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

Inspection report for children's home: 2591479 1 Registered provider: Nurture Childcare Services Ltd Full inspection Inspected under the social care common inspection framework

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Information about this children’s home

The home is owned by a private provider. The home provides care for children with emotional and/or behavioural difficulties who are unable to live at home.

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Information about this children’s home

The registered manager post is currently vacant.

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Information about this children’s home

Due to COVID-19, at the request of the Secretary of State, we suspended all routine inspections of social care providers carried out under the social care common inspection framework (SCCIF) on 17 March 2020. We returned to routine SCCIF inspections on 12 April 2021.

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Information about this children’s home

We last visited this setting on 7 January 2021 to carry out a monitoring visit. The report is published on the Ofsted website.

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Overall experiences and progress of

children and young people, taking into account

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requires improvement to be good

How well children and young people are helped and protected requires improvement to be good

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requires improvement to be good

The effectiveness of leaders and managers requires improvement to be good

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requires improvement to be good

The children’s home is not yet delivering good help and care for children and young people. However, there are no serious or widespread failures that result in their welfare not being safeguarded or promoted.

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requires improvement to be good

Overall judgement at last inspection: not applicable

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requires improvement to be good

Enforcement action since last inspection: not applicable Inspection report for children's home: 2591479 2

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Recent inspection history

Not previously inspected Inspection report for children's home: 2591479 3

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improvement to be good

The progress of children is mixed. Staff have supported a child who recently moved into the home to overcome barriers to education. This resulted in a number of challenges being made to the placing authority regarding the delay in seeking a formal education setting for the child. Staff have supported another child who lives in the home to obtain training and employment.

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improvement to be good

Children’s physical health is not consistently promoted by staff. This has led to a child missing a number of dental appointments. However, the mental well-being of one child has significantly improved while they have been living at the home. This was confirmed by an external professional.

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improvement to be good

Children are encouraged to engage in a range of activities, including community events, to broaden their experiences and feel like part of the community.

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improvement to be good

Staff arrange appropriate contact for children with family and friends. The allows children to feel valued and supported.

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improvement to be good

Children are given opportunities to share their views on their care and the daily routines of the home. Positive relationships with staff enable children to raise any concerns at any time.

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improvement to be good

Children know how to make a complaint and who they can talk to if they have a concern. When children do make complaints, these are dealt with quickly and effectively. This supports children to feel like they are listened to.

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improvement to be good

The home is clean and tidy overall, however, some cleaning and decorating is required throughout.

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improvement to be good

Risk management is not consistent in the home. This means that children are not always safeguarded effectively.

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improvement to be good

The staff demonstrate good knowledge and understanding of risks to children and the necessary protective strategies that are in place. However, the quality of written risk assessments is variable and at times information is inconsistent or missing. This means that staff are not able to safeguard children effectively. This also reflects weaknesses in the manager’s monitoring of the paperwork.

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improvement to be good

The use of physical intervention is minimal, which indicates staff’s skills and ability to form positive relationships with children. Furthermore, rewards and sanctions are Inspection report for children's home: 2591479 4 used effectively to help children learn about how their behaviour can affect themselves and others.

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improvement to be good

There is evidence of some meaningful discussions with children when there are concerns about bullying and staff are alert to covert bullying and the impact that this can have on children.

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improvement to be good

Staff help children to recognise risk and how to stay safe. They understand the need for children to become independent and to take appropriate risks, and help them to manage their behaviours and regulate their responses.

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improvement to be good

One child’s bedroom was in a poor condition, and drug paraphernalia was found there by the inspector. The manager and staff told the inspector that they were not aware of substances being in his room. When staff had previous concerns that the child was using illicit substances in the home they did not take appropriate action to keep the child safe.

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improvement to be good

One child engages with the youth offending service to address his offending behaviour and staff encourage positive behaviour in the home and community. This means that the level of offending by the child has reduced.

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improvement to be good

Staff and managers undertake a range of training in safeguarding matters. This ensures that they have some basic knowledge of safeguarding practice.

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good

The acting manager is experienced and shows a good understanding of children’s needs. He has recently joined the home and has made an application to register with Ofsted.

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good

There have been several staffing changes, which have had an impact on the gender balance of the team. The team is predominantly female, which was highlighted to the manager during the inspection. The manager states he has taken steps to address this.

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good

Staff say that they feel supported in their roles. Team meetings take place, which allow the team to come together and share ideas.

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good

The internal monitoring of the home requires improvement. Shortfalls were identified in children’s records. The manager said that he has been caring directly for children at times, and this has had an impact on his ability to regularly monitor standards within the home.

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good

The acting manager has failed to ensure that agency staff who work in the home are suitably trained to care for children, to ensure that children are safeguarded. This has not been recognised as part of the manager’s oversight when requesting agency staff to work in the home. Inspection report for children's home: 2591479 5

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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

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; and

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Requirement Due date

help each child to understand how to keep safe; and

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Requirement Due date

have the skills to identify and act upon signs that a child is at risk of harm; and

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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. Regulation (12) (1) (2)(a)(i)(ii)(iii)(v)) 4 January 2022

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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

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Requirement Due date

In particular, the standard in paragraph (1) requires the registered person to— 4 January 2022 Inspection report for children's home: 2591479 6 lead and manage the home in a way that is consistent with the approach and ethos, and delivers the outcomes, set out in the home’s statement of purpose;

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Requirement Due date

use monitoring and review systems to make continuous improvements in the quality of care provided in the home. Regulation (13) (1)(a)(b) (2)(a)(h))

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Recommendations

 The registered person should ensure, whenever possible, staff in day-to-day contact with children should include staff from the different gender groups. Where the home’s statement of purpose makes it explicit that the home uses staff of one sex only, clear guidance will need to be in place and followed as to how children are enabled to maintain relationships with people of a different gender. (‘Guide to the children’s homes regulations, including the quality standards’, page 54, paragraph 10.22)  The registered person should ensure that any sanctions used to address poor behaviour should be restorative in nature, to help children recognise the impact of their behaviour on themselves, other children, the staff caring for them and the wider community. In some cases, it will be important for children to make reparation in some form to anyone hurt by their behaviour and the staff in the home should be skilled to support the child to understand this and carry it out.

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Recommendations

(‘Guide to the children’s homes regulations, including the quality standards’, page 46, paragraph 9.38)  The registered person should ensure that homes have a key role in organising and ensuring each child’s attendance at the necessary primary and secondary health services. Most health services that a child needs to access will be provided by other organisations. If these services are not accessible, or are withdrawn, staff should inform and engage with those who also hold a responsibility for the child’s health to ensure their health needs are met under regulation 5 (engaging with the wider system to ensure children’s needs are met). (‘Guide to the children’s homes regulations, including the quality standards’, page 34, paragraph 7.11)

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Information about this inspection

Inspectors have looked closely at the experiences and progress of children and young people, 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) Inspection report for children's home: 2591479 7 Regulations 2015 and the ‘Guide to the children’s homes regulations including the quality standards’. Inspection report for children's home: 2591479 8

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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 BB6 7QD

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Inspector

Rachel Springford, Social Care Inspector Inspection report for children's home: 2591479 9 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 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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