Children's Home run by Nurture Childcare Services Ltd in Lancashire

Inspection report for children’s home - monitoring visit: 2591479 1

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Nurture Childcare Services Ltd

Monitoring visit Inspected under the social care common inspection framework

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Information about this children’s home

The children’s home is privately owned and registered to care for up to three children who may have emotional and/or behavioural difficulties.

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Information about this children’s home

The manager was registered with Ofsted in October 2020.

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This monitoring visit

This children’s home was registered with Ofsted in August 2020. Since registration, Ofsted has received several notifications of significant events that have occurred in the home. Information in the notifications raised concerns regarding the management of a child’s behaviour and risks to their safety and well-being. Therefore, a decision was made to conduct a monitoring visit.

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This monitoring visit

Due to the government guidelines in place regarding the COVID-19 (coronavirus) pandemic, the inspection took place using remote inspection methodology. At the time of the visit, one child had recently been discharged and there were no children living at the home.

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This monitoring visit

During this visit, it was identified that there was a failure to properly consider the needs of children and risks relating to their care, prior to agreeing to admit them to live in the home.

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This monitoring visit

The registered manager failed to complete a robust impact risk assessment to inform her decision to admit a child to the home. The decision to admit the child was made without meeting the child or gathering sufficient information from the child’s previous placement. This limited the manager’s understanding of the child’s challenging behaviours. As a result, she was not able to effectively match the child’s complex needs to the skills and experience of the staff team. Inspection report for children’s home - monitoring visit: 2591479 2 Staff have tried hard to build positive relationships with the child and provide him with a nurturing environment. They have demonstrated a high level of commitment and resilience in supporting the child. Staff spoke positively about the child and their aspirations for the placement to be successful. However, the child’s challenging behaviours continued to escalate in frequency and intensity and staff were not able

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This monitoring visit

to safely manage this. The child’s placement has subsequently broken down and this child has now experienced a number of unplanned moves in a short period of time. This will have a negative impact on his willingness to invest in future placements and relationships.

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This monitoring visit

Significant risks to the safety and well-being of the child were not adequately assessed. For example, the child has a history of starting fires and has, on one occasion, brought petrol into the home. The child was known to leave his bedroom during the night and attempt to light cigarettes. Night time supervision levels were not appropriate to manage the fire risk safely. There was no clear plan in place to ensure effective night-time supervision of the child or ensure that the child did not have access to the means to start a fire.

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This monitoring visit

Shortfalls were identified in the manager’s oversight of risk assessments. Decisions were made to lower the level of assessed risk to the child, despite existing control measures being ineffective. For example, the risk of the child being physically aggressive was lowered despite the number and intensity of incidents increasing.

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This monitoring visit

Some known risks were not sufficiently assessed, such as the risk of criminal exploitation. This means that staff are not always provided with clear guidance on how to keep children or themselves safe. This does not support staff to understand their roles and responsibilities in relation to the protection of children.

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This monitoring visit

Shortfalls were identified in the quality of the child’s care plan. The plan did not adequately detail the child’s daily care needs and the support he required from staff. This means that staff are not provided with clear guidance about the actions they must take to meet children’s needs.

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This monitoring visit

There have been occasions when staff have had to work very long shifts to cover gaps in the staff roster. Additional support has also been provided by staff from other homes in the provider’s network and agency staff. This ensured that there was always sufficient staff available to care for the child. However, it means that the child has not always benefited from a consistent staff team. A requirement has been raised to address this.

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This monitoring visit

Staff expressed confidence in the registered manager. They told the inspector that the manager was accessible and staff valued the support they received from her. One member of staff said, ‘The manager is very supportive. We all know she is there for us and would come in to help us if we needed support.’

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This monitoring visit

Most staff have no previous residential childcare experience. They have been provided with an induction and basic training. However, they have not been given all the specialist training they require to keep the child safe. For example, there have Inspection report for children’s home - monitoring visit: 2591479 3 been two incidents when the child has placed a ligature around his neck. There is a rescue knife available for staff to use, but they have not been given the specialist training they require to use this safely. The lack of staff training in this area fails to safeguard children.

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This monitoring visit

As a result of the monitoring visit, Ofsted has issued two compliance notices. Ofsted will continue to monitor the provider closely to ensure that improvements are made.

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Recent inspection history

Inspection date Inspection type Inspection judgement Inspection report for children’s home - monitoring visit: 2591479 4

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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. In particular, the standard in paragraph (1) requires the registered person to ensure—

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Requirement Due date

assess whether each child is at risk of harm, taking into account information in the child’s relevant plans, and, if necessary, make arrangements to reduce the risk of any harm to the child;

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Requirement Due date

understand the roles and responsibilities in relation to protecting children that are assigned to them by the registered person;

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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)(a)(i)(v)(b)) 06/01/2021

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Requirement Due date

*The care planning standard is that children—

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Requirement Due date

receive effectively planned care in or through the children’s home.

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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 children are admitted to the home only if their needs are within the range of needs of children for whom it is intended that the home is to provide care and accommodation, as set out in the home’s statement of purpose. (Regulation 14 (1)(a) (2)(a)) 06/01/2021

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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— 06/01/2021 Inspection report for children’s home - monitoring visit: 2591479 5 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 have the experience, qualifications and skills to meet the needs of each child;

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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)(c)(e))

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Requirement Due date

*These requirements are subject to a compliance notice.

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Information about this inspection

The purpose of this visit was to monitor the action taken and the progress made by the children’s home since its last Ofsted inspection.

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Information about this inspection

This inspection was carried out under the Care Standards Act 2000.

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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

Sophie Thomson, Social Care Inspector Inspection report for children’s home - monitoring visit: 2591479 6 to 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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