Children's home run by New Horizons NW Limited in Sefton

Inspection report for children’s home: SC473475 1 SC473475 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 children’s home is owned by a private company. The home provides care for up to four children with social, emotional and learning difficulties.

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Information about this children’s home

The home was closed for a period for refurbishment and reopened in September 2023. At the time of the inspection, there were four children living at the home.

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Information about this children’s home

The manager has been registered with Ofsted since October 2023.

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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

Overall judgement at last inspection: good

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good

Enforcement action since last inspection: none Inspection report for children’s home: SC473475 2

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Inspection date Inspection type Inspection judgement

26/04/2022 Full Good 13/04/2021 Full Good 04/06/2019 Full Good 24/10/2018 Full Good Inspection report for children’s home: SC473475 3

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Children said that they are happy living at the home and have developed positive relationships with staff. There is clear evidence that children are making progress from their starting points, even in the short time they have been there.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Children’s moves into the home are well planned. The manager ensures that she has all the appropriate information so that staff can meet children’s needs. The manager took swift action to liaise with other professionals when one child displayed behaviours that had not been identified in their initial documentation and that could not be safely managed in the home. The team supported the child to move on positively when it was agreed by professionals that the child needed to move to a more suitable smaller home to ensure that their needs could be met.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Staff recognise and understand the importance of education. Most children are attending full-time education and making progress. The manager is organising a tutor for a child who has recently moved into the home and is working with other professionals to identify an appropriate education placement for the child.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Staff support children with their physical and emotional healthcare. They ensure that children attend routine health appointments, and they work alongside other health professionals to support children’s emotional needs. This ensures that children’s health needs are being met.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Staff support family time for all the children, ensuring that they have good-quality time with people who are important to them. Staff are working with family members to help build positive relationships with their child. This includes supervising time between parents and children when required, to ensure that they have positive time together in the home or the local community.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Staff celebrate children’s achievements. There are certificates and photos displayed around the home. Children receive regular praise, and they have individual incentives that enable them to earn extra pocket money or toys that meet their needs.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Children are engaged in wide variety of activities. Staff promote children’s individual interests and are keen to introduce them to new experiences. One child attends a climbing club and Guides and another child attends Cubs. This is helping children to develop their social skills and supporting their emotional well-being.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Independence is promoted with the children. Staff support children in developing age-appropriate life skills around cooking, domestic tasks, laundry, home safety, finances and health. Staff engage children by providing them with a colourful document to complete when they have achieved a task. This ensures that children are developing appropriate skills for the future. Inspection report for children’s home: SC473475 4

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

Staff have developed trusting relationships with children. Children said that they feel safe. One child said, ‘If I am worried about anything, I would go and speak to any staff member, and they would listen to me.’ There have been no complaints.

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

Staff have a clear understanding of the children’s current risks and there are clear risk plans in place that provide guidance to keep children safe. Children’s plans are kept under review as the staff get to know children. However, the use of bedroom door alarms is not kept under review or amended when there is no longer an identified risk. This unnecessarily limits children’s privacy.

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

When children go missing from home, staff follow clear, comprehensive plans. Staff take appropriate action to search the local area and work together with external professionals such as the police and local child sexual exploitation teams to ensure that children are located and returned to the home safely. Children receive return home interviews from an independent person to give them an opportunity to express their feelings and to identify ongoing support needed to help keep the child safe.

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

Staff support positive behaviour, through regular praise and using appropriate de- escalation techniques. Consequences for negative behaviour, when given, are appropriate and children have an opportunity to discuss with staff ways of managing their emotions in a safer way. There is clear management oversight to ensure that, when a consequence is imposed, it is fair and effective.

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

Staff are calm and caring in their approach, and have a good understanding of children’s past experiences and traumas. Physical intervention is only used to ensure the safety of the child. After an incident of physical intervention, children are supported to look at ways to help them to express their emotions and frustrations more safely. There is good management overview of each incident.

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

Room searches are carried out sensitively and only when there is an identified risk. These are appropriately recorded, including the reason for the search. Children are informed of why a search is necessary.

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

Many areas of the home are welcoming and bright and have age-appropriate toys and games. All health and safety checks have been completed. However, staff have not supported a child who recently moved into the home to personalise their bedroom or to keep it clean and tidy. This does not help the child to develop a sense of belonging in the home.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

The manager is qualified, enthusiastic and child-centred. She shows an ambitious vision and has high expectations for what each child can achieve. She is supported Inspection report for children’s home: SC473475 5 by an experienced management team. Together, they are proactive in ensuring that staff have the opportunity to be involved in the development of the home.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

There is strong management oversight of the day-to-day running of the home. The manager has systems in place to review the quality of care provided. The manager has a good understanding of the home’s strengths and areas that she is looking at developing. However, the independent person’s reports do not routinely reflect that children are being consulted about their care.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

The manager has ensured that there is now a consistent staff team in place. This provides stability for children. Staff are positive about the management team and describe there being a supportive environment.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

Staff have an opportunity to reflect on their practice and identify any development needs through regular supervision sessions. Staff also share their knowledge and experiences through regular team meetings. The manager invites external professionals to these meetings to further develop practice in the home.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

There is a comprehensive training programme available, and all staff have completed all their mandatory training. The manager has ensured that additional training is completed that meets children’s needs. Staff said that they value the training opportunities and that these contribute to their ongoing development and practice.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

New staff have been appropriately recruited and receive a thorough induction that provides them with a detailed programme of training and guidance in their new role. This ensures that children are cared for by staff who can meet their needs. Inspection report for children’s home: SC473475 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 quality and purpose of care standard is that children receive care from staff who—

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Requirement Due date

understand the children’s home’s overall aims and the outcomes it seeks to achieve for children;

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Requirement Due date

use this understanding to deliver care that meets children’s needs and supports them to fulfil their potential.

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Requirement Due date

In particular, the standard in paragraph (1) requires the registered person to—

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Requirement Due date

provide personalised care that meets each child’s needs, as recorded in the child’s relevant plans, taking account of the child’s background;

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Requirement Due date

help each child to understand and manage the impact of any experience of abuse or neglect;

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Requirement Due date

help each child to develop resilience and skills that prepare the child to return home, to live in a new placement or to live independently as an adult;

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Requirement Due date

ensure that the premises used for the purposes of the home are designed and furnished so as to—

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Requirement Due date

enable each child to participate in the daily life of the home. (Regulation 6 (1)(a)(b) (2)(b)(iv)(v)(c)(i)(ii))

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Requirement Due date

In particular, the registered person must ensure that children’s bedrooms are clean, tidy and free from any health and safety hazards. 8 March 2023 Inspection report for children’s home: SC473475 7

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Recommendations

 The registered person should ensure that staff continually and actively assess the risks to each child and the arrangements in place to protect them. They should ensure that risk assessments around the use of bedroom door alarms are kept up to date and reflect the current risk. (‘Guide to the Children’s Homes Regulations, including the quality standards’, page 42, paragraph 9.5)  The registered person should ensure that the independent person they appoint has the skills and understanding necessary to consult with children on a regular basis. (‘Guide to the Children’s Homes Regulations, including the quality standards’, page 65, paragraph 15.8)

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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: SC473475 8

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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: Units 17 & 18 Navigation Business Park, 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

Simon Jones, Social Care Inspector Inspection report for children’s home: SC473475 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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