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

Information about this children’s home

This privately owned home is registered to provide care and accommodation for up to three children who may have emotional and/or behavioural difficulties.

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Information about this children’s home

The home’s manager was registered with Ofsted in January 2020.

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Information about this children’s home

Visit dates: 30 September to 1 October 2020

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Information about this children’s home

Previous inspection date: 3 January 2020

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Information about this children’s home

Previous inspection judgement: Improved effectiveness

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Information about this visit

Due to COVID-19 (coronavirus), Ofsted suspended all routine inspections in March 2020. As part of a phased return to routine inspection, we are undertaking assurance visits to children’s social care services that are inspected under the social care common inspection framework (SCCIF).

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Information about this visit

At these visits, inspectors evaluate the extent to which:  children are well cared for  children are safe  leaders and managers are exercising strong leadership.

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Information about this visit

This visit was carried out under the Care Standards Act 2000, following the published guidance for assurance visits.

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Information about this visit

Her Majesty’s Chief Inspector of Education, Children’s Services and Skills is leading Ofsted’s work into how England’s social care system has delivered child-centred practice and care within the context of the restrictions placed on society during the COVID-19 pandemic.

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Findings from the visit

We did not identify any serious or widespread concerns in relation to the care or protection of children at this assurance visit. Assurance visit report: 2509269 2

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The care of children

Children told the inspector that they feel cared for by the staff team and that their positive relationships with staff meant they always had someone to talk to. Parents and social workers said they felt children had trusted relationships with staff which enabled children to talk openly about their feelings and learn how to better regulate their emotions.

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The care of children

Children have made positive progress since living at the home. A social worker said, ‘Staff have a good understanding of [Name] and the necessary skills to meet his needs. The manager sets the tone of how staff should work with [Name]. He is making progress. I have seen a massive change in his behaviour, and his confidence has improved.’

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The care of children

Children are listened to, and steps are taken to support children’s wishes. This is a strength of the home. Care plans are child-centred and written from the children’s point of view. Children’s meetings and direct work address children’s specific needs, any issues in the home or any concerns children have while living together.

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The care of children

The staff team encourages children to sustain healthy lifestyles by educating them about daily personal care, balanced diet and a range of activities that promote regular exercise. As a result of this, there have been positive changes to children’s health, and their self-confidence has improved.

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The care of children

Staff understand children’s needs, including how to work with children with autism spectrum disorder. The home has been proactive in accessing other agencies, where necessary, to obtain extra support for children and guidance for staff. This has included professionals such as substance misuse agencies and therapists specialised to meet children’s needs.

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The care of children

Throughout COVID-19, children have been supported to see their families where possible. There has been regular communication between staff and children’s families to organise visits in line with government restrictions. Children have also continued to progress well in school and, where necessary, have engaged well in home tuition and creative educational activities.

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The safety of children

Children said they felt safe in the home, and their families and social workers collaborated this. A parent of a child who recently left the home said, ‘The home was the only place that got him on the straight and narrow. Staff understood him. They treated him like family and knew him well.’

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The safety of children

Risk assessments are robust, and staff demonstrate an understanding of risks for individual children. Behaviour management plans are child friendly, identifying strategies that children believe help them to manage their behaviour effectively. As a result, this has given children a greater understanding of their own risk-taking behaviour. Assurance visit report: 2509269 3 Where a child has engaged in high-risk behaviour in the community, the team worked consistently with multi-agencies to try to keep the child safe. A police officer who worked with the home said, ‘The home demonstrated excellent practice. I can’t speak highly enough of them. They listened to [Name], they tried to manage the situation for his own well-being and looked at all angles of risks associated, without pushing him away.’

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The safety of children

Staff have responded appropriately to safeguard children who go missing from home. They have taken prompt action and liaised regularly with appropriate professionals to try and help reduce incidents of going missing from home. This has included engaging children in direct work on behalf of agencies involved, to help children to recognise significant risks and make safe choices.

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The safety of children

The home works hard to promote a feeling of well-being and security for children. Regular key-work sessions are effective in educating children about anti-bullying, e- safety and other areas of risk. In children’s meetings, topics of discussion and information in the home are used creatively to get children talking about key issues that have an impact on them.

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The safety of children

Children’s positive behaviour is promoted by daily certificates. On the rare occasions that sanctions have been used, these have not been recorded. Although the sanctions used were restorative in nature, the manager has not evaluated whether the measure was proportionate or effective in helping the child to understand and manage their behaviour in future.

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Leaders and managers

The manager places the well-being of individual children at the centre of their practice, irrespective of any challenges they have faced. This ethos is mirrored in the staff, who are fully invested in the care they provide to children. Professionals and family talked about the staff team having gone that extra length to ensure children’s safety, which was evident during the visit.

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Leaders and managers

The manager works collaboratively with all involved in care planning to provide consistency and stability for children. As a result, the team is consistent and confident in its implementation of boundaries and behaviour management on a day- to-day basis.

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Leaders and managers

The manager has developed effective working relationships with all professionals involved in the children’s care, which has been reflected in the positive feedback received from professionals during the visit. That said, there is evidence that the manager will not hesitate to raise her concerns where decisions are made that are not of benefit to children.

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Leaders and managers

Staff spoke highly of the management team. They feel supported, receive regular supervisions, and they are suitably trained. Team meetings are thorough and child- focused. The meetings focus on key issues and research to develop staff practice to keep children safe, for example child criminal exploitation and gang culture. Assurance visit report: 2509269 4 The review of the quality of care report does not meet regulatory requirements. It does not evidence or consider feedback, in relation to the quality of care young people are receiving in the home, from local authorities, staff, parents and young people, to be able to make changes to improve outcomes. A requirement has been made to address this.

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Leaders and managers

The manager completes a monthly monitoring tool, covering all aspects of the home’s care, to monitor trends, patterns and make positive changes to the home’s practice. The manager also promotes the use of reflective practice, and lessons learned, on obtaining feedback from children or staff following any incidents in the home.

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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.

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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 monitoring, reviewing and evaluating—

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Requirement Due date

the feedback and opinions of children about the children’s home, its facilities and the quality of care they receive in it.

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Requirement Due date

The system referred to in paragraph (2) must provide for ascertaining and considering the opinions of children, their parents, placing authorities and staff.

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Recommendations

 Regulation 19(2) details sanctions that are prohibited in behaviour management. Any sanctions used to address poor behaviour should be restorative in nature, to help children recognise the impact of their behaviour on themselves, other children, the staff caring for them and the wider community. In some cases, it will be important for children to make reparation in some form to anyone hurt by their behaviour and the staff in the home should be skilled to support the child to understand this and carry it out. (‘Guide to children’s homes regulations including the quality standards’, page 46, paragraph 9.38) In particular, the home to evidence that any sanctions put in place to address Assurance visit report: 2509269 5 children’s behaviour are recorded, proportionate and are reviewed for effectiveness.

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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: Unit 12, Riversway Business Village, Navigation Way, Ashton-on-Ribble, Preston, Lancashire PR2 2YP

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Children’s home details

Responsible individual: Natalie Waterhouse

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Inspector

Cheryl Field, Social Care Inspector Assurance visit report: 2509269 6 to 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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