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

Inspection report children’s home: SC473475 1 SC473475 Registered provider: New Horizons (nw) Limited

p.1

Full inspection Inspected under the social care common inspection framework

p.1

Information about this children’s home

This privately owned children’s home provides care for up to five children and young people who have social and/or emotional difficulties, and who may have special educational needs and/or autism spectrum disorder. The manager has been in post since 25 March 2019 and has made an application to Ofsted to be registered.

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

Date of last inspection: 24 October 2018

p.1

good

Overall judgement at last inspection: good

p.1

good

Enforcement action since last inspection: none Inspection report children’s home: SC473475 2

p.1

Inspection date Inspection type Inspection judgement

24/10/2018 Full Good 08/08/2017 Full Good 20/02/2017 Interim Improved effectiveness 08/06/2016 Full Good Inspection report children’s home: SC473475 3

p.2

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.3

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 helps children to aspire to fulfil their potential and promotes their welfare. The standard in paragraph (1) requires the registered person to— ensure that staff have the experience, qualifications and skills to meet the needs of each child. (Regulation 13(1)(a)(b) and (2)(c)) In particular, make sure that all staff have training to develop their skills, knowledge and understanding in relation to transgender identity and sexual orientation, attachment and trauma, emotional development, self-harm, mental health and trauma-aware ways of working with children. 31/07/2019

p.3

Requirement Due date

The registered person must— keep the statement of purpose under review and, where appropriate, revise it; and notify HMCI of any revisions and send HMCI a copy of the revised statement within 28 days of the revision. (Regulation 16(3)(a)(b) In particular, make sure that the statement of purpose contains up-to-date information about the staff working in the home and their experiences and qualifications. 30/06/2019

p.3

Requirement Due date

After consultation with the fire and rescue authority, the registered person must— take adequate precautions against the risk of fire, including the provision of suitable fire equipment in the children’s home; provide adequate means of escape from the home in the event of fire; make arrangements for persons working at the home to receive suitable training in fire prevention; and 05/06/2019 Inspection report children’s home: SC473475 4 ensure, by means of fire drills and practices at suitable intervals, that persons working at the home and, so far as reasonably practicable, children are aware of the procedure to be followed in case of fire. (Regulation 25(1)(a)(b)(c)(d)) In particular, make sure that the home’s fire risk assessment and management plan are reviewed and kept up to date at least annually; and fire drills and practices take place after children first move in to the home and new staff start work there.

p.3

Requirement Due date

The registered person must maintain records ("case records") for each child which— include the information and documents listed in Schedule 3 in relation to each child; are kept up to date. (Regulation 36(1)(a)(b)) In particular, ensure that children’s case records include up-to- date copies of the care, placement and pathway plans prepared by the placing authority, the minutes and outcomes of children’s review meetings, and up-to-date copies of children’s personal education plans and school and college reports. 30/06/2019

p.4

Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Young people live in a nurturing and comfortable home. They receive a high quality of individualised care that is making an important difference in their lives. An independent reviewing officer commented about a young person by saying, ‘He is a brilliant artist, loves to bake and cook and design fashion clothing. He has a much brighter outlook. He is doing really well and has a clear plan for the future.’ Young people are making positive progress in their education, health and emotional well- being, building healthy relationships, confidence, managing their feelings and making good choices about their safety. Young people enjoy the same opportunities and experiences as other young people, including spending time with their friends. Young people have trusting and positive relationships with staff. They feel at home because they are treated with warmth and respect. The manager and staff are skilled at

p.4

Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

engaging naturally with young people and helping them to feel at ease. Staff really listen to young people’s views and respond to meet them appropriately. Young people are involved in making decisions about their daily lives and the plans for their future. Their views are considered about the decoration of the house, the recruitment of new staff, the quality of care that they receive and the review of staff’s performance. Young people’s concerns and complaints are taken seriously and resolved to their satisfaction. The manager and staff work with young people and the other adults in their Inspection report children’s home: SC473475 5 lives to balance young people’s wishes against what is judged to be in the best interests of the young people. They reach a reasonable view about the best way forward and carefully explain the reasons to young people in ways that young people can understand. The manager works effectively with social workers and other professionals to carefully

p.4

Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

plan young people’s care. The manager only agrees to look after a young person once she is satisfied that staff can respond effectively to the young person’s assessed needs. She also carefully considers the young person’s compatibility with the young people already living at the home. Young people’s introductions to the home are planned sensitively. Before they move in, young people visit the home, often more than once. A young person said, ‘I visited a few times, but I knew I wanted to live here at the first visit. Everyone made me feel at home and helped me to get my room nice.’ Young people receive the help and encouragement that they need to go to school and college every day, to actively take part in education and to make excellent progress. When young people struggle in school, staff and teachers work together positively to make sure that young people receive the support to help them overcome any barriers so

p.5

Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

that they can do well in school. Staff make sure that young people have the skills, opportunities and emotional resilience that they need to become independent adults. This includes encouraging and supporting young people to cook, shop, manage money and make appointments. Staff have made sure that young people get the support they are entitled to from the local authority.

