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

Inspection report for children’s home - monitoring visit: 2645878 1 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

The home is owned by a private organisation and can provide care for up to two children with social, emotional and learning difficulties.

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Information about this children’s home

There are no children living in the home as the home is currently suspended.

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Information about this children’s home

A manager has been appointed but is not yet registered.

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This monitoring visit

The home was judged inadequate at the full inspection in November 2022. Due to the serious and widespread concerns identified, an immediate notice to suspend the registration of the home was issued on 1 November 2022.

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This monitoring visit

A monitoring visit took place on 13 December 2022. At the time of the visit, there was no manager in post. The staff were working in other homes operated by the same provider. A new responsible individual had been appointed.

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This monitoring visit

A further monitoring visit took place on 24 January 2023. The provider had complied with the conditions of the suspension notice. However, the responsible individual confirmed that the home was not ready to open as there was no manager or staff team in post. The home was suspended from 24 January to 17 April 2023 inclusive.

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This monitoring visit

The provider has complied with the conditions of the suspension notice. At this visit, the inspector met the manager, who is now in post and has submitted an application to register with Ofsted. A staff team has been recruited and there is one vacancy left to recruit to. The staff team can be supported by an excess of staff in one of the provider’s other homes until the vacancy has been filled.

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This monitoring visit

All but one member of staff are currently working for the organisation, and they are gaining experience while working in other homes. Some staff are qualified, one has commenced their qualification and two are yet to be enrolled on the training. The staff team has varied levels of relevant experience. The manager has devised a rota that ensures that experienced staff are deployed to provide support to less- Inspection report for children’s home - monitoring visit: 2645878 2 experienced members of the team. The staff team is ready to support children living in this home.

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This monitoring visit

The monitoring of the home has improved. Specific monitoring has been carried out by an officer working for the organisation. The responsible individual has also been carrying out monthly monitoring, which is in addition to a regular review by the manager. This will provide greater oversight of the quality of care being provided by the home and identify any concerns to senior managers at an early stage.

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This monitoring visit

The inspector reviewed the home environment, which has undergone some improvements. All areas of the home are nicely decorated and welcoming. The garden area requires some general maintenance, which will be addressed before children come to live in the home.

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This monitoring visit

Following the visit, a case review was held and a decision was made to lift the suspension of the registration.

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This monitoring visit

Requirements and recommendations made at the previous inspection have not been considered as part of this visit. Therefore, these are restated below and will be reviewed at the next inspection.

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Recent inspection history

Inspection date Inspection type Inspection judgement 01/11/2022 Full Inadequate 01/03/2022 Full Good Inspection report for children’s home - monitoring visit: 2645878 3

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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 with 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

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

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

understand the barriers to learning that each child may face and take appropriate action to help the child to overcome any such barriers;

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Requirement Due date

help each child to understand the importance and value of education, learning, training and employment;

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Requirement Due date

promote opportunities for each child to learn informally;

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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;

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Requirement Due date

raise any need for further assessment or specialist provision in relation to a child with the child’s education or training provider and the child’s placing authority;

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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 29 May 2023 Inspection report for children’s home - monitoring visit: 2645878 4 educational and training support throughout the period of exclusion or non-attendance and to return to school as soon as possible; and

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Requirement Due date

help each child to attend education or training in accordance with the expectations in the child’s relevant plans. (Regulation 8 (1) (2)(a)(i)(ii)(iii)(iv)(v)(vi)(vii)(viii)(x))

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Requirement Due date

In particular, the registered person must ensure that children are supported to access education in line with their relevant plans and promote opportunities for children to learn informally.

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Requirement Due date

The positive relationships standard is that children are helped to develop, and to benefit from, relationships based on—

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Requirement Due date

an understanding about acceptable behaviour; and

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Requirement Due date

positive responses to other children and adults.

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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

meet each child’s behavioural and emotional needs, as set out in the child’s relevant plans;

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Requirement Due date

help each child to develop socially aware behaviour;

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Requirement Due date

encourage each child to take responsibility for the child’s behaviour, in accordance with the child’s age and understanding;

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Requirement Due date

communicate to each child expectations about the child’s behaviour and ensure that the child understands those expectations in accordance with the child’s age and understanding;

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Requirement Due date

help each child to understand, in a way that is appropriate according to the child’s age and understanding, personal, sexual and social relationships, and how those relationships can be supportive or harmful;

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Requirement Due date

understand how children’s previous experiences and present emotions can be communicated through behaviour and have 29 May 2023 Inspection report for children’s home - monitoring visit: 2645878 5 the competence and skills to interpret these and develop positive relationships with children;

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Requirement Due date

are provided with supervision and support to enable them to understand and manage their own feelings and responses to the behaviour and emotions of children, and to help children to do the same;

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Requirement Due date

that each child is encouraged to build and maintain positive relationships with others. (Regulation 11 (1)(b)(c) (2)(a)(i)(ii)(iii)(v)(vi)(ix)(x)(b))

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Requirement Due date

Specifically, leaders and managers should ensure that staff support children to take responsibility for their behaviour by communicating their expectations. Furthermore, leaders and managers must ensure that staff understand children’s relevant plans, and are supported to manage their own feelings and responses through supervision sessions and debriefs.

