.

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and young people since the most recent full inspection

There has been one occasion when a young person went missing from the home. Staff took all the steps necessary to ensure that the young person returned safely to the home. The manager conducted a person-centred review of the incident so that any needs of the young person were promptly addressed. Advocates are in place to ensure that young people’s views are represented.

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and young people since the most recent full inspection

One young person said that what makes this home different from others that he has lived in is that staff listen to him and help him. This view is echoed by his parents and social worker. He is making real progress in his health and well-being, as well as in his education, personal relationships and understanding how to manage his feelings and ask for help when necessary. He has grown in confidence and has aspirations for his future, which he was previously unable to consider. Staff break down those aspirations into achievable goals so that he can recognise the progress that he is making.

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and young people since the most recent full inspection

Staff receive regular, reflective supervision and new staff follow a comprehensive induction programme that includes opportunities to shadow experienced staff. This helps to ensure that young people receive good-quality, professional care. Staff attend training to better understand the specific needs of the young people who live in the home. This includes training in the safe administration of medicines. Not all staff were confident in their understanding of the specific needs that young people may have, arising from their medication regimes. This limits the ability of staff to oversee any adverse impact of young people taking or refusing to take the medication that they are prescribed.

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and young people since the most recent full inspection

The manager has addressed the requirements made at the last inspection. There is a settled staff team allocated to the home. Young people enjoy consistency of care and thriving relationships with their key workers. All recruitment practice is in line with the Inspection report children’s home: 1271581 3 principles of safer recruitment that protect young people from unsuitable individuals working in the home.

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Recommendations

 Everyone working at the home must understand their roles and responsibilities and what they are authorised to decide on their own initiative. Managers must monitor the impact and effectiveness of medication training to ensure that staff understand the support needs children may have, arising from the medication they take. (‘Guide to the children’s homes regulations including the quality standards’, page 54, paragraph 10.20)  Information about the child must always be recorded in a way that will be helpful to the child. That care planning records must be simplified and integrated to ensure that there is clear signposting to significant information and that repetition is avoided. (‘Guide to the children’s homes regulations including the quality standards’, page 62, paragraph 14.4)  The registered person should undertake a review that focuses on the quality of the care provided by the home, the experiences of children living there and the

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Recommendations

impact the care is having on outcomes and improvements for the children. Further improve the quality of evaluation within the report arising from this review so that the link between children’s experiences and views and areas for development is captured and monitored. (‘Guide to the children’s homes regulations including the quality standards’, page 64, paragraph 15.2) Inspection report children’s home: 1271581 4

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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 difference 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 address: 185 Grove Lane, Hale, Altringham, Cheshire WA15 8LU

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Children’s home details

Responsible individual: Anthony Thompson

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Inspector

Denise Jolly, social care inspector Inspection report children’s home: 1271581 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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