Children's Home run by 2nd Nurture Limited in St Helens

Inspection report for children’s home: SC413223 1 SC413223 Registered provider: 2nd Nurture Limited

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Inspected under the social care common inspection framework

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Information about this children’s home

This home is owned by a private company. It provides care for one child who may experience social and emotional difficulties and have learning disabilities.

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Information about this children’s home

The manager of this home registered with Ofsted in June 2014.

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Overall experiences and progress of

children and young people, taking into account

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good

How well children and young people are helped and protected good

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good

The effectiveness of leaders and managers good

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good

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

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good

Date of last inspection: 12 September 2023

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good

Overall judgement at last inspection: good

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good

Enforcement action since last inspection: none Inspection report for children’s home: SC413223 2

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Inspection date Inspection type Inspection judgement

12/09/2023 Full Good 13/09/2022 Full Requires improvement to be good 23/03/2022 Interim Improved effectiveness 17/11/2021 Full Requires improvement to be good Inspection report for children’s home: SC413223 3

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Since the last inspection, one child has moved on from the home and one child has moved in. Before leaving, the child was supported to visit their new home and was involved in planning their move. When moving into the home, children are welcomed by friendly and knowledgeable staff who, where possible, include the child’s family to ensure the child has some familiarity and consistency when moving in.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

The child enjoys trusting relationships with staff, who know them well. Staff offer nurturing, supportive care to the child. Staff speak about the child with care and affection. The child said that they like living at the home.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Staff encourage the child to spend time with people who are important to them. Staff welcome the child’s family and friends into the home. This supports the child’s sense of belonging and identity. A parent said, ‘The home works with me to keep my child safe and they always communicate well. There is nothing they could do better.’

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

The child is supported to achieve good health and staff ensure that their health needs are met. The child attends regular routine health appointments, with staff support. Staff encourage the child to develop healthy habits that they will be able to sustain once they leave the home.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

The child is encouraged and supported to develop their independence skills, in line with their individual care plans. Staff ensure that clear routines and expectations are put in place that are both realistic and aspirational.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

When barriers to education are identified, the manager works effectively with external agencies to find a solution that works best for the child. For one child, the manager sourced one-to-one tutoring in the home while a more suitable provision was identified. However, when there has been a significant delay in a child accessing their identified education provision, these concerns, although raised by the manager, could have been escalated more swiftly.

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

The child’s needs are well known and understood by staff. Their plans are clear and detailed and have guidance for staff to follow. The child is encouraged to attend statutory multi-agency meetings to share their views and wishes about the care that they receive.

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

Risk assessments are detailed and updated to accurately reflect any new or emerging risks. Assessments provide clear strategies for staff to use to help manage and reduce risks. Staff are professionally curious about risks to the child when they spend time in the community. Inspection report for children’s home: SC413223 4 The manager works effectively with external professionals to implement creative strategies to reduce risks to the child. Staff carry out direct work with the child to help them to understand how to keep themselves safe and make positive life choices.

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

When the child is missing from the home, staff are proactive and persistent in their attempts to locate them. Records of the missing-from-home incidents are detailed and include actions taken by staff to return the child safely home. Staff talk to the child to understand their experiences and use this information to reduce the risks the child faces. However, the manager does not evaluate missing-from-home incidents. This is a missed opportunity to develop practice in the home by identifying areas for development or to identify what may have worked well.

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

When a search of the child’s bedroom is carried out to safeguard them, staff do not always record this in detail and there is no guidance in place for staff to follow which clearly details when a room search may be appropriate.

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

Staff use consequences proportionately and the child’s view is always sought. However, the effectiveness of any consequence used is not reviewed or evaluated. As a result, ineffective consequences are repeatedly used when they have little or no impact.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

The manager is suitably qualified and experienced. She knows each child who lives at the home very well and is aspirational about their futures. She leads by example to create a nurturing environment for the child. Staff say they enjoy working in the home and feel well supported by the manager. She communicates well with partner agencies and advocates for the child, appropriately challenging agencies when needed.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

External professionals say that staff provide excellent care. One social worker said, ‘I am really happy with the care staff give and the relationship that they have built with the family to help keep [name of child] safe.’

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

Staff are provided with a wide range of training to meet the child’s needs. The manager is proactive in sourcing relevant training and encourages staff to regularly access training to develop their knowledge and understanding of the child’s needs and identified risks.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

The manager carries out appraisals of staff’s practice annually. Staff say they have lots of opportunities to discuss and reflect on their care of the child during regular team meetings and supervision sessions. However, the manager’s supervision is not always evaluative or focused on areas for development.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

The manager is visible in the home and has systems in place to review and monitor practice. However, staff rotas do not include hours worked by the manager. Additionally, the report on the quality of care does not evaluate the work carried out in the home and does not identify clear actions to improve practice. Inspection report for children’s home: SC413223 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 registered person must keep the behaviour management policy under review and, where appropriate, revise it.

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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

the effectiveness and any consequences of the use of the measure. (Regulation 35 (3)(vii))

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Requirement Due date

Specifically, the registered person must ensure that the effectiveness of any consequences used is properly reviewed and that consequences are revised when deemed ineffective. 4 April 2025

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Requirement Due date

The registered person must complete a review of the quality of care provided for children ("a quality of care review") at least once every 6 months.

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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

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

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 (1) (2)(a)(c) (5)) 4 April 2025 Inspection report for children’s home: SC413223 6 The registered person must improve the evaluative content of the report through gathering feedback from stakeholders and including actions to drive forward improvements in the home.

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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

Specifically, rosters must accurately record the staff working in the home, including the registered person. 4 April 2025

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Recommendations

 The registered person should ensure that they evaluate missing-from-home incidents to record and retain evidence of what worked well. (‘Guide to the Children’s Homes Regulations, including the quality standards’, page 46, paragraph 9.31)  The registered person should ensure that there is clear guidance in respect of room searches and that any room search is accurately recorded as room searches, including if any items were found. (‘Guide to the Children’s Homes Regulations, including the quality standards’, page 16, paragraph 3.20)  The registered person should have systems in place so that all staff, including the manager, receive supervision of their practice from an appropriately qualified and experienced professional, which allows them to reflect on their practice and the needs of the children assigned to their care. (‘Guide to the Children’s Homes Regulations, including the quality standards’, page 61, paragraph 13.2)

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Recommendations

 The registered person should escalate concerns beyond the statutory social worker sooner, to prevent extended delays for children accessing services such as their preferred and identified education provision. (‘Guide to the Children’s Homes Regulations, including the quality standards’, page 11, paragraph 2.3)

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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: SC413223 7

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Children’s home details

Registered provider: 2nd Nurture Limited

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Inspector

Justina Henry, Social Care Regulatory Inspector Inspection report for children’s home: SC413223 8 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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