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

Inspection report for children’s home: 2638487 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 privately owned children’s home provides care for up to four children with EBD (social and emotional difficulties)

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Information about this children’s home

The manager has been in registered with Ofsted since the home opened in July 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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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 outstanding

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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: not applicable

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good

Enforcement action since last inspection: none Inspection report for children’s home: 2638487 2

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Inspection date Inspection type Inspection judgement

Not previously inspected Inspection report for children’s home: 2638487 3

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

This is the first inspection of the home since being registered with Ofsted in July 2021. At the time of the inspection, two children were being cared for by a dedicated and committed staff team. Both children are making notable progress relative to their starting points. This is because staff provide intense support and a quality of care that has brought stability and a sense of belonging to the children. A social worker said: ‘[Name of child]’s holistic needs are being met and she has made nothing but progress since being at the home.’

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Meaningful relationships underpin all aspects of care practice. These relationships provide a foundation for an ethos of care that reinforces self-worth. This is an essential component for children who have experienced significant disruption and childhood trauma. The effectiveness of this approach is evident in how safe and secure the children feel. One child said: ‘I feel like this is my home. All staff are nice and do things to boost my confidence. This is my biggest achievement.’

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Staff demonstrate a good understanding of each child’s needs. These are captured in records that are detailed and provide a good insight into individual needs, risks and behaviours. Key working is pitched at an age-appropriate level. Targets are broken down into manageable chunks and are constantly reviewed against children’s plans. Staff plan meticulously to promote a good routine to ensure that children are kept busy and focused. Both children demand a great deal of attention from staff, who are responsive to this need. Children enjoy spending time with staff, who support them to have a fun and exciting activity programme that is based on their individual needs and interests. Experiences of this type are captured in a monthly newsletter that celebrates what children have achieved and done over the month.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

The importance of education is recognised and promoted by staff. Good partnership working with education providers is used effectively to overcome potential barriers to participation. As a result, levels of attendance are high and children are working well towards their individual targets.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Children are very well supported to maintain a healthy lifestyle through good diet and exercise. Routine health checks are up to date and staff are proactive in engaging specialist healthcare professionals when required. This ensures that children’s known and emerging health needs are consistently met. The home is furnished and decorated to a good standard and feels welcoming and homely, especially the children’s bedrooms, which are highly personalised. Damage is repaired quickly to ensure that a good standard of decor is maintained. Inspection report for children’s home: 2638487 4

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

Children’s risks and vulnerabilities are captured in detailed risk assessments that are fully understood and implemented by staff. Staff act as any reasonable parent would do in ensuring that each child is given the right supervision and support, relative to their age and understanding. Both children said that they feel safe and express confidence in staff to keep them safe.

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

Staff complete a range of training in various safeguarding topics. They understand and take seriously their safeguarding responsibilities, consistently prioritising children’s welfare. However, managers do not always validate staff learning. For example, a staff member did not evidence a suitable level of understanding of what action should be taken if a child makes an allegation against staff.

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

There has been one allegation since the home opened. Suitable action was taken to ensure that the child was made safe and information was shared with the child’s placing authority. However, there was a delay in notifying the local authority designated officer and a further delay in sharing information with Ofsted. This did not have any impact on the child’s safety, with the matter being fully investigated in the best interest of the child.

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

The staff act as any reasonable parent would do and they are good role models for the children. They look for opportunities to acknowledge, praise and reward positive behaviour and take a proportionate and supportive approach when managing challenging behaviour.

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

The manager has a good understanding of trauma-informed practice and is working hard to embed this into the culture and ethos of the home. This is evident in the good work that has been done with one child who struggles to regulate his emotions. Using his interest in kick-boxing, the influence of his tutor and expertise of a therapist, staff have developed a bespoke behaviour management plan that has been used effectively to reduce the need for physical intervention. The child said: ‘I have been helped to be less angry and have not had to be held for nearly three weeks.’

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

Detailed records of restraint are kept. Records provide good evidence that restraint is necessary, proportionate and a last resort. However, management and staff signatures were missing from some reports, making it difficult to identify who completed what section.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: outstanding

The home is run effectively by a highly experienced and child-focused registered manager. The manager has a good understanding of the home’s strengths and has a clear vision of the type of service that she wants to develop. She prioritises the needs of each child and has been effective in establishing a high standard of care that is delivered in a trauma-informed way. Inspection report for children’s home: 2638487 5 Effective leadership promotes a strong ethos and culture of aspiration and positivity. The manager and the team demonstrate a can-do attitude that consistently supports children to strive towards their potential. A therapist wrote: ‘I believe that their deepening relationships as well as their consistency, availability and approach are helping [name of child] to settle and make progress.’

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: outstanding

Children are benefiting from the care and support from staff who are highly motivated. Staff demonstrate a genuine commitment to helping children to make positive changes in their lives. Staff talk with enthusiasm about their work and are highly complimentary about the support and guidance they receive from the manager.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: outstanding

All staff benefit from supervision that is focused on professional development and maintaining high standards of care. A good range of purposeful training opportunities, including mandatory and needs-led courses, are available to staff. Forums such as team meetings are used well to develop research-based approaches that are responsive to the emerging needs of the children, for example supporting children with anxiety.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: outstanding

Links with partner agencies are exceedingly strong. Professionals speak with confidence and positivity about consistently high standards of care that are enabling children to overcome barriers and make significant progress, relative to their starting point. A professional said: ‘Staff are receptive to advice and support and seek to work with other professionals. They have a genuine care for their children and a desire to help and support them.’

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: outstanding

The manager maintains close oversight through the effective use of a range of quality assurance processes. There is a detailed focus on using written information and data to identify trends and patterns and points of learning. For example, analysis of incidents for one child resulted in changes to practice that reduced the number and severity of incidents of physical restraint.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: outstanding

Monthly scrutiny by the independent visitor further strengthens monitoring activity. The visitor’s reports are detailed and promote an improvement agenda. However, the reports would benefit from the visitor being more explicit about their opinion about whether children are safe and their well-being is promoted. Inspection report for children’s home: 2638487 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 registered person must notify HMCI and each other relevant person without delay if—

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Requirement Due date

there is an allegation of abuse against the home or a person working there. (Regulation 40 (4)(c)) 15 April 2022

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Recommendations

 The registered person should validate staff knowledge following safeguarding training to ensure that staff know what action to take in response to a child making an allegation. (‘Guide to the Children’s Homes Regulations, including the quality standards’, page 43, paragraph 9.10)  The registered manager should ensure that each section of restraint reports is signed by the person who has made the entry. (‘Guide to the Children’s Homes Regulations, including the quality standards’, page 45, paragraph 9.59)  The registered person must ensure that the report completed by the independent visitor includes an explicit statement about whether it is the independent visitor’s opinion that children are safeguarded effectively and the conduct of the home promotes children’s well-being. (‘Guide to the Children’s Homes Regulations, including the quality standards’, page 55, paragraph 10.24)

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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: 2638487 7

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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: 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

Paul Scott, Social Care Inspector Inspection report for children’s home: 2638487 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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