Children's Home run by Prime Nurture Services Limited in Nottinghamshire

Inspection report for children’s home: 2665204 1 Registered provider: Prime Nurture Services Limited Full inspection Inspected under the social care common inspection framework

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Information about this children’s home

This is a privately owned children’s home. It is registered to provide care for up to four children with emotional, social and behavioural difficulties.

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Information about this children’s home

There is an acting manager, who is experienced, but not yet registered.

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Overall experiences and progress of

children and young people, taking into account

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inadequate

How well children and young people are helped and protected inadequate

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inadequate

The effectiveness of leaders and managers inadequate

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inadequate

There are serious failures that mean children and young people are not protected.

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inadequate

Overall judgement at last inspection: not applicable

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inadequate

Enforcement action since last inspection: not applicable Inspection report for children’s home: 2665204 2

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Inspection date Inspection type Inspection judgement

This is the first inspection since registration. Inspection report for children’s home: 2665204 3

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inadequate

The home opened in January 2022. This is the first full inspection. The home is judged inadequate. This is due to serious shortfalls in how children are safeguarded and in the management of the home.

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inadequate

Leaders and managers have not implemented the preferred model of care as described in the statement of purpose. Staff are not familiar with the model, and it is not reflected in the children’s care plans. Care plans are not kept up to date. This means important information is not available to staff and children. Additionally, children do not have access to their care plans. The poor standard of care planning limits the capacity of managers and staff to provide consistent and individualised care to meet children’s needs.

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inadequate

Children are not attending school or training. One child is receiving schoolwork at home. However, there are no clear plans for children when the new school term commences in September 2022. Managers and staff have not acted quickly in order to secure the right education or training for children. As a result, children do not know what their education plans are. This creates delay and confusion and hampers children’s educational progress.

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inadequate

Children are supported to spend time with their families. However, arrangements are not always prearranged. For example, one child sees a family member at the home, but the visits are not always expected. This has the potential to disrupt the child’s day or miss the visit altogether.

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inadequate

Children say they are happy, despite the shortfalls. They have positive relationships with staff and they regularly spend time together. Children enjoy activities such as cooking, artwork and going to parks. Staff ensure that children have a healthy and varied diet, encouraging them to try different foods. Overall, children are in good health, and they are supported to attend medical appointments. One child is currently struggling with this issue, but work is ongoing to help him make progress in this area.

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

The management of risk to children is inadequate. Children’s risk assessments are not up to date and do not contain relevant information about the nature and level of known risks. Information contained in children’s risk assessments and plans is not accurate. Staff do not read risk assessments or know where they can access them. The actions required to manage risks are not sufficiently documented. As a result, managers and staff do not have clear guidance in place about the actions they need to take to mitigate risks. This leaves children in a vulnerable position. Inspection report for children’s home: 2665204 4 Staff do not monitor children’s use of mobile phones and other devices effectively. For example, one child said that he is using a gaming device, and said he is talking to people he doesn’t know. There are historical concerns about this child having shared worrying online content. A robust safety plan is not yet in place, and this

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

means children are at increased risk of speaking to unsafe adults.

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

One child is regularly missing from the home for long periods. Staff have not implemented missing-from-care protocols. Return home interviews are not being undertaken. There is no evidence that the home has challenged the local authority in relation to this shortfall. As a result, opportunities to explore why the child is away from home and reduce potential risks are missed.

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

Managers have not always been available to support when serious incidents have taken place. They have not ensured that staff were trained to undertake physical intervention, should this be required. This was in the knowledge that a child regularly required significant support with their behaviour. This places children and staff at risk.

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

Staff have not received training in relation to children who present a risk of self- harm. This means staff do not have the necessary skills to prevent and respond to self-injurious behaviours, should this occur. This omission fails to ensure that children are safe from harm.

