Children's home run by Nestlings Care BC Limited in Trafford

Inspection report for children’s home: SC473473 1 SC473473 Registered provider: Nestlings Care Limited Full inspection Inspected under the social care common inspection framework

p.1

Information about this children’s home

This is a specialist therapeutic and rehabilitative home for up to three children who may have mental health issues and who may pose a risk to themselves and to others.

p.1

Information about this children’s home

There were three children living in the home at the time of the inspection.

p.1

Information about this children’s home

The home is registered with Ofsted and the Care Quality Commission.

p.1

Information about this children’s home

The home does not have a registered manager.

p.1

Overall experiences and progress of

children and young people, taking into account

p.1

good

How well children and young people are helped and protected good

p.1

good

The effectiveness of leaders and managers Inadequate

p.1

good

The children’s home provides effective services that meet the requirements for good.

p.1

good

Date of last inspection: 11 October 2022

p.1

good

Overall judgement at last inspection: good

p.1

good

Enforcement action since last inspection: none Inspection report for children’s home: SC473473 2

p.1

Inspection date Inspection type Inspection judgement

11/10/2022 Full Good 14/09/2021 Full Good 18/06/2019 Full Good 23/01/2019 Interim Declined in effectiveness Inspection report for children’s home: SC473473 3

p.2

Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Transition planning for children moving into the home is good. The manager and staff visit children and maintain regular contact with them before they move into the home. This provides children with a positive experience and helps to ease any anxieties they may have.

p.3

Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Children have their own bedrooms. This provides them with their own space. Children can personalise their bedrooms. However, staff do not always support children to keep their bedrooms clean and tidy.

p.3

Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Children living in the home are happy. Staff spend time with children and know them well. The manager and staff are proud of the children’s progress and achievements. As a result, children can develop a sense of permanence and belonging.

p.3

Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

The provider has a team of psychologists, therapists and mental health nurses. These resources are used when required to support children’s unique needs. The manager and staff are guided and supported by the specialist support team. As a result, children are making significant progress with their emotional well-being.

p.3

Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Staff carry out direct work with children to explore their views, wishes and feelings. Staff support children to develop skills to manage their own conflicts and difficult feelings. However, staff do not always keep a record of when direct work has been carried out.

p.3

Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

The manager ensures that there are arrangements in place to manage medication. Storage of medication in the home is safe and secure. However, staff do not always consistently follow the home’s medication policy. As a result, there have been several medication errors.

p.3

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

The staff team understands children’s risks and behaviours. Staff are effective in managing children’s risk-taking behaviours. High levels of staff support enable children to be safe. The in-house specialist support team provides clear safety plans. Staff put these in place and support children. As a result, staff help children to stay safe and reduce risks.

p.3

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

Children can identify a trusted adult they can talk to about any worries or concerns they may have. Children know how to make a complaint. The manager responds to complaints in line with the home’s complaints procedure. As a result, children feel listened to. Inspection report for children’s home: SC473473 4 The management of allegations is not always effective. When children raise concerns, the manager investigates these. However, the manager does not always share information with the appropriate agencies.

p.3

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

Holding a child to keep them safe is done as a last resort. Physical intervention documents are detailed and contain relevant information. The manager reviews documents, however, reviews fail to identify shortfalls. It is not always clear if the manager has spoken to the child about the use of the measure.

p.4

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

Incidents of children going missing from the home are low. This is because staff respond appropriately to children and follow up-to-date safety plans. The plans guide staff to manage and reduce risks. Incident reports are detailed and include the action that staff have taken to locate the child.

p.4

The effectiveness of leaders and managers: inadequate

The home has been without a registered manager since April 2022. The current manager has been in post since September 2022 and has not yet made an application to register.

p.4

The effectiveness of leaders and managers: inadequate

The home is led by a manager who has high expectations and aspirations for all children. The ethos and objectives of the home are demonstrated in practice. The manager ensures that the home is staffed and resourced to meet the needs of children.

