Children's Home run by Nurture Childcare Services Ltd in Lancashire

Inspection report for children’s home: 2534829 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 home is operated by a private organisation. It provides care for up to two children who may experience social and emotional difficulties.

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Information about this children’s home

At the time of this inspection, two children were living in the home.

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Information about this children’s home

The manager is not yet registered with Ofsted.

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Overall experiences and progress of

children and young people, taking into account

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inadequate

How well children and young people are helped and protected inadequate

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inadequate

The effectiveness of leaders and managers inadequate

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inadequate

Date of last inspection: 5 November 2024

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inadequate

Overall judgement at last inspection: good

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inadequate

Enforcement action since last inspection: none Inspection report for children’s home: 2534829 2

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Inspection date Inspection type Inspection judgement

05/11/2024 Full Good 08/06/2022 Full Inadequate 29/03/2022 Interim Declined in effectiveness 12/10/2021 Full Requires improvement to be good Inspection report for children’s home: 2534829 3

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: inadequate

Both children were present and were spoken to as part of the inspection.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: inadequate

Poor and ineffective leadership and management and safeguarding practices have had a significant effect on the experiences and progress of children living in the home.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: inadequate

Children’s views, wishes and feelings are not consistently sought or acted on to inform care planning. As a result, their perspectives are not sufficiently considered in decision- making processes. For example, relationships between a child and staff are not always positive. This ongoing issue leads to ineffective support that, at times, exacerbates the child’s needs. This has a negative impact on the quality of care.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: inadequate

Behaviour management strategies do not align with children’s homes regulations. One child’s access to family time has the potential of being restricted as a consequence for not engaging in education. This child lives a considerable distance away from their family and friends. This approach does not support the child’s emotional well-being and may negatively impact their relationships and overall progress. The child, staff and external professionals are of the understanding that family time is linked to behaviour management strategies.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: inadequate

Door alarms and window restrictors are used on all doors and windows. These measures are not assessed individually for each child to determine whether they are necessary and proportionate to ensure their safety. This detracts from the family feel in the home and compromises children’s privacy and liberty.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: inadequate

Children are either attending formal full-time education or accessing informal education or online tutoring. This demonstrates that they are making progress from their starting points. Staff are proactive when communicating with education settings to ensure that they provide a consistent and joined-up approach to supporting children.

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

Children’s individual or emerging risks are not all identified, understood or managed by leaders, managers and staff. Staff do not always understand their roles and responsibilities in keeping children safe. Children’s risk assessments do not inform practice because they do not include details of all known and potential risks or contain clear strategies to manage and reduce them.

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

The registered person has not ensured that significant safeguarding information is assessed and shared with staff. Specifically, the risks pertain to self-injurious behaviours, ligature risks, and a child's access to local train tracks. Therefore, staff do not understand what they should do in an emergency. Inspection report for children’s home: 2534829 4 Most external professionals spoken to feel that staff communicate well. They say staff advocate for children and keep them informed about any issues arising and any progress made. A social worker said that they do not have any concerns about the child’s care or how the home is managed. However, on one occasion, significant safeguarding information relating to a child was not shared with their child and adolescent mental health worker. This information would have been crucial to formulating the correct response.

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

The home is a warm and welcoming environment. Staff help the child personalise their bedroom, for example, by displaying photos celebrating their achievements. The child said that they are happy at the home and that they feel listened to. However, one of the garden gates was damaged with exposed nails. This was rectified by the registered manager during the inspection .

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: inadequate

There have been significant delays in registering a manager for the home. While interim arrangements are in place, there has been a seven-month gap following the previous manager’s resignation.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: inadequate

Managers and staff do not demonstrate any learning from safeguarding incidents. Leaders, managers and staff lack professional curiosity. There is limited evaluation of safeguarding incidents to improve the safety and welfare of children and the practice of staff. The management oversight of incident records is not sufficiently robust and lacks effective evaluation, resulting in limited learning from incidents.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: inadequate

Leaders and managers have not ensured that the quality of care report has been submitted to Ofsted. Additionally, the independent visitor’s monthly report has not been submitted to Ofsted since February 2025. Safeguarding concerns were raised following the independent person’s visits. This limits the regulator’s oversight of safeguarding practice and the quality of care provided.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: inadequate

Staff training does not fully meet the specific needs of the children. Despite a child's diagnosis of autism spectrum disorder, there are training gaps in this area. These gaps have the potential to hinder effective behaviour support and the staff’s ability to meet children’s individual needs. Inspection report for children’s home: 2534829 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 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

take effective action whenever there is a serious concern about a child’s welfare. (Regulation 12 (1) (2)(a)(i)(ii)(iii)(vi))

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Requirement Due date

In particular, the registered person must ensure that risks to children are identified, assessed and managed. To ensure the safety of children, staff must be provided with clear guidance and strategies to help them manage and reduce risks. This includes safety planning to address significant safeguarding concerns.

