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

Inspection report for children’s home: 1264538 1 Registered provider: New Horizons (NW) Limited 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 owned and managed by a private organisation. It provides 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 November 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 9 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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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

Date of last inspection: 12 November 2019

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good

Overall judgement at last inspection: good

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good

Enforcement action since last inspection: none Inspection report for children’s home: 1264538 2

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Inspection date Inspection type Inspection judgement

12/11/2019 Full Good 13/03/2019 Interim Sustained effectiveness 10/05/2018 Full Good Inspection report for children’s home: 1264538 3

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Children develop positive and trusting relationships with a staff team that understands their specific needs. Social workers and family members spoke highly of the progress children make and the quality of care they are provided with. One professional said, ‘The staff do not give up on children. Children are central to their focus and are provided with nurturing care from a team that genuinely cares about them.’

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Most children’s school attendance and educational achievements have improved. They are encouraged to pursue their hobbies and interests. Children are encouraged to develop their self-confidence and social skills by attending weekly youth clubs, swimming clubs and having overnight stays at their friends’ homes. Family time is prioritised and managed at a pace that is safe and in line with children’s wishes.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Overall, children lead healthy lifestyles and attend routine health appointments. They are educated about sustaining a balanced diet and encouraged to try new foods. Children are supported to access therapeutic services to promote their emotional well-being, such as talking therapy and animal therapy.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Children feel listened to. They are involved in decisions about their care and planning for their future. House meetings take place regularly and ensure that children are provided with the opportunity to share their views about the care they receive. During house meetings, staff address themes such as anti-bullying and discuss ideas for fundraising.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Key-work sessions are purposeful. They engage children well by using visuals and photos to evidence their achievements. For one child, an agreed placement objective was for direct work to be completed to address their understanding of healthy, safe and respectful relationships. The manager said that ongoing work had been completed with the child. However, written records were not available to track the progress the child had made.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

The staff team works closely with placing authorities on transition plans for children. They work together to carefully balance children’s needs and risks to ensure that suitable move onto placements is identified for children. In line with individual plans, some children have been supported to move back to their family home.

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

Children feel safe living in the home. This is because the staff team implements clear and consistent boundaries for children. There have been no allegations or complaints, which evidences that children can raise their concerns openly and honestly without the need to formalise them. Inspection report for children’s home: 1264538 4 Children’s risk-taking behaviour has reduced significantly over the last few months. Children do not go missing from their home as frequently. The use of physical restraint is minimal. The staff team understands children’s behaviour and use de- escalation strategies to help them regulate their emotions effectively. Equally, children said that the staff team has educated them to make safer choices.

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

Safeguarding concerns are dealt with promptly and suitable action is taken to safeguard children. External agencies have been accessed to support children to reduce any risk-taking behaviour, such as youth groups to help children understand the implications of knife crime. Local community police officers also work with children and the staff team to develop children’s awareness of risks in the community.

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

Impact risk assessments provide clear measures to minimise risks for children living together. They evidence thorough consultation with local authorities and the staff team prior to children’s admissions. Children have been supported to develop appropriate relationships with each other and, consequently, bullying is not a concern in the home.

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

Children’s medication records that use codes to indicate when a medication has not been administered do not have an attached explanation of the purpose and meaning of each code. Although there has been no impact on children’s welfare because of this shortfall, the manager’s implementation and oversight of a clear system are essential, as it relates to controlled medication.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

The manager promotes a nurturing environment for the children. She is a positive role model and has high expectations about the level of care children should be provided with. She is invested in the children and is proactive in advocating on their behalf or escalating her concerns when she feels a decision made about a child’s care is not in their best interest.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

The staff spoke highly of the manager’s leadership style and of the level of support they are provided with. There has been numerous staff changes in the last year. However, the staff team has now started to stabilise. A recommendation has been made to ensure that the manager sustains the current staff team’s stability and, furthermore, continues to promote the continuity of care for children.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

The manager embeds staff learning through regular training opportunities and additional training that is specific to children’s needs or risks. She is also proactive in sourcing training courses from outside agencies for staff and children to attend together, such as substance misuse agencies.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

Practice-related supervisions take place regularly. Team meetings are used effectively. The manager encourages the staff team to share strategies that are effective in supporting children, and she provides clear direction of how children Inspection report for children’s home: 1264538 5 should be cared for. She uses creative ways to educate staff on key issues for children by facilitating learning tasks and briefings during team meetings.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

The manager’s oversight of children’s risk management plans is not consistent. The plans contain conflicting information about steps that should be taken to safeguard children, relating to mobile phone safety, children’s independence time and times that children should be reported as missing from their home to the police. Although this has not impacted on children’s safety, the manager should provide the staff with clear guidance so that they can continue to implement consistent boundaries.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

The manager’s review of the quality-of-care report provides a good account of children’s progress and demonstrates that the manager understands the home’s strengths and weaknesses. She monitors trends and patterns in the home through monthly audits and acts to address any shortfalls. However, the independent visitor’s reports do not evidence regular consultation with children and those involved in their care, to provide a full evaluation of the quality of the service. Inspection report for children’s home: 1264538 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, 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 leadership and management standard is that the registered person enables, inspires and leads a culture in relation to the children’s home that—

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Requirement Due date

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. (Regulation 13 (1)(a)(b) (2)(a))

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Requirement Due date

The manager’s oversight of risk assessments and behaviour management plans should be thorough, to ensure that they do not contain conflicting information or guidance in relation to children’s current needs and risk management. 13 January 2022

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Requirement Due date

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))

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Requirement Due date

The manager should ensure that medication records that use codes to indicate that a medication has not been administered should have an attached explanation of the purpose and meaning of each code. 13 January 2022

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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)) 13 January 2022 Inspection report for children’s home: 1264538 7

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Recommendations

 The registered person should ensure that staff understand and help children to understand what makes a healthy, nurturing relationship. Specifically, that there should be written evidence of direct work undertaken with children. (‘Guide to the children’s homes regulations, including the quality standards’, page 39, paragraph 8.10)  The registered person must demonstrate every effort to achieve continuity of staffing so that children’s attachments are not overly disrupted, including ensuring that the employment of any temporary staff does 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)

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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: 1264538 8

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Children’s home details

Registered provider: New Horizons (NW) Limited

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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: 1264538 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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Inspector

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Inspector

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Inspector

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