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

Inspection report children’s home: 1264538 1 Registered provider: New Horizons (NW) 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

This is a private children’s home. It is registered to provide care and accommodation for three young people who may have emotional and/or behavioural difficulties.

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Information about this children’s home

It is owned and managed by a small organisation.

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Information about this children’s home

There is currently no registered manager at the children’s home, but an application has been received by Ofsted.

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Information about this children’s home

Inspection dates: 12 to 13 November 2019

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Overall experiences and progress of

children and young people, taking into account

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good

How well children and young people are helped and protected good

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good

The effectiveness of leaders and managers good

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good

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

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good

Overall judgement at last inspection: Sustained effectiveness

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good

Enforcement action since last inspection: Not applicable Inspection report children’s home: 1264538 2

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Inspection date Inspection type Inspection judgement

13/03/2019 Interim Sustained effectiveness 10/05/2018 Full Good Inspection report children’s home: 1264538 3

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Recommendations

 The registered person should understand the key role they play in the training and development of staff in the home (‘Guide to the children’s homes regulations including the quality standards’, page 53, paragraph 10.11). This specifically relates to the manager ensuring that staff understand any training that they have completed on safeguarding and that they can apply this learning in practice.  The registered person should monitor and review the patterns and trends of turnover of staff, whether agency or directly employed, and be able understand and, where possible, address any negative trends. (‘Guide to the children’s homes regulations including the quality standards’, page 54, paragraph 10.19)  The registered person should only accept placements for children where they are satisfied that the home can respond effectively to the child’s assessed needs as recorded in the child’s relevant plans and where they have fully considered the

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Recommendations

impact that the placement will have on the existing group of children. The Statement of Purpose is an important document in the process of care planning as it sets out the needs of children the home is set up and equipped to care for (‘Guide to the children’s homes regulations including the quality standards’, page 56, paragraph 11.4)

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Overall, most children make good progress. Some areas of progress of children who previously lived in the home were hindered by external factors that the staff were not able to control, which negatively influenced behaviours. This resulted in children being moved onto more appropriate placements for their safety and well-being. Leaders need to evaluate and reflect on this period and review their referral and admission decision- making processes to ensure that the home can safely meet the needs of children who move into the home. The children currently living in the home have settled in well and are making good progress.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

A recent safeguarding incident has exposed some areas where improvement is required. Identified shortfalls have the potential to have an impact on children if they are not put right.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

The staff successfully deliver individualised care in a nurturing environment. The staff have a very clear understanding of the support needs of the children in their care. There is regular communication with parents and social workers. The staff share positive interactions and experiences with the children, which supports the children to recognise Inspection report children’s home: 1264538 4 their own strengths and abilities and raises their self-esteem and self-worth.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

The children’s education is a key priority for the staff. The staff work hard with education professionals to ensure that the most appropriate education establishments are sought in a timely manner. If needed, leaders and managers will challenge those authorities that are slow to respond or act.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

The children are encouraged to engage in activities outside the home wherever possible, fully supported by the staff if necessary. The staff are familiar with what is available for the children in the local community.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

The staff team has a good understanding of each child’s likes and dislikes. There is a range of ways in which children can voice their views, wishes and opinions, and the staff take these seriously and act on them.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

The home is very well maintained. Care has been taken to make the house feel like a family home.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

The staff sensitively support the children to maintain and improve their relationships with their families and friends, where possible. The staff develop a good rapport with children’s parents and carers and keep them fully informed.

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

There has been an isolated incident during which staff did not follow important safeguarding procedures. Staff brought a member of the public to the home, who then refused to leave unless one of the children came with her. This resulted in the police being called and the child restrained to protect him. This incident was an isolated example of poor judgement and safeguarding practice and, although it has exposed some training shortfalls, is not an indication of wider failures to protect children. All other evidence points to children being safe in this placement.

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

The staff have all received comprehensive safeguarding training and recognise the risks faced by children in their care. There is a consistent and proactive approach to managing risk by the staff that reduces the risk of harm to children. This includes regular and effective contact and planning with the child’s allocated social worker and their family, where appropriate. Children said that they feel happy and safe at the home and with the staff team. They said that they feel comfortable talking to the staff about any concern that they may have.

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

The staff team’s focus on providing good standards of care means that children can start to make progress in changing their negative behaviours. Individual risk assessments provide clear and sensible strategies to lessen the risks associated with known or presenting new behaviours. As a result, there have been very few physical interventions, minimal use of room searches and a significant decrease in missing incidents in recent weeks. All missing incidents are managed well. Recording systems provide very safe and clear records of incident management. Inspection report children’s home: 1264538 5 The staff team helps the children to understand risk and how to stay safe, while allowing them to take appropriate risks. This helps the children to manage their behaviours and, over time, to make the right choices. This includes the risks that the use of the internet and social media may pose. In addition, the staff use one-to-one sessions to help the

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

children to understand how to keep themselves safe. The staff are aware of the risks to children in the local and wider community.

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

The children are protected by careful recruitment procedures, and regular monitoring of staff also prevents unsuitable people from being employed.

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

Robust and regular health and safety checks ensure that the physical environment for children is safe and protects them from harm or the risk of harm.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

Since registration in October 2017, the home has experienced some uncertainty around management arrangements following the departure of the registered manager and succeeding two managers. Since June 2019, management arrangements have been very clear. The interim manager is very experienced and well qualified. Her appointment is already having a strongly stabilising influence on the home. Despite the brief time that she has been in post, she demonstrates an excellent understanding of the work that needs to be done.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

Some of the staff team members are new to the home, but they all have good experience of working with children in previous roles. The staff who are new to the service spoke positively about their induction to the home. All have received an excellent introductory training programme. There are clear plans in place to further develop their knowledge and skill during their probation. Managers have struggled to keep a consistent staff team, with 13 members of staff leaving the home since the last full inspection. Leaders are aware that they need to address these trends and, with the introduction of the new manager, the staff team has started to stabilise.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

The newly appointed area manager is very involved in the oversight and development of the home. She is highly supportive of the interim manager and, together, they have implemented a clear plan for improvement which is being closely monitored. Leaders and managers can identify areas of strength and weakness and take effective action.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

Staff are aspirational and ambitious for the children in their care. Every child is offered equality of opportunity Inspection report children’s home: 1264538 6

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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.

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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: 1264538 7

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Children’s home details

Registered provider: New Horizons (NW) Ltd

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Children’s home details

Registered provider address: New Horizons (NW) Ltd, Unit 12, Riversway Business Village, Navigation Way, Preston, Lancashire PR2 2YP

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Children’s home details

Responsible individual: Abbie Rosenblatt

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Children’s home details

Inspector: Elaine Clare, social care inspector Inspection report children’s home: 1264538 8 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.

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Children’s home details

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Children’s home details

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Children’s home details

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

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