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

Inspection report for children’s home: 1264538 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 owned and managed by a private organisation. It provides care for up to three children who may have social and emotional difficulties and/or learning disabilities.

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Information about this children’s home

The manager registered with Ofsted in November 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

Date of last inspection: 30 November 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: 1264538 2

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Inspection date Inspection type Inspection judgement

30/11/2021 Full Good 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 make considerable progress in relation to their individual starting points. They benefit from well planned, highly individualised care that meets their needs effectively and contributes to change and improvement in their lives. A social worker said: ‘[Name of child] has made massive improvements since she came to live at the home, and she calls it her home.’

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Children enjoy warm relationships with staff and sustain their positive attachments with the caring adults who look after them. Staff provide children with continuity of care to promote consistency and stability in their lives. As a result, children develop a sense of permanence and belonging. A child said, ‘I’m good and I’m happy.’ A social worker said: ‘Excellent level of care. [Name of child] has told me on numerous occasions that she likes living there.’

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

There are effective arrangements to meet the specific health needs of the children. Medical consent is obtained to ensure that staff are familiar with the types of health decisions and responsibilities that are delegated to them. Children’s medication is safely stored and administered by staff.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Children are registered with the health services they need to be healthy and staff support children to attend their routine health appointments. Children with additional needs have access to specialist services, such as dietitians, therapy and speech and language therapy. Staff work closely with health professionals to ensure that the children’s specific health needs are met effectively.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Children attend school on a regular basis, with support and encouragement from staff. Staff work in partnership with the providers of children’s education to promote their learning and educational achievements.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Children benefit from a wide range of enjoyable activities. They enjoy camping, youth clubs, visiting different towns and cities and going on holiday with staff. One child told the inspector that their favourite activities were trampolining and going to the space centre. A social worker said, ‘My child is always doing something, and she is always out and about with staff.’

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

Children are kept safe and feel safe living at the home. Staff consistently prioritise the safety of children. They have a good understanding of children’s emerging vulnerabilities. Staff take appropriate action to protect children and keep them safe from harm.

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

Children’s risk plans are regularly reviewed and are kept up to date by staff. However, a specific risk management plan for managing suspected overdose or Inspection report for children’s home: 1264538 4 intoxication did not provide clear guidance for staff about when they should consult the emergency services. This was updated during this inspection.

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

Children are protected if they are absent or go missing from the home. Staff maintain highly effective partnerships with the police and children’s placing authority, to ensure that there is a well-coordinated response to promote the safety and well-being of children. Staff proactively look for children if they are missing and go above and beyond to secure their safe return.

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

The frequency of children’s missing-from-care episodes has reduced. One child has not gone missing for over a month. Their social worker reported, ‘There are firm plans in place to address her missing-from-home episodes.’

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

There have been no issues with offending, anti-social behaviour or child exploitation. Staff are trained in child protection and know how to respond to safeguarding concerns effectively. There have been no complaints or allegations since the last inspection.

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

The use of consequences for negative behaviours is kept to an absolute minimum. When they are used for managing unacceptable behaviour, they are fair and proportionate. The use of restraint is minimal and when restraint has been used it is always as a last resort, to protect children from harm.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: outstanding

Recruitment practices are rigorous and robust. This ensures that staff employed to work with children are selected and vetted carefully to protect children from people who could pose a risk to their safety.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: outstanding

The home employs an experienced registered manager who demonstrates strong and effective leadership of the day-to-day operations of the home. Leaders and managers are inspirational and are highly supportive of staff’s practice. They are highly respected by staff and other professionals. They create a culture of positivity that brings out the best in the staff team. A social worker reported, ‘The home always listens and engages with professionals and the manager has been an example of how all managers should be.’

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: outstanding

Leaders and managers lead by example and they channel staff’s efforts effectively. They provide staff with a clear sense of purpose and direction. There is a shared mission that they do not give up on children easily. Staff have demonstrated great resilience in reducing and managing a specific child’s missing-from-home incidents to keep the child safe from harm. A social worker said, ‘Staff go above and beyond and ensure that [name of child] hears the message that she is cared for, respected and wanted.’

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: outstanding

The registered manager ensures that the training needs of staff are identified and met effectively. Staff benefit from high-quality training that enables them to meet the specific needs of the children. The registered manager holds regular in-depth Inspection report for children’s home: 1264538 5 team meetings and ensures that staff benefit from appraisal and regular practice- related supervision that promotes good practice.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: outstanding

Staff meet the aims and objectives set out in the home’s statement of purpose. They aspire to make a real difference to the lives of children. Staff maintain highly effective partnerships with children’s social workers, schools and all other relevant professionals, to promote positive outcomes for all children.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: outstanding

The performance of the home is scrutinised effectively. The home is visited on a regular basis by an independent professional who reviews the quality and standards of the children’s care. These visits help the manager to understand the strengths and weaknesses of the home.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: outstanding

The manager makes effective use of the home’s internal and external monitoring activities to tackle any identified shortfalls, to secure the home’s continuing improvement.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: outstanding

The manager produces a detailed and evaluative report, the quality of care review, that reviews the progress and experiences of children. The report includes detailed and consistently positive feedback from a variety of external professionals. However, the report could be strengthened with further inclusion of the views and feelings of children. 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, 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 staff assess whether each child is at risk of harm, taking into account information in the child’s relevant plans, and, if necessary, make arrangements to reduce the risk of any harm to the child;

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Requirement Due date

help each child to understand how to keep safe;

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Requirement Due date

understand the roles and responsibilities in relation to protecting children that are assigned to them by the registered person;

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Requirement Due date

take effective action whenever there is a serious concern about a child’s welfare. (Regulation 12 (1)(a) (2)(a)(i)(ii)(v)(vi))

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Requirement Due date

In particular, ensure that risk assessments for substance misuse, intoxication and overdose include information for staff as to when they should consult with the emergency health services. 28 April 2023

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Recommendation

 The registered person should ensure that the home’s six-monthly quality of care review clearly includes the views of children. (‘Guide to the Children’s Homes Regulations, including the quality standards’, page 65, paragraph 15.2) Inspection report for children’s home: 1264538 7

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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) Ltd

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Children’s home details

Registered provider address: Unit 12, Riversway Business Village, Navigation Way, Preston, Lancashire PR2 2YP

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Children’s home details

Responsible individual: Natalie Waterhouse

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Inspector

Anthony Kyem, 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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