Children's Home run by Nestlings Care Limited in Bolton

Inspection report for children’s home: 1271581 1 Registered provider: Nestlings Care Limited Full inspection Inspected under the social care common inspection framework

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Information about this children’s home

This is a specialist therapeutic and rehabilitative home for up to two children aged 10 to 18. The home’s statement of purpose states that children may have mental health problems or present with challenging behaviours and may pose a risk to themselves and others. The home is registered with Ofsted and the Care Quality Commission.

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Information about this children’s home

The manager registered with Ofsted in July 2022.

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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: 15 November 2022

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requires improvement to be good

Overall judgement at last inspection: good

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requires improvement to be good

Enforcement action since last inspection: none Inspection report for children’s home: 1271581 2

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Inspection date Inspection type Inspection judgement

15/11/2022 Full Good 30/11/2021 Full Good 13/02/2019 Interim Sustained effectiveness 25/10/2018 Full Good Inspection report for children’s home: 1271581 3

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improvement to be good

Two children are living in the home, and each child has their own bedroom. Children have the freedom to personalise their bedrooms to their individual tastes. Children say they feel the home is ‘homely’.

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improvement to be good

Education is not promoted, and the manager does not advocate on behalf of children. Children spend most of their time in their bedrooms, and they lack routine and structure. One professional commented, ‘They [staff]have not been proactive in their approach to education. [Name of child] has missed sitting their exams because of this. They currently have no educational placement and do not take part in structured activities.’ As a result of this, children lack opportunities to learn and are not making progress.

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improvement to be good

Children’s health is promoted. Staff understand and identify children’s health and mental health needs. Children receive in-house specialist support from an experienced multi-disciplinary team. The team consists of psychologists, therapists and mental health nurses. Support is available for all children according to their individual needs.

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improvement to be good

Children’s files do not always include the most up-to-date education plans from the local authority. This means that staff are not always fully informed about what the children’s plans are. As a result of this, internal care plans do not contain the most accurate information.

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improvement to be good

Relationships between children and their families are promoted. Children are supported to see their families in line with their plans. One child’s grandparent said, ‘Staff always make me feel welcome when I visit. They are supportive, and [name of child] is happy living there.’

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improvement to be good

There have been occasions when staff have had to hold children to keep them safe. Records of physical holds do not contain clear descriptions of the measure used. The registered manager does not review all records. Children are not always spoken to about the use of the measure. As a result, children have not been able to express their feelings around their experience of having to be physically held by staff.

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improvement to be good

Allegation management in the home is not always effective. One child raised concerns about a staff member’s practice. Staff did not keep a record of the conversation. The allegation was not reported in line with the home’s policies and procedures. The registered manager investigated the allegation but failed to share the information with the appropriate safeguarding partners. This does not show Inspection report for children’s home: 1271581 4 transparent safeguarding practice.

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improvement to be good

When there are safeguarding concerns around staff practice, the manager addresses these. However, this is not always effective. It is unclear if the registered manager understands the home’s policies and procedures.

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improvement to be good

Staff are proactive in their response to children who have been missing from the home. There are appropriate safety plans in place for most children. Some plans lack detail about children’s risks. Incident reports include the action that staff have taken to locate the child. However, the manager does not review all incidents effectively.

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improvement to be good

Staff know and understand each child’s risks. Children’s exposure to risk is well managed, and children receive a high level of support from staff. The in-house specialist support team helps staff put in place suitable safety plans. Risks are regularly reviewed using a shared assessment approach. As a result, staff help children to stay safe, and their risks are reducing.

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improvement to be good

The registered manager had not put in place a system to record room searches. It is unclear when room searches have been completed or if children have been consulted. The operations manager resolved this during the inspection, and there is now a record system in place.

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good

The registered manager resigned from their post in August 2023 with immediate effect. They are not yet deregistered. The provider had failed to inform the regulator about the changes to the management in the home. There is now an interim manager in post, and they plan to submit their application to register.

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good

The registered manager has not always been present in the home. The monthly independent person reports highlight this absence. The manager was also responsible for another home linked to the provider. This has contributed to ineffective monitoring within this home.

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good

Wider leadership has provided recent support to the home. This work has included completing internal audits, which have found shortfalls. Action plans are in place. As a result of this, oversight in the home is improving.

