Children's Home run by New Horizons (Stockport) Limited in Tameside

Inspection report for children’s home - monitoring visit: 2591888 1

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New Horizons–(Stockport) Ltd

Monitoring visit Inspected under the social care common inspection framework

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Information about this children’s home

This home is operated by a private company. The home is registered to provide care and accommodation for up to four children. The home specialises in caring for children who may have needs that relate to their learning disabilities and/or a sensory impairment.

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Information about this children’s home

The home was registered in June 2020 and has not had any previous visits from the regulator. During the visit the provider noted that the registered manager had made the decision to resign from the post.

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This monitoring visit

Routine inspection activity is currently suspended because of the COVID-19 (coronavirus) pandemic. This monitoring visit was carried out in line with Ofsted’s procedures for monitoring services during such periods of suspended routine inspection activity due to concerns about the safety of children.

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This monitoring visit

During this visit inspectors identified shortfalls in safeguarding practices in the home. The registered manager and staff do not appropriately respond to incidents that occur, nor do they implement effective strategies to safeguard and protect the children living in the home. In addition, Ofsted has not been notified of all serious events. This means the regulator is unable to monitor and review the safeguarding of children and ensure that it responds to any regulatory shortfalls.

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This monitoring visit

Inspectors found the matching for children is not robust. Impact risk assessments lacked sufficient information. The assessment and analysis of all known risks for children and how their needs are to be met before they move into the home lack detail and clarity. For example, one child had been in a solo provision prior to moving into the home. Professionals involved in the child’s care reported that the child should not be placed with other children. This information was not sufficiently Inspection report for children’s home - monitoring visit: 2591888 2 assessed as part of the impact risk assessment before the child moved into the home. Consequently, the child moved out of the home within eight days. Furthermore, there was no consideration of the potential impact that children moving into the home might have on other children and a failure to consider any measures to reduce this impact.

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This monitoring visit

In addition, impact risk assessments do not assess the skills, knowledge and experience of staff to evidence that they can meet the complex needs of children. For example, some children living in the home use a variety of communication aids to enable them to communicate. However, not all staff had received training in the use of picture exchange communication systems and makaton. This limits children’s opportunities to communicate their needs and does not enable all children to have an active part in their care.

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This monitoring visit

The registered manager and staff have not kept children safe. Actions in response to concerns about children’s safety have been ineffective. The registered manager did not take appropriate action to protect children when concerns were raised about a staff member’s inappropriate and unacceptable practice. Allegations have been made that some staff have been observed shouting at children and escalating situations, resulting in children being subjected to unnecessary physical restraint. Poor management oversight failed to recognise repetitive unsafe practice by a number of staff, or whether the restraint practice was appropriate or safe for children.

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This monitoring visit

Medication is not recorded and managed in line with the organisation’s policies and procedures and records do not demonstrate that children have received medication in line with their individual medical prescriptions. For example, medication records have not been completed with all relevant detail.

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This monitoring visit

Not all risk assessments have been updated and they do not always include all known information about children’s behaviours or effective strategies and guidance on how staff will manage risk. The lack of attention to detail leaves staff unclear about how to address concerns. Furthermore, strategies identified to manage risks to children are not reviewed and evaluated by the registered manager. As a result, staff do not have a good enough understanding of the quality of care they are expected to provide.

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This monitoring visit

There has been a lack of stability in the staff team, with a number of staff leaving the home since it opened. Staff and managers reported that the home had been ‘chaotic’. This has led to inconsistent staff practice and uncertainty for children. An inconsistent and unstable staff team leads to a variable quality of care and serves to compromise children’s routines and safety plans.

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This monitoring visit

Children’s care records lack vital information about how children will be safeguarded. Care plans, risk assessments and behaviour management plans lack detail and do not give staff sufficient guidance to be able to manage the individual children or the dynamics between children to keep them safe. Furthermore, not all staff have the Inspection report for children’s home - monitoring visit: 2591888 3 skills, knowledge or training to effectively manage the behaviours and needs of children living in the home.

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This monitoring visit

Rotas in the home fail to clearly show which staff are on shift and the hours that they have worked. The lack of transparency about staff who are on duty potentially places children at risk and compromises the continuity of care.

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This monitoring visit

Some staff have not received an effective induction into the home or regular supervision. This fails to provide all staff with opportunities to learn their role, reflect on their practice and identify further areas for development. Consequently, children have received care from staff who are not trained, skilled and knowledgeable to meet their needs and keep them safe.

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This monitoring visit

The provider fully accepted the shortfalls identified at the visit and had already discussed with the registered manager their roles and responsibilities in the organisation. It was agreed that the registered manager would no longer be in day- to-day management of the home.

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Recent inspection history

Inspection date Inspection type Inspection judgement This is the first inspection Inspection report for children’s home - monitoring visit: 2591888 4

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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

*The protection of children standard is that children are protected from harm and enabled to keep themselves safe.