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Requirement Due date

This also includes ensuring that there is a consistent plan in place to manage monitoring of children in distress, as well as keeping records of each check if necessary.

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Requirement Due date

The registered manager must also ensure that visitors’ identifications are ascertained before granting them access to the home. 19 July 2025 Inspection report for children’s home: 2534829 6 * 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

demonstrate that practice in the home is informed and improved by taking into account and acting on— research and developments in relation to the ways in which the needs of children are best met; and feedback on the experiences of children, including complaints received. (Regulation 13 (1)(a)(b) and (2)(g)(i)(ii))

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Requirement Due date

Specifically, the registered person must ensure that they follow up safeguarding incidents with a review, update risk assessments and ensure that all information is passed on to staff and external professionals without delay. 19 July 2025

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Requirement Due date

In meeting the quality standards, the registered person must, and must ensure that staff—

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Requirement Due date

seek to involve each child’s placing authority effectively in the child’s care, in accordance with the child’s relevant plans;

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Requirement Due date

seek to secure the input and services required to meet each child’s needs;

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Requirement Due date

if the registered person considers, or staff consider, a placing authority’s or a relevant person’s performance or response to be inadequate in relation to their role, challenge the placing authority or the relevant person to seek to ensure that each child’s needs are met in accordance with the child’s relevant plans; and

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Requirement Due date

seek to develop and maintain effective professional relationships with such persons, bodies or organisations as the registered person considers appropriate having regard to the range of needs of children for whom it is intended that the children’s home is to provide care and accommodation. (Regulation 5 (a)(b)(c)(d)) 19 July 2025 Inspection report for children’s home: 2534829 7 Specifically, the registered person must ensure that information is passed on to those supporting the child with their care. This involves promptly sharing any escalation in mental health needs with practitioners.

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Requirement Due date

Specifically, the registered person must ensure that they follow up on safeguarding incidents with a review, update risk assessments, and ensure that all information is passed on to staff and external professionals without delay.

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Requirement Due date

No measure of control or discipline which is excessive, unreasonable or contrary to paragraph (2) may be used in relation to any child.

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Requirement Due date

The following measures may not be used to discipline any child—

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Requirement Due date

any punishment involving the consumption or deprivation of food or drink;

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Requirement Due date

any restriction, other than one imposed by a court or in accordance with regulation 22 (contact and access to communications), on—

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Requirement Due date

a child’s contact with parents, relatives or friends;

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Requirement Due date

visits to the child by the child’s parents, relatives or friends;

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Requirement Due date

a child’s communications with any persons listed in regulation 22(1) (contact and access to communications); or

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Requirement Due date

a child’s access to any internet-based or telephone helpline providing counselling for children;

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Requirement Due date

the use or withholding of medication, or medical or dental treatment;

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Requirement Due date

imposing a financial penalty, other than a requirement for the payment of a reasonable sum (which may be by instalments) by way of reparation;

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Requirement Due date

any intimate physical examination; 19 July 2025 Inspection report for children’s home: 2534829 8 withholding any aids or equipment needed by a disabled child;

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Requirement Due date

any measure involving a child imposing any measure against another child; or

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Requirement Due date

any measure involving punishing a group of children for the behaviour of an individual child. (Regulation 19 (1) (2)(a)(b)(c)(i)(ii)(iii)(iv)(d)(e)(f)(g)(h)(i)(j))

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Requirement Due date

Specifically, the registered person must ensure that the removal of family time is not used as a consequence for children failing to engage in their education.

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Requirement Due date

The children’s views, wishes and feelings standard is that children receive care from staff who—

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Requirement Due date

develop positive relationships with them;

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Requirement Due date

take their views, wishes and feelings into account in relation to matters affecting the children’s care and welfare and their lives.

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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

ascertain and consider each child’s views, wishes and feelings, and balance these against what they judge to be in the child’s best interests when making decisions about the child’s care and welfare;

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Requirement Due date

help each child to express views, wishes and feelings;

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Requirement Due date

help each child to understand how the child’s views, wishes and feelings have been taken into account and give the child reasons for decisions in relation to the child;

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Requirement Due date

regularly consult children, and seek their feedback, about the quality of the homes care;

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Requirement Due date

help each child to understand how the child’s privacy will be respected and the circumstances when it may have to be limited;

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Requirement Due date

help each child to prepare for any review of the child’s relevant 19 July 2025 Inspection report for children’s home: 2534829 9 plans and to make the child’s views, wishes and feelings known for the purposes of that review; and

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Requirement Due date

make each child aware of and, if necessary, remind them of each of the matters in sub-paragraph (d)(i) to (iii);

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Requirement Due date

is enabled to provide feedback to, and raise issues with, a relevant person about the support and services that the child receives;

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Requirement Due date

has access to the home’s children’s guide, and the home’s complaints procedure, when the child’s placement in the home is agreed and throughout the child’s stay in the home; and

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Requirement Due date

is given appropriate advocacy support. (Regulation 7 (1)(a)(b)(c) (2)(a)(i)(ii)(iii)(iv)(v)(vi)(b)(i)(ii)(iii))

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Requirement Due date

Specifically, the registered person must ensure that the staff are able to build and maintain effective relationships with children to ensure that their support needs are met.

