Children's Home run by Nurture Care Group Ltd in Wolverhampton

Inspection report for children's home: 2642297 1 Registered provider: Nurture Care Group Ltd

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Full inspection Inspected under the social care common inspection framework

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Information about this children’s home

The home is owned and operated by a small private company. It provides care for up to three children who may have experienced social and emotional difficulties and associated complex needs.

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Information about this children’s home

The registered manager is appropriately qualified. They registered with Ofsted in September 2023.

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Information about this children’s home

Three children currently live in the home. Two children were present throughout the inspection and spoke with the inspector. The child who was not present during the inspection wrote to the inspector to share their views.

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Overall experiences and progress of

children and young people, taking into account

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outstanding

How well children and young people are helped and protected outstanding

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outstanding

The effectiveness of leaders and managers outstanding

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outstanding

The children’s home provides highly effective services that consistently exceed the standards of good. The actions of the children’s home contribute to significantly improved outcomes and positive experiences for children and young people who need help, protection and care.

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outstanding

Overall judgement at last inspection: good

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outstanding

Enforcement action since last inspection: none Inspection report for children's home: 2642297 2

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Inspection date Inspection type Inspection judgement

30/07/2024 Full Good 06/06/2023 Full Good 22/06/2022 Full Good 18/01/2022 Full Requires improvement to be good Inspection report for children's home: 2642297 3

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: outstanding

Since the last inspection, one child has moved on from the home, and one child has moved in. Children’s moves into and out of the home are planned exceptionally well. Before moving into the home, children visit the home and meet with the children who already live there and with the whole staff team. Children who already live at the home are supported to share their views about the children moving in, and their views are carefully considered by the management team. This child-focused approach supports children to settle quickly into the home and ensures that children already living there maintain a secure base and continue to make sustained progress.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: outstanding

Children consistently experience nurturing relationships with staff who understand their individual needs. Staff model a therapeutic parenting approach, ensuring their care of children is creative and is informed by relevant research to understand children’s lived experiences. This care enhances children’s life experiences, and all children are making significant progress from their individual starting points. One child said, ‘I love living here. I couldn’t ask for a better place to live. They look after me; they always have.’

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: outstanding

Children are doing exceptionally well with their education. Staff build effective partnerships with educational professionals to ensure children meet their full academic potential. One child’s attendance was significantly low before moving into the home. The child has since achieved 100% attendance and, over the last two academic terms, received a total of 236 commendations across all of their subjects. The child has received multiple offers from local colleges to continue their studies, which evidences the exceptional progress the child has made. When children move in and there are identified gaps in their access to on-site provision, the team ensures children maintain a routine that is consistent with a full-time education schedule. This ensures that children are fully prepared for the transition back to on-site school provision.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: outstanding

Children participate in a wide range of activities that they enjoy. Staff consider children’s interests and strive to identify opportunities to fulfil these. When children identify specific career goals, they are supported to access volunteer opportunities in the local community to gain direct work experience. This enables children to develop skills to support their independence work and build positive support networks beyond their home environment.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: outstanding

Children are supported to maintain strong relationships with their family members and the people who are important to them. Staff build exceptionally strong relationships with people that children identify as important in their lives. They encourage them to participate in important milestones for children so that they can be a part of celebrating these achievements together. Family members have said, ‘Staff go above and beyond.’ Inspection report for children's home: 2642297 4

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

Staff use a therapeutic and restorative approach to help and protect children. Children receive weekly drama therapy to support them to explore their feelings and lived experiences, and they are encouraged to take the lead in the direction of these sessions. This empowers children to explore their world in a safe environment. Staff consistently access guidance from the clinical team in regular meetings about each child to develop a greater understanding of the child’s individual needs.

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

Since the last inspection, there has been one recorded occasion when a child has been absent from home for a short period of time. Staff meticulously followed the child’s missing-from-home policy and worked effectively with relevant people in the child’s support network to ensure that the child returned home safely. Children’s risk assessments are updated following any identified change in their vulnerability to risk, and appropriate measures are put in place to ensure their safety needs are maintained. Comprehensive measures are in place to meet the safety needs of children, and they specifically relate to the individual needs of each child.

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

Management oversight of any recorded incident is of an excellent standard. Children are appropriately supported to explore their feelings, and input is regularly sought by the home’s clinical team to ensure staff responses are consistent and child focused. Discussions about each incident take place with children and staff in a time-sensitive way, and the manager ensures that all follow-up actions are completed without delay.

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

When children are new to the home, any identified risks are well understood. The manager explores with the staff team the known risks for children when reviewing their suitability for the home. The team explore the unknown risks and discuss strategies to learn more information about the child. Following this process, staff immediately identified an online risk for a child who was moving into the home. By identifying this risk, safety measures were instantly put into place, and the risk to the child was significantly reduced. Through daily discussions, staff help children to process their experiences, feelings and emotions. Children trust staff and feel heard, valued and cared for. Consequently, children who have had several moves before moving to this home settle quickly and make significant progress.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: outstanding

The manager is inspirational, ambitious and child focused and confidently advocates for children when needed. She has high aspirations for the children in her care and remains committed to ensuring that improvements are continually made. This inspiring practice supports the children to feel safe and helps them to thrive and make exceptional progress.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: outstanding

Leaders and managers promote a strong culture of learning in the home. Oversight of the home is constant and ongoing. The thorough monitoring systems used by the manager ensure that there is effective oversight of the quality of care provided for Inspection report for children's home: 2642297 5 children. This approach has resulted in the manager quickly addressing issues, limiting any negative impact on children and ensuring that improvements are continually made.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: outstanding

Leaders and managers take the well-being of their staff seriously. They carry out daily well-being checks and ensure that staff are supported through regular supervision sessions, team meetings and training. As a result, children are cared for by staff who are highly motivated and say they feel well supported by their management team.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: outstanding

Managers and staff work incredibly well with external agencies. They work in collaboration and are proactive in their communication. Feedback from external stakeholders is exemplary. One local authority team manager said, ‘They are an exceptional home. The management and staff group work really well together and with other agencies to ensure children are safeguarded.’

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: outstanding

The manager challenges decisions in respect of children’s care plans to ensure children’s transitions run in line with their needs to ensure long-term stability and continuation of progress.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: outstanding

No requirements or recommendations were raised during the inspection. Inspection report for children's home: 2642297 6

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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: 2642297 7

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Children’s home details

Registered provider: Nurture Care Group Ltd

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Children’s home details

Registered provider address: Suite 34 Hilton Hall, Hilton Lane, Essington, Wolverhampton, WV11 2BQ

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Inspector

Charlotte Tippett, Social Care Inspector Inspection report for children's home: 2642297 8 regulates 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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