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

Inspection report for children’s home: 2534829 1 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

The home is owned and operated by a private organisation. It provides care for up to two children who may have emotional or behavioural needs. At the time of the inspection, there was one child living in the home.

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Inspection date: 29 March 2022

Date of last inspection: 12 October 2021

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Inspection date: 29 March 2022

Judgement at last inspection: requires improvement to be good

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Inspection date: 29 March 2022

Enforcement action since last inspection: none Inspection report for children’s home: 2534829 2

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children and young people since the most recent full inspection

This home was judged requires improvement to be good at the last full inspection.

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children and young people since the most recent full inspection

At this interim inspection, Ofsted judged that it has declined in effectiveness.

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children and young people since the most recent full inspection

Since the last inspection, two children have moved out of the home and one child has moved in.

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children and young people since the most recent full inspection

The home is without a registered manager or deputy manager. Since the last full inspection, an interim manager was in post for a short time; however, she has now left the company. As the provider has failed to notify Ofsted of these changes, a requirement will be made. The provider is making attempts to recruit a new manager.

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children and young people since the most recent full inspection

The provider drew up an action plan to demonstrate how the home could meet the requirements and recommendations from the previous inspection. Some of the requirements and all the recommendations have been met.

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children and young people since the most recent full inspection

Children are better prepared for independence. One child who moved on from the home moved to independent living with a successful independence plan. Children’s views are captured in key-working sessions and children’s meetings. Children are encouraged to attend education. Prior to moving out of the home, two children had re-engaged with an education programme. The child currently living in the home has education provision identified, but refuses to attend.

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children and young people since the most recent full inspection

The child currently living in the home has a high number of missing-from-home incidents. Out of the month he has lived in the home, he has only stayed overnight four times. While staff are proactive in looking for him and maintaining contact with him, they are not able to keep him safe.

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children and young people since the most recent full inspection

Risk assessments are not robust enough in identifying risks and strategies of how to deal with the risks. After a series of serious incidents, a child went to stay in a holiday cottage with a member of staff while a new placement was found. The risk assessment did not identify the need for additional staffing and left a staff member in a vulnerable position when incidents occurred. On another occasion, a child was potentially having contact with someone whom she had made a serious allegation about and there were no strategies to manage this risk. This will be a repeat requirement.

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children and young people since the most recent full inspection

Required safeguarding notifications to Ofsted do not contain sufficient information in relation to incidents. Additionally, incidents are not always recognised as requiring a notification to Ofsted. A requirement has been made to address this. Inspection report for children’s home: 2534829 3 Managerial oversight and evaluation are insufficient and ineffective. The absence of a manager means that incidents are not reviewed and evaluated. Therefore, there is no opportunity for learning. A lack of monitoring means that shortfalls cannot be identified, and this potentially puts children at risk. A repeat requirement will be made in relation to this.

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children and young people since the most recent full inspection

Records are not always clear. Some staff try to reflect the child’s voice in records, but this is not consistent. Some records are confusing and difficult to read. A recommendation has been made in relation to this. Inspection report for children’s home: 2534829 4

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Inspection date Inspection type Inspection judgement

12/10/2021 Full Requires improvement to be good 04/02/2020 Full Requires improvement to be good Inspection report for children’s home: 2534829 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. (Regulation 12 (2)(a)(i)) 28 June 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—

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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)(h)) 28 June 2022

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Requirement Due date

The registered person must notify HMCI and each other relevant person without delay if—

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Requirement Due date

a child is involved in or subject to, or is suspected of being involved in or subject to,

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Requirement Due date

sexual exploitation; 28 June 2022 Inspection report for children’s home: 2534829 6 an incident requiring police involvement occurs in relation to a child which the registered person considers to be serious;

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Requirement Due date

there is an allegation of abuse against the home or a person working there;

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Requirement Due date

a child protection enquiry involving a child—

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Requirement Due date

concludes (in which case, the notification must include the outcome of the child protection enquiry); or

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Requirement Due date

there is any other incident relating to a child which the registered person considers to be serious. (Regulation 40 (4)(a)(b)(c)(d)(i)(ii)(e))

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Requirement Due date

If the person who is in day-to-day charge of the children’s home proposes to be absent from the home for a continuous period of 28 days or more, the registered person must give notice in writing to HMCI of the proposed absence.

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Requirement Due date

Except in the case of an emergency or unforeseen absence, a notice under paragraph (1) must—

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Requirement Due date

be given no later than one month before the proposed absence commences, or within such shorter period as may be agreed with HMCI; and

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Requirement Due date

specify with respect to the proposed absence—

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Requirement Due date

the arrangements which have been made for running the home during the absence;

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Requirement Due date

the address, name and qualifications of the person who will be responsible for the home during the absence; and

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Requirement Due date

in the case of the absence of the registered manager, the arrangements that have been, or are proposed to be, made for appointing another person to manage the home during the absence, including the proposed date by which the appointment is to be made. 28 June 2022 Inspection report for children’s home: 2534829 7 If the absence arises as a result of an emergency or is unforeseen, the registered person must give notice of the absence—

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Requirement Due date

within one week of the beginning of the absence; and

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Requirement Due date

specifying the matters in paragraph (2)(b).

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Requirement Due date

If the notice required under paragraph (2) or (3) has not been given as required, it must be given without delay.

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Requirement Due date

The registered person must notify HMCI of the return to duty of the person in day-to-day charge of the home not later than 7 days after the date of that person’s return. (Regulation 48 (1) (2)(a)(b)(i)(ii)(iii)(iv)(v) (3)(a)(b) (4)(5))

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Recommendation

 The registered person should ensure that children are encouraged by staff to see the home’s records, which should be recorded in a way which reflects the child’s voice. (‘Guide to the Children’s Homes Regulations, including the quality standards’, page 58, paragraph 11.19)

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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

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: 2534829 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: Seighford Hall, Clanford Road, Seighford, Stafford ST18 9NL

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Children’s home details

Responsible individual: Natalie Williams

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Inspector

Rachael Crook, Social Care Inspector Inspection report for children’s home: 2534829 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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