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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

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

manage relationships between children to prevent them from harming each other;

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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 29 May 2023 Inspection report for children’s home - monitoring visit: 2645878 6 are familiar with, and act in accordance with, the home’s child protection policies;

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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;

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Requirement Due date

that the effectiveness of the home’s child protection policies is monitored regularly. (Regulation 12 (1) (2)(a)(i)(ii)(iii)(iv)(v)(vi)(vii)(b)(e))

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Requirement Due date

In particular, leaders and managers must ensure that staff understand children’s risks and can take appropriate action to safeguard children. This is a repeated requirement.

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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

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

understand the impact that the quality of care provided in the home is having on the progress and experiences of each child and use this understanding to inform the development of the quality of care provided in the home; 29 May 2023 Inspection report for children’s home - monitoring visit: 2645878 7 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

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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)(b)(c)(d)(e)(f)(g)(i)(ii)(h))

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Requirement Due date

Explicitly, leaders and managers must review and monitor the care provided and ensure that there are sufficiently qualified, skilled and experienced staff to deliver the care safely.

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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.

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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

that children are admitted to the home only if their needs are within the range of needs of children for whom it is intended that the home is to provide care and accommodation, as set out in the home’s statement of purpose;

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Requirement Due date

manage and review the placement of each child in the home; and

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Requirement Due date

that each child’s relevant plans are followed;

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Requirement Due date

that staff help each child to access and contribute to the records kept by the registered person in relation to the child. (Regulation 14 (1)(a) (2)(a)(b)(ii)(c)(f))

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Requirement Due date

In particular, leaders and managers must ensure that there are relevant plans for children and that children are supported to contribute to these plans. 29 May 2023

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Requirement Due date

The registered person must— 29 May 2023 Inspection report for children’s home - monitoring visit: 2645878 8 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

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)(i)(ii)(iii) (2)(a)(b)) 29 May 2023

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Requirement Due date

within 24 hours of the use of a measure of control, discipline or restraint in relation to a child in the home, a record is made which includes—

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Requirement Due date

details of the child’s behaviour leading to the use of the measure;

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Requirement Due date

the date, time and location of the use of the measure;

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Requirement Due date

a description of the measure and its duration; 29 May 2023 Inspection report for children’s home - monitoring visit: 2645878 9 details of any methods used or steps taken to avoid the need to use the measure;

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Requirement Due date

the name of the person who used the measure (“the user”), and of any other person present when the measure was used;

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Requirement Due date

the effectiveness and any consequences of the use of the measure; and

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Requirement Due date

within 48 hours of the use of the measure, the registered person, or a person who is authorised by the registered person to do so (“the authorised person”)—

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Requirement Due date

has spoken to the user about the measure; and

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Requirement Due date

has signed the record to confirm it is accurate; and

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Requirement Due date

within 5 days of the use of the measure, the registered person or the authorised person adds to the record confirmation that they have spoken to the child about the measure. (Regulation 35 (3)(a)(i)(ii)(iii)(iv)(v)(vi)(vii)(b)(i)(ii)(c))

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Requirement Due date

Specifically, following any incident of restraint, the registered person must make a record of the restraint and include the necessary information detailed in regulation 35.

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Requirement Due date

Schedule 4 sets out the other information that the registered person must keep in relation to a children’s home.

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Requirement Due date

maintain in the home the records in Schedule 4;

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Requirement Due date

ensure that the records are kept up to date; and

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Requirement Due date

retain the records for at least 15 years from the date of the last entry. (Regulation 37 (1) (2)(a)(b)(c))

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Requirement Due date

This relates specifically to the register of children. This needs to be updated with the details of where the children who were living in the home at the point of suspension have moved to. 29 May 2023 Inspection report for children’s home - monitoring visit: 2645878 10

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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: 2645878 11

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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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Inspector

Mark Broomhead, Social Care Regulatory Manager Inspection report for children’s home - monitoring visit: 2645878 12 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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