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

Inspection report for children’s home - monitoring visit: SC472680 1 SC472680 Registered provider: New Horizons (Stockport) Limited

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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. There were four children living in the home at the time of the inspection.

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Information about this children’s home

The manager registered with Ofsted in 2018.

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This monitoring visit

This home was judged inadequate at the full inspection on 9 October 2024. This visit took place to review the progress the provider had made following compliance notices being issued in regulation 12, the protection of children standard, regulation 13, the leadership and management standard, and regulation 20, the restraint and restriction of liberty standard.

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This monitoring visit

When children self-injure, staff now ensure that they obtain medical advice to ensure the child’s well-being. However, not all injuries caused by accidents have been recorded. This makes it difficult to assess the details of the injury and how the child is healing.

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This monitoring visit

Since the full inspection, there has been no use of restraint, and the organisation’s behaviour support policy and training have been reviewed and updated. Additionally, all staff have attended relevant training. They say this has improved their confidence when supporting children in crisis and provided them with skills to de-escalate situations.

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This monitoring visit

Although there have not been any allegations made by children since the full inspection, the manager has taken action to update the local authority designated officer on previously unreported allegations. The staff now have clear guidelines to follow should an allegation be made. Inspection report for children’s home - monitoring visit: SC472680 2 There has been one incident of a child leaving the home and not returning on time. There have been improvements to how the staff respond to risk, and they have followed robust plans to ensure the child’s safety. The staff have also attended training to further develop their skills and knowledge in this area.

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This monitoring visit

Disclosures are well managed and appropriate safeguards are put in place. Additionally, the manager has worked with the placing authorities to ensure that investigation outcomes are shared in a sensitive and consistent manner.

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This monitoring visit

The staff have had continuous support from the manager and senior managers in the company. The manager’s recorded oversight of children’s experiences is now clear and evaluative.

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This monitoring visit

The manager and staff team have been transparent and reflective since the last inspection. This approach has been pivotal in them addressing the shortfalls.

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This monitoring visit

The compliance notices issued under regulation 12, the protection of children standard, regulation 13, the leadership and management standard, and regulation 20, the restraint and deprivation of liberty standard, have been met. Other requirements made at the previous inspection will be reviewed at the next inspection. Inspection report for children’s home - monitoring visit: SC472680 3

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Inspection date Inspection type Inspection judgement

09/10/2024 Full Inadequate 14/06/2023 Full Good 05/07/2022 Full Good 14/12/2021 Full Good Inspection report for children’s home - monitoring visit: SC472680 4

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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 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

ensure the effective induction of each child into the home;

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Requirement Due date

manage and review the placement of each child in the home;

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Requirement Due date

and that each child’s relevant plans are followed. (Regulation 14 (1)(a)(b) (2)(a)(b)(i)(ii)(c))

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Requirement Due date

This relates specifically to the registered manager ensuring that they request all relevant information from placing authorities to support decision-making in respect of whether they can meet the child’s needs, so they can prevent any unnecessary moves for children.

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Requirement Due date

This requirement was not reviewed and is restated. 28 December 2024

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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 28 December 2024 Inspection report for children’s home - monitoring visit: SC472680 5 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

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Requirement Due date

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

This relates specifically to the registered person ensuring that all children have a key to their bedroom, and that privacy screens are repaired.

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Requirement Due date

This requirement was not reviewed and is restated.

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Requirement Due date

In meeting the quality standards, the registered person must, and must ensure that staff—

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Requirement Due date

seek to involve each child’s placing authority effectively in the child’s care, in accordance with the child’s relevant plans;

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Requirement Due date

seek to secure the input and services required to meet each child’s needs;

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Requirement Due date

if the registered person considers, or staff consider, a placing authority’s or a relevant person’s performance or response to be inadequate in relation to their role, challenge the placing authority or the relevant person to seek to ensure that each child’s needs are met in accordance with the child’s relevant plans; and

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Requirement Due date

seek to develop and maintain effective professional relationships with such persons, bodies or organisations as the registered person considers appropriate having regard to the range of needs of children for whom it is intended that the children’s home is to provide care and accommodation. (Regulation 5 (a)(b)(c)(d))

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Requirement Due date

This relates specifically to the registered person ensuring that return home interviews are completed by the placing authority when a child has been missing. 28 December 2024 Inspection report for children’s home - monitoring visit: SC472680 6 This requirement was not reviewed and is restated.

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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").

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Requirement Due date

supply to HMCI a copy of the quality of care review report within 28 days of the date on which the quality of care review is completed. (Regulation 45 (1) (2)(a)(b)(c) (3) (4)(a))

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Requirement Due date

This relates specifically to the registered person ensuring that the quality of care report is completed and that HMCI receives a copy of this within required timescales.

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Requirement Due date

This requirement was not reviewed and is restated. 28 December 2024

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Requirement Due date

The registered person must ensure that an independent person visits the children’s home at least once each month.

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Requirement Due date

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 28 December 2024 Inspection report for children’s home - monitoring visit: SC472680 7 the independent person requires. (Regulation 44 (1) (2)(a))

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Requirement Due date

This relates specifically to the registered person ensuring that the independent person is supported to gather feedback from parents and professionals.

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Requirement Due date

This requirement was not reviewed and is restated.

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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)(b)(i)(ii)(c))

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Requirement Due date

This relates specifically to the registered person ensuring that the evaluation of restraint used is completed by an appropriate person.

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Requirement Due date

This also relates specifically to the registered person ensuring that children are consulted on room searches and their views are obtained in respect of consequences.

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Requirement Due date

This requirement was not reviewed and is restated. 28 December 2024

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Recommendation

 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. This includes the recording of any injuries caused to a child by way of accident. (‘Guide to the Children’s Homes Regulations, including the quality standards’, page 62, paragraph 14.4)

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Information about this inspection

Inspection report for children’s home - monitoring visit: SC472680 8 The purpose of this visit was to monitor the action taken and the progress made by the children’s home since its last Ofsted inspection.

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Information about this inspection

This inspection was carried out under the Care Standards Act 2000. Inspection report for children’s home - monitoring visit: 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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Inspector

Kerri Lynch, Social Care Inspector Inspection report for children’s home - monitoring visit: 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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