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

children and young people since the most recent full inspection

This home was judged good at the full inspection. At this interim inspection, Ofsted judges that it has improved effectiveness . The home is managed by a highly committed and qualified registered manager. She effectively influences her staff and drives them on to do the best that they can for each young person. This commitment is exemplified in the staff’s tenacity and determination to keep young people in, and support them with, their education. One school wrote, ‘Despite being a very challenging teenager and pushing boundaries with staff and fellow peers, in the short time she has been at the home she has settled much more quickly than in previous placements. She has learned to trust and speak to staff for advice and there has been significant evidence of improved behaviours.’ Another school commended staff for the lengths they went to in order to help a young person to re-engage with her education. The staff worked collaboratively

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children and young people since the most recent full inspection

with the school, purposefully adapting plans in conjunction with the school to encourage the young person to return. The school provided a range of alternative educational support for her, which included tutors and additional lessons. This had some positive initial impact, and she successfully caught up with her schoolwork. However, this has declined again. The school acknowledges that this has been a difficult time, but is very clear that the home, despite the setbacks, has not given up on this young person. A key strength of the home is the staff’s ability to build warm, caring and professional relationships with young people. This helps young people to feel safe here. One young person who has recently moved back home wrote, ‘It was not just a place where I lived, it was a place I loved and was the most amazing family. The past 10 months have been eye opening and amazing and I couldn’t have done this

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children and young people since the most recent full inspection

without you. I’m going to miss you all.’ As a result of these positive interactions, young people have a strong sense of security and of belonging. It is a testimony to the staff that all of the young people, with the exception of one, that have left the home have returned home to their families. Recording has improved. Missing from care risk assessments and the young people’s placement plans set out the strategies that staff should follow to help to prevent them from going missing and, if this should happen, where they would look for them. This enables staff to target their searches for young people more effectively and therefore help young people to return home quickly and safely. The home works well with missing from care coordinators and other agencies to locate young people and to help them to understand the dangers of going missing. As a result, the number of missing from care incidents are declining. The home ensures

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children and young people since the most recent full inspection

that Ofsted is notified of any relevant events, which not only demonstrates transparency, but also shows the action that they are taking to keep young people safe. Monitoring of the home by the independent person is not yet robust. Reports are detailed, but do not provide an evaluation of their findings, for example whether there has been a decline in missing from care episodes or in the use of sanctions, and whether any sanctions used are appropriate. The registered manager has a range of monitoring tools in place. However, these have not identified that young people’s comments are not routinely recorded in the sanction book, or whether they declined to make a comment. Young people are encouraged to attend young people’s meetings, but sometimes this is not possible. However, there is no record of their being asked to contribute at a later date. This is a recording issue, as it is clear from discussion with staff that young people regularly put forward their views

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children and young people since the most recent full inspection

and opinions, for example, via questionnaires. The revised workforce development plan outlines the induction programme for new staff, how and when they will attend training, such as face-to-face or online, and how vacancies will be filled. The home currently has vacancies for waking night staff. Agency staff, who are well known to the home and young people, are covering these posts in the interim period. This helps to provide some continuity of care for the young people until the posts are recruited to. The registered manager is very aware of the home’s strengths and areas for improvement. A new daily diary is available so that young people can see immediately what has been written about them and they can contribute to this. The registered manager would also like to drive forward improvements in the monitoring of the home. She is in discussions with the responsible individual and other managers as to how this can be achieved. A new deputy is in post. This is

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children and young people since the most recent full inspection

already proving to be successful. This has enabled the registered manager to delegate roles and responsibilities effectively and to provide additional support to staff and young people. This includes sourcing advice and support for a young person who the manager believes may be dyslexic. The home has undergone some refurbishment work, creating a warm, homely environment. All maintenance issues from the last inspection concerning the window locks, door lock and ensuite bathroom have been addressed. Staff said the young people are pleased with the results. Each young person’s bedroom is decorated to reflect their personal tastes. Young people indicated that they are happy here. They are settled and feel safe. New young people are gaining confidence to talk about how they are feeling, which is helping them to reduce the number of outbursts of inappropriate behaviour. Above all, young people know that the staff are there for them and do not give up

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children and young people since the most recent full inspection

on them. As one young person wrote, ‘This isn’t as formal as other care homes, they let you into a bit of their own lives and make us feel like family.’

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Information about this children’s home

The home is one of three children’s homes owned and managed by a private company. The home provides care and support for up to five children and young people who have emotional and/or behavioural difficulties and who may have a learning disability.

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Recent inspection history

Inspection date Inspection type Inspection judgement

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Recent inspection history

01/02/2016 Interim Improved effectiveness

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Recommendations

To improve the quality and standards of care further, the service should take account of the following recommendations:  Ensure that external monitoring promotes continuous improvement, in that reports are evaluative and identify any patterns or trends, shortfalls and action taken to address this. (‘Guide to the children’s homes regulations including the quality standards’, page 55, paragraph 10.24)  Ensure that young people are consulted regularly on their views about the care home, to inform and support continued improvement in the quality of care provided. Young people should be able to see the results of their views being listened to and acted on. (‘Guide to the children’s homes regulations including the quality standards’, page 22, paragraph 4.11) In particular, ensure that young people’s views are included and recorded in the young people’s meetings. Ensure that steps are taken to source this information

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Recommendations

at a later date if they are not present at the time.  Ensure that all incidents of control, discipline and restraint are subject to the systems of regular scrutiny to ensure that their use is fair and the principles in 9.35 are respected. (‘Guide to the children’s homes regulations including the quality standards’, page 46, paragraph 9.36) In particular, ensure that young people are able to comment in the records upon the fairness of any sanction imposed upon them.

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What the inspection judgements mean

At the interim inspection, we make a judgement on whether the home has improved in effectiveness, sustained effectiveness, or declined in effectiveness since the previous full inspection. This is in line with the ‘Inspection of children’s homes: framework for inspection’.

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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 that 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 whom it is trying to help, protect and look after. This inspection focused on the effectiveness of the home and the progress and experiences of children and young people since the most recent full inspection.

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Information about this inspection

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 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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