Children's Home run by New Horizons NW Limited in Sefton

Good

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

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The children's home provision is good because:

 Young people are safe and feel safe living here. They enjoy positive relationships with staff that enables them to reflect upon their history and identify ways in which they can move forward.  The staff team has a secure awareness and understanding of each young person’s needs. They work hard to ensure their needs are fully considered and addressed. This has led to a reduction in concerning behaviours, such as using legal highs and missing from care.  Young people are safe and protected because of the effective safeguarding procedures that are in place. As a consequence staff are able to take appropriate action to protect young people from harm, such as updating risk assessments and liaising with police and child sexual exploitation teams to further reduce the risks.  Effective multi-agency working is a key factor in keeping young people safe. The home works effectively with other agencies, such child and adolescent

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The children's home provision is good because:

mental health teams. They are proactive in making contact with them to ensure young people get the help they need. Staff are confident to challenge placing authorities and other agencies to ensure young people receive the best possible care and support.  Young people’s education is effectively supported by all staff who have high but, realistic aspirations for them. Young people are engaging with their education and are making steady progress from their starting points.  Young people feel valued and respected as staff listen to them and take effective action where needed. Staff provide young people with clear reasons as to why their request cannot be met at this time.  Young people are cared for by a committed and caring staff team who want the very best for them. They all have consistently high aspirations for the young people they care for.  Parents and carers are pleased with the care and support offered to their

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The children's home provision is good because:

children. They said staff are ‘brilliant and always keep me informed about what is happening.’  Staff are very well supported by the Registered Manager. They feel they have a say in what happens in the home and the manager is open to their suggestions as to how to move the service forward. They said we work well together as a team. The needs to make improvements in relation to, the Statement of Purpose, the training needs of staff, some children’s records and the monitoring of the home.

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Statutory Requirements

This section sets out the actions which must be taken so that the registered person/s meets 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 with the given timescales.

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Requirement Due date

13: The leadership and management standard:

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Requirement Due date

In order to meet the leadership and management standard the registered person must ensure staff have the experience, qualifications and skills to meet the needs of each child, with particular regard for training on the use of physical interventions and attachment and loss. (Regulation 13 (2)(c)) 26/06/2015

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Requirement Due date

The registered person must notify HMCI of any revisions to the statement of purpose and send HMCI a copy of the revised statement within 28 days of the revision. (Regulation 16 (3)(b)) 26/06/2015

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Requirement Due date

The registered person must maintain records which include the information and documents listed in Schedule 3 in relation to each child and are up-to date, in particular the records are sufficiently detailed. (Regulation 36 (1) (a)(b)) 26/06/2015

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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 the monitoring, reviewing and evaluating of the quality of care provided, including the feedback and opinions of children about the children’s home, its facilities and the quality of care they receive in it; and any actions taken that the registered person considers necessary in order to improve or maintain the quality of care for children. (Regulation 45 (2)(a)(b)(c)) 26/06/2015

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Recommendations

To improve the quality and standards of care further the service should take account of the following recommendation(s):  ensure young people’s placement plans include a strategy to minimise the risk of them being missing, in particular their missing from care risk assessments are sufficiently detailed (The Guide to the Quality Standards, page 45, paragraph 9.24)  ensure poor behaviour is consistently challenged by staff especially when young people use swear words (The Guide to the Quality Standards, page 39, paragraph 8.11)  ensure all young people have access to appropriate advocacy support (The Guide to the Quality Standards, page 23, paragraph 4.16)

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Information about this children's home

This private children’s home is registered to provide care for up to five young people with emotional and behavioural difficulties and/or a learning disability.

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Recent inspection history

Inspection date Inspection type Inspection judgement

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good

Young people enjoy very positive relationships with staff that are built upon honesty and trust. They enjoy lively exchanges of banter with staff that enables them to increase in confidence and self-esteem. Young people said ‘the Registered Manager is on the ball; she makes sure everything is done. These are the best staff ever, they are great.’ They also said they listen to us and always explain why some of the things we ask for may not be possible at this time, for example, more free time.

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good

Young people are increasing in maturity. They are more able to manage conflicts and consider how their behaviour and the behaviour of others impacts upon them. They know how know how to make a complaint.

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good

The Registered Manager is very clear that young people’s concerns are taken seriously and acted upon. Effective procedures are in place for investigating any concerns young people may have. For example one young person raised a concern regarding the behaviour of another young person. They said ‘this was because they were disrespectful to staff and made a mess of the house.’ Another complained that the water was not hot enough for a bath. Both of these concerns were thoroughly investigated and sorted out to the satisfaction of the young people.

