Children's Home run by Nestlings Care Limited in Bolton

Inspection report for children’s home: 1271581 1 Registered provider: Nestlings Care Limited Full inspection Inspected under the social care common inspection framework

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Information about this children’s home

This is a specialist therapeutic and rehabilitative home for up to two children, aged 10 to 18, who may have mental health problems or present with challenging behaviours and who may pose a risk to themselves and to others. The home is registered with Ofsted and the Care Quality Commission.

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Information about this children’s home

There is an experienced manager in post who has been registered with Ofsted since April 2018.

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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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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

Date of last inspection: 13 February 2019

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good

Overall judgement at last inspection: sustained effectiveness

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good

Enforcement action since last inspection: none Inspection report for children’s home: 1271581 2

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Inspection date Inspection type Inspection judgement

13/02/2019 Interim Sustained effectiveness 25/10/2018 Full Good Inspection report for children’s home: 1271581 3

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

The children’s home is homely, warm and comfortable. Children’s bedrooms are personalised to their individual taste. The home has a large garden which is well equipped with a basketball hoop and a badminton net. Children can get some exercise, play with staff and blow off steam at home, which will help them to stay calm.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Children’s physical and mental health needs are supported by a multi-disciplinary team. Children have access to regular therapeutic support provided by a psychologist. The therapy is not tied to a single discipline and is adapted to the needs of the individual child. One of the children told the inspector that they ‘felt better inside’ since living in the home.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

The children have highly individualised plans that aim to increase their independence and engagement with the world while simultaneously ensuring their safety. Staff are aware of children’s patterns, routines and behaviours. This means that staff can offer support and divert them to different activities if they notice that they are becoming unhappy. A parent told the inspector, ‘This is the place that has understood her [my child] the best.’

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

The inspector observed comfortable relationships between staff and children. Children always know the staff on duty. Children have a respectful relationship with each other. Leisure interests and activities are promoted, such as playing and watching football, baking and fun days out together. Children have fun with staff. This means that they are building their confidence out in the community, which will help them as they reach adulthood.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Both children have access to an advocate. They speak to the advocate to help them contribute to their care plans. The advocate commented, ‘The home has a genuine desire to include the child’s voice in their planning.’ Children know how to make a complaint and are certain that their complaint will be listened to.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

One child attends college regularly and is progressing well. The child, for whom English is a second language, has learned to speak very good English since starting his course. Another child, who has been out of education for a long time, has just started to attend a college course closely linked to her interests and skills. Both children have ‘journey books’ which show how far they have progressed. This is helpful for them, as they can see how much they have done so far and how far they can progress in the future.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

One child has reached adulthood and it is time for them to move out of the home. The inspector has seen that there is a transition plan which details some practical steps, however, there is not yet a date for this move. This is having an unsettling Inspection report for children’s home: 1271581 4 effect on the child. This may also be having a negative effect on the other child in the home and must be resolved quickly.

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

There are clear safety routines and monitoring systems to ensure that children are kept safe. The system for managing medication and ensuring there are no errors in dispensing medication is excellent.

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

The manager and staff know the children very well and there are individualised safety plans and crisis management plans. The plans are detailed and personalised. Boundaries in the home and safety management for trips out are very clear. The staff have access to advice and support from mental health nurses and a registered manager 24 hours a day, if needed, so they can be supported in a crisis. The children are physically kept safe. These measures will contribute to a feeling of security and well-being for the children. Children told the inspector that they feel safe in the home.

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

The manager, with support from the mental health nurse attached to the home, has supported the children to enjoy activities in the community that they have not been able to do for some time before they came to the home. This has enhanced the children’s experiences of life and allowed them to feel part of their community and wider society.

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

There have been a significant number of physical interventions. All these incidents are recorded and analysed. Staff have a debrief meeting with the manager following incidents. There is a detailed strategy in place to help staff recognise the behaviours that precede the incidents that require such interventions. The strategy identifies several points where staff can assist the child to ‘step out’ of the cycle. Records associated with the debriefs from the physical interventions are quite brief and not always fully legible. This may hamper staff’s understanding and analysis of these incidents.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

The manager is aware of the strengths and weaknesses of the home. This is achieved through consistent and thorough monitoring systems. The manager is confident, experienced and approachable. Children say they find her easy to talk to, and staff say that she is supportive and ‘leads from the front’.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

The manager has an ambitious vision. She encourages the progression and independence of the children and has high expectations for them. The manager knows the children inside out and is passionate about their recovery and happiness. She, and the staff, work hard to support the children to achieve positive outcomes.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

Staff are supported through regular formal supervision and say that they feel able to approach their manager at any time. Each staff member has an annual appraisal where they can discuss their training needs and development opportunities. This Inspection report for children’s home: 1271581 5 means that, with management guidance, staff have input into increasing their knowledge and skills. Staff participate in regular, relevant training. Supervision records do not always show that staff have had the opportunity for reflection on training or events in the home which could help embed their learning.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

Staff are encouraged to work as a team, and there are good handover systems in place so that they can communicate about the children’s needs, routines and welfare. Staff meet regularly as a team. This is sometimes a challenge, due to shift patterns and the supervision requirements of the children, but does not hamper communication.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

Equality and diversity are promoted well. Children’s individual cultural needs are met with regards to food preparation, attending church and having materials translated into their first language. Staff embrace the opportunity to support children to celebrate their religious festivals.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

Children have input into the decisions that affect their daily lives. There are regular children’s meetings where children can have their voices heard in relation to activities and what meals they eat. The children have helped to choose how their bedrooms are decorated and there are plans to include their views as the home has some planned decorating work done in the next few months. Inspection report for children’s home: 1271581 6

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Recommendations

 The registered person should ensure that there is a clear transition plan, with an agreed date for the child who has reached adulthood and needs to move to a more suitable placement, to be put into place. (‘Guide to the children’s homes regulations, including the quality standards’, page 57, paragraph 11.9)  The registered person should ensure that records of physical interventions are legible, to allow the registered manager and staff to review and identify any effective practice or trends of concern. (‘Guide to the children’s home regulations, including the quality standards’, page 49, paragraph 9.59)  The registered person should ensure that supervision records are detailed and legible, and that staff are given the opportunity to reflect on their training and on children’s behaviours and incidents. (‘Guide to the children’s home regulations, including the quality standards’, page 61, paragraph 13.2)

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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) Regulations 2015 and the ‘Guide to the children’s homes regulations, including the quality standards’. Inspection report for children’s home: 1271581 7

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Children’s home details

Registered provider: Nestlings Care Limited

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Children’s home details

Registered provider address: Suite 4, 1 Derby Street, Leigh, Lancashire WN7 4PF

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Children’s home details

Responsible individual: Anthony Thompson

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Inspector

Cathy Wilkins, Social Care Inspector Inspection report for children’s home: 1271581 8 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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