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 children’s home is operated by a private organisation. The home provides care for up to five children who may experience social and emotional difficulties.

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Information about this children’s home

There were five children living in the home at the time of the inspection. 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 requires improvement to be good

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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: 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

05/07/2022 Full Good 14/12/2021 Full Good 11/03/2020 Interim Sustained effectiveness 17/07/2019 Full Good Inspection report for children’s home: SC472680 3

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Children are cared for by an enthusiastic and inspiring team. The children engage with staff who help them understand their life circumstances and care experience. Because of this, children form strong relationships and secure bonds with the staff team.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Overall, children enjoy attending school. Since living in this home, attendance and attainment have improved. Children who are taking GCSE exams are provided with additional support to aid them in meeting their educational goals. Likewise, children who struggle in an education setting are provided with personalised tuition as part of their reintegration back into school. However, the personal education plan for one child is not up to date and does not include the current support being provided.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Children are supported to maintain relationships with the important people in their lives. Family time is well managed to ensure that children enjoy quality time with their parents and siblings.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Regular children’s meetings ensure that children’s views, wishes and feelings are listened to. Each child is provided with a letter detailing the decisions made regarding their individual requests.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Consultation with children takes place naturally. During the inspection, children moved to the dining area to sit and talk with staff while food was being prepared. Children were observed as being happy, relaxed and comfortable.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Children regularly engage in support sessions with their allocated key worker. The discussions provide children with a range of tools to help build positive mental health, safety and independence. In addition, children are helped to use smartphone apps that focus on positive mental health and good decision-making.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Overall, children’s health is well managed. Children attend routine appointments and referrals to external agencies are made to support specific health matters. Children are provided with a variety of healthy and nutritious food and are routinely encouraged to participate in community-based activities.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Children enjoy activities with staff, such as rugby and basketball, fishing and long country walks. Furthermore, children make friends in school and in the community. Time with friends is suitably monitored to ensure children’s safety while away from the home.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

The children’s guide has been updated to reflect the age of the majority of children living in the home. However, the guide does not take account of children who are younger or who may struggle with reading. Inspection report for children’s home: SC472680 4

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

Staff prioritise the safety and protection of children. When concerns arise, staff are clear on their roles and responsibilities in protecting children.

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

Overall, individual assessments identify potential risks for children and provide strategies to manage and reduce risks. Children are provided with opportunities to review their risks and identify areas where they feel risks have reduced or where they require further support.

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

Behaviour management methods are designed to offer natural consequences. This means that, overall, consequences are reflective of the child’s behaviour and are restorative. Likewise, incentive programmes help children focus on specific areas, such as school or settling at bedtime. The scheme works well. Children were seen checking their scores as they work towards a chosen item.

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

There are occasions when a child is reported as missing from home. Staff understand the procedures in relation to children who may go missing from home and these are implemented quickly and effectively. Staff work with the children to understand the reasons behind an episode of going missing from home. As a result, episodes of children being missing are reduced.

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

Staff are trained in de-escalation strategies and physical intervention. Sometimes children are held to keep them safe. Records provide details of the incident, debriefs with the child and a follow-up key-work session. A staff member said, ‘We rarely need to hold a child but, if we do, we always do it in a caring way.’

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

Door alarms are fitted to all children’s bedrooms. The alarms are used to monitor children’s movements during the night, specifically when there is an identified risk. However, this restrictive measure is used for children who do not have an identified risk. Therefore, this is an unnecessary restriction placed on children.

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good

The registered manager and staff have a good understanding of the children living in the home. They work closely with placing authorities and community services to provide the help and care children require.

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good

Staff receive regular supervision and practice-based training. The majority of staff are qualified at level 3 and some are qualified at level 4 or 5. This level of training helps to enable staff to work effectively with the children.

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good

Staff are enthusiastic and happy. Children warm to their approach and feel safe and happy in the home. One child said, ‘It isn’t what I expected. I love it here. I think all the staff are sound and really helpful. I wouldn’t change anything.’ Inspection report for children’s home: SC472680 5 The independent person’s report lacks significant detail. Therefore, reports do not form the basis of the manager’s improvement and development plans. Furthermore, reports lack consultation with children and stakeholders. This feedback is crucial to the assessment of care provided.

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good

The manager’s six-monthly review of the quality of care lacks detail and overall analysis. This means readers are not provided with a review of the care provided or how this has led to improved outcomes for children.

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good

Records detailing the work carried out with children and the progress they make are not written in a way that is helpful for the child. These records reflect the child’s life and should be written in a way the child understands and can relate to.

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good

There are occasions when the manager has not reported incidents to the regulatory body. This has reduced the oversight of the regulator. 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 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. (Regulation 24 (1)(a)) 21 July 2023

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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 any [other] incident relating to a child which the registered person considers to be serious. (Regulation 40 (4)(e)) 21 July 2023

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Requirement Due date

The registered person must ensure that when the independent person is carrying out a visit, the registered person must help the independent person—

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Requirement Due date

if they consent, to interview in private such of the children, their parents, relatives and persons working at the home as the independent person requires; and

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Requirement Due date

to inspect the premises of the home and such of the home’s records (except for a child’s case records, unless the child and the child’s placing authority consent) as the independent person requires.

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Requirement Due date

A visit by the independent person to the home may be unannounced.

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Requirement Due date

The independent person must produce a report about a visit ("the independent person’s report") which sets out, in particular, the independent person’s opinion as to whether—

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Requirement Due date

children are effectively safeguarded; and the conduct of the home promotes children’s well-being. 21 July 2023 Inspection report for children’s home: SC472680 7 The independent person’s report may recommend actions that the registered person may take in relation to the home and timescales within which the registered person must consider whether or not to take those actions. (Regulation 44 (2)(a)(b) (4)(a)(b) (5))

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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

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Requirement Due date

any actions that the registered person considers necessary in order to improve or maintain the quality of care provided for children.

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Requirement Due date

After completing a quality of care review, the registered person must produce a written report about the quality of care review and the actions which the registered person intends to take as a result of the quality of care review ("the quality of care review report"). (Regulation 45 (1) (2)(a)(b)(c) (3)) 21 July 2023

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Recommendations

 The registered person should escalate concerns when a local authority has failed to produce up-to-date plans for children in a reasonable timescale. (‘Guide to the Children’s Homes Regulations, including the quality standards’, page 11, paragraph 2.3)  The registered person should ensure that staff are familiar with the home’s policies on record-keeping and understand the importance of careful, objective and clear recording. Staff should record information on individual children in a non-stigmatising way that distinguishes between fact, opinion and third-party information. Information about the child must always 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) Inspection report for children’s home: SC472680 8  The registered person should ensure that the children’s guide is reflective of the

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Recommendations

age and understanding of all children living in the home. (‘Guide to the Children’s Homes Regulations, including the quality standards’, page 24, paragraph 4.21)

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

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Inspectors

Maria McGranaghan, Social Care Inspector Kerri Lynch, 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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Inspectors

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Inspectors

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Inspectors

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