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

Inspection report children's home: 2509269 1 Registered provider: New Horizons (NW) Ltd Full inspection Inspected under the social care common inspection framework

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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

Due to COVID-19 (coronavirus), at the request of the Secretary of State, we suspended all routine inspections of social care providers on 17 March 2020.

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Information about this children’s home

We last visited this setting on 30 September 2020 to carry out an assurance visit. The report is published on the Ofsted website.

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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: Improved effectiveness

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good

Enforcement action since last inspection: None. Inspection report children's home: 2509269 2

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Inspection date Inspection type Inspection judgement

03/01/2020 Interim Improved effectiveness 10/09/2019 Full Requires improvement to be good Inspection report children's home: 2509269 3

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Children are involved in decisions about their care and plans for their future. Children feel listened to and have positive relationships with the staff team. Children told the inspector that they are happy living at the home, and they were observed to be relaxed in their home.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Children who have moved into the home have settled in well and have developed their self-confidence and social skills. Children are starting to trust staff and are regularly talking about how they feel. Children have engaged in new and positive experiences, including holidays with each other, walking up Snowdon Mountain and having friends over to the home for sleepovers.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

The staff team understand children’s needs very well. A social worker said, ‘The staff team are sensitive to [Name’s] needs, and they have embraced guidance provided by emotional health and psychological services; SCAYT.’ Key-work sessions and direct work are purposeful. Staff engage children in conversations about reducing risk- taking behaviour, their care needs and celebrating achievements.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Children’s routine and follow-up health appointments are monitored well. Children are encouraged to eat a balanced diet and exercise regularly. The staff team are proactive in liaising with health professionals such as dieticians and doctors. Children are also provided with access to play therapy and counselling to promote positive mental health.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Overall, children have made progress in education since their starting points at the home. One child has sustained 100% attendance. For children who struggle in school, staff attend meetings at school to explore and resolve any concerns. Staff attend parents’ evenings and implement incentives to promote children’s school attendance. The manager works closely with relevant educational professionals, to support children who are being tutored in the home with a transition back to their allocated school.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Children are supported to see their families at a pace they are comfortable with and in line with their current care plans. When situations are more complex and contact agreements are still in progress, staff encourage children to spend time with other agreed family members who they have positive relationships with.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

When children’s placements have unexpectedly come to an end, the management team have demonstrated that they assess their ability to meet the child’s needs, while also maintaining the safety of all children living in the home. Senior managers challenge placing authorities when children’s referral information, provided prior to admission, has not been transparent in relation to significant risks for the child. Inspection report children's home: 2509269 4

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

Children say they feel safe in the home, and staff help them learn how to keep themselves safe. Children rarely go missing from home. When they do, staff respond appropriately to safeguard children and to return them home safely.

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

Children’s risk and behaviour management plans provide staff with clear guidance and strategies to safeguard children. Staff work consistently with the agreed plans and together as a team. On one occasion, when staff failed to follow risk management plans, the manager addressed the shortfalls promptly through supervision and a team meeting.

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

Matching risk assessments consider children’s needs, risks, and the impact of them living together. Children say there is no bullying in the home. When children have had altercations with each other, the staff team have worked to resolve the issues and restore a positive home environment. Children have engaged in direct work to address unacceptable behaviour towards their peers, and because of this there have been no further incidents.

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

Restraint records evidence that children are held as a last resort to keep them and others safe. The manager uses debriefs with children and staff to identify action to be taken, to help children manage their behaviour more effectively in future. The manager works closely with children’s placing authorities and requests extra support for children if needed. For example, additional staffing to keep children and staff safe.

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

Children understand consequences given to them. Consequences are restorative and help children to make positive choices about their behaviour. Positive reinforcement is promoted through incentives and targets. Targets implemented are specific to the needs of children and help them to make progress in specific areas of their lives.

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

When children make complaints, the manager takes suitable action to ensure that the necessary professionals are notified, and children are kept informed of the progress of any investigation. However, the manager must keep written evidence of conversations held with all staff who were spoken to as part of the investigation, to ensure the process is robust. That said, this shortfall has not had an impact on the safety of children.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

The registered manager is a positive role model and is passionate about achieving the best outcomes for children. She will challenge local authorities and other professionals when children’s needs are not being met within appropriate timescales.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

The staff say they are supported by a hardworking manager, who is always available to support the staff team. The home has a stable staff team, and team morale is positive. The home has two staff vacancies. The manger uses regular bank staff to Inspection report children's home: 2509269 5 cover shifts until the vacancies are filled. This ensures continuity of care for the children. Agency staff are not used in the home.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

The manager communicates her expectations clearly to the team. Team meetings are especially effective. They are used to discuss children’s needs at length, reflect on incidents and implement changes based on lessons learned.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

Staff receive regular practice-related supervisions and additional support from the management team during their probationary periods. The manager is proactive in developing her staff team’s knowledge base, by obtaining training specific to the needs of the children, such as bereavement and autism training.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

The manager monitors patterns and trends, to improve practice in the home. When children were becoming unsettled at specific times of the day, the manager identified changes to routines and shift planning that were required. The implementation of these has helped children manage their behaviour better and reduce the level of restraint used in the home.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

The independent visitors monthly report does not always provide a full scrutiny of the service provided in the home. It does not always include feedback from children, their families, and social workers. However, the managers quality of care report provides a comprehensive evaluation of the service provided and improvements required. The manager also undertakes monthly audits, to ensure she has a thorough oversight of the operation of the home and children’s progress. Inspection report children's home: 2509269 6

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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 registered person must ensure that a record is made of any complaint, the action taken in response, and the outcome of any investigation. (Regulation 39 (3))

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Requirement Due date

Specifically, when children make complaints, the registered manager should ensure that there is written evidence of all staff members spoken to as part of the investigation, to ensure the process is robust. 23 July 2021

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Requirement Due date

When the independent person is carrying out a visit, the registered person must help the independent person—

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Requirement Due date

if they consent, to interview in private such of the children, their parents, relatives and persons working at the home as the independent person requires. (Regulation 44 (2)(a))

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Requirement Due date

In addition, children’s social workers’ feedback should be obtained regularly by the independent visitor as part of the evaluation of the care provided to children. 23 July 2021

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Information about this inspection

Inspectors have looked closely at the experiences and progress of children and young people, 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: 2509269 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, Ashton-on-Ribble, Preston PR2 2YP

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Children’s home details

Responsible individual: Natalie Waterhouse

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Inspector

Cheryl Field, Social Care Inspector Inspection report children's home: 2509269 8 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 looked after children, safeguarding and child protection.

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Inspector

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Inspector

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Inspector

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