Children's home run by Pebbles Care Limited in Hyndburn

Inspection report children’s home: SC456271 1 SC456271 Registered provider: Nurture Childcare Services Ltd Interim inspection Inspected under the social care common inspection framework

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Information about this children’s home

This home is privately owned and run. It is registered to provide care and accommodation for up to four children. The home’s manager registered in October 2017.

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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. At the interim inspection, Ofsted judges that it has declined in effectiveness. The registered manager’s planning for young people moving into the home is inconsistent. In the main, the registered manager plans well for new arrivals. However, in one instance a young person moved into the home prior to an assessment being undertaken about whether staff could meet her needs. This contributed to the placement ending after a short period. Furthermore, planning meetings, particularly for those young people who arrive at the home as an emergency admission, do not always take place within expected timescales. This means that, in some cases, there are delays and missed opportunities for staff to plan how best to meet the needs of young people. Despite the efforts of staff, young people are not accessing full-time education or training. One young person, who is relatively new to the home, is on a very limited

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and young people since the most recent full inspection

Inspection report children’s home: SC456271 2 educational timetable. Although some progress has been made, staff have not yet been successful in supporting the young person to attend education each day. Another young person has until recently been accessing education. Unfortunately, the young person had been excluded at the time of the inspection. Positively, staff are working proactively to address this. However, no confirmed placement has yet been sourced. Staff’s approach to safeguarding young people is variable. In some instances, staff demonstrate a good awareness of young people’s vulnerabilities, and act to reduce the risk to young people. However, staff have not been able to keep one young person safe. One young person has been involved in several incidents of missing from home. During these incidents, the young person has placed himself in situations in which he has been at risk of significant harm.

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and young people since the most recent full inspection

Staff’s initial responses to these missing incidents have been appropriate. However, follow-up action has been weak. The quality of case recording and staff’s knowledge means that the rationale for staff’s response to safeguarding incidents is not always clear. This means that the strategies to keep the young person safe are not well established. Staff’s overly optimistic assessment of the young person’s progress during his time in placement means that staff have been complacent about his level of vulnerability. This has contributed to a failure to challenge the local authority about the need for a formal review of the young person’s risk of harm. Young people are looked after by staff who are generally caring and nurturing in their approach. One young person told the inspector that, while she does not get on with all staff, she finds that staff are supportive, helpful and friendly. Staff have undertaken targeted work to promote one young person’s skills in

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and young people since the most recent full inspection

independence. The young person told the inspector, ‘They really push me. They have shown trust in me.’ This has helped the young person to grow in confidence and to start developing achievable aspirations for the future. Two requirements were raised at the last inspection. These requirements have been met. This means that young people have more opportunities to contribute to the care that they receive. Furthermore, staff now receive an annual appraisal of their practice. The staff team is inexperienced. Of the nine staff, only three, which includes the registered manager and assistant manager, have achieved the expected childcare qualification. Positively, all staff are currently undertaking this qualification. The registered manager utilises a range of systems to monitor and review the quality of care provided to young people. However, these systems have not enabled her to understand and address the shortfalls identified during this inspection.

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and young people since the most recent full inspection

Three recommendations were also raised at the last inspection. Two of these have been completed; however, a third relating to case recording has only been partially met. Although some aspects of case recording have improved, for example young people’s progress in respect of their independence is collated into a central file, in other examples case recording is less effective. For example, placement plans do not consistently reflect Inspection report children’s home: SC456271 3 the needs of young people. Nor do they instruct staff on how best to provide young people with personalised care.

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Inspection date Inspection type Inspection judgement

01/05/2018 Full Good 02/11/2017 Full Requires improvement to be good 05/09/2017 Full Inadequate 02/03/2017 Interim Declined in effectiveness

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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

In meeting the quality standards, the registered person must, and must ensure that staff— if the registered person considers, or staff consider, a placing authority’s or a relevant person’s performance or response to be inadequate in relation to their role, challenge the placing authority or the relevant person to seek to ensure that each child’s needs are met in accordance with the child’s relevant plans. (Regulation 5(c)) 01/05/2019

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Requirement Due date

The education standard is that children make measurable progress towards achieving their educational potential and are helped to do so. In particular, the standard in paragraph (1) requires the registered person to ensure— that staff— help each child to achieve the child’s education and training targets, as recorded in the child’s relevant plans; understand the barriers to learning that each child may face and take appropriate action to help the child to overcome any such barriers; 01/05/2019 Inspection report children’s home: SC456271 4 help each child to understand the importance and value of education, learning, training and employment. (Regulation 8(1)(2)(a)(i)(iii)(iv) The protection of children standard is that children are protected from harm and enabled to keep themselves safe. In particular, the standard in paragraph (1) requires the registered person to ensure— that staff— assess whether each child is at risk of harm, taking into account

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Requirement Due date

information in the child’s relevant plans, and, if necessary, make arrangements to reduce the risk of any harm to the child; take effective action whenever there is a serious concern about a child’s welfare. (Regulation 12(1)(2)(a)(I)(vi)) 01/05/2019

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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— helps children aspire to fulfil their potential; and promotes their welfare. In particular, the standard in paragraph (1) requires the registered person to— ensure that staff have the experience, qualifications and skills to meet the needs of each child; use monitoring and review systems to make continuous improvements in the quality of care provided in the home. (Regulation 13(1)(a)(b) and (2)(c)(h)) 01/05/2019

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Requirement Due date

The care planning standard is that children— receive effectively planned care in or through the children’s home; and have a positive experience of arriving at or moving on from the home. (Regulation 14(1)(a)(b)) In particular, the registered manager should ensure that, for both planned and emergency admissions, adequate information is obtained to assess the suitability of any new placement. For emergency admissions, a planning meeting should be completed within 5 days of the young person’s arrival. 01/05/2019

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Requirement Due date

The registered person must maintain records ("case records") for each child which— include the information and documents listed in Schedule 3 in relation to each child; 01/05/2019 Inspection report children’s home: SC456271 5 are kept up to date; and are signed and dated by the author of each entry. (Regulation 36(1)(a)(b)(c)) In particular, the registered manager should ensure that documents such as young people’s placement plans accurately reflect the care being provided to young people.

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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 Ltd

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Children’s home details

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

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Inspector

Paul Robinson, social care inspector Inspection report children’s home: SC456271 6 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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