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

Inspection report for children's home - monitoring visit: 2591888 1 Registered provider: New Horizons-(Stockport) Limited

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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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This monitoring visit

The purpose of this visit was to consider safeguarding concerns raised via a complaint.

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This monitoring visit

The inspector found that there are significant concerns with the leaders and managers operating the home. This is impacting on the stability of the team caring for children. Consequently, children are not receiving consistent care from adults who understand their needs.

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This monitoring visit

Leadership and management are poor. The home remains without a registered manager and requirements from the last full inspection have not been met. Furthermore, a development plan to outline how areas for improvement are going to be addressed is not available.

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This monitoring visit

Managers do not have consistent monitoring systems in place to review the quality of care being provided to the children. This has resulted in development work not taking place with the team caring for children.

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This monitoring visit

The adults caring for children do not feel listened to by senior management, which has resulted in low morale. Communication is reported to be poor from senior managers. This is impacting on the stability of the staff team and staff retention. This unhealthy culture detracts from children receiving a good quality of care. Inspection report for children's home - monitoring visit: 2591888 2 Team members are not receiving opportunities to develop their skills, knowledge and experience. Formal processes are not in place to address poor performance and ensure that the quality of care improves for children.

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This monitoring visit

Children have made progress with their self-care skills. However, managers and staff have not identified specific goals that they are working towards to help children thrive. The adults caring for children are not routinely using individual communication aids to support each child in line with their communication needs. This prevents children from being able to express their views, wishes and feelings.

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This monitoring visit

The children are no longer receiving input from a speech and language therapist. This is a service that is meant to be offered to children as outlined within the home’s statement of purpose. This support is crucial for children who have communication needs. The service ended for the children in December 2021 and there have been delays with a new service being put into place.

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This monitoring visit

There are no concerns with medication practice. The provider has implemented new structures to ensure that children are safely receiving their medication in line with their prescriptions. There has been one medication error that was investigated thoroughly by management and was remedied.

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This monitoring visit

The children’s environment is designed to meet their needs. However, the flooring in the home is creating a health and safety issue. This issue was raised at the previous inspection in November 2021 and it has still not been resolved. Inspection report for children's home - monitoring visit: 2591888 3

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Recent inspection history

Inspection date Inspection type Inspection judgement 16/11/2021 Full Requires improvement to be good 24/08/2021 Full Inadequate 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, 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)(a)(b)(d))

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Requirement Due date

This relates to risk assessments and safety plans being recorded in a way that is clear for the team to follow.

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Requirement Due date

This also relates to health and safety issues with flooring and the need for this to be addressed. 16 March 2022

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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 16 March 2022 Inspection report for children's home - monitoring visit: 2591888 5 having a good understanding of these needs and goals to help children to achieve their full potential.

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Requirement Due date

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.

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Requirement Due date

The registered person must ensure that children 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.

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Requirement Due date

It also relates to ensuring that individual communication aids are used to support children to communication. 16 March 2022

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Requirement Due date

The health and well-being standard is that—

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Requirement Due date

the health and well-being needs of children are met;

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Requirement Due date

children receive advice, services and support in relation to their health and well-being; and

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Requirement Due date

children are helped to lead healthy lifestyles.

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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

achieve the health and well-being outcomes that are recorded in the child’s relevant plans;

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Requirement Due date

understand the child’s health and well-being needs and the options that are available in relation to the child’s health and well-being, in a way that is appropriate to the child’s age and understanding;

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Requirement Due date

understand and develop skills to promote the child’s well- being;

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Requirement Due date

that each child has access to such dental, medical, nursing, psychiatric and psychological advice, treatment and other services as the child may require. 16 March 2022 Inspection report for children's home - monitoring visit: 2591888 6 Regulation 10 (1)(a)(b)(c) (2)(a)(i)(ii)(iv)(c))

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Requirement Due date

This specifically relates to children receiving speech and language input in line with the provider’s statement of purpose. It also relates to ensuring that children’s personal hygiene needs are monitored.

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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;

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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

ensure that the home’s workforce provides continuity of care to 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;

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Requirement Due date

demonstrate that practice in the home is informed and improved by taking into account and acting on—

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Requirement Due date

research and developments in relation to the ways in which the needs of children are best met; 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)(e)(f)(g)(i)(h)) 16 March 2022 Inspection report for children's home - monitoring visit: 2591888 7 This relates to ensuring that there are monitoring and review systems to make improvements in the quality of care provided in the home.

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Requirement Due date

This includes ensuring that management oversight and evaluation identifies poor practice and is addressed.

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Requirement Due date

This relates to ensuring that there is a consistent staff team in place that understands the child’s needs.

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Requirement Due date

It relates to ensuring that the home has a registered manager.

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Requirement Due date

This also relates to the staff team understanding its role in working together to provide a consistent level of care. Also, that the team has the necessary skills and experience to meet the needs of children.

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Recommendations

 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

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. Inspection report for children's home - monitoring visit: 2591888 8

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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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Inspector

Carly Quinn, Social Care Inspector 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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Inspector

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Inspector

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Inspector

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