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Requirement Due date

In particular, the standard in paragraph (1) requires the registered person to ensure—

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Requirement Due date

assess whether each child is at risk of harm, taking into account information in the child’s relevant plans, and, if necessary, make arrangements to reduce the risk of any harm to the child;

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Requirement Due date

help each child to understand how to keep safe;

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Requirement Due date

have the skills to identify and act upon signs that a child is at risk of harm;

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Requirement Due date

manage relationships between children to prevent them from harming each other;

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Requirement Due date

understand the roles and responsibilities in relation to protecting children that are assigned to them by the registered person;

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Requirement Due date

take effective action whenever there is a serious concern about a child’s welfare; and

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Requirement Due date

are familiar with, and act in accordance with, the home’s child protection policies;

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Requirement Due date

that the home’s day-to-day care is arranged and delivered so as to keep each child safe and to protect each child effectively from harm;

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Requirement Due date

that the premises used for the purposes of the home are located so that children are effectively safeguarded; 12 March 2021 Inspection report for children’s home - monitoring visit: 2591888 5 that the premises used for the purposes of the home are designed, furnished and maintained so as to protect each child from avoidable hazards to the child’s health; and

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Requirement Due date

that the effectiveness of the home’s child protection policies is monitored regularly. (Regulation 12 (1) (2)(a)(i)(ii)(iii)(iv)(v)(vi)(vii)(b)(c)(d)(e))

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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 aspire to fulfil their potential; and

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Requirement Due date

In particular, the standard in paragraph (1) requires the registered person to—

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Requirement Due date

lead and manage the home in a way that is consistent with the approach and ethos, and delivers the outcomes, set out in the home’s statement of purpose;

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Requirement Due date

ensure that staff work as a team where appropriate;

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Requirement Due date

ensure that staff have the experience, qualifications and skills to meet the needs of each child;

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Requirement Due date

understand the impact that the quality of care provided in the home is having on the progress and experiences of each child and use this understanding to inform the development of the quality of care provided in the home; and

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Requirement Due date

use monitoring and review systems to make continuous improvements in the quality of care provided in the home. (Regulation 13 (1)(a)(b) (2)(a)(b)(c)(f)(h)) 12 March 2021

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Requirement Due date

*The care planning standard is that children receive effectively planned care in or through the children’s home.

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Requirement Due date

In particular, the standard in paragraph (1) requires the registered person to ensure—

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Requirement Due date

that arrangements are in place to manage and review the placement of each child in the home; and that each child’s relevant plans are followed. (Regulation 14 (1)(a) (2)(b)(ii)(c)) 12 March 2021 Inspection report for children’s home - monitoring visit: 2591888 6 The registered person must make arrangements for the handling, recording, safekeeping, safe administration and disposal of medicines received into the children’s home. (Regulation 23 (1)) 12 March 2021

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Requirement Due date

The registered person must ensure that each employee completes an appropriate induction and receive practice- related supervision by a person with appropriate experience. (Regulation 33 (1)(a) (4)(b)) 12 March 2021

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Requirement Due date

The registered person must prepare and implement a policy ("the behaviour management policy") which sets out—

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Requirement Due date

how appropriate behaviour is to be promoted in the children’s home; and

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Requirement Due date

the measures of control, discipline and restraint which may be used in relation to children in the home.

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Requirement Due date

The registered person must keep the behaviour management policy under review and, where appropriate, revise it.

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Requirement Due date

within 24 hours of the use of a measure of control, discipline or restraint in relation to a child in the home, a record is made which includes—

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Requirement Due date

details of the child’s behaviour leading to the use of the measure;

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Requirement Due date

the date, time and location of the use of the measure;

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Requirement Due date

a description of the measure and its duration;

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Requirement Due date

details of any methods used, or steps taken to avoid the need to use the measure;

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Requirement Due date

the name of the person who used the measure (“the user”), and of any other person present when the measure was used; the effectiveness and any consequences of the use of the measure; and 12 March 2021 Inspection report for children’s home - monitoring visit: 2591888 7 a description of any injury to the child or any other person, and any medical treatment administered, as a result of the measure;

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Requirement Due date

within 48 hours of the use of the measure, the registered person, or a person who is authorised by the registered person to do so ("the authorised person")—

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Requirement Due date

has spoken to the user about the measure; and

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Requirement Due date

has signed the record to confirm it is accurate; and

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Requirement Due date

within 5 days of the use of the measure, the registered person or the authorised person adds to the record confirmation that they have spoken to the child about the measure. (Regulation 35 (1)(a)(b) (2) (3)(a)(i)(ii)(iii)(iv)(v)(vi)(vii)(viii)(b)(i)(ii)(c))

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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 and are signed and dated by the author of each entry. (Regulation 36 (1)(a)(b)(c)) 12 March 2021

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Requirement Due date

Schedule 4 sets out the other information that the registered person must keep in relation to a children’s home.

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Requirement Due date

maintain in the home the records in Schedule 4;

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Requirement Due date

ensure that the records are kept up to date. (Regulation 37 (1) (2)(a)(b))

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Requirement Due date

In particular, ensure that the records include a copy of the staff duty roster of persons working at the home, a record of the actual rotas worked and a record of any person who works at any time at the home, including the registered manager. 12 March 2021

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Requirement Due date

The registered person must notify HMCI and each other relevant person without delay if a child is involved in or subject to, or is suspected of being involved in or subject to, sexual exploitation; an incident requiring police involvement occurs in relation to a child which the registered person considers to be serious; there is an allegation of abuse 12 March 2021 Inspection report for children’s home - monitoring visit: 2591888 8 against the home or a person working there; a child protection enquiry involving a child is instigated; or concludes (in which case, the notification must include the outcome of the child protection enquiry); or there is any other incident relating to a child which the registered person considers to be serious. (Regulation 40 (4)(a)(b)(c)(d)(i)(ii)(e))

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Requirement Due date

*These requirements are subject to a compliance notice.

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Information about this inspection

The purpose of this visit was to monitor the action taken and the progress made by the children’s home since its last Ofsted inspection.

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Information about this inspection

This inspection was carried out under the Care Standards Act 2000.

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Children’s home details

Registered provider: New Horizons–(Stockport) Ltd

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Children’s home details

Registered provider address: 154 Buxton Road, High Lane, Stockport, Cheshire SK6 8EA

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Inspectors

Tracy Mese, Social Care Inspector Michelle Edge, Social Care Regulatory Inspection Manager Inspection report for children’s home - monitoring visit: 2591888 9 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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Inspectors

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Inspectors

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Inspectors

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