p.5

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

The staff make sure that young people live in an extremely safe and supportive home. Their knowledge and professional practice help protect young people from harm. Young people feel safe and have become increasingly safer from the risks of neglect, violence, sexual exploitation, harassment and self-harm. Young people know that the staff genuinely care about them and are there to help them. They know they have trusted adults to talk to when they are upset, worried or frightened. The staff understand each young people’s vulnerabilities and recognise when young people are at risk of harm. They act decisively when they have concerns and work effectively with the local authority and the police to safeguard young people. The staff help young people to take reasonable risks as part of growing up. They encourage and support young people to see their friends and travel independently. They help young people learn about personal safety, to recognise what makes a healthy

p.5

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

relationship and the dangers of a damaging one. The staff provide young people with warm and reliable relationships and the structure that they need to feel safe and emotionally secure. Staff help young people to manage their feelings and frustrations positively and avoid negative behaviour. Young people said that staff do the right things when they are upset because they ‘listen and are Inspection report children’s home: SC473475 6 understanding’. The staff’s calm and consistent approach has led to a reduction in young people struggling to manage their feelings. The number of times when young people have used deliberate self-harm has reduced significantly. Staff have helped them to find safer ways of dealing with their feelings, including talking things through, listening to music or taking part in activities that they enjoy. However, young people felt that sometimes staff could be ‘more patient and better at

p.5

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

listening’ when they are upset. Young people would benefit from staff developing knowledge and skills in trauma-aware ways of working. New young people and staff have not taken part in a fire drill and practice to help them to know what they should do in the event of a fire or another emergency.

p.6

The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

The manager is suitably experienced and working towards completing the relevant leadership and management qualification. She is an effective leader who has brought stability to the running of the home after an unsettled period. She has established a new staff team and improved the decision making about which young people come to live at the home. The manager and staff are ambitious for every young person to be safe, happy and to achieve their potential. They have created a home where young people feel safe, accepted and comfortable to be themselves. A young person said, ‘I can be myself here without being scared of discrimination or homophobia or transphobia. I can be who I am, and everyone is very supportive and laid back.’ The manager has a detailed understanding of the progress that each young person is making. She makes sure that they are always cared for in line with the aims of their plans. The manager identifies when young people are struggling and works well with the

p.6

The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

wider support network to make sure that every young people gets the right help to meet their needs. The manager makes sure that only suitable people with the right skills, experience, values and personal qualities work at the home. Young people are looked after by caring, dedicated, resilient and insightful staff. The staffing arrangements give young people every opportunity to develop healthy and secure relationships with the adults looking after them. The manager and deputy manager provide each member of staff with excellent support, guidance and encouragement. They use practice-related supervision and team meetings to help staff to reflect on young people’s progress, develop their skills and identify ways to improve the support that they give young people. The manager uses thorough monitoring systems to understand the quality of care that young people receive. She understands what works well and the things that need to

p.6

The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

improve. For example, the manager is planning training for staff to develop their understanding of LGBT identities, self-harm and how young people’s experiences affect Inspection report children’s home: SC473475 7 their emotional development and behaviour. The home’s statement of purpose is not up to date because it does not include the names, experiences and qualifications of the people working in the home. Also, young people’s case records do not always include an up-to-date copies of their local authority care plan, pathway plans, personal education plans, the minutes and outcomes of their review meetings, and copies of the school and college reports.

p.6

Information about this inspection

Inspectors have looked closely at the experiences and progress of children and young people. Inspectors considered the quality of work and the differences made to the lives of children and young people. They watched how professional staff work with children and young people and each other and discussed the effectiveness of help and care provided. Wherever possible, they talked to children and 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.

p.7

Information about this inspection

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: SC473475 8

p.7

Children’s home details

Registered provider: New Horizons (nw) Limited

p.8

Children’s home details

Registered provider address: Ground Floor, 18 - 20 Coronation Walk, Southport, Merseyside PR8 1RE

p.8

Children’s home details

Responsible individual: Abbie Rosenblatt

p.8

Inspector

Nick Veysey, social care inspector Inspection report children’s home: SC473475 9 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 children looked after, safeguarding and child protection.

p.8

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 . 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 http://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.9

Inspector

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

p.9

Inspector

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

p.9