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

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

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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 managed by a private organisation. It is registered to provide care for up to 3 children who may experience 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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Inspection dates: 21 and 22 July 2026

Overall experiences and progress of children and young people, taking into account good

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Inspection dates: 21 and 22 July 2026

How well children and young people are helped and protected good

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Inspection dates: 21 and 22 July 2026

The effectiveness of leaders and managers good

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Inspection dates: 21 and 22 July 2026

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

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Inspection dates: 21 and 22 July 2026

Date of last inspection: 16 September 2025

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Inspection dates: 21 and 22 July 2026

Overall judgement at last inspection: requires improvement to be good

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Inspection dates: 21 and 22 July 2026

Enforcement action since last inspection: none Inspection report for children’s home: 2511614 2

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Inspection date Inspection type Inspection judgement

16/09/2025 Full Requires improvement to be good 10/12/2024 Full Good 05/03/2024 Full Good 04/05/2022 Full Good Inspection report for children’s home: 2511614 3

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Summary of findings

Children make steady progress in relation to their starting point.

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Summary of findings

The manager leads a committed staff team that provides nurturing and consistent care for children.

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Summary of findings

Staff work proactively with partner agencies and families and advocate to ensure that children’s views are at the heart of decision-making.

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Summary of findings

The manager has introduced processes to address shortfalls. However, further improvements are required.

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Summary of findings

The home environment is well maintained. However, one child’s bedroom requires redecoration.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Children are making steady progress since moving into the home. They like living in the home and are beginning to form positive relationships with staff.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Staff understand the importance of children having access to educational settings. Staff work with education professionals to find the right provisions for children. One child spent long periods of time in their room and now learns with an online tutor. Staff also provide creative learning experiences such as baking, budgeting and shopping, and online quizzes. However, staff are unable to motivate one child to consistently engage. As a result, the child’s daily routine lacks structure.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Staff help and encourage children to maintain good physical and emotional health. The provider’s clinical team has a strong presence. A psychological practitioner works directly with children to provide therapeutic input. Regular consultation with staff gives the team an additional layer of support and deepens their understanding of each child’s emotional and mental health needs.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Children’s moves in and out of the home are well planned. Staff work in partnership with children, social workers and families to plan for positive moves. One child had a planned moved into supported accommodation. Staff supported them throughout the move and arranged a celebratory meal at the restaurant of the child’s choice. The child was worried about leaving and some staff kept in contact with them following the move. However, this became difficult to maintain as boundaries had not been formally agreed. As a result, the child has not received the emotional support they expected following their move. Inspection report for children’s home: 2511614 4 The child enjoys regular, good-quality time with the people important to them. The manager and staff work hard to build and maintain positive relationships with children’s families and loved ones. This collaborative approach strengthens family connections and

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

reinforces children’s sense of stability. When a child experienced a bereavement, staff helped them to remember their loved one in a sensitive way.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

The home is spacious and staff create a nurturing environment. Communal areas are clean and well maintained. However, one child’s bedroom does not reflect the high standards seen in the rest of the home.

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

Staff understand how to keep children safe. Leaders and managers provide training opportunities for staff to ensure that their knowledge and skills are relevant to each child’s needs. Staff complete detailed risk assessments and share the strategies that they have found to be effective. Care plans and assessments are regularly reviewed and updated to reflect new and emerging risks.

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

The manager ensures that staff follow procedures when children go missing from their home. There is a well-coordinated response to find children, and staff keep family and agencies up to date with progress. Staff complete extensive searches and travel across the country to enable children to return safely to their home.

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

Staff talk with children about risks. If staff are unable to engage children in conversation, they are persistent and will adapt their approach. Staff go for walks or drives with children to provide a more comfortable environment to talk. As a result, children are developing their own understanding about how to keep safe and there has been a significant decrease in incidents occurring in the home.

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

Several new staff have started working in the home. The manager follows safer recruitment practices, and all staff receive a thorough induction. This ensures that children receive care from people who are safe and appropriate

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

There is an acting manager in post, and they have applied to register with Ofsted. The manager is a strong advocate for children and has developed positive relationships with families and partner agencies.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

The manager leads a team of staff who feel supported in their role. All staff have achieved or are working towards a recognised childcare qualification. They receive regular supervision, annual appraisals, and attend team meetings that promote reflection and practice development. Staff also have the option to talk with in-house therapeutic staff for additional support. Inspection report for children’s home: 2511614 5 The manager has introduced systems to monitor the quality of care provided to children. She has oversight of all aspects of children’s care and evaluates children’s progress against their individualised short- and long-term goals. This ensures that staff remain focused on children making good progress in all aspects of their lives.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

The manager reviews incidents to identify shortfalls in staff practice. This ensures that any learning is quickly identified. However, the manager has not reviewed actions to clarify that they have been completed.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

Leaders and managers swiftly respond to complaints and allegations from children. They address staff performance concerns via internal processes. However, the manager did not facilitate a conversation between a member of staff and one child following an incident. This was a missed opportunity to develop the child’s experience of resolving conflict within relationships.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

The manager notifies the regulator following serious incidents. However, one notification was delayed, and the child was identifiable in the report. Inspection report for children’s home: 2511614 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 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

ensure that staff work as a team where appropriate;

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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

demonstrate that practice in the home is informed and improved by taking into account and acting on—

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Requirement Due date

research and developments in relation to the ways in which the needs of children are best met; and

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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)(b)(e)(f)(g)(i)(h))

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Requirement Due date

In particular, the manager must ensure that all staff put consistent and effective routines in place for children. This includes supporting children to have structured daily routines and effective sleep schedules. 11 September 2026 Inspection report for children’s home: 2511614 7 Additionally, the manager must ensure that they have effective oversight of staff practice to ensure that agreed actions have been completed and are appropriately recorded.

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Requirement Due date

The positive relationships standard is that children are helped to develop, and to benefit from, relationships based on—

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Requirement Due date

an understanding about acceptable behaviour; and

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Requirement Due date

positive responses to other children and adults.

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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

help each child to develop socially aware behaviour;

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Requirement Due date

help each child to develop and practise skills to resolve conflicts positively and without harm to anyone;

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Requirement Due date

that each child is encouraged to build and maintain positive relationships with others. (Regulation 11 (1)(a)(b)(c) (2)(a)(ii)(iv)(b))

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Requirement Due date

In particular, the manager must ensure that children are supported to resolve issues with staff and other children in a positive way. 11 September 2026

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Recommendations

 The registered person should ensure that when children are leaving the home, their transition plans include details of any ongoing contact that is agreed between staff and children. (‘Guide to the Children’s Homes Regulations, including the quality standards’, page 17, paragraph 3.27)  The registered person should ensure that safeguarding notifications are made without delay and do not include details that can identify children. (‘Guide to the Children’s Homes Regulations, including the quality standards’, page 63, paragraph 14.13)  The registered person should ensure that maintenance tasks in the home are completed in a timely manner. (‘Guide to the Children’s Homes Regulations, including the quality standards’, page 33, paragraph 7.3) Inspection report for children’s home: 2511614 8

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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 9

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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

Caroline Bates, Social Care Inspector Inspection report for children’s home: 2511614 10 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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