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 provides care for up to three children with social and emotional difficulties.

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Information about this children’s home

The home has operated without a registered manager since September 2021.

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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 inadequate

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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

Overall judgement at last inspection: requires improvement to be good

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requires improvement to be good

Enforcement action since last inspection: none Inspection report for children's home: 1238043 2

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Inspection date Inspection type Inspection judgement

04/01/2023 Full Requires improvement to be good 12/10/2022 Full Inadequate 11/01/2022 Full Good 21/09/2021 Full Inadequate Inspection report for children's home: 1238043 3

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improvement to be good

There has been no registered manager in post since September 2021. Inconsistent leadership and management arrangements have impacted on the day-to-day oversight and quality of care provided by the home.

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improvement to be good

Children told the inspector that they can talk to staff if they are worried. Children have developed a sense of belonging. However, their experiences of living in the home are negatively impacted by the ongoing changes in the leadership and management team and in the staff team.. One child said, ‘There have been lots of changes with staff.’ This has made it difficult for children to establish and maintain relationships with those caring for them.

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improvement to be good

Children are not supported to access and contribute to their plans. This means that the child’s voice is not captured, and children are not consulted about the quality of care they are receiving.

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improvement to be good

Staff support children to attend education. Children who have previously had limited engagement in education are now attending appropriate school provisions. Children are achieving and making progress.

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improvement to be good

Children’s health and well-being needs are recognised and understood by staff. Children are supported to attend routine medical appointments and statutory health assessments. They are helped to access specialist services in line with their healthcare plans and individual needs.

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improvement to be good

Children are supported to maintain positive relationships with their families. Staff are proactive in making the necessary arrangements for children to spend time with those people who are important to them.

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improvement to be good

The risks associated with children going missing are well considered and children benefit from having individual missing-from-care protocols. There have been no incidents of children going missing. Physical intervention has not been deemed necessary; however, staff are trained and understand how to use this to protect children.

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improvement to be good

Children have personalised risk management plans. However, children’s plans are confusing and do not describe actions for staff to take to minimise risk. Children are vulnerable to harm, as the home is not yet providing carefully evaluated care. This impacts on children’s overall progress and the quality of care they receive. Inspection report for children's home: 1238043 4 Positive behaviour is promoted in the home, although children are not always given clear boundaries. Children are not supported to understand appropriate behaviours and what is safe and acceptable. Leaders and managers do not review consequences to help children understand their own feelings and behaviour.

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improvement to be good

The inspector identified many examples where oversight, review and evaluation are sufficient. However, leaders and managers are not identifying patterns and triggers to identify potential appropriate behaviour support strategies.

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improvement to be good

Children are encouraged to take age-appropriate risks. They are supported to spend time with friends, join local groups and use public transport to travel home from school. This supports them to develop their independence skills and participate in the wider community.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: inadequate

There is no registered manager at the home. The responsible individual and manager are both newly appointed. The manager has not yet submitted her application to register with Ofsted. The provider has not taken sufficient action to appoint a manager within appropriate timescales. A requirement in relation to this is restated.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: inadequate

Leaders and managers do not know the strengths and weaknesses of the home and have been unsuccessful in making the required improvements. Leaders and managers have not taken effective action to address the shortfalls identified at the previous inspection. Three requirements are restated.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: inadequate

Leaders and managers do not monitor and review care practices. There is no evidence of learning from practice. Leaders and managers have not sufficiently reviewed the quality of care provided for children or included the feedback and opinions of children in their monitoring report. This has impacted on children’s experiences of living in the home, as they have not been consulted about the care they are receiving.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: inadequate

Leaders and managers have not ensured that documents are reviewed and updated. There has been no review to consider the appropriateness and suitability of the home’s location. This means that children may be exposed to harm.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: inadequate

The home’s statement of purpose is not kept under review and does not accurately detail staff allocations and qualifications. A requirement is repeated. Furthermore, there is no register that details the admission and discharge information for the home.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: inadequate

Staff have not benefited from regular supervision at a time when they were uncertain about their roles and responsibilities. Weaknesses in practice have not been appropriately identified. Staff with no previous experience and without sufficient training or support have been in charge of the day-to-day management of the home. Inspection report for children's home: 1238043 5 Training is predominantly delivered online. Leaders and managers have failed to demonstrate that they are evaluating what learning is gained from training. Leaders and managers were unable to identify what training staff had attended or what training is required. Inspection report for children's home: 1238043 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, 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.

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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)) This was a requirement at the last inspection and is restated. 24 July 2023

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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; 24 July 2023 Inspection report for children's home: 1238043 7 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;

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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

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)(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 restated at the last inspection and is again restated.

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Requirement Due date

The registered person must compile in relation to the children’s home a statement (“the statement of purpose”) which covers the matters listed in Schedule 1.

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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 (1) (3)(a)(b)) 24 July 2023 Inspection report for children's home: 1238043 8 In particular, the statement of purpose should include details of staff qualifications and the staffing structure of the home.

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Requirement Due date

This was a repeated requirement at the last inspection and is restated again.

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Requirement Due date

The registered person must review the appropriateness and suitability of the location of the premises used for the purposes of the children’s home at least once in each calendar year taking into account the requirement in regulation 12(2)(c) (the protection of children standard).

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Requirement Due date

When conducting the review, the registered person must consult, and take into account the views of, each relevant person. (Regulation 46 (1) (2)) 24 July 2023

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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

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 (2)(a)(b)(c) (3) (5)) 24 July 2023

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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; 24 July 2023 Inspection report for children's home: 1238043 9 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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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 10

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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 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.

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Inspector

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Inspector

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Inspector

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