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

This private children’s home provides care and accommodation for one young person who may have emotional and behavioural difficulties and/or learning disabilities.

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Information about this children’s home

The current manager was registered with Ofsted in June 2014.

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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

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

31/07/2018 Full Good 13/12/2017 Full Good 21/02/2017 Interim Sustained effectiveness 26/10/2016 Full Good 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 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

This is specifically in relation to ensuring that an impact risk assessment is completed for each new referral to the home and that the young person’s impact risk assessment considers the safer area report, to ensure that the area is safe for them. 30/10/2019

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Recommendations

 The registered person should have a workforce plan which can fulfil the workforce related requirements of regulation 16, schedule 1 (paragraphs 19 and 20) (‘Guide to the children’s homes regulations including the quality standards’, page 53, paragraph 10.8).

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Recommendations

 The registered person should have a system in place so that all serious events are notified, within 24 hours, to the appropriate people. (‘Guide to the children’s homes regulations including the quality standards’, page 63, paragraph 14.13). Inspection report children’s home: SC413223 4

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

A new young person has been living at the home since the last inspection. He receives good care that is making a positive difference in his life. Staff’s strong relationships with a range of external professionals mean that the young person receives well-planned care that promotes improved outcomes across all aspects of his life.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

While the manager received useful information about the young person’s vulnerabilities before his admission, there is no evidence of an impact risk assessment. Further to this, the manager did not use the safer location area report to see whether the location of the home posed any risks to the young person.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

The young person is fully involved in all aspects of his care, and his views, wishes and feelings are considered. He often comments on his records and he feels that he can influence outcomes. When he is unhappy, he can raise issues informally and formally through the complaints system in the home. In addition to this, he is able to identify several independent people whom he can contact if he is unhappy or has a concern. The young person has been home tutored for a significant period. This is because he requires a specialised educational provision. The manager and the staff team have worked tirelessly with educational professionals and others to identify a suitable provision for him. As a result, a college course has been sourced and the young person is due to start college in September 2019. He has met his mentor, who will help him throughout the course. He has sat several exams and is eagerly awaiting the results. He

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

is expected to receive good grades that will be in line with his peers. Healthcare planning is good. The young person has received additional support through the health and well-being team. His diet has become healthier and he takes more exercise. To encourage him in this area, the manager has bought him a boxing punch bag and gloves. The young person struggles with social interaction. The staff continue to encourage him by offering different activities, clubs and hobbies. He has reluctantly tried a few and the staff feel that they are making progress in this area with him. To fully understand the young person’s anxieties, the manager has asked for a full assessment of his needs from a healthcare professional. This will give the staff team a better understanding of his emotional health. The young person has started to prepare for his future. The staff team are using observation and agreed small tasks to assess his independence skills. He is shopping,

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

preparing and cooking meals and taking responsibility for his personal needs. Pathway and independence plans are in place, and the young person is at a point where he is considering where he would like to live in the future. It is clear that the young person is developing the skills needed to be self-sufficient and that he is fully involved in the decisions about his future. 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 is very positive about the care that he receives, and he said that he feels safe living in this home. He has built strong and trusting relationships with staff, who listen to him and invest time in him daily. He is confident that he could talk to any member of staff if he is worried or feels unsafe and that they would help him.

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

Staff work closely with a range of safeguarding professionals to ensure that young people are safe. Professionals say that when a concern arises, swift action is taken, everybody is informed, extra safeguarding measures are put in place, and strategy meetings are arranged. There has been one allegation made in respect of the conduct of a member of staff, and the manager took the appropriate action to safeguard the young person. She notified the appropriate safeguarding professional and the young person’s social worker. However, there was a significant delay in formally notifying Ofsted.

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

All staff are trained in safeguarding procedures, which includes accessing the internet safely and recognising behaviour and patterns of child sexual exploitation. The staff demonstrate a good understanding of these safeguarding issues and act quickly on any concerns. This helps to ensure that young people are safeguarded. The last resident went missing from the home regularly. Staff followed the local authority’s missing from care protocol. The young person was moved out of borough to a rural setting for his own safety. The current young person has only been reported missing on one occasion, when he left school without permission. However, he did return of his own accord. An independent visitor undertakes return home interviews. This helps the staff to understand why young people go missing and what changes, if any, they can make to their practice to prevent future occurrences.

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

The positive behaviour of young people is continually promoted and rewarded. There have been no instances of restraint since the last inspection. Behaviour management plans show how the current young person would like to be cared for and the incentives that he can work towards. For example, he can earn extra money for completing semi- independence tasks and for helping around the home.

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

At the last inspection, the manager was asked to ensure that risk assessments were robust. The recording of any presenting risks has improved because staff now have clear guidance on the action to take if an incident was to occur. This ensures that all staff will be consistent in their approach.

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

The company follows safer recruitment guidance. All checks are completed and verified to make sure that members of staff are suitable to work with young people. Regular health and safety checks mean that the home is physically safe and secure. Young people, staff and visitors are taken through the emergency fire evacuation procedure. This means that everyone knows what to do in an emergency. Inspection report children’s home: SC413223 6

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

The manager was registered with Ofsted in June 2014. She has a suitable management and leadership qualification. She has extensive experience in working with young people in a care setting. The home’s statement of purpose reflects the service provided and is updated regularly. There is a good connection between this and the home’s development plan. There have been several new staff working in the home since the last inspection. New staff undertake an induction to the home which includes them completing a range of mandatory training. They are supervised regularly and must complete a six-month probationary period which means that all members of staff are continually appraised. However, the manager does not have a workforce plan with details of the supervision of new staff, full-time staff and bank staff, the processes and timescales of managing and improving poor performance, and the processes and agreed timescales for staff to

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

achieve induction, probation and any core training. Young people are central to the care that they receive at this home. The current young person is encouraged to discuss and comment on all aspects of his care in records and meetings. As a result, of this he is able to influence the care that he receives. When external services have been slow or not available to the young person, the manager has challenged these shortfalls effectively. This means that the current young person has received additional services to meet his emerging needs. Most of the staff hold a relevant level 3 childcare qualification. If new staff do not hold the recognised qualification, they are enrolled on the course at the start of their employment. The staff receive good support through regular supervision, training and staff meetings. They continue to broaden their knowledge through additional training, such as on suicide awareness, brain trauma and anger management. Further to this,

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

topics such as data protection, county lines and autism spectrum disorders have been discussed at staff meetings. This proactive approach to continued professional development and good oversight of staff practice means that the staff have the skills and knowledge to care for the young people well.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

Monitoring and reviewing systems at the home help the manager to identify any shortfalls, as well as areas for development or good practice. Therefore, the manager can take appropriate action to improve the service and celebrate good practice. As part of this monitoring, there is consultation with young people, professionals, staff and stakeholders in order that an all-round view is collated about the care given at the home. 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 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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