p.4

The effectiveness of leaders and managers: inadequate

Recruitment is ongoing and, as a result, agency staff have worked with the children. However, the manager ensures that there is always a member of staff on shift who the children know.

p.4

The effectiveness of leaders and managers: inadequate

Processes for recruitment are not always robust. Recruitment records do not always provide evidence to show that gaps in previous employment are explored before new staff start work.

p.4

The effectiveness of leaders and managers: inadequate

Training, development and induction activities are not always effective. Not all staff have completed their mandatory or refresher training. This does not ensure the appropriate level of training to meet the specific needs of the children. There is a workforce plan in place, however, this does not fulfil the workforce-related requirements.

p.4

The effectiveness of leaders and managers: inadequate

The manager keeps the statement of purpose under review. This sets out the ethos and objectives of the home. The manager also monitors and reports on the quality of care. The manager has not sent these documents to the regulator. This limits external review of the operation of the home.

p.4

The effectiveness of leaders and managers: inadequate

The manager ensures that health, safety and fire arrangements are monitored. Children are aware of how to safely evacuate the home and regularly practise this with staff. Inspection report for children’s home: SC473473 5

p.4

Statutory requirements

This section sets out the actions that the registered person(s) must take to meet the Care Standards Act 2000, The 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.

p.5

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—

p.5

Requirement Due date

helps children aspire to fulfil their potential; and

p.5

Requirement Due date

In particular, the standard in paragraph (1) requires the registered person to—

p.5

Requirement Due date

ensure that staff have the experience, qualifications and skills to meet the needs of each child;

p.5

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)(h))

p.5

Requirement Due date

In particular, the registered person must ensure that all staff have access to regular training that relates to the needs of the children.

p.5

Requirement Due date

The registered person must ensure the manager has the experience, qualifications and skills to meet the needs of each child through meeting requirements specified in regulation 28 relating to fitness of manager for registration as required by s11 CSA 2000. This is because, until the registration process is complete and all checks completed, a provider is not deemed to have met regulation 13 (2)(c).

p.5

Requirement Due date

Also, the registered person must ensure that all significant incidents are thoroughly evaluated, taking into consideration any learning outcomes that can be implemented in children’s risk management plans or to support the development of staff. 30 June 2023

p.5

Requirement Due date

The registered person must ensure that— 30 June 2023 Inspection report for children’s home: SC473473 6 the effectiveness and any consequences of the use of the measure;

p.5

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”)—

p.6

Requirement Due date

has spoken to the user about the measure;

p.6

Requirement Due date

has signed the record to confirm it is accurate;

p.6

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)(vi)(b)(i)(ii)(c))

p.6

Requirement Due date

In particular, the registered person must ensure that physical intervention records are reviewed and any shortfalls are identified.

p.6

Requirement Due date

Also, the registered person must ensure that when conversations take place with children following the use of physical intervention, the use of restraint is explored with the child.

p.6

Requirement Due date

The registered person must make arrangements for the handling, recording, safekeeping, safe administration and disposal of medicines received into the children’s home.

p.6

Requirement Due date

In particular the registered person must ensure that—

p.6

Requirement Due date

medicines kept in the home are stored in a secure place so as to prevent any child from having unsupervised access to them;

p.6

Requirement Due date

medicine which is prescribed for a child is administered as prescribed to the child for whom it is prescribed and to no other child;

p.6

Requirement Due date

a record is kept of the administration of medicine to each child. (Regulation 23 (1) (2)(a)(b)(c))

p.6

Requirement Due date

In particular, the registered person must ensure that systems in place to manage medication are consistently followed by staff, in line with the home’s medication policy. 30 June 2023 Inspection report for children’s home: SC473473 7 The registered person must recruit staff using recruitment procedures that are designed to ensure children’s safety.