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

Managers do not ensure adequate review and oversight of incidents. Children and staff do not have debriefs following concerning incidents. As a result, this limits opportunities to evaluate and learn from incidents in order to prevent children from coming to harm in the future.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: inadequate

There has been instability with management arrangements. There have been significant changes in a short space of time. Within six months, there have been three responsible individuals and a change of manager. Leaders hold considerable concerns about the previous manager’s practice. Many of these concerns could not be addressed given that the manager left with immediate effect following a period of absence. Poor leadership and management have had a particularly negative effect on establishing and embedding robust safeguarding practices.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: inadequate

A new manager and responsible individual have recently been appointed. Both are motivated to stabilise the home. However, they do not have a full understanding of all the children’s risks and vulnerabilities. Children are not yet sufficiently safe. There is an increased risk from poor risk assessments and a lack of action in response to concerns.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: inadequate

The home has experienced turbulence with staffing. Several members of the team have left. This has led to inconsistencies in the care of children. One child said he had been impacted by staff leaving the home. Leaders and managers have mitigated Inspection report for children’s home: 2665204 5 the situation with the use of temporary staff who are familiar to the children. Additionally, ongoing recruitment is taking place to ensure the team is at full capacity.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: inadequate

Leaders and managers were asked to respond immediately to address the shortfalls. Steps were taken by the new leadership and management team to ensure new risk assessments are in place with immediate effect. Leaders and managers produced an in-depth improvement plan setting out the actions, with timescales, to address shortfalls. They have started to address shortfalls. For example, they are undertaking regular audits, the recruitment of an experienced deputy manager and increasing scrutiny of incidents. Leaders and managers recognise the importance of prioritising the safeguarding of children in their improvement plan.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: inadequate

Staff speak positively about the new managers. They say they receive supervision, feel listened to and have confidence in new systems being implemented. Staff have completed mandatory training. However, they do not have sufficient training to provide the care described in the home’s statement of purpose. Leaders and managers have plans in place to address this shortfall.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: inadequate

A compliance notice under Regulation 12 has been issued. A restriction notice has been served, which will prevent the provider from admitting any more children while improvements are made. Inspection report for children’s home: 2665204 6

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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 quality and purpose of care standard is that children receive care from staff who—

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Requirement Due date

understand the children’s home’s overall aims and the outcomes it seeks to achieve for children;

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Requirement Due date

use this understanding to deliver care that meets children’s needs and supports them to fulfil their potential.

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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

understand and apply the home’s statement of purpose;

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Requirement Due date

understand and apply the home’s statement of purpose;

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Requirement Due date

protect and promote each child’s welfare; and

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Requirement Due date

provide personalised care that meets each child’s needs, as recorded in the child’s relevant plans, taking account of the child’s background. (Regulation 6 (1)(a)(b) (2)(a)(b)(i)(ii)(iv))

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Requirement Due date

This specifically relates to the registered person ensuring that the home delivers a model of care in keeping with the home’s statement of purpose, and which addresses the needs of children living in the home. 6 September

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Requirement Due date

The education standard is that children make measurable progress towards achieving their educational potential and are helped to do so.

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Requirement Due date

In particular, the standard in paragraph (1) requires the registered person to ensure— 15 August Inspection report for children’s home: 2665204 7 that staff—

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Requirement Due date

help each child to achieve the child’s education and training targets, as recorded in the child’s relevant plans;

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Requirement Due date

maintain regular contact with each child’s education and training provider, including engaging with the provider and the placing authority to support the child’s education and training and to maximise the child’s achievement. (Regulation 8 (1) (2)(a)(i)(vi))

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Requirement Due date

This specifically relates to ensuring that each child has an education plan in place so that they can progress with their education and reach their potential. 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;

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Requirement Due date

help each child to understand how to keep safe;

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Requirement Due date

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

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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

take effective action whenever there is a serious concern about a child’s welfare; and

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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)(ii)(iii)(v)(vi)(b))

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Requirement Due date

This specifically relates to the registered person ensuring that steps to ensure that all children’s risks are assessed and documented in a risk assessment and that the manager ensures that children’s risk assessments and care plans are regularly updated to reflect the level and nature of those risks. 21 August Inspection report for children’s home: 2665204 8 The registered person must ensure that all staff have access to risk assessments, and ensure that children are safe online by having safety plans in place for children when they are using devices.

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Requirement Due date

The registered person must ensure that children have return home interviews when they have been missing from home.

