Children's Home run by Nugent Care 2019 in Wigan

Inspection report for children’s home: 2725049 1 Registered provider: Nugent Care 2019

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Full inspection Inspected under the social care common inspection framework

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Information about this children’s home

This children’s home is operated by a charity. The home provides care for up to three children who may have social and emotional difficulties or learning disabilities.

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Information about this children’s home

The manager registered with Ofsted on 2 May 2025.

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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 requires improvement to be good

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good

The effectiveness of leaders and managers requires improvement to be good

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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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good

Overall judgement at last inspection: outstanding

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good

Enforcement action since last inspection: none Inspection report for children’s home: 2725049 2

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Inspection date Inspection type Inspection judgement

30/07/2024 Full Outstanding 05/09/2023 Full Good Inspection report for children’s home: 2725049 3

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improvement to be good

There were two children living at the home at the time of the inspection. Since the last inspection, two children have moved out of the home in a planned way.

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improvement to be good

Plans for children moving into the home do not identify how children’s needs and risks will be managed and whether staff have the right experience, skills and training to meet these needs. The impact of children’s physical health needs on other children living in the home is not considered. This has negatively impacted on children’s experiences when living together.

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improvement to be good

A recent change in the staff working in the home has impacted on the continuity of care provided to children. However, children do have positive relationships with the adults who care for them.

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improvement to be good

Children are regularly consulted about the care they receive, and staff act on children’s wishes and views.

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improvement to be good

The progress children make with education is variable. One child attends college and has completed work experience. However, one child has limited engagement with their tutor who visits the home. The manager is working with professionals to identify an appropriate school place.

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improvement to be good

Staff support children to maintain positive relationships with their family and friends, and this includes when children’s families live a distance from the home.

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improvement to be good

Staff support children with their physical health needs and work closely with health professionals. However, a recent decline in one child’s complex health needs has contributed to the manager serving notice on the child’s placement. The child’s written plans do not reflect the changes in the child’s health needs, and strategies have not been updated to ensure that staff know how best to support the child.

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improvement to be good

The home has recently commissioned a therapist to work with the manager and staff. The therapist supports the staff’s understanding of therapeutic approaches.

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improvement to be good

Children are supported to gain independence skills and have learned new skills, including cooking, cleaning, budgeting and how to use public transport. This helps children to be prepared for moving on from the home.

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improvement to be good

Children are encouraged to take part in a wide range of activities, including visits to the airport, theme parks and meals out. The staff keep photos and personalised books to document children’s progress and their time living in the home. Inspection report for children’s home: 2725049 4 The home provides a comfortable and nurturing space for children. The home has recently modernised the bathroom. Children are supported to personalise their bedrooms.

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improvement to be good

Staff lack the skills, training and confidence to manage children’s behaviour. This means that the police have attended the home to support staff to manage incidents in the home. Arrangements for on-call support are not effective. On one occasion, staff’s attempts to contact senior managers for support were unsuccessful.

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improvement to be good

Records of incidents do not provide a clear chronology of the incident and do not clearly identify the actions taken to support children by staff. This does not promote effective safeguarding as it is not clear which staff were involved during the incident.

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improvement to be good

Children said they feel safe living in the home. Staff talk to children following incidents and support them to understand different ways to manage their behaviour and emotions. Staff support children’s understanding of how to keep safe.

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improvement to be good

There have been a number of allegations made by children. The manager reports concerns to relevant professionals and informs children of the outcomes. However, for one complaint made by a child, the manager was unable to find the written record.

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improvement to be good

Incidents of children going missing from the home are not always managed well. During one incident, there was a delay in a staff member following the child when they left the home, resulting in the child going missing. Furthermore, staff’s ability to complete wider area searches for children has been limited due to a lack of drivers being on shift.

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improvement to be good

Not all staff are trained in how to physically hold children. This has limited staff’s ability to physically intervene to safeguard the child and others during serious incidents. During one incident, this led to a staff member being injured.

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good

Changes to the staffing and senior leadership of the home mean that children have not been provided with stable and consistent care.

