Children's home run by New Horizons NW Limited

Inspection report for children's home: 1270802 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 children’s home is privately owned. It is registered to provide care for up to three children who may have emotional and/or behavioural difficulties. The home also provides care for children and young people with learning disabilities.

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Information about this children’s home

The manager registered with Ofsted in January 2021.

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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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Information about this children’s home

We last visited this setting on 11 March 2021 to carry out a monitoring 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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outstanding

How well children and young people are helped and protected outstanding

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outstanding

The effectiveness of leaders and managers outstanding

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outstanding

The children’s home provides highly effective services that consistently exceed the standards of good. The actions of the children’s home contribute to significantly improved outcomes and positive experiences for children and young people who need help, protection, and care.

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outstanding

Overall judgement at last inspection: good

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outstanding

Enforcement action since last inspection: none Inspection report for children's home: 1270802 2

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Inspection date Inspection type Inspection judgement

01/07/2019 Full Good 26/02/2019 Interim Declined in effectiveness 05/06/2018 Full Good Inspection report for children's home: 1270802 3

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outstanding

Children make excellent progress in all aspects of their lives. They build strong relationships with staff, who provide them with consistent boundaries and structure. Social workers speak highly of the care provided to children and the progress they make. One social worker said, ‘It is the most settled that [name] has been since living at the home.’

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outstanding

Children’s views about their education are prioritised. The staff team works exceptionally well with education providers to ensure that children’s learning needs are appropriately met. One of the older children has worked closely with the staff team and employment services to try to secure an apprenticeship or employment. He has successfully obtained paid employment with the provider, helping to renovate a home as part of post-education work experience.

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outstanding

Children are listened to and involved in decisions about their care. They are empowered to make positive choices about their lives. Regular children’s house meetings support children to share their views about their home. The meetings are fun and informative, recognising children’s achievements and using research to educate the children about key themes such as World Mental Health Day and religious celebrations.

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outstanding

The staff team works hard to promote children’s family time and rebuild family relationships. One parent said, ‘The staff team is phenomenal. They provide the highest care. They are diverse, friendly and welcoming. I can’t thank them enough.’

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outstanding

Children are provided with opportunities and new experiences, such as learning to drive, going on memorable holidays and attending youth clubs specific to their interests. The staff team has engaged children in innovative ideas, such as raising money for Children in Need by successfully climbing the Yorkshire Three Peaks together.

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outstanding

Transition planning when children are due to move from the home is thorough. Children have been supported to move back to their families in planned and positive ways. Independence planning supports children’s efforts to find employment, including preparing them for interviews. The staff team is proactive in engaging children in creative tasks to develop their independence skills.

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outstanding

Children feel safe living at the home. The staff team provides children with the skills to keep themselves safe. Staff have an excellent understanding of children’s risks. They work consistently with agreed behaviour management strategies and with Inspection report for children's home: 1270802 4 other agencies to safeguard children. There has been a significant reduction in risks for all children and they make safer choices since arriving at the home.

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outstanding

Children do not go missing from home. They are given age-appropriate levels of trust to spend time with their friends in the community. External agencies such as local community police officers and mentors have worked with children to teach them about road safety, stranger danger and the effects of substance misuse.

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outstanding

Restraint is rarely used. The staff’s knowledge of the children and their behaviour support plans means that staff can identify triggers to children’s behaviour and use effective de-escalation strategies, without the need to use physical intervention. Positive reinforcement is used to promote children’s good behaviour. Sanctions are rarely used and when implemented are restorative in nature.

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outstanding

Risk assessments provide the staff team with clear guidance to keep children safe. Robust and effective control measures are implemented to reduce children’s risk- taking behaviour, such as increased staff ratios and making garden areas secure for younger children. Children are supported to keep themselves safe on the internet and this is monitored closely by the staff team.

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outstanding

An effective admissions impact risk assessment is in place. The manager consults with a range of professionals, the staff team and the children in placement before agreeing a placement for another child. Consequently, there has been no disruption to any of the children currently living in the home when a new child has been admitted to the home.

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outstanding

There have been no complaints made by children, which shows that they can talk to staff and raise any concerns informally. The manager has taken steps to establish positive relationships with the neighbours. This includes ensuring that the neighbours are reassured about the stability of the children living in the home and providing them with an open forum to share any feedback or concerns.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: outstanding

The manager is driven and passionate about providing a high standard of care for children. She is a positive role model for both children and staff, by promoting a nurturing and homely family environment. The manager knows the children very well and is extremely proactive in challenging other professionals when she feels a decision made about a child’s care does not promote their life chances.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: outstanding

The manager has brought positive change to the operation of the home. Staff and external professionals reported a positive impact on the quality of care since the manager has been in her role. Team morale is high and the staff team is now settled following some internal promotions and some staff leaving the home. A recommendation has been made to ensure that the manager sustains the current staff team stability and continues to promote continuity of care for children.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: outstanding

Staff feel extremely supported by the manager and the senior leadership team. One staff member said, ‘This is the best the staff team has been. She is the best Inspection report for children's home: 1270802 5 manager I have worked for.’ The manager has high expectations about how the service should be delivered and uses regular practice-related supervisions and performance reviews to provide feedback and guidance to her staff team.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: outstanding

Continual professional development is a key strength of the service. The manager focuses on inspiring staff to progress their skills and sets relevant targets which are reviewed at annual appraisals. She is innovative and embeds staff learning through research-based tasks. Individual members of staff delivered a presentation in a team meeting relating to one of the quality standards and its purpose.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: outstanding

Team meetings are child focused and purposeful. The manager uses the meetings to discuss safeguarding and to develop staff knowledge in key areas. Overall, training is at a very good level. However, the manager has not identified some training that staff require that is specific to the needs and risks of children living in the home.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: outstanding

Robust monitoring and a detailed development plan demonstrate that the manager understands the home’s strengths and any areas for improvement. She collects data relating to the risks and behaviour of each child and tracks their progress. This enables her to monitor trends and patterns in the home and act to help children to reduce their risks. In addition to this, the manager’s review of the quality of care report provides a thorough account of the progress children have made. Inspection report for children's home: 1270802 6

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Recommendations

 The registered person should ensure that they demonstrate every effort to achieve continuity of staffing so that children’s attachments are not overly disrupted, including ensuring that the employment of any staff will not prevent children from receiving the continuity of care that they need. (‘Guide to the children’s homes regulations, including the quality standards’, page 51, paragraph 10.1)  The registered person should ensure that staff can access appropriate facilities and resources to support their training needs and should understand the key role they play in the training and development of staff in the home. Specifically, the manager should ensure that staff are provided with training that is specific to the needs and risks of children living in the home. (‘Guide to the children’s homes regulations, including the quality standards’, page 53, paragraph 10.11)

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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 for children's home: 1270802 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 for children's home: 1270802 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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Inspector

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Inspector

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Inspector

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