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

Inspection report for children’s home: 2511614 1 Registered provider: Nurture Childcare Services Limited

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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 private provider. It is registered to provide care for up to three children who may have social and emotional difficulties.

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Information about this children’s home

Two children currently live in the home.

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Information about this children’s home

At the time of the inspection, there was no registered manager in post.

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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

Date of last inspection: 10 December 2024

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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: 2511614 2

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Inspection date Inspection type Inspection judgement

10/12/2024 Full Good 05/03/2024 Full Good 04/05/2022 Full Good 23/06/2021 Full Good Inspection report for children’s home: 2511614 3

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improvement to be good

Since the last inspection, two children have remained living in the home. Both children have made progress when considering their starting points. However, shortfalls in safeguarding practices and leadership and management have impacted on the overall experience and progress of children.

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improvement to be good

Children speak positively about living in the home. Staff have good relationships with children. This allows them to have meaningful conversations with children, which offer them support and reassurance. One child said that staff are ‘really caring’.

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improvement to be good

Both children living in the home are accessing some form of education. Leaders and managers advocate for children to access provisions that are suited to their individual needs. However, staff do not explore all strategies to promote children’s engagement in education. This has meant that attendance for one child is poor.

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improvement to be good

Staff encourage children to engage in activities and promote their social development. For one child, staff have supported them to engage in volunteering and helped to introduce them to new friends. Both children have enjoyed a trip away from the home. For example, staff supported one child to spend quality time with their sibling on a caravan holiday.

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improvement to be good

Staff have positive relationships with children’s families. They understand the importance of children’s relationships with family and support them to be involved with the children’s care. Staff maintain regular contact to keep them informed of the children’s progress. One child’s family member said that the care offered by staff puts their mind at rest.

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improvement to be good

There has been one incident of a child being missing from the home. Staff have not followed the child’s missing-from-home protocol when their curfew was missed. Risk assessments are clear and specific to each child; however, children’s missing-from- home plans do not include guidance for staff around children missing their curfews.

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improvement to be good

Staff are not consistent in their response to incidents of children self-harming. Staff do not always ensure that appropriate medical advice or treatment is sought for children following incidents of self-harm. This leaves children vulnerable to further harm.

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improvement to be good

The recording of incidents is inconsistent. Incident records do not always include all relevant information and sufficient detail. This means that it is difficult to establish Inspection report for children’s home: 2511614 4 the actions taken by staff on some occasions. This is not always identified by leaders and managers in their oversight of children’s care.

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improvement to be good

There are strategies in place to monitor and restrict the children’s use of the internet. However, for one child, the strategies in place are not effective as the child is able to make use of mobile data to bypass the safeguards in place. This means that staff do not have a clear understanding of the child’s online activity and routine.

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improvement to be good

There has been one incident of physical restraint. This was proportionate and necessary to safeguard the child. This incident was significant for the child but was not notified to Ofsted.

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improvement to be good

Safer recruitment practices are followed. This ensures that only adults who are assessed as suitable are responsible for the care of children.

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good

At the time of the inspection, there was an enthusiastic acting manager in post. The manager has applied to register with Ofsted and is currently registered as the manager for another of the organisation’s homes. The manager has a positive relationship with both children and a good understanding of their individual needs.

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good

Staff speak positively about working in the home. They feel well supported in their roles and speak highly of leaders and managers. One member of staff said that the manager and deputy always do what is in the best interest of both the children and staff. The support provided by leaders and managers creates a positive dynamic in the home.

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good

The manager has oversight of children’s records. However, not all shortfalls in staff practice have been identified. This means that some shortfalls in staff practice have not been challenged and have impacted on the care of children.

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good

There is not sufficient oversight of the manager’s day-to-day practice with the children. For example, the manager has evaluated records of their own interactions with one child. This does not allow for effective monitoring and review of their work.

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good

Team meetings are regularly held and used as an opportunity to discuss the children and pick up on staff practice. However, ideas presented in team meetings are not always put into practice in a timely manner. Inspection report for children’s home: 2511614 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

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;

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Requirement Due date

that the effectiveness of the home’s child protection policies is monitored regularly. (Regulation 12 (1) (2)(a)(i)(vi)(vii)(e))

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Requirement Due date

Specifically, the registered person must ensure that staff follow children’s plans to keep them safe. The registered person must ensure that staff seek appropriate medical advice when there is a concern for children self-harming and that children’s plans have clear guidance for staff to follow when children are missing from home. 14 November

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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

promotes their welfare. 14 November Inspection report for children’s home: 2511614 6 In particular, the standard in paragraph (1) requires the registered person to—

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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;

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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)(f)(h))

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Requirement Due date

Specifically, the registered person must ensure that there is effective oversight of children’s records to ensure that shortfalls in staff practice are identified and addressed. Senior leaders and managers must ensure that there is sufficient monitoring and review of the manager’s practice.

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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

understand the barriers to learning that each child may face and take appropriate action to help the child to overcome any such barriers. (Regulation 8 (1) (2)(a)(iii))

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Requirement Due date

Specifically, the registered person must ensure that all efforts are made to encourage children’s educational attendance. 14 November

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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 kept up to date. (Regulation 36 (1)(a)(b))

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Requirement Due date

Specifically, the registered person must ensure that children’s records include all relevant information. 14 November Inspection report for children’s home: 2511614 7

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Recommendation

 The registered person should ensure that Ofsted is notified if there is an incident relating to the protection, safeguarding or welfare of a child living in the home that the registered person considers to be serious. (‘Guide to the Children’s Homes Regulations, including the quality standards’, page 63, paragraph 14.10)

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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: 2511614 8

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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: Calls Wharf, C/O Pebbles Care Ltd, 2 The Calls, Leeds LS2 7JU

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Inspector

Hayley Smith, Social Care Regulatory Inspector Inspection report for children’s home: 2511614 9 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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