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

Inspection report for children’s home - monitoring visit: 2534829 1 Registered provider: Nurture Childcare Services Limited

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Inspected under the social care common inspection framework

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Information about this children’s home

This home is run by a private provider. It is registered to provide care for up to two children who may experience social or emotional difficulties.

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This monitoring visit

The home was judged inadequate at the full inspection on 8 and 9 June 2022. Four compliance notices were issued under Section 22A of the Care Standards Act 2000. These related to regulation 12, the protection of children standard, regulation 13, the leadership and management standard, regulation 14, the care planning standard, and regulation 40, notification of a serious event.

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This monitoring visit

A monitoring visit took place on 30 June 2022 due to increased numbers of safeguarding notifications received and several complaints made to Ofsted since the full inspection. An urgent case review was held which resulted in a restriction of accommodation notice being issued.

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This monitoring visit

This latest monitoring visit took place to assess the provider’s compliance with the restriction of accommodation notice and to assess the progress made to meet the steps in the four compliance notices.

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This monitoring visit

The provider has complied with the restriction of accommodation notice. One child is living at the home and no new children have moved in.

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This monitoring visit

The child’s risk management plan is not relevant to their current circumstances and has not been sufficiently updated to reflect increased concerns. It does not provide Inspection report for children’s home - monitoring visit: 2534829 2 clear guidance for the staff to follow for all identified risks. The interim manager and staff have failed to follow strategies in the plan. This puts the child at continued risk of harm.

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This monitoring visit

The interim manager has not applied to register with Ofsted since being appointed to the position in May 2022.

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This monitoring visit

Internal monitoring systems remain ineffective in identifying shortfalls in the child’s plans. The responsible individual informed inspectors that the most recent visit by the independent person was carried out virtually. This does not meet the regulation or support effective oversight of the home, and therefore a requirement is made.

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This monitoring visit

There is now a core team in place to provide sufficient and consistent care for the child.

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This monitoring visit

The interim manager has not assured herself that all staff have completed training. Staff who have completed training have failed to put this into practice. The interim manager has reviewed reports but has not identified shortfalls and challenged staff when they have failed to follow procedures. This does not support practice improvements to promote the child’s safety and welfare.

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This monitoring visit

Concerns have not always been promptly reported to other safeguarding agencies. There has been poor communication with other support services and the interim manager’s failure to challenge when external services are not delivered undermines effective multi-agency working.

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This monitoring visit

No new children have moved into the home. However, the interim manager has failed to review and revise pre-admission planning procedures to make improvements. Therefore, she has not ensured that procedures are effective when considering the suitability of the home for potential admissions in the future.

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This monitoring visit

The current child’s care plan does not reflect his current circumstances, which means that the staff team cannot provide the support to meet his needs. As a result, the plan is ineffective, the child’s safety and welfare are not promoted, and progress cannot be demonstrated.

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This monitoring visit

The interim manager has not informed Ofsted without delay when serious safeguarding incidents have occurred. On one occasion, a notification under regulation 40 was submitted only after this was requested by an inspector.

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This monitoring visit

Following a case review, four further compliance notices have been served and the restriction of accommodation remains in place. Inspection report for children’s home - monitoring visit: 2534829 3

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Inspection date Inspection type Inspection judgement

08/06/2022 Full Inadequate 29/03/2022 Interim Declined in effectiveness 12/10/2021 Full Requires improvement to be good 04/02/2020 Full Requires improvement to be good Inspection report for children’s home - monitoring visit: 2534829 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 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—

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Requirement Due date

support each child’s learning and development, including helping the child to develop independent study skills and, where appropriate, helping the child to complete independent study;

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Requirement Due date

help a child who is excluded from school, or who is of compulsory school age but not attending school, to access educational and training support throughout the period of exclusion or non-attendance and to return to school as soon as possible. (Regulation (8) (1) (2)(a)(ii)(vii)) 11 September

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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;

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Requirement Due date

take effective action whenever there is a serious concern about a child’s welfare; and 11 September Inspection report for children’s home - monitoring visit: 2534829 5 are familiar with, and act in accordance with, the home’s child protection policies. (Regulation 12 (1) (2)(a)(i)(vi)(vii))

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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 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 has sufficient staff to provide care for 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)(c)(d)(e)(h)) 11 September

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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; and

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Requirement Due date

have a positive experience of arriving at or moving on from the home. (Regulation 14 (1)(a)(b)) 11 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

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

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Requirement Due date

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; 11 September Inspection report for children’s home - monitoring visit: 2534829 6 a child protection enquiry involving a child — is instigated; or

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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

The registered person must complete a review of the quality of care provided for children ("a quality of care review") at least once every 6 months.

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Requirement Due date

In order to complete a quality of care review the registered person must establish and maintain a system for monitoring, reviewing and evaluating—

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Requirement Due date

the quality of care provided for children;

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Requirement Due date

the feedback and opinions of children about the children’s home, its facilities and the quality of care they receive in it; and

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Requirement Due date

any actions that the registered person considers necessary in order to improve or maintain the quality of care provided for children.

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Requirement Due date

After completing a quality of care review, the registered person must produce a written report about the quality of care review and the actions which the registered person intends to take as a result of the quality of care review ("the quality of care review report").

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Requirement Due date

supply to HMCI a copy of the quality of care review report within 28 days of the date on which the quality of care review is completed; and

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Requirement Due date

make a copy of the quality of care review report available on request to a placing authority, if the placing authority is not the parent of a child accommodated in the home. 11 September Inspection report for children’s home - monitoring visit: 2534829 7 The system referred to in paragraph (2) must provide for ascertaining and considering the opinions of children, their parents, placing authorities and staff. (Regulation 45 (1) (2)(a)(b)(c) (3) (4)(a)(b) (5))

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Requirement Due date

The registered person must ensure that an independent person visits the children’s home at least once each month. (Regulation 44 (1)) 11 September

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Requirement Due date

*These requirements are subject to a compliance notice.

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Recommendations

 The registered person should ensure that consequences that are restorative in nature are used to help children recognise the impact of poor behaviour on themselves, other children, the staff caring for them and the wider community. Staff should be skilled in supporting children to make reparation in some form to anyone hurt by their behaviour. (‘Guide to the Children’s Homes Regulations, including the quality standards’, page 46, paragraph 9.38)  The registered person should ensure that clear records are maintained of the verification of all references, demonstrating that appropriate enquires have been made. (‘Guide to the Children’s Homes Regulations, including the quality standards’, page 61, paragraph 13.1)

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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. Inspection report for children’s home - monitoring visit: 2534829 8

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Children’s home details

Registered provider: Nurture Childcare Services Limited

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Children’s home details

Registered provider address: Seighford Hall, Clanford Road, Seighford, Stafford ST18 9NL

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Inspectors

Karen Willson, Social Care Inspector Jessica Higginson, Social Care Inspector Inspection report for children’s home - monitoring visit: 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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Inspectors

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Inspectors

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Inspectors

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