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good

When new staff start, they are not suitably vetted. The registered manager has not scrutinised gaps in employment. As a result of this, safer recruitment processes are not followed.

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good

The registered manager ensures that supervision take place in line with the home’s statement of purpose. Supervision records are poor. Records show that staff have had limited opportunity to reflect on their practice. Inspection report for children’s home: 1271581 5 Training, development and induction activities are effective. Staff complete a wide variety of training courses relevant to the children’s individual needs. As a result of this, staff are equipped with the skills to safely care for children. Inspection report for children’s home: 1271581 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 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

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

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

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Requirement Due date

In particular, the registered person must ensure that the children’s individual risk missing-from-home support plans contain relevant information and strategies.

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Requirement Due date

Additionally, the registered person must ensure that when children make allegations about staff, these are shared with the local safeguarding partners. 13 October 2023 Inspection report for children’s home: 1271581 7 In particular, the registered person must ensure that when there are concerns around staff practice, these are appropriately addressed using the correct policies and procedures.

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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

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 each child who is above compulsory school age to participate in further education, training or employment and to prepare for future care, education or employment;

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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)(iii)(iv)(v)(vi)(vii)(ix)(x))

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Requirement Due date

In particular, the registered person must advocate on behalf of children who are not in full-time education by challenging and escalating concerns with the placing authority and virtual school. 13 October 2023 Inspection report for children’s home: 1271581 8 Additionally, the registered person must ensure that when children are not currently in receipt of education, they are provided with suitable, structured activities to help them sustain or regain their confidence.

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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

use monitoring and review systems to make continuous improvements in the quality of care provided in the home. (Regulation 13 (1)(a)(b) (2)(h))

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Requirement Due date

In particular, the registered person must ensure that all incidents are evaluated with scrutiny, taking into consideration any learning outcomes that can be implemented within children’s risk management plans, or to support the development of staff. 13 October 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

a description of the measure and its duration;

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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)(iv)(b)(i)(ii)(c)) 13 October 2023 Inspection report for children’s home: 1271581 9 In particular, the registered person must ensure that when physical intervention has been used, the records contain a full description of the measure used.

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Requirement Due date

In particular, 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.

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Requirement Due date

The registered person must recruit staff using recruitment procedures that are designed to ensure children’s safety.

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Requirement Due date

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

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Requirement Due date

if the individual satisfies the requirements in paragraph (3).

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Requirement Due date

the individual is of integrity and good character;

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Requirement Due date

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

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Requirement Due date

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

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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))

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Requirement Due date

The provider must ensure that gaps in employment are scrutinised and that evidence of this is recorded. 13 October 2023

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Requirement Due date

The registered person must give notice in writing to HMCI, as soon as it is reasonably practicable to do so, if any of the following events take place or are expected by the registered person to take place—

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Requirement Due date

a person ceases to carry on or manage the home. (Regulation 49 (b))

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Requirement Due date

In particular, the registered provider must ensure that when there are changes to the manager of the home, they notify the regulator. 13 October 2023

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Requirement Due date

The care planning standard is that children— 13 October 2023 Inspection report for children’s home: 1271581 10 receive effectively planned care in or through the children’s home.

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Requirement Due date

In particular, the registered person to ensure—

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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)(c)(f))

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Requirement Due date

The registered person must ensure that children’s plans, including their education, health and care plans, care plans and any other relevant plans, are shared with the children’s home and are available for staff to refer to.

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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. (Regulation 37 (1) (2)(a))

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Requirement Due date

In particular, the registered person should ensure that the home’s rotas contain a record of actual hours worked. 13 October 2023

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Recommendations

 The registered person should ensure that staff are provided with good-quality supervision sessions that give them opportunities to reflect on their practice and discuss their ongoing development. (‘Guide to the Children’s Homes Regulations, including the quality standards’, page 61, paragraph 13.2)  The registered person should ensure that there is a clear system in place to record room searches when they occur. (‘Guide to the Children’s Homes Regulations, including the quality standards’, page 16, paragraph 3.20)

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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: 1271581 11

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Children’s home details

Registered provider: Nestlings Care Limited

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Children’s home details

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

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Children’s home details

Responsible individual: Anthony Thompson

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Inspector

Kimmy Feeley, Social Care Inspector Inspection report for children’s home: 1271581 12 and inspects 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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