Children's home run by Nurturing Children’s Services Ltd

Inspection report for children’s home: 2793883 1 Registered provider: Nurturing Children’s Services Ltd Full inspection Inspected under the social care common inspection framework

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Information about this children’s home

A private company operates this home. It provides care for up to two children who may experience social and emotional difficulties. At the time of the inspection, one child was living in the home. The child was spoken with during the inspection.

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Information about this children’s home

The home’s statement of purpose states that staff implement a specific model of care.

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Information about this children’s home

The manager registered with Ofsted in July 2024 and is suitably qualified.

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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 good

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good

The children’s home provides effective services that meet the requirements for good.

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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: 2793883 2

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Inspection date Inspection type Inspection judgement

11/03/2025 Full Good Inspection report for children’s home: 2793883 3

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

The child is making credible progress in all areas of their life. Indeed, there are strong areas of practice that have propelled the child to succeed, particularly in their education. Reassuringly, following a period of moving in and out of several homes, the child is now saying that they are settled and focused on their future.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Good working relationships have been established with the child’s education provider. In doing so, the child is receiving a consistent message from home and from their teaching staff. This has been crucial to support the child’s engagement. As a result, the child has established a sense of direction to achieve their future goals.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Staff keenly support the child to pursue their passions in life. Because staff take an avid interest, this inspires the child to further develop their skills and talent in their hobby. These endeavours have given the child a focus, as well as improving their self- confidence.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

The child participates in their care planning and contributes to their written records. This ensures that the child has a deeper understanding of their care and support needs. However, staff use professional jargon in some of the child’s written records. Additionally, staff seek the child’s signature as confirmation that the child has read their care plan. Cumulatively, these practices undermine staff’s intention to give the child a natural sense of childhood.

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

Staff are confident to talk about an array of issues relevant to teenagers that are helpful and that educate the child. This also includes the need to develop the child’s ability to safely manage their independence at their own pace.

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

The child is helped to process and manage loss in a healthy manner. Importantly, staff approach this emotive issue lovingly, patiently and meaningfully. This has enabled the child to openly talk about their loss. Furthermore, there is good support and guidance for staff through training and from the support that the manager and the responsible individual give them.

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

Incidents relating to the child have significantly decreased. This has been achieved through the manager and the responsible individual promoting reflection and learning from all incidents involving the child. Furthermore, there is a collaborative approach with the child’s social worker and, when necessary, the child’s education provider. Therefore, the child experiences a consistent and united approach to their care.

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

Staff are knowledgeable about managing the current risk factors in the child’s life. However, the child’s written risk assessments cover an array of possible risks that do not Inspection report for children’s home: 2793883 4 pose a current concern in the child’s life. Consequently, the written risk assessments are not focused and are unnecessarily lengthy. This makes it difficult for staff, particularly bank staff, to access or retain guidance around managing current and prevalent risks in the child’s life.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

Leaders and managers make extensive efforts to connect staff with the framework that supports their practice, such as the quality standards. This educates staff on the broader nature of their role.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

There are good systems in place for leaders and managers to monitor the overall functioning of the home, including the child’s care. There is sufficient oversight from the responsible individual, who uses their objectivity to assist the manager in this regard.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

Staff value their training, particularly in the model of care that the organisation promotes. Importantly, when staff identify gaps in their knowledge, these are plugged through implementing bespoke training and through staff’s supervision sessions. Encouragingly, the art of reflective practice is developing in the home. Staff say that they value reflective practice as this has helped them to improve the child’s care.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

Although there is good collaboration with external professionals, leaders and managers need to develop their knowledge of the role of the local authority designated officer (LADO). Furthermore, there has been a disproportionate response to a few incidents that have occurred in the home. Although these issues have been resolved satisfactorily, there is a risk that leaders and managers will inadvertently create unnecessary disruptions to the child’s care if such instances continue. Inspection report for children’s home: 2793883 5

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Recommendations

 The registered person should continually and actively assess the risks to each child and the arrangements in place to protect them. In particular, help staff to better access clear guidance on known and relevant risks associated with the child’s behaviour. (‘Guide to the Children’s Homes Regulations, including the quality standards’, page 42, paragraph 9.5)  The registered person should work effectively alongside the LADO. In particular, develop better awareness of the role of the LADO. Additionally, leaders and managers should respond objectively and proportionately to information at their disposal when issues emerge associated with the child’s care. (‘Guide to the Children’s Homes Regulations, including the quality standards’, page 56, paragraph 11.2)  The registered person should ensure that staff use the child’s written records to record information that will be helpful to the child. In particular, avoid terms that are

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Recommendations

stigmatising and avoid getting the child to sign some of their written records unnecessarily. (‘Guide to the Children’s Homes Regulations, including the quality standards’, page 62, paragraph 14.4)

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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: 2793883 6

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Children’s home details

Registered provider: Nurturing Children’s Services Ltd

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Children’s home details

Registered provider address: 45 Kennedy Avenue, Huddersfield HD2 2HH

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Inspector

Steve Guirey, Social Care Inspector Inspection report for children’s home: 2793883 7 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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