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good

Young people benefit from personalised care planning which considers their individual needs and the support needed to help them move forward in their lives. The home’s placement plans are not always completed to a consistently high standard. This results in there being a lack of clarity in some areas, for example within the health sections and risk assessments. This does not impact upon the care provided as staff have a very good understanding of each young people’s needs and are able to effectively demonstrate how young people’s needs are being met in day-to-day practice.

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good

Young people enjoy improved health and well-being. In the short time they have been living here some young people have considerably reduced their use of legal highs and alcohol. They are taking more reasonability for their health and understand the dangers associated with this behaviour

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good

Young people are more aware of their own health care needs and are working with staff to address these. For example they are attending the medical appointments and show an increased awareness of the reason for having to take medication. Some young people relish the opportunities to cook. They happily work conscientiously with staff to prepare evening meals. One young person is now trying a wider range of meals and is happy to sit with staff during meal times. Something they had previously been unable to do. One young person is excitedly researching recipes for their forthcoming ‘come dine with me’ event. They talk enthusiastically to staff about what they could cook and the themes for the evening, including a hog roast.

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good

Young people are provided with a wide range of activities both in the home and within the community. However, at present they have declined to join any clubs. One young person is very artistic and has created a wide range of canvases to be displayed within the home. Staff actively encourage this creativity. They provide her with the tools and resources that she needs, for example to continue to design and embellish clothing with jewellery. She is a keen baker and enjoys the opportunities to bake cakes for everyone.

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good

Staff have high aspirations for young people and want them to do well with their education. They actively challenge placing authorities to ensure young people are able to engage in appropriate educational placements.. One young person said they were pleased to be starting a construction course next week. He also said how he was enjoying doing some work with the maintenance person. This is an inventive way to help young people build a range of life skills.

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good

Young people are being well prepared to move on into adulthood taking into account they age and stage of development. For example, some young people enjoy the opportunities to plan and budget for meals with staff. One young person explained how they were saving up for as they said a ‘date day’ with the Registered Manager, where they are going shopping all day.

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good

The Registered Manager and staff work closely with placing authorities to ensure appropriate transition plans are in place for each young person. They are not afraid to challenge the authority if they feel the plans are not in the best interest of the young person. This means young people should enjoy a smooth transition to their new home or back home to family.

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good

Maintaining contact with young people’s families is a key strength of the provision. It enables families to enjoy quality time together and maintain positive relationships. Parents and carers said they feel they are fully involved in the care the young people receive as staff keep in regular contact with them. A carer said, ‘I can see a big a change in him, he is a lot better in himself and much more content here’. They also commented on how pleased they were that he was reducing his use of legal highs. This they felt was a huge achievement for him. Another parent said staff effectively manage the contact arrangements support her and her daughter. The home has recently sustained a large amount of damage carried out by a former resident. As a consequence the home is currently undergoing a refurbishment to recreate it warm, homely feel. Young people are proud of their home and say they are pleased the work is underway.

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good

Effective multi-agency working is a key factor in keeping young people safe. The home has been proactive is making contact with and liaising with a variety of agencies. They have a positive relationship with the local Police community and support officers (PCSOs). This resulted in the PCSOs visiting local shops where they staff suspected young people were buying alcohol and legal highs. This effective sharing of information means staff and police are more aware of potential hotspots within the community and effective action is taken to reduce the risk to young people.

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good

Young people do occasionally go missing from home. These incidents have significantly decreased since they have been living in the home. Young people know that staff will actively search for them so that they return home quickly and safely. They are aware of the dangers they place themselves under when they go missing. One young person said that they wouldn’t be go missing again as they were cold.

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good

Missing from care risk assessments do not always provide sufficient information about where a young person may be or how high the perceived risk is for them. This is a recording issue as discussions with staff demonstrate that they have a secure understanding of the individual risks associated with each young person and the action they are taking to reduce this. For example, young people are very aware of the need to keep personal information private when using the internet and the dangers of meeting people who they have met on line.

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good

Staff have a secure understanding of the issues around child sexual exploitation. They are aware that this can affect boys and girls alike and talk openly with young people about how to keep themselves safe. Recent training on child sexual exploitation has been valuable to staff. They said the course opened their eyes to the challenges the police face when young people are reported as missing and ‘we now feel more confident in our discussions with the police, for example just because we have spoken to a young person does not automatically mean they are safe.’ This means we are able to locate young people quickly. Young people show increasing maturity in managing their own behaviour. They are much more able to reflect upon their behaviour and understand the consequences of their actions. Staff are skilled at providing clear and suitable boundaries for young people. Young people said house rules are fair and are usually consistently

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good

applied. Staff are quick to respond to the use of inappropriate language, such as name calling, but do not consistently challenge young people when they swear. This means young people are getting mixed messages about what is and is not appropriate language.