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Requirement Due date

A person may only manage a children’s home if—

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Requirement Due date

the person is of integrity and good character;

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Requirement Due date

having regard to the size of the home, its statement of purpose, and the number and needs (including any needs arising from any disability) of the children—

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Requirement Due date

the person has the appropriate experience, qualification and skills to manage the home effectively and lead the care of children; and

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Requirement Due date

the person is physically and mentally fit to manage the home; and

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Requirement Due date

full and satisfactory information is available in relation to the person in respect of each of the matters in Schedule 2.

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Requirement Due date

For the purposes of paragraph (1)(b)(i), a person has the appropriate experience and qualification if the person has—

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Requirement Due date

within the last 5 years, worked for at least 2 years in a position relevant to the residential care of children; 19 July 2025 Inspection report for children’s home: 2534829 10 worked for at least one year in a role requiring the supervision and management of staff working in a care role; and

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Requirement Due date

the Level 5 Diploma in Leadership and Management for Residential Childcare (England) (“the Level 5 Diploma”); or

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Requirement Due date

a qualification which the registered provider considers to be equivalent to the Level 5 Diploma.

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Requirement Due date

in the case of a person who starts managing a home after 1st April 2014, the date which falls 3 years after the date on which that person started managing a home; or

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Requirement Due date

in the case of a person who was managing a home on 1st April 2014, 1st April 2017.

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Requirement Due date

The registered provider may defer the relevant date if the person—

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Requirement Due date

does not manage, or has not managed, a home for a prolonged period; or

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Requirement Due date

manages, or has managed, a home on a part-time basis. (Regulation 28 (1)(a)(b)(i)(ii)(c) (2)(a)(b)(c)(i)(ii) (3)(a)(b) (4)(a)(b))

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Requirement Due date

Specifically, the registered person must ensure that a manager is recruited without delay and the application is not delayed.

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Requirement Due date

The registered person must ensure that an independent person visits the children’s home at least once each month.

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Requirement Due date

When the independent person is carrying out a visit, the registered person must help the independent person—

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Requirement Due date

if they consent, to interview in private such of the children, their parents, relatives and persons working at the home as the independent person requires; and

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Requirement Due date

to inspect the premises of the home and such of the home’s records (except for a child’s case records, unless the child and the child’s placing authority consent) as the independent person requires. 19 July 2025 Inspection report for children’s home: 2534829 11 A visit by the independent person to the home may be unannounced.

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Requirement Due date

The independent person must produce a report about a visit (“the independent person’s report”) which sets out, in particular, the independent person’s opinion as to whether—

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Requirement Due date

children are effectively safeguarded; and

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Requirement Due date

the conduct of the home promotes children’s well-being.

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Requirement Due date

The independent person’s report may recommend actions that the registered person may take in relation to the home and timescales within which the registered person must consider whether or not to take those actions. (Regulation 44 (1) (2)(a)(b) (3) (4)(a)(b) (5))

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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

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

supply to HMCI a copy of the quality of care review report within 28 days of the date on which the quality of care review is completed; and 19 July 2025 Inspection report for children’s home: 2534829 12 make a copy of the quality of care review report available on request to a placing authority, if the placing authority is not the parent of a child accommodated in the home.

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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)(b)(c) (3) (4)(a)(b) (5))

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Recommendations

 The registered person should ensure that the home is a nurturing and supportive environment that meets children’s needs. Any damages should be quickly repaired, such as the broken gate with protruding nails. (‘Guide to the Children’s Homes Regulations, including the quality standards’, page 15, paragraph 3.9)  The registered person should ensure that staff have an opportunity to reflect on their practice during individual appraisal sessions at least once per year. (‘Guide to the Children’s Homes Regulations, including the quality standards’, page 39, paragraph 8.15)  The registered person should ensure that staff have access to the facilities, training and resources they need to meet children’s specific needs. (‘Guide to the Children’s Homes Regulations, including the quality standards’, page 39, paragraph 10.11)  The registered person should ensure that any monitoring equipment used is assessed

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Recommendations

for risk and regularly reviewed to ensure that this is a necessary and proportionate measure to keep children safe. This includes a review of the blanket use of window restrictors. (‘Guide to the Children’s Homes Regulations, including the quality standards’, page 16, paragraph 3.16)

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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: 2534829 13

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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

James Meeks, Social Care Inspector Inspection report for children’s home: 2534829 14 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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