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

Inspection report for children’s home: SC472680 1 SC472680 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

The provider states in its statement of purpose that this home provides care for up to five children with social and emotional difficulties.

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Information about this children’s home

The manager registered with Ofsted in 2018.

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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: 14 December 2021

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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: SC472680 2

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Inspection date Inspection type Inspection judgement

14/12/2021 Full Good 11/03/2020 Interim Sustained effectiveness 17/07/2019 Full Good 19/03/2019 Interim Improved effectiveness Inspection report for children’s home: SC472680 3

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Children live in a welcoming and spacious home. It has a calm and relaxed atmosphere which helps children to feel safe and secure. There are pictures on the walls displaying positive images of the children. This gives children a sense of belonging and ownership. One child said, ‘This is by far the best home that I have ever had.’

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

The staff team supports children with regular key-work sessions. This helps children to reflect on their behaviours and actions. It also helps them to learn about different cultures and to better understand diversity and inclusion.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Each child chooses an evening meal for everyone throughout the week. They help to prepare the meal and can help with washing the dishes. Staff and children sit together at mealtimes and discuss the day’s events. This promotes structures and routines for children and improves their social skills.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Children’s plans reflect their individual needs. Children receive care that supports them to build resilience and self-confidence. However, children do not contribute to, or consistently sign, their case records. This means that some children may not understand their plans or agree with them.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Children’s attendance and progress in education is good. They each have their own individual education plan. There is also close communication between the staff and education providers. This helps them with planning to support children if their attendance falters.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

The staff team uses a consistent therapeutic model of care. The team considers the underlying causes of children’s behaviours, and this helps children to manage their emotions. This enables staff to sensitively support children who experience traumatic events.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Members of staff lock an internal door at night to prevent children from entering the kitchen. They also use internal door alarms in all children’s bedrooms. This prevents children from having access to all areas of their home and restricts their liberty.

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

Staff follow clear safeguarding procedures to protect children. Risk management plans provide staff with effective strategies for addressing children’s individual risks. As a result, children feel safe in their home.

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

Leaders and managers work closely with local authority children’s services as part of a multi-agency approach. They attend regular meetings and share information to Inspection report for children’s home: SC472680 4 safeguard children. One social worker said, ‘They have responded quickly to my requests and kept me informed of progress on a weekly basis.’

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

The staff team supports children to stay safe online. Staff check children’s devices weekly and help them to recognise online harms through awareness-raising sessions. This develops children’s knowledge and independence skills.

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

Leaders and managers generally report serious incidents to Ofsted on time. However, on one occasion, the manager did not report a serious incident. This means the regulator had no oversight of what action was being taken to keep the child safe.

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

The staff team’s use of physical interventions is minimal. There has only been one incident in the past six months. However, staff did not fully complete the recording of the incident. This hampers analysis and evaluation to improve practice.

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

Missing-from-home incidents are well managed and coordinated. These are followed up with an offer of an independent return home interview. This helps children to talk openly about their reasons for going missing and to understand how to stay safe.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

The home is well managed by an experienced and qualified manager. Staff feel fully supported in their role and enjoy working at the home. One member of staff said, ‘I love it, absolutely love working here. You can really make a difference to children’s lives.’

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

Managers and leaders have a thorough knowledge of the children at the home. They listen to children’s views and consider their wishes and feelings. This promotes children’s development and progress.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

Staff receive regular supervision and appraisal. This helps them to reflect on their performance and to set targets for the year ahead. This ensures that staff continue to develop and improve the quality of care for children.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

Leaders and managers operate closed-circuit surveillance equipment in the home. This records images at the front entrance and rear of the home. However, there is no information on children’s files or in their plans explaining the need for this equipment. There are also no outside notices to alert visitors that they are being recorded.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

The registered manager will challenge local authorities when a child’s needs are not being met. This ensures that children receive the right level of care and support and helps them to access education.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

The registered manager is improving pre-admission planning into the home. This ensures that children settle into the home quickly and helps them to get along with others living there. However, pre-admission planning does not always identify all Inspection report for children’s home: SC472680 5 children’s needs. As a result, the manager admitted a child to the home whose needs could not be met. This had a detrimental effect on the child and other children in the home.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

The registered manager is aware of the risks associated with the location of the home. She reviews children’s needs to manage risks and to ensure that the location remains suitable. Inspection report for children’s home: SC472680 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 care planning standard is that children—

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Requirement Due date

receive effectively planned care in or through the children’s home; and

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Requirement Due date

have a positive experience of arriving at or moving on from the home.

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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 children are admitted to the home only if their needs are within the range of needs of children for whom it is intended that the home is to provide care and accommodation, as set out in the home’s statement of purpose;

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Requirement Due date

that each child’s relevant plans are followed;

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Requirement Due date

that staff help each child to access and contribute to the records kept by the registered person in relation to the child. (Regulation 14 (1)(a)(b) (2)(a)(c)(f)) 19 August 2022

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Requirement Due date

the privacy of children is appropriately protected;

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Requirement Due date

children can access all appropriate areas of the children’s home’s premises; and

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Requirement Due date

any limitation placed on a child’s privacy or access to any area of the home’s premises—

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Requirement Due date

is intended to safeguard each child accommodated in the home;

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Requirement Due date

is kept under review and, if necessary, revised; and 31 July 2022 Inspection report for children’s home: SC472680 7 allows children as much freedom as is possible when balanced against the need to protect them and keep them safe. (Regulation 21 (a)(b)(c)(i)(ii)(iii)(iv))

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Requirement Due date

The registered person may only use devices for the monitoring or surveillance of children if—

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Requirement Due date

the monitoring or surveillance is for the purpose of safeguarding and promoting the welfare of the child concerned, or other children;

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Requirement Due date

the child’s placing authority consents in writing to the monitoring or surveillance;

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Requirement Due date

so far as reasonably practicable in the light of the child’s age and understanding, the child is informed in advance of the intention to do the monitoring or surveillance; and

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Requirement Due date

the monitoring or surveillance is no more intrusive than necessary, having regard to the child’s need for privacy. (Regulation 24 (1)(a)(b)(c)(d))

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Requirement Due date

This also relates to the need to display clear notices to alert the public to the presence and use of surveillance cameras at the front and rear of the premises. 31 July 2022

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Requirement Due date

within 24 hours of the use of a measure of control, discipline or restraint in relation to a child in the home, a record is made which includes—

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Requirement Due date

the effectiveness and any consequences of the use of the measure; and

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Requirement Due date

within 48 hours of the use of the measure, the registered person, or a person who is authorised by the registered person to do so ("the authorised person")—

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Requirement Due date

has spoken to the user about the measure; and

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Requirement Due date

has signed the record to confirm it is accurate; and

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Requirement Due date

within 5 days of the use of the measure, the registered person or the authorised person adds to the record confirmation that they have spoken to the child about the measure. (Regulation 35 (3)(a)(vii)(b)(i)(ii)(c)) 31 July 2022 Inspection report for children’s home: SC472680 8 In addition, the debrief should not be conducted by a member of staff who was directly involved in the restraint. The registered person must notify HMCI and each other relevant person without delay if—

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Requirement Due date

an incident requiring police involvement occurs in relation to a child which the registered person considers to be serious;

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Requirement Due date

there is any other incident relating to a child which the registered person considers to be serious. (Regulation 40 (4)(b)(e)) 31 July 2022

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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: SC472680 9

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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

Mark Woodbridge, Social Care Inspector Inspection report for children’s home: SC472680 10 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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