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

Inspection report for children’s home: 2591888 1 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

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. The manager registered with Ofsted in October 2022.

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Overall experiences and progress of

children and young people, taking into account

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requires improvement to be good

How well children and young people are helped and protected requires improvement to be good

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requires improvement to be good

The effectiveness of leaders and managers requires improvement to be good

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requires improvement to be good

The children’s home is not yet delivering good help and care for children and young people. However, there are no serious or widespread failures that result in their welfare not being safeguarded or promoted.

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requires improvement to be good

Overall judgement at last inspection: requires improvement to be good

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Enforcement action since last inspection:

This home was judged as requires improvement to be good at the full inspection on 25 May 2022. The home was judged to have serious failures at the assurance inspection on 5 January 2023. Following that inspection, Ofsted issued two compliance notices under regulation 20, the restraint and deprivation of liberty standard, and regulation 13, the leadership and management standard.

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Enforcement action since last inspection:

At a monitoring visit on 14 February 2023, it was determined that that the provider had not made sufficient progress to meet the steps of the compliance notices and Inspection report for children’s home: 2591888 2 further compliance notices were issued again under regulation 20 and regulation 13. These compliance notices were reviewed at this full inspection and have been met. Inspection report for children’s home: 2591888 3

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Inspection date Inspection type Inspection judgement

25/05/2022 Full Requires improvement to be good 16/11/2021 Full Requires improvement to be good 24/08/2021 Full Inadequate Inspection report for children’s home: 2591888 4

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improvement to be good

There are two children currently living at the home. They enjoy living at the home and the staff team works hard to understand children’s individual needs, which helps to build positive relationships.

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improvement to be good

One child has recently moved out of the home after a difficult period where they would not come out of their bedroom. However, the manager and staff team worked hard with the child and other professionals to try to engage the child and ensure their well-being while an alternative was found.

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improvement to be good

Children, including those who cannot communicate verbally, are supported to actively participate in day-to-day decisions about their lives. The team are trained in communication methods, and work closely with schools to ensure consistency. However, communication tools are not always taken out on activities or used effectively to support the children’s ability to communicate and understand when out of the home.

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improvement to be good

Children are in good health and the staff ensure that the children have the services they need to maintain this. However, one child is not encouraged to wear their prescribed glasses and not all staff knew when the child needed to wear them. This could impact the child’s eyesight in the future.

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improvement to be good

Children have full attendance at school and they are achieving in line with their peers. Education plans clearly show the progress and the support required. The staff celebrate children’s achievements with them and keep records of these memories for their future.

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improvement to be good

Children enjoy a range of social, educational and recreational opportunities, including activities in the local community. The staff think creatively about how they can make community activities accessible and enjoyable for the children.

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improvement to be good

The children’s plans identify their individual communication, health and sensory needs. The staff work as part of a multi-agency team, which includes speech and language and occupational therapists to develop these plans and to support children to meet their specific targets.

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improvement to be good

Children’s time with family is supported where this is part of their plan, and families have visited the home for special occasions. This means that children can continue to have positive relationships with their families.

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improvement to be good

Inspection report for children’s home: 2591888 5 Although there have been improvements with regards to the staff’s knowledge around safeguarding children, there is a need for ongoing work around the management of allegations. There have been two allegations made by a child since the last full inspection. Although these were shared with the relevant professionals, they have not been managed in line with the organisation’s policy, and the manager has not identified gaps in the staff team’s knowledge.

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improvement to be good

Risk management plans are individualised and regularly updated. However, they do not include all known risks for children. This means that staff do not always have the information needed to minimise the risks to children when they arise.

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improvement to be good

Restraints are rare and, when they have been used, they have been necessary and proportionate. The manager has ensured that staff have the appropriate level of training to carry out restraints. This ensures that staff understand when they can use restraint and how to do so safely. Children are offered medical attention and debriefs after restraints. This ensures that children are supported to repair relationships and understand their emotions following incidents.

