Children's home run by Pebbles Care Limited in Hyndburn

Assurance inspection report for children's home: SC456271 1 SC456271

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Registered provider: 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 privately owned and is registered to provide care for up to two children who may experience social and emotional difficulties.

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Information about this children’s home

The manager registered with Ofsted in September 2023.

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Inspection date: 13 March 2024

Date of last inspection: 6 December 2023

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Inspection date: 13 March 2024

Judgement at last inspection: requires improvement to be good

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Inspection date: 13 March 2024

Enforcement action since last inspection: none

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Information about this inspection

At this inspection, the inspector evaluated:

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Information about this inspection

 the care of children  the safety of children  the effectiveness of leaders and managers. The inspector has looked closely at the experiences and progress of children, using the social care common inspection framework. This assurance 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’. Assurance inspection report for children's home: SC456271 2

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Findings from the inspection

We did not identify any serious or widespread concerns in relation to the care or protection of children at this assurance inspection.

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Findings from the inspection

There are two children living in the home. Children have developed trusting relationships with those caring for them. Children are consulted about the quality of care they receive. One child wrote, ‘Most staff are brilliant.’

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Findings from the inspection

Children are supported to attend routine health appointments. Leaders, managers and staff are proactive in ensuring that children have access to specialist health services to meet their individual needs.

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Findings from the inspection

Children are not currently attending school or making progress in line with their relevant plans. Leaders and managers have challenged and escalated concerns when children are not provided with an opportunity to access meaningful education. However, informal learning arrangements in the home are not structured.

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Findings from the inspection

Staff know children well. Risk management plans are detailed. However, the plans do not contain up-to-date information or actions for staff to follow in practice. This means staff do not always understand their roles and responsibilities in keeping children safe.

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Findings from the inspection

There has been a significant reduction of incidents in the home, and this includes children going missing from home. Staff follow comprehensive missing-from-care protocols, understand the procedures to follow and are reflective about why children may go missing from home.

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Findings from the inspection

Physical intervention has not been used since the last inspection. However, managers have made changes to the recording systems to ensure that staff understand their roles and responsibilities in recording.

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Findings from the inspection

Children are helped to understand acceptable behaviour. Staff implement positive and consequential measures appropriately. Consequences are effectively reviewed and evaluated by managers.

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Findings from the inspection

The response to complaints is robust. Managers take appropriate action and share relevant information with professionals and agencies. This means children are effectively safeguarded.

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Findings from the inspection

There is a consistent staff team working in the home. Staff say that they are supported in their roles by leaders and managers, and they all work well together as a team. Assurance inspection report for children's home: SC456271 3 Team meeting records are detailed and reflective. Team meetings have been used as an opportunity to include additional needs-led training. This consistently improves care practices.

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Findings from the inspection

The registered manager has taken some steps to meet the requirements identified at the last inspection. However, three requirements are restated. Assurance inspection report for children's home: SC456271 4

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Inspection date Inspection type Inspection judgement

06/12/2023 Full Requires improvement to be good 28/06/2022 Full Requires improvement to be good 05/10/2021 Full Good 25/06/2019 Full Good Assurance inspection report for children's home: SC456271 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, 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 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

promote opportunities for each child to learn informally; and

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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 educational and training support throughout the period of exclusion or non-attendance and to return to school as soon as possible. (Regulation 8 (1) (2)(a)(v)(viii))

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Requirement Due date

This requirement is restated. 11 April 2024

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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

take effective action whenever there is a serious concern about a child’s welfare; and

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Requirement Due date

are familiar with, and act in accordance with, the home’s child protection policies; 11 April 2024 Assurance inspection report for children's home: SC456271 6 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)(vi)(vii)(b))

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Requirement Due date

In particular, leaders and managers must ensure that children’s plans contain appropriate actions and strategies for staff to follow to minimise the risk of harm to children.

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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

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

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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. (Regulation 13 (2)(c)(f))

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Requirement Due date

Specifically, the registered manager must ensure that staff understand their roles and have the appropriate skills and knowledge to manage incidents of challenging behaviour.

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Requirement Due date

The requirement is restated. 11 April 2024 Assurance inspection report for children's home: SC456271 7

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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

Nichola Croft, Social Care Inspector Assurance inspection report for children's home: SC456271 8 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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