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

Inspection report for children's home: 1238043 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

This children’s home is owned by a private organisation. The home can provide care for up to three children with social and emotional difficulties.

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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

Date of last inspection: 12 October 2022

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requires improvement to be good

Overall judgement at last inspection: inadequate

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Enforcement action since last inspection:

Due to safeguarding concerns, a restriction of accommodation notice was issued on 13 October 2022. Ofsted has monitored this restriction, and this was lifted on 4 January 2023. Inspection report for children's home: 1238043 2

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Inspection date Inspection type Inspection judgement

12/10/2022 Full Inadequate 11/01/2022 Full Good 21/09/2021 Full Inadequate 11/03/2019 Interim Improved effectiveness Inspection report for children's home: 1238043 3

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improvement to be good

Since the last inspection, a stable staff team has been working in the home. Children are supported to establish secure and trusting relationships with those who are consistently caring for them. Staff understand children’s individual needs and are committed to helping children to make progress.

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improvement to be good

Leaders and managers have taken action to ensure that children have access to appropriate education provision. Children now attend local schools and have been able to establish positive peer groups. Children are enjoying making new friends and can invite them to the home.

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improvement to be good

The current day-to-day management arrangements in the home are not effective. Inconsistent management oversight has meant relevant care plans and risk assessments are not consistently updated with current information. This does not ensure that staff understand the current care needs of the children.

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improvement to be good

Children are not consistently supported to access relevant health services. Children do attend their statutory health assessments. However, actions identified in the assessments have not been followed through by leaders and managers. For example, children have not been encouraged to attend appropriate vaccination appointments. Furthermore, despite some attempts to seek appointments with specialist health and well-being services, this issue has not been robustly escalated. Children have not been properly supported to understand their experiences of trauma.

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improvement to be good

Leaders and staff support children to have positive relationships with their families. Staff arrange meaningful and safe contact between children and family members. Staff are proactive when planning family time, and try to have contingency plans in place to support children if arrangements are changed.

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improvement to be good

Children benefit from a caring and approachable staff team. Children say that they feel safe and protected and can talk to staff if they have any concerns. One child said, ‘Staff are like family.’

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improvement to be good

There are risk assessments in place for children. However, risk assessments are not consistently updated and contain out-of-date and conflicting information. There is a blanket approach to risk management and plans are not individualised. Plans are not shared effectively with staff and do not identify actions for staff to take to minimise the risk of harm to children. Inspection report for children's home: 1238043 4 Positive behaviour is encouraged in the home. Staff use appropriate consequences and rewards to help children understand their feelings and acceptable behaviour. Staff know the children well and respond to the individual needs of children. Staff were observed using effective de-escalation strategies to manage incidents.

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improvement to be good

Safer recruitment processes have been used to employ new staff. Leaders and managers have prioritised staff training and development, ensuring that all staff have the necessary skills to care for children and keep them safe.

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improvement to be good

Allegations are responded to appropriately and information is shared with relevant agencies, in line with statutory guidance. There is no evidence, however, that leaders and managers evaluate, review and monitor allegations to understand how to support and protect children.

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good

The home has operated without a registered manager since 2021, since when there has been limited management oversight. The registered provider has not taken appropriate action to address the registered manager vacancy.

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good

There have been changes to leaders, managers and staffing arrangements in the home. The statement of purpose has not been appropriately reviewed and does not give an accurate record of who is working in the home. Furthermore, the home has been operating outside of its own objectives.

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good

Staff receive regular supervision. Supervisions are reflective, well recorded and detailed. Staff told the inspector they feel that there have been a lot of positive changes made in the home since the last inspection. They say they are supported in their roles and are included in decision-making, through team meetings and incident debriefs.

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good

Children’s plans are not consistently updated to reflect the present arrangements. The current risks and the strategies identified to manage risks are not reviewed and updated. It is unclear how staff are made aware of updates, as plans are not signed by staff.

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good

Action has been taken to improve the home environment. The outside area of the home is clean and tidy, and gardens are adequately maintained. The home has been decorated throughout and has a warm and homely feel. However, there are some areas where maintenance is still required. Leaders and staff have plans to make further improvements and requests for repairs are logged.

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good

Following the last inspection, leaders and managers have not taken effective action to address all recommendations and requirements. Four requirements are restated. Inspection report for children's home: 1238043 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 health and well-being standard is that—

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Requirement Due date

the health and well-being needs of children are met;

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Requirement Due date

children receive advice, services and support in relation to their health and well-being.

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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

achieve the health and well-being outcomes that are recorded in the child’s relevant plans;

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Requirement Due date

that each child has access to such dental, medical, nursing, psychiatric and psychological advice, treatment and other services as the child may require. (Regulation 10 (1)(a)(b) (2)(a)(i)(c))

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Requirement Due date

This relates to leaders and managers ensuring that children have access to specialist services to support their individual needs.

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Requirement Due date

This requirement was made at the last inspection and is restated. 15 February 2023

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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 15 February 2023 Inspection report for children's home: 1238043 6 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

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. (Regulation 12 (1) (2)(a)(i)(ii)(v)(vi))

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Requirement Due date

In particular, leaders and managers are to ensure that staff understand how to identify and respond to risks and are clear about their roles and responsibilities.

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Requirement Due date

Leaders and managers should ensure that those who care for children are aware of relevant plans for individual children.

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Requirement Due date

This requirement was made at the last inspection and is restated.

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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 work as a team where appropriate;

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Requirement Due date

demonstrate that practice in the home is informed and improved by taking into account and acting on—

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Requirement Due date

research and developments in relation to the ways in which the needs of children are best met; and

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Requirement Due date

feedback on the experiences of children, including complaints received; and 15 February 2023 Inspection report for children's home: 1238043 7 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)(b)(g)(i)(ii)(h))

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Requirement Due date

In particular, leaders and managers are to ensure that there are review and monitoring systems in place to review the quality of care, and that the home operates in line with its own statement of purpose. Leaders and managers must take effective action in responding to requirements from previous inspections.

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Requirement Due date

This requirement was made at the last inspection and is restated.

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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)(a)(b))

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Requirement Due date

This requirement was made at the last inspection and is restated. 15 February 2023

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Requirement Due date

The registered provider must appoint a person to manage the children’s home if—

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Requirement Due date

there is no registered manager in respect of the home; and

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Requirement Due date

is not, or does not intend to be, in day-to-day charge of the home.

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Requirement Due date

If the registered provider appoints a person to manage the home, the registered provider must, without delay, give HMCI notice of—

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Requirement Due date

the name of the person so appointed; and

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Requirement Due date

the date on which the appointment takes effect. (Regulation 27 (1)(a)(b)(iii) (2)(a)(b)) 15 February 2023 Inspection report for children's home: 1238043 8

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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: 1238043 9

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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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Inspector

Nichola Croft, Social Care Inspector Inspection report for children's home: 1238043 10 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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