Children's home run by Nurturing Haven Limited

Inspection report for children’s home: 2749948 1 Registered provider: Nurturing Haven 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

This privately run home was registered with Ofsted in November 2023 to care for two children with learning disabilities. The provider submitted an application to Ofsted to make a variation to their registration to also care for children with emotional and/or behavioural difficulties. This was approved on 4 August 2025.

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Information about this children’s home

The registered manager left their position in August 2025. A new manager has been in post since 1 June 2025. They have submitted an application to Ofsted.

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Information about this children’s home

One child was living in the home at the time of inspection, and they shared their views with the inspector.

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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 requires improvement to be 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: 10 September 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: 2749948 2

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Inspection date Inspection type Inspection judgement

10/09/2024 Full Good Inspection report for children’s home: 2749948 3

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Since the last inspection, two children have moved out of the home. This occurred at short notice due to external safeguarding concerns. Staff responded promptly and effectively to these concerns, ensuring that both children were well supported throughout. The children were helped to understand the new plans in place, and as a result, their safety was maintained. Following their departure, the home experienced a two-month period without any children in placement before a child then moved in.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

The home is a warm and welcoming environment. Staff help children to personalise their bedrooms and communal spaces. The children’s wishes and feelings are considered in the day-to-day running of the home. This helps children to feel listened to and to know that their views are acted on.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Staff value and promote the importance of children’s education. They work collaboratively with education professionals to support children to achieve positive outcomes. When children are not in formal education, staff provide creative and engaging opportunities for learning. Children are also encouraged to participate in extracurricular activities and are supported to pursue their individual hobbies and interests. This helps provide children with a wide variety of learning and social activities.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Staff provide good support for children’s health. They have helped one child to overcome barriers and fears relating to health appointments, and, as a result, this child is now up to date with their immunisations.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Staff document children’s days in a positive and child-focused way. This provides children with a positive record of their time at the home should they choose to view their files at a later date.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Staff support children to spend time with family and friends. This helps them to maintain relationships with those important to them. A weekly update is also shared with parents, and this helps them feel reassured about the care their children are receiving.

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

Staff have quickly established positive and trusting relationships with the child currently living in the home. As a result, the child has expressed that they feel safe, they are confident that staff will listen to their concerns, and they are aware of how to make a complaint.

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

Risk management plans are in place which reflect known and potential risks to children. They include clear strategies to help staff minimise these risks. These are working documents, which are kept under review and amended to reflect any emerging risks. Inspection report for children’s home: 2749948 4 These measures help provide staff with clear guidance on how to respond to risks to children and support children’s safety and welfare.

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

When allegations are made against staff, the manager follows robust procedures to ensure that children are effectively safeguarded. There is good information-sharing to ensure transparency and oversight from other agencies, and steps are taken to ensure that children are kept safe. However, managers do not always keep children updated with the progress or outcome of their allegation. This fails to ensure that children are always provided with a clear response to concerns that they raise.

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

On occasion, staff have had to hold children. This has always been in the best interests of all involved to keep people safe. Staff typically de-escalate situations well to prevent further incidents. However, after incidents of restraint, children are not always provided a chance to talk about what has happened with a person who has not been involved in the incident. This limits the child’s opportunity to share their views and managers’ ability to ensure that practice is safe.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: requires improvement to be good

The home has experienced changes in leadership and management. Under the previous leadership team, systems to oversee children’s care were ineffective, leading to inconsistent practices. An interim responsible individual is now in place, and a new permanent responsible individual has been recruited.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: requires improvement to be good

The current leadership team are in the process of improving monitoring systems and have identified shortfalls that they have begun to address.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: requires improvement to be good

Supervisions and appraisals are not being carried out consistently across the staff team. Staff members who are currently within their probationary period are not receiving the level of support outlined in the home’s statement of purpose. Furthermore, where risk assessments have been put in place at the commencement of employment, these have not been reviewed in a timely manner. This limits managers’ ability to monitor staff practice effectively and address any emerging concerns.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: requires improvement to be good

Staff have access to a range of training opportunities and receive training that is specific to the needs of the child in their care. This includes training on matters such as neurodiversity and deprivation of liberty orders. This enables staff to develop the necessary skills and knowledge to meet the child’s needs and educate the child appropriately on matters directly impacting them.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: requires improvement to be good

Team meetings now take place regularly and are well attended. Managers discuss serious incidents with staff and provide an opportunity for reflective learning, which helps to improve staff practice.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: requires improvement to be good

Staff feel supported by managers. They have good knowledge of safeguarding procedures and whistle-blowing processes. One staff member spoke positively about Inspection report for children’s home: 2749948 5 their experience of working in the home and said, ‘It’s a friendly and supportive environment. We have a solid staff team, and staff want to work here.’

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: requires improvement to be good

Leaders and managers have cultivated positive working relationships with other professionals and children’s family members. There has been robust joint working with safeguarding partners by managers. These positive relationships help keep children safe and ensure they are being helped to achieve positive outcomes. Inspection report for children’s home: 2749948 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 children’s views, wishes and feelings standard is that children receive care from staff who—

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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— ensure that staff—

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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 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

In particular, the registered person must ensure that children are kept updated when they make allegations, with the outcomes of these allegations being consistently shared with children. 5 December 2025

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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 promotes their welfare.

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Requirement Due date

In particular, the standard in paragraph (1) requires the registered person to— 5 December 2025 Inspection report for children’s home: 2749948 7 lead and manage the home in a way that is consistent with the approach and ethos, and delivers the outcomes, set out in the home’s statement of purpose;

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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

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)(a)(e)(f)(h))

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Requirement Due date

In particular, the registered person must ensure that recording systems in the home are effective, that children’s plans are accessible on their files and that effective monitoring systems are in place to oversee the quality of care provided.

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Requirement Due date

The registered person must ensure that all employees—

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Requirement Due date

receive practice-related supervision by a person with appropriate experience; and

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Requirement Due date

have their performance and fitness to perform their roles appraised at least once every year. (Regulation 33 (4)(b)(c))

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Requirement Due date

In particular, the registered person must ensure that, during staff’s probationary period, they have supervision as set out in the home’s statement of purpose, and that the registered person has effective oversight of any risk assessments in place relating to staff. 5 December 2025

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Requirement Due date

within 5 days of the use of the measure, the registered person or the authorised person adds to the record confirmation that they have spoken to the child about the measure. (Regulation 35 (3)(c))

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Requirement Due date

In particular, the registered person must ensure that the person speaking with the child was not involved in the restraint. 5 December 2025 Inspection report for children’s home: 2749948 8

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Information about this inspection

The inspector has 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: 2749948 9

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Children’s home details

Registered provider: Nurturing Haven Limited

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Children’s home details

Registered provider address: James House, Newport Road, Albrighton, Wolverhampton WV7 3FA

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Inspector

Kate Savage, Social Care Inspector Inspection report for children’s home: 2749948 10 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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