Children's home run by Nurture Care Group Ltd

Inspection report children's home: 2838868 1 Registered provider: Nurture Care Group Limited

p.1

Full inspection Inspected under the social care common inspection framework

p.1

Information about this children's home

The home is owned and operated by a small private company. It provides care for up to 3 children who may have experienced social and emotional difficulties and associated complex needs. Two children currently live in the home. Both children were present throughout the inspection and spoke with the inspector.

p.1

Information about this children's home

The registered manager is appropriately qualified. They registered with Ofsted in July 2025.

p.1

Information about this children's home

This is the homes first inspection since being registered in July 2025.

p.1

Overall experiences and progress of

children and young people, taking into account

p.1

good

How well children and young people are helped and protected good

p.1

good

The effectiveness of leaders and managers good

p.1

good

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

p.1

good

Overall judgement at last inspection: not applicable

p.1

good

Enforcement action since last inspection: none Inspection report children's home: 2838868 2

p.1

Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Since opening, three children have moved into the home, and one child has moved on. Arrangements for children moving into the home have been well coordinated and focused on child’s individual needs.

p.2

Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

When one child had to move sooner than anticipated, staff offered sensitive support. They worked with professionals to create a clear plan and helped the child understand what would happen. Staff recognised the emotional impact of the child leaving the home and provided reassurance and for the child to share their feelings. This thoughtful approach helped the child feel valued and respect despite the move being unplanned.

p.2

Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Staff know the children well and have a clear understanding of their individual needs, preferences and behaviours. This knowledge enables them to build trusting relationships and provide support that is sensitive and tailored to each child. As a result, children feel understood and well cared for.

p.2

Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Staff support children to attend education and work closely with teachers to promote consistent routines and positive attendance. Communication with education providers is effective, ensuring that concerns are shared and strategies are implemented to drive progress. As a result, children benefit from coordinated support that helps them feel more confident and settled in their learning.

p.2

Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

The manager advocates for children effectively, ensuring their needs are prioritised in care planning and daily wellbeing. The registered manager escalates their concern to partner agencies, so children receive the support and opportunities they are entitled to. Furthermore, he ensures children’s views are represented in decision-making. This proactive child-centred approach provides better outcomes for children

p.2

Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

The clinical team provides valuable support to both staff and children. They offer guidance, consultation and therapeutic input that enhances the quality of care in the home. Their involvement helps staff to better understand children’s needs and respond to them in a thoughtful way. Children benefit directly from this expertise; this contributes to improving children’s emotional wellbeing.

p.2

Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Children enjoy taking part in a wide range of activities that support their interests, confidence and social development. They are also well supported to spend time with friends and maintain positive relationships with their families. This helps children feel connected, valued and included, both within the home and their wider community.

p.2

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

When children go missing, staff respond effectively. Missing-from-care protocols are followed consistently, and staff take proactive steps to locate children and ensure their Inspection report children's home: 2838868 3 safety. When children return, they are welcomed back warmly, and staff speak with them sensitively about the risks they may have been exposed to. These conversations help staff understand the child’s experience and inform future safety planning.

p.2

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

Leaders and managers take whistleblowing concerns seriously. They initiate clear, robust investigations in line with policy, ensuring staff and children are protected while investigations take place. They maintain strong oversight, act on findings to strengthen practice, and promote a culture where staff feel confident to speak up, knowing concerns will be handled sensitively and fairly.

p.3

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

Physical interventions are proportionate and used appropriately to keep children safe. Staff understand de-escalation strategies and use them well. However, there are some missed opportunities to intervene earlier. Staff reflect on incidents and use learning to improve their practice. Some records do not always contain all the relevant information about the intervention used, however this does not compromise children’s safety. Managers are taking action to improve recording by providing staff with additional training.

p.3

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

Self-harm risks are clearly identified, and staff understand each child’s vulnerabilities and coping strategies. Children’s plans are detailed, regularly reviewed and updated as children’s needs change. Staff respond with sensitivity, offering emotional support to help children develop safer ways to express distress. As a result, self-harm is managed well, in a nurturing and safe environment.

p.3

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

Safer recruitment procedures are effective, and all required checks are completed before staff begin working in the home. Leaders and managers maintain clear records and ensure that recruitment practice follows statutory guidance. This helps to ensure that only the most suitable adults care for the children.

p.3

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

Peer relationships are not always managed effectively, and at times this has resulted in one child not feeling safe. Staff do respond when concerns arise, but earlier intervention is not always evident, meaning opportunities to reduce tension or prevent escalation have sometimes been missed. Leaders and managers have implemented an action plan to address these issues.