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Requirement Due date

The registered person must ensure that there is management support, oversight, evaluation and debriefs following incidents.

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Requirement Due date

The registered person must ensure that all staff have the relevant training to enable them to keep children safe from harm, including during incidents requiring physical intervention.

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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

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

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.

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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)(c)(e)(h))

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Requirement Due date

This specifically relates to the registered person ensuring that the statement of purpose reflects the care delivered by the home and this is kept under review to ensure it is accurate.

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Requirement Due date

The registered person must establish a stable staff team with the skills, knowledge and experience to be able to consistently meet the individual needs of each child in the home. They must 6 September Inspection report for children’s home: 2665204 9 also ensure that staff receive regular training to ensure that their skills match the needs of each child.

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Requirement Due date

This also relates to the registered person implementing systems to ensure that there is regular management oversight of the care provided to children and to address any shortfalls or improvements where necessary.

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Requirement Due date

keep the statement of purpose under review and, where appropriate, revise it; and

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Requirement Due date

notify HMCI of any revisions and send HMCI a copy of the revised statement within 28 days of the revision. (Regulation 16 (3)(b))

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Requirement Due date

The provider must provide Ofsted with a copy of the updated version of their statement of purpose when this has been revised and updated. 6 September

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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

there is any other incident relating to a child which the registered person considers to be serious.

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Requirement Due date

A notification made under this regulation—

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Requirement Due date

the other persons, bodies or organisations (if any) who or which have been notified; and

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Requirement Due date

any actions taken by the registered person as a result of the matter;

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Requirement Due date

must be made or confirmed in writing. (Regulation 40 (4)(e) (5)(a)(i)(ii)(iii)(b))

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Requirement Due date

This specifically relates to informing Ofsted of serious incidents, for example when children are missing from the home for prolonged periods of time or children have harmed themselves. Other situations may require a notification and the registered person must use the Children’s Guide or contact Ofsted for advice where required. 13 July 2022 Inspection report for children’s home: 2665204 10 * These requirements are subject to a compliance notice.

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Recommendations

 The registered person must ensure that children are encouraged by staff to see the home’s records as ‘living documents’ supporting them to view and contribute to the record in a way that reflects their voice on a regular basis. (‘Guide to the Children’s Home Regulations, including the quality standards’, p 58, paragraph 11.9)  The registered person must ensure that records kept electronically (Regulation 38) can be easily accessed by anyone with a legitimate need to view it and, if required, be reproduced in a legible form. Electronic records should be held at the individual home in accordance with data protection principles. IT systems should ensure the safe storage of these records and business continuity planning should be in place to prevent loss or damage to them. (‘Guide to the Children’s Home Regulations, including the quality standards’, p 61, paragraph 14.2)  The registered person must ensure that children’s records are kept up to date and

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Recommendations

stored securely whilst they remain in the home. Case records must be kept up-to- date and signed and dated by the author of each entry. (‘Guide to the Children’s Home Regulations, including the quality standards’, p 62, paragraph 14.3)  The registered person must ensure that when a child returns to the home after being missing from care or away from the home without permission, the responsible local authority must provide an opportunity for the child to have an independent return home interview. Homes should take account of information provided by such interviews when assessing risks and putting arrangements in place to protect each child. (‘Guide to the Children’s Home Regulations, including the quality standards’, p 45, paragraph 9.30)  The registered person must demonstrate every effort to achieve continuity of staffing so that children’s attachments are not overly disrupted, including ensuring

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Recommendations

that the employment of any temporary staff will not prevent children from receiving the continuity of care that they need (regulation 31(1)). (‘Guide to the Children’s Home Regulations, including the quality standards’, p 51, paragraph 10.1)

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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: 2665204 11

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Children’s home details

Registered provider: Prime Nurture Services Limited

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Children’s home details

Registered provider address: Newstead House, Pelham Road, Nottingham NG5 1AP

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Inspectors

Laura Walker, Social Care Inspector Linda Mason, Social Care Inspector Inspection report for children’s home: 2665204 12 regulates and inspects 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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Inspectors

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Inspectors

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Inspectors

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