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

Inspection report for children's home: 2534829 1 Registered provider: Nurture Childcare Services Ltd Full inspection Inspected under the social care common inspection framework

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Information about this children's home

This home is operated by a private organisation. It provides care for up to 2 children who may experience social and emotional difficulties.

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Information about this children's home

At the time of this inspection, 2 children were living in the home.

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Information about this children's home

There is currently no registered manager. An interim manager is responsible for the day- to-day running of the home.

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Overall experiences and progress of

children and young people, taking into account

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requires improvement to be good

How well children and young people are helped and protected requires improvement to be good

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requires improvement to be good

The effectiveness of leaders and managers requires improvement to be good

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requires improvement to be 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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requires improvement to be good

Date of last inspection: 10 September 2025

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requires improvement to be good

Overall judgement at last inspection: good

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requires improvement to be good

Enforcement action since last inspection: none Inspection report for children's home: 2534829 2

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Inspection date Inspection type Inspection judgement

10/09/2025 Full Good 04/06/2025 Full Inadequate 05/11/2024 Full Good 08/06/2022 Full Inadequate Inspection report for children's home: 2534829 3

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Summary of findings

Instability in leadership, management and staffing arrangements affects the consistency of care that children receive.

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Summary of findings

While most children have made positive progress, one child's outcomes have been hindered by insufficient assessment of their needs prior to admission, affecting relationship-building and overall progress.

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Summary of findings

Staff generally understand and manage children's vulnerabilities well. Staff have not used physical interventions to manage children's behaviour, for example.

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Summary of findings

Staff respond appropriately when children are missing from home.

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Summary of findings

Staff inconsistently monitor children's use of social media and online activity, and relationships with some partner agencies require improvement.

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Summary of findings

Staffing stability, morale, training and team development have been variable. Weaknesses remain with regards to the consistency of staff supervision and the timeliness of the quality of care reviews provided to Ofsted.

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improvement to be good

The quality of care provided to children has been adversely affected by inconsistencies in leadership and management. Changes in staffing and recent instability in the management structure have contributed to a lack of prioritisation in key areas of children's care.

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improvement to be good

Two children have left the home, and two children have arrived since the last inspection.

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improvement to be good

Children's experiences in the home vary. Three children have made good progress, but staff and managers have struggled to build a trusting relationship with another child.

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improvement to be good

Assessments completed before one child's arrival did not fully consider their support and communication needs. Gaps in these areas have affected this child's overall progress due to staff lacking the skills to meet their needs.

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improvement to be good

Staff broadly support children to maintain relationships with their families and recognise the importance of these connections. Children are helped to spend time with family members and other significant people in accordance with their care plans. One family member spoke positively about the efforts made by staff to prioritise family time. However, another family member expressed concerns about inconsistencies in the Inspection report for children's home: 2534829 4 home's support for local transport arrangements, which had affected their experience of family contact.

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improvement to be good

Children's education is supported, and attendance in school has improved for all children. Despite this, the manager recognises that further action should have been taken to escalate concerns linked to the suitability of one child's education provision with their social worker. This is an area of further development.

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improvement to be good

Children live in a homely environment that is well maintained. Children's bedrooms are individualised, and they have access to vanity tables and age-appropriate beauty products. Staff encourage children to participate in activities that interest them, including visits to the cinema, going to theme parks and hiking. Children's views are gathered through weekly meetings, although creative opportunities have not been explored for one child who remained reluctant to use this opportunity to share their views with staff.

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improvement to be good

Children's health needs are met. Staff quickly reschedule health appointments if children do not attend them. Children also have opportunities to work with an in-house therapist. This has supported children to improve their emotional wellbeing by helping them to gain resilience skills.

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improvement to be good

Staff demonstrate a good knowledge of the children they care for, and they review risk assessments and care plans regularly. However, there has been some resistance from children in handing over their electronic devices for checks to be completed. While controls are in place to track the content they view on the internet, the staff team's wider ability to monitor children's use of social media has not been sufficiently robust. The manager recognises that this is an area of development.

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improvement to be good

Staff praise children when they achieve targets and reward their success. They help children to manage their emotions, and this means that staff have not needed to use physical interventions to manage their behaviour. When children go missing from home, staff follow appropriate protocols that support their return. When room searches are completed, these are justified and proportionate with risks that exist.

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improvement to be good

Staff support children to complete direct work. This includes work linked to safe relationships, sexual health and independence.

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improvement to be good

When children make complaints, managers investigate them in line with the provider's protocols. Following outcomes, action is taken by leaders to speak to children with regards to the outcome to support them to understand the conclusion. Protocols are discussed with children, families and social workers if they feel that further consideration is required to escalate concerns. Inspection report for children's home: 2534829 5

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

Staffing arrangements have stabilised following the departure of the previous registered manager and several experienced members of staff. The deputy manager has assumed the role of interim manager and applied for registration. New staff have been recruited, although the number of qualified staff has decreased, affecting the overall experience within the team.