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improvement to be good

Safer recruitment processes are followed. This means that the staff employed to work with the children are suitable to do so.

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good

The manager has been registered since October 2022. The manager is suitably experienced and qualified. Actions taken to meet the compliance notices issued in February 2023 were reviewed at this visit and agreed to be met, with some ongoing work required to ensure that the learning is fully embedded. A requirement has been made to reflect the remaining shortfalls.

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good

The manager provides training opportunities for the staff to help them to support the children. He has devised a training package alongside the organisation’s speech and language therapist, and uses the strengths of individuals to develop the whole team.

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good

The manager has a good oversight of the children’s progress and is enthusiastic about the future development of the children and the staff team. However, he does not use the quality of care review to evaluate this progress or seek stakeholders’ views. This is a missed opportunity to measure progress and look at ways that he can continually develop.

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good

Staff say that they feel supported and receive regular and effective supervision. Team meetings are held regularly and are child focused. The records of the meeting are detailed with clear actions. However, the manager has not taken effective action to ensure that allegation processes have been followed. Inspection report for children’s home: 2591888 6 The manager advocates well for children and is confident in escalating his concerns and challenging other professionals where he feels it is in the best interest of the children to do so. Inspection report for children’s home: 2591888 7

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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

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

have the skills to identify and act upon signs that a child is at risk of harm;

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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; and

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Requirement Due date

are familiar with, and act in accordance with, the home’s child protection policies. (Regulation 12 (1) (2)(a)(i)(iii)(v)(vi)(vii))

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Requirement Due date

This relates specifically to staff understanding the process to follow on receipt of an allegation from a child.

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Requirement Due date

This also relates to an allegation risk management plan being in place for children so that staff have clear guidelines to follow, including the recording and reporting of an allegation.

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Requirement Due date

Ensure that all staff follow the home’s child protection policy when handling allegations. 22 May 2023

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Requirement Due date

The health and well-being standard is that— 22 May 2023 Inspection report for children’s home: 2591888 8 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. (Regulation 10 (1)(a) (2)(a)(i)(ii))

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Requirement Due date

This relates specifically to children being encouraged and supported to wear prescribed glasses, and that staff understand when these need to be worn.

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Requirement Due date

The children’s views, wishes and feelings standard is that children receive care from staff who—

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Requirement Due date

develop positive relationships with them;

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Requirement Due date

take their views, wishes and feelings into account in relation to matters affecting the children’s care and welfare and their lives. In particular, the standard in paragraph (1) requires the registered person to—

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Requirement Due date

help each child to express views, wishes and feelings. (Regulation 7 (1)(a)(b)(c) (2)(a)(ii))

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Requirement Due date

This relates specifically to communication resources being more accessible to children, and that resources for communication are taken out of the home to support the child in the community. 22 May 2023 Inspection report for children’s home: 2591888 9 This also relates to information on communication boards being correct at all times so that the information is meaningful to the children.

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Requirement Due date

The registered person must complete a review of the quality of care provided for children (“a quality of care review”) at least once every 6 months.

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Requirement Due date

In order to complete a quality of care review the registered person must establish and maintain a system for monitoring, reviewing and evaluating—

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Requirement Due date

the quality of care provided for children;

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Requirement Due date

the feedback and opinions of children about the children’s home, its facilities and the quality of care they receive in it; and any actions that the registered person considers necessary in order to improve or maintain the quality of care provided for children. (Regulation 45 (1) (2)(a)(b)(c)) 22 May 2023

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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: 2591888 10

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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: 154-156 Buxton Road High Lane, Stockport, Cheshire SK6 8EA

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Inspectors

Kerri Lynch-Mahoney, Social Care Inspector Jennifer Quest, Social Care Inspector Inspection report for children’s home: 2591888 11 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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Inspectors

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Inspectors

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Inspectors

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