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good

Due to a number of staff leaving their roles, there is currently a shortage of permanent staff. Agency staff have been used and work alongside more regular staff on shift. The manager has tried to ensure that children have consistent care by using the same regular agency staff. However, the lack of a stable staff team has impacted on children’s experiences. Inspection report for children’s home: 2725049 5 The home is led by a suitably qualified registered manager. The manager is child centred, committed and shares a positive relationship with staff and children. The manager advocates for the children and is committed to improving their outcomes. However, the home is not registered to provide care for all children that are living in the home. The manager has not identified that they are not operating in line with their conditions of registration when providing care for children with complex physical health needs.

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good

The manager’s monitoring and oversight of the home is not always effective. Shortfalls in staff practice are not always identified by the manager. This means that action has not always been taken to improve the quality of care. Furthermore, records of staff training are not up to date or accurate.

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good

Staff are either qualified or are currently enrolled and working towards an appropriate qualification. However, one staff member will not complete their diploma within the appropriate time frame.

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good

Staff all spoke highly of the manager and the support she provides in the home. Staff receive regular supervision and have opportunities to discuss children’s needs and reflect on their practice. Information is shared during regular staff team meetings, which provides an opportunity to discuss children’s progress and identify areas of improvement within the home.

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good

. Inspection report for children’s home: 2725049 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

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)(iii)(v)(vi)(b))

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Requirement Due date

In particular, leaders and managers must ensure that staff understand their roles and responsibilities in protecting children and take effective action to reduce the risk of harm to children. 5 September

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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— 5 September Inspection report for children’s home: 2725049 7 ensure that staff have the experience, qualifications and skills to meet the needs of each child;

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Requirement Due date

ensure that the home’s workforce provides continuity of care to each child;

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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)(c)(e)(h))

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Requirement Due date

In particular, leaders and managers must ensure that there is a stable staff team in place and that all staff working in the home have the knowledge, skills and experience to provide care for children. This includes relevant training in line with children’s written plans.

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Requirement Due date

Leaders and managers must ensure that children’s records are reviewed and maintained to include all accurate and relevant information and that shortfalls in staff practice are identified and addressed as part of management evaluation.

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Requirement Due date

Leaders and managers must ensure that the home has an accurate and up-to-date record of the training completed by staff.

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Requirement Due date

Leaders and managers must have effective monitoring and review systems in place to have oversight of the quality of care for children.

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Requirement Due date

The care planning standard is that children—

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Requirement Due date

receive effectively planned care in or through the children’s home; and

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Requirement Due date

have a positive experience of arriving at or moving on from the home.

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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

that children are admitted to the home only if their needs are within the range of needs of children for whom it is intended that the home is to provide care and accommodation, as set out in the home’s statement of purpose. (Regulation 14 (1)(a)(b) (2)(a)) 5 September Inspection report for children’s home: 2725049 8 In particular, leaders and managers must assess children’s needs prior to admission to ensure that staff have the necessary skills and experience to meet the children’s needs. Additionally, consideration must be given to the range of children’s needs identified in the home’s statement of purpose and the conditions of registration.

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Requirement Due date

Leaders and managers should robustly assess the needs of all children who will live together and put plans in place to ensure that children have a positive experience when sharing a home.

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Requirement Due date

The registered person must maintain records (“case records”) for each child which—

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Requirement Due date

include the information and documents listed in Schedule 3 in relation to each child;

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Requirement Due date

are signed and dated by the author of each entry. (Regulation 36 (1)(a)(b)(c))

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Requirement Due date

In particular, leaders and managers should ensure that records provide clear and accurate information in relation to incidents involving children, including the action taken by staff.

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Requirement Due date

Leaders and managers must ensure that complaints made by children are recorded and include the action taken by managers in response to the complaint. 5 September

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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: 2725049 9

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Children’s home details

Registered provider address: Nugent, 99 Edge Lane, Edge Hill, Liverpool L7 2PE

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Inspectors

Suzanne Birchall, Social Care Regulatory Inspector Samantha Kean, Social Care Regulatory Inspector Inspection report for children’s home: 2725049 10 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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Inspectors

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Inspectors

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Inspectors

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