p.6

Requirement Due date

employ an individual to work at the children’s home;

p.7

Requirement Due date

if the individual satisfies the requirements

p.7

Requirement Due date

the individual is of integrity and good character;

p.7

Requirement Due date

the individual has the appropriate experience, qualification and skills for the work that the individual is to perform;

p.7

Requirement Due date

the individual is mentally and physically fit for the purposes of the work that the individual is to perform;

p.7

Requirement Due date

full and satisfactory information is available in relation to the individual in respect of each of the matters in Schedule 2. (Regulation 32 (1) (2)(a) (3)(a)(b)(c)(d))

p.7

Requirement Due date

The provider must ensure that gaps in employment are scrutinised and evidence of this is recorded. 30 June 2023

p.7

Requirement Due date

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

p.7

Requirement Due date

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

p.7

Requirement Due date

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

p.7

Requirement Due date

In particular, the standard in paragraph (1) requires the registered person to—

p.7

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;

p.7

Requirement Due date

help each child to understand and manage the impact of any experience of abuse or neglect; 30 June 2023 Inspection report for children’s home: SC473473 8 help each child to develop resilience and skills that prepare the child to return home, to live in a new placement or to live independently as an adult;

p.7

Requirement Due date

ensure that the premises used for the purposes of the home are designed and furnished so as to—

p.8

Requirement Due date

enable each child to participate in the daily life of the home. (Regulation 6 (1)(a)(b) (2)(b)(iv)(v)(vi)(c)(i)(ii))

p.8

Requirement Due date

In particular, the registered person must ensure that children’s bedrooms are clean, tidy and free from any health and safety hazards.

p.8

Requirement Due date

Also, the registered person must ensure that staff carry out regular, planned direct work with children.

p.8

Recommendations

 The registered person should have a workforce plan which can fulfil the workforce-related requirements of regulation 16, schedule 1 (paragraphs 19 and 20). The plan should detail the process for managing and improving poor performance. (‘Guide to the Children’s Homes Regulations, including the quality standards’, page 53, paragraph 10.8)  The registered person should ensure that when the statement of purpose has been reviewed, a copy is shared with the regulating body. (‘Guide to the Children’s Homes Regulations, including the quality standards’, page 14, paragraph 3.5)  The registered person should ensure that when an allegation has been made, the local authority is informed. (‘Guide to the Children’s Homes Regulations, including the quality standards’, page 44, paragraph 9.18)  The registered person should ensure that when completing a review of the quality of care, this is sent to Ofsted and the placing local authority for all children living

p.8

Recommendations

in the home. (‘Guide to the Children’s Homes Regulations, including the quality standards’, page 64, paragraph 15.3) Inspection report for children’s home: SC473473 9

p.8

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: SC473473 10

p.9

Children’s home details

Registered provider: Nestlings Care Limited

p.10

Children’s home details

Registered provider address: Suite 4, 1 Derby Street, Leigh WN7 4PF

p.10

Children’s home details

Responsible individual: Anthony Thompson

p.10

Inspector

Kimmy Feeley, Social Care Inspector Inspection report for children’s home: SC473473 11 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 looked after children, safeguarding and child protection.

p.10

Inspector

If you would like a copy of this document in a different format, such as large print or Braille, please telephone 0300 123 1231, or email enquiries@ofsted.gov.uk . You may reuse this information (not including logos) free of charge in any format or medium, under the terms of the Open Government Licence. To view this licence, visit www.nationalarchives.gov.uk/doc/open-government-licence , write to the Information Policy Team, The National Archives, Kew, London TW9 4DU, or email: psi@nationalarchives.gsi.gov.uk .

p.11

Inspector

Interested in our work? You can subscribe to our monthly newsletter for more information and updates: http://eepurl.com/iTrDn .

p.11

Inspector

T: 0300 123 1231 Textphone: 0161 618 8524 E: enquiries@ofsted.gov.uk W: www.gov.uk/ofsted

p.11