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

Inspection report children's home: 2591888 1 Registered provider: New Horizons (Stockport) Limited Full inspection 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. It is registered to provide care for up to four children who may have needs that relate to their disabilities and/or a sensory impairment.

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Information about this children’s home

There is currently no registered manager for this home.

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Information about this children’s home

Due to COVID-19, at the request of the Secretary of State, we suspended all routine inspections of social care providers carried out under the social care common inspection framework (SCCIF) on 17 March 2020. We returned to routine SCCIF inspections on 12 April 2021.

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Overall experiences and progress of

children and young people, taking into account

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requires improvement to be good

How well children and young people are helped and protected requires improvement to be good

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requires improvement to be good

The effectiveness of leaders and managers requires improvement to be good

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requires improvement to be good

The children’s home is not yet delivering good help and care for children and young people. However, there are no serious or widespread failures that result in their welfare not being safeguarded or promoted.

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requires improvement to be good

Overall judgement at last inspection: inadequate

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requires improvement to be good

Enforcement action since last inspection: none Inspection report children's home: 2591888 2

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Inspection date Inspection type Inspection judgement

24/08/2021 Full Inadequate Inspection report children's home: 2591888 3

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improvement to be good

Children’s experiences in their home have improved. They are now being cared for by a consistent team that understands their needs. The children have plans in place. However, they do not contain common, specific and measurable goals that the team can work towards to help the children to progress. This has the potential to create confusion within the team and result in children’s progress drifting due to a lack of focus.

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improvement to be good

Children now have a voice. There are strategies in place to support the children to communicate in line with their needs. Staff understand the children’s communication needs and work closely with a multi-disciplinary team to further their skills. The team is new to the children and is currently in the process of embedding good practice.

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improvement to be good

The children’s environment is designed to meet their needs. Children have a range of stimulation, and the team plans activities to create developmental opportunities. Some of the flooring in the home is creating a health and safety issue, which is impacting on the children’s experiences in their home.

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improvement to be good

Children have good attendance at school. However, the team does not have a thorough understanding of children’s educational targets and their current attainment from other sources, such as their education, health and care plans and personal education plans. This reduces the opportunity for the team to complete further work with children at home to assist them in achieving their full potential.

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improvement to be good

The risks in children’s lives are known to the team. The team is aware of how to reduce risks and respond if they arise in the children’s lives. There are various documents that contain known risks and strategies in the children’s records. However, the staff team is not confident with accessing the current documents that are in place. The number of documents has the potential to create inconsistent responses to risk.

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improvement to be good

The children have clear plans in place and consent from the appropriate authorities regarding the use of mechanical restraints. The use of mechanical restraints has been reduced safely for some children. This provides children with more independence and assists with their development opportunities. The managers closely review physical interventions. Processes are now in place to debrief children and adults involved in any events involving physical intervention. This new culture ensures that poor practice and/or safeguarding issues are identified to keep children safe. Inspection report children's home: 2591888 4 When there are concerns about employees’ practice relating to a child, advice is sought from external agencies in line with safeguarding procedures. This ensures that there is independent oversight of safeguarding issues to keep children safe.

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improvement to be good

Children now safely receive their medication. Managers carry out regular medication audits to ensure that poor practice is identified. The members of the team have received medication training and their competency is assessed prior to medication being administered. These systems ensure that children receive medication from a team that is competent, and managers quality assure this process.

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good

Currently, the team does not have a registered manager in post. There is an acting manager in post, who started with the team in October 2021. The members of the team feel well supported by the new management structure and they are now receiving regular supervision and team meetings to support their development. The team and the management structure are in their infancy and they need time to embed a new culture. This will ensure that children are consistently receiving good care.

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good

The new management structure is in the process of developing a culture that is aspirational for children. The team speaks with warmth about the children; however, records contain institutionalised language that can stigmatise children. This reduces the opportunity for children’s records to tell their story in words that are accessible to them.

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good

Children have previously experienced disruption in their lives because of poor decision-making by management. There has now been reflection about shortfalls, and new procedures have been put in place to inform decisions about children moving into the home. This is currently untested; however, the new procedures will hopefully reduce the risk of children experiencing further instability and disruption in their lives.

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good

The new management team evaluates incidents that happen in children’s lives. The evaluation from management is reflective and identifies areas of development for the team. There is a newly formed multi-disciplinary forum to reflect about incidents that occur. This creates good review and monitoring systems to ensure that practice is improving for children. This new practice is in the process of being embedded with the team, which, in time, will have a consistent impact on children’s lives.

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good

The provider has taken sufficient action to meet the compliance notices under regulations 12 and 13. Inspection report children's home: 2591888 5

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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, the 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

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 designed, furnished and maintained so as to protect each child from avoidable hazards to the child’s health. (Regulation 12 (1) (2)(b)(d))

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Requirement Due date

This relates to risk assessments and safety plans being recorded clearly for the team to follow.

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Requirement Due date

This also relates to health and safety issues with flooring being addressed. 31 December

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Requirement Due date

The education standard is that children make measurable progress towards achieving their educational potential and are helped to do so.

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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

help each child to achieve the child’s education and training targets, as recorded in the child’s relevant plans. (Regulation 8 (1) (2)(a)(i))

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Requirement Due date

This specifically relates to children’s educational needs and targets being contained in their plans. It also relates to staff having a good understanding of these needs and goals to help children to achieve their full potential. 31 December Inspection report children's home: 2591888 6 The care planning standard is that children—

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Requirement Due date

receive effectively planned care in or through the children’s home. (Regulation 14 (1)(a))

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Requirement Due date

This specifically relates to the children’s plans being clear, including specific and measurable goals that everyone is working on to support the children to reach their potential. 31 December

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Recommendation

 The registered person should ensure that the team records information in a non- stigmatising way that distinguishes between fact, opinion and third-party information. Information about children should be recorded in a way that will be helpful to the child. (‘Guide to the children’s homes regulations including the quality standards’, page 62, paragraph 14.4)

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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: 2591888 7

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Children’s home details

Registered provider: New Horizons (Stockport) Limited

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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

Carly Quinn, Social Care Inspector Mark Woodbridge, Social Care Inspector Inspection report children's home: 2591888 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 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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