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

Staff report improved morale, citing the manager's support and an enhanced operational environment, along with renewed confidence in leadership. The introduction of a gender- balanced rota ensures that children benefit from a diverse care team.

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

The manager conducts regular team meetings, supporting staff reflection. However, inconsistencies in staff supervision hinder sustained development. A quality of care review has not been submitted to Ofsted, limiting leaders' and managers' understanding of the home's performance.

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

Views from different agencies on the leadership and management of the home vary. Teachers speak of good levels of communication with the manager, while one social worker identifies this as an area needing improvement. The manager recognises that relationships with local authorities need strengthening. Inspection report for children's home: 2534829 6

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Statutory requirements

This section sets out the actions that the registered person 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 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—

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Requirement Due date

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 staff have the experience, qualifications and skills to meet the needs of each child. (Regulation 13 (1)(a)(b) (2)(a)(c))

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Requirement Due date

Specifically, leaders and managers must ensure that staff have the relevant skills and experience to support children in line with their needs, risks and behaviours. 3 December 2026

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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

help each child to understand how to keep safe; 3 December 2026 Inspection report for children's home: 2534829 7 have the skills to identify and act upon signs that a child is at risk of harm. (Regulation 12 (1) (2)(a)(i)(ii)(iii))

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Requirement Due date

Specifically, the registered person must ensure that there are appropriate strategies outlined in children's plans to support the reduction of risk. In addition, staff must follow the strategies set out in children's plans and support children to understand risks posed to them.

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Requirement Due date

In meeting the quality standards, the registered person must, and must ensure that staff—

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Requirement Due date

seek to involve each child's placing authority effectively in the child's care, in accordance with the child's relevant plans;

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Requirement Due date

seek to secure the input and services required to meet each child's needs;

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Requirement Due date

if the registered person considers, or staff consider, a placing authority's or a relevant person's performance or response to be inadequate in relation to their role, challenge the placing authority or the relevant person to seek to ensure that each child's needs are met in accordance with the child's relevant plans; and

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Requirement Due date

seek to develop and maintain effective professional relationships with such persons, bodies or organisations as the registered person considers appropriate having regard to the range of needs of children for whom it is intended that the children's home is to provide care and accommodation. (Regulation 5 (a)(b)(c)(d))

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Requirement Due date

In particular, the manager should ensure that they escalate concerns with the local authority if they are not meeting their statutory duties to support children.

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Requirement Due date

Specifically, the manager should strengthen relationships with social workers to support multi-agency approaches. 3 December 2026

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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 3 December 2026 Inspection report for children's home: 2534829 8 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))

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Requirement Due date

In particular, the manager should ensure that a thorough risk assessment is completed ahead of children's arrivals to ensure that staff can manage children's needs effectively.

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Requirement Due date

The registered person must ensure that all employees—

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Requirement Due date

undertake appropriate continuing professional development. (Regulation 33 (4)(a))

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Requirement Due date

In particular, leaders and managers should ensure that staff receive supervision in line with the standard operating procedure. 3 December 2026

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Requirement Due date

The registered person must complete a review of the quality of care provided for children ("a quality of care review") at least once every 6 months.

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Requirement Due date

In order to complete a quality of care review the registered person must establish and maintain a system for monitoring, reviewing and evaluating—

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Requirement Due date

the quality of care provided for children;

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Requirement Due date

the feedback and opinions of children about the children's home, its facilities and the quality of care they receive in it; and

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Requirement Due date

any actions that the registered person considers necessary in order to improve or maintain the quality of care provided for children.

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Requirement Due date

After completing a quality of care review, the registered person must produce a written report about the quality of care review and the actions which the registered person intends to take as a 3 December 2026 Inspection report for children's home: 2534829 9 result of the quality of care review ("the quality of care review report").

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Requirement Due date

supply to HMCI a copy of the quality of care review report within 28 days of the date on which the quality of care review is completed; and

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Requirement Due date

make a copy of the quality of care review report available on request to a placing authority, if the placing authority is not the parent of a child accommodated in the home.

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Requirement Due date

The system referred to in paragraph (2) must provide for ascertaining and considering the opinions of children, their parents, placing authorities and staff. (Regulation 45 (1) (2)(a)(b)(c) (3) (4)(a)(b) (5))

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Recommendation

 The registered person should ensure that children are consulted effectively about their views. Consultation should take account of children's individual needs and take creative approaches to ensure that their thoughts and feelings are gathered. ('Guide to the Children's Homes Regulations, including the quality standards, page 22, paragraph 4.11).

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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: 2534829 10

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Children's home details

Registered provider: Nurture Childcare Services Ltd

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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

Jon Dutton, Social Care Inspector Inspection report for children's home: 2534829 11 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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Inspector

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