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good

Staff use humour effectively to diffuse situations and as a result the use of physical interventions is minimal. Restorative justice works well for these young people. This provides them with the opportunity to make good on their misdemeanours, such as helping to repaint a wall that they have written their name on. Strategically placed chalk walls around the home have also aided the reduction of this behaviour.

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good

Safeguarding is given the highest priority. The Registered Manager and staff work well with the Local Safeguarding Children Board and there are clear reporting procedures in place should an allegation be made about a member of staff. Staff are trained in child protection which means they take swift action should they have a concern about a young person’s safety or well-being.

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good

Young people’s safety is enhanced by secure recruitment procedures which ensure all staff are fully vetted prior to starting working at the home. Their safety is further enhanced due to the robust vetting of visitors to the home. All of whom are required to sign in and out of the home and are supervised well during their visit.

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requires improvement

The home is led by a caring and committed Registered Manager. She is suitably qualified and has a number of years’ management experience. Staff say they are very well supported and have the manager is always available to them. There are sufficient staff on duty to ensure young people are fully supported and can engage in their chosen activities.

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requires improvement

The home’s Statement of Purpose clearly demonstrates the type of care and support young people can expect to receive. This is regularly reviewed but is not always sent to Ofsted following the review. The Statement of Purpose makes clear the behaviour support and management strategies in place and names the preferred methods for physical interventions. The small number of interventions used since the last inspection comply with the Statement of Purpose. However, a number of staff have still not received this training. This means there may be inconsistencies in how this is delivered.

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requires improvement

Staff are experienced in supporting young people who move into the home as an emergency placement. They ensure their room is ready and there is someone there to welcome them on their arrival. Some staff have had previous training in attachment and loss, but this is not the case for all staff. Consequently staff may not be fully up-to-date with current practice in this area of work.

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requires improvement

The Registered Manager has taken steps to address the shortfalls in the recording of young people’s case records by creating new templates. However, these are not consistently completed in sufficient detail. This has not been effectively identified through the manager’s monitoring of the records. This means action has not always been taken to address these issues.

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requires improvement

Also current monitoring by the manager does not include young people’s views on the quality of care they receive. Monitoring by an independent person for the home is more robust and has identified areas for improvement which have been actioned by the manager

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What the inspection judgements mean

The experiences and progress of children and young people are at the centre of the inspection. Inspectors will use their professional judgement to determine the weight and significance of their findings in this respect. The judgements included in the report are made against Inspection of children's homes: framework for inspection.

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What the inspection judgements mean

An outstanding children's home provides highly effective services that contribute to significantly improved outcomes for children and young people who need help and protection and care. Their progress exceeds expectations and is sustained over time. A good children's home provides effective services that help, protect and care for children and young people and have their welfare safeguarded and promoted. In a children's home that requires improvement , there are no widespread or serious failures that create or leave children being harmed or at risk of harm. The welfare of looked after children is safeguarded and promoted. Minimum requirements are in place, however, the children's home is not yet delivering good protection, help and care for children and young people. A children's home that is inadequate is providing services where there are widespread or serious failures that create or leave children and young people being

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What the inspection judgements mean

harmed or at risk of harm or result in children looked after not having their welfare safeguarded and promoted.

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Information about this inspection

Inspectors have looked closely at the experiences and progress of children and young people living in the children's home. Inspectors considered the quality of work and the difference adults make to the lives of children and young people. They read case files, watched how professional staff work with children, young people and each other and discussed the effectiveness of help and care given to children and young people. Wherever possible, they talked to children, young people and their families. In addition the inspectors have tried to understand what the children's home knows about how well it is performing, how well it is doing and what difference it is making for the children and young people who it is trying to help, protect and look after. This inspection was carried out under the Care Standards Act 2000 to assess the effectiveness of the service and to consider how well it complies with the Children's

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Information about this inspection

Homes (England) Regulations 2015 and the Guide to the children's homes regulations including the quality standards. the guidance raising concerns and making complaints about Ofsted, which is available from Ofsted's website: www.gov.uk/government/organisations/ofsted . If you would like Ofsted to send you a copy of the guidance, please telephone 0300123 4234, or email enquiries@ofsted.gov.uk .

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Information about this inspection

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, workbased learning and skills training, adult and community learning, and education and training in prisons and other secure establishments. It inspects services for looked after children and child protection. If you would like a copy of this document in a different format, such as large print or Braille, please telephone 0300 123 4234, or email enquiries@ofsted.gov.uk . 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,

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Information about this inspection

The National Archives, Kew, London TW9 4DU, or email: psi@nationalarchives.gsi.gov.uk .

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Information about this inspection

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Information about this inspection

Store Street Manchester M1 2WD T: 0300 123 1231 Textphone: 0161 618 8524 E: enquiries@ofsted.gov.uk W: www.gov.uk/government/organisations/ofsted

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