p.3

The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

The manager is committed and leads by example, setting clear expectations and modelling positive practice for the staff team. Although the home has experienced challenges in its first few months, he has managed these effectively, maintaining stability and ensuring that children continue to receive good-quality care. He seeks support from the senior leadership team when needed, demonstrating accountability and reflective practice. This proactive approach creates a culture where the team remain focused on meeting children’s needs.

p.3

The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

Staff report feeling well supported by the manager and speak positively about working in the home. They describe an environment where they feel valued and listened to, and Inspection report children's home: 2838868 4 they take pride in their work. The strong team ethos contributes to a stable, nurturing environment for children and enhances the quality of care.

p.3

The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

Managerial oversight is effective, and leaders have a clear understanding of practice within the home. Some staff practice such as recording still needs improvement to ensure it is clear and concise managers are taking appropriate action to address this.

p.4

The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

Team meetings take place regularly and provide staff with valuable opportunities to share information, reflect on practice and maintain a consistent approach to supporting children. Alongside this, fortnightly meetings chaired by the clinical team offer additional guidance and help staff deepen their understanding of the children’s vulnerabilities and needs. This contributes to a well-coordinated and thoughtful approach to care.

p.4

The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

Supervisions take place regularly. This provides staff with meaningful opportunities to reflect on their practice and discuss their wellbeing. Leaders create a supportive environment where staff feel able to raise concerns and seek guidance. This helps maintain a stable team who feel equipped to meet challenges within the home.

p.4

The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

Partner agencies speak positively about the relationship they have with the home. They report that staff keep them well informed, share information promptly and engage in effective partnership working. This consistent and open communication supports good multi-agency collaboration and ensure that children’s needs are clearly understood and met. Inspection report children's home: 2838868 5

p.4

Statutory requirements

This section sets out the actions that the registered person(s) must take to meet the Care Standards Act 2000, 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.

p.5

Requirement Due date

The protection of children standard is that children are protected from harm and enabled to keep themselves safe.

p.5

Requirement Due date

In particular, the standard in paragraph (1) requires the registered person to ensure—

p.5

Requirement Due date

manage relationships between children to prevent them from harming each other. (Regulation 12 (1) (2)(a)(iv))

p.5

Requirement Due date

In particular, the registered person needs to ensure that plans are consistently in place to support peers with their relationships, and that children are supported to feel safe living in the home at all times. 27 March 2026

p.5

Requirement Due date

The registered person must prepare and implement a policy (“the behaviour management policy”) which sets out—

p.5

Requirement Due date

within 24 hours of the use of a measure of control, discipline or restraint in relation to a child in the home, a record is made which includes—

p.5

Requirement Due date

the date, time and location of the use of the measure;

p.5

Requirement Due date

a description of the measure and its duration;

p.5

Requirement Due date

details of any methods used or steps taken to avoid the need to use the measure;

p.5

Requirement Due date

the effectiveness and any consequences of the use of the measure; and 27 March 2026 Inspection report children's home: 2838868 6 within 48 hours of the use of the measure, the registered person, or a person who is authorised by the registered person to do so (“the authorised person”)— has spoken to the user about the measure; and

p.5

Requirement Due date

has signed the record to confirm it is accurate; and

p.6

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)(a)(i)(iii)(iv)(v)(vii)(b)(i)(ii)(c))

p.6

Requirement Due date

In particular the registered person must ensure that recording relating to physical intervention is in line with regulation and fully recorded.

p.6

Recommendation

 The registered person should ensure staff are familiar with the home’s policies on record keeping and understand the importance of careful, objective, and clear recording. Information about the child must always be recorded in a way that will be helpful to the child. (‘Guide to the Children’s Homes Regulations, including the quality standards’, page 62, paragraph 14.4)

p.6

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 children's home: 2838868 7

p.6

Children's home details

Registered provider: Nurture Care Group Limited

p.7

Children's home details

Registered provider address: Hilton Hall, Hilton Lane, Essington, Wolverhampton WV11 2BQ

p.7

Inspector

Kate Savage, Social Care Inspector Inspection report children's home: 2838868 8 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.

p.7

Inspector

If you would like a copy of this document in a different format, such as large print or Braille, please telephone 0300 123 1231, or email enquiries@ofsted.gov.uk .

p.8

Inspector

You may reuse this information (not including logos) free of charge in any format or medium, under the terms of the Open Government Licence. To view this licence, visit www.nationalarchives.gov.uk/doc/open-government-licence , write to the Information Policy Team, The National Archives, Kew, London TW9 4DU, or email: psi@nationalarchives.gsi.gov.uk .

p.8

Inspector

Interested in our work? You can subscribe to our monthly newsletter for more information and updates: http://eepurl.com/iTrDn .

p.8

Inspector

T: 0300 123 1231 Textphone: 0161 618 8524 E: enquiries@ofsted.gov.uk W: www.gov.uk/ofsted

p.8