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

Inspection report for the children's home: 2509269 1 Registered provider: New Horizons (NW) Limited

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Full inspection Inspected under the social care common inspection framework

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Information about this children's home

The home is owned by a private provider. It provides care for 3 children who may have social and/or emotional needs.

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Information about this children's home

The manager registered with Ofsted on 15 April 2024. She has dual registration with another home owned by the provider.

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Information about this children's home

There were 2 children living in the home at the time of the inspection. One child spoke to the inspector about their experience of living at the home.

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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

Date of last inspection: 17 September 2025

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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 the children's home: 2509269 2

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Inspection date Inspection type Inspection judgement

17/09/2025 Full Good 21/08/2024 Full Good 01/11/2023 Full Good 11/10/2022 Full Good Inspection report for the children's home: 2509269 3

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Summary of findings

Both children have lived at the home for several years. They feel safe and settled and have formed positive relationships with the staff caring for them.

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Summary of findings

Risks relating to children's mental health can fluctuate. Managers and staff work collaboratively with the relevant services to ensure that children are safe and have the support they need.

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Summary of findings

Managers ensure that their oversight is consistent and effective and that staff practice continuously reflects the changing needs of the children.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

The children have lived at the home for nearly 3 years. They have established a strong sense of belonging and connection to the home and people caring for them. One child said that they would score the home, '8 out of 10, because the staff respect your space'.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Both children attend full-time education. School professionals praise the positive communication links that managers and staff have made with them. One head teacher said this has enabled the child to 'thrive' at their school. Another child has firm ambitions to progress to college, then establish their own business. Children enjoy learning and build confidence in their skills.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Staff carefully consider the benefits of the experiences children have outside of the home. Children enjoy activities enriched by nature which support their emotional wellbeing, such as camping and fishing. This provides them with a safe space to reflect and talk with a safe adult about their worries.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Generally, the home is well maintained, and the children have individualised their bedrooms to their preferences. The registered manager acknowledges that there are areas that require attention and this has been scheduled. This includes replacing the downstairs kitchen and flooring, redecoration of the downstairs dining area and new furniture in others of the home.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

One child's bedroom alarm was active during the day, despite the child's risk plans stating it should be turned off. This unnecessary monitoring of the child's movements infringes upon their privacy.

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

Children collaborate with staff when creating their individual plans to manage risks. Staff have insight into the children's thoughts and feelings so that their strategies always Inspection report for the children's home: 2509269 4 reflect the children's changing needs. Children also benefit from developing an understanding of their vulnerabilities and how they can keep themselves safe.

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

Staff understand how children's previous experiences can limit their trust in adults. Staff focus on building children's trust by using consistently calm responses, particularly when children are distressed. Children now see them as a source of support when they are upset or need to talk about their emotions.

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

Managers and staff work effectively with partner agencies to reduce risks for children. One child has struggled to trust police officers and recognise them as people who can help keep them safe. To address this, managers and staff have arranged for the local police community support officer to visit the home regularly. As a result, the child has begun to develop a positive and trusting relationship with them, increasing their willingness to seek their support when then need.

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

There has been an increase in missing-from-home incidents for one child. When incidents occur, staff respond by persistently searching for them, ensuring that they return home safely. The child speaks openly with staff about the reasons why they went missing from home. Staff listen without judgement and help them to identify strategies to reduce the number of incidents.

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

Managers review staff training regularly and ensure it is up to date and tailored to children's individual vulnerabilities. However, following an incident where a child was arrested, a member of staff acted as an appropriate adult without having the required training. Although this did not prevent the child from receiving appropriate support, managers did not identify this as an emerging training need. This is a missed opportunity to ensure that staff have the necessary skills to undertake the role, should a situation occur in the future.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

The registered manager is held in high regard by social workers and education professionals. Staff say they feel supported by the registered manager and deputy manager who have a consistent presence in the home, overseeing and developing staff practice.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

Leaders and managers have a comprehensive understanding of children's needs and anticipate future care and support that they may require. They have identified that one child will require specific support both before and after reaching the age at which they can live independently. Leaders and managers advocate for the child, ensuring that their needs are thoroughly assessed and their vulnerabilities understood. This has ensured that there is a timely and coordinated plan across services involved in the child's care as they move towards independence.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

Leaders and managers provide staff with opportunities to reflect on their practice. Supervisions and team meetings are well structured and encourage staff to share new Inspection report for the children's home: 2509269 5 ideas. Children are cared for in an environment that places their needs front and centre of staff practice.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

Managers evaluate incidents effectively to identify areas for development and improvement in practice. However, they do not routinely record the details of discussions held with staff while they are on call. This is a missed opportunity to maintain a clear record of the decisions made and guidance provided to staff during incidents. This ensures that the effectiveness of this support can be reviewed and evaluated. Inspection report for the children's home: 2509269 6

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Recommendations

 The registered person should ensure that children live in a warm and welcoming environment and the impact of safeguarding measure be kept to a minimum. This specifically relates to the use of door alarms on children's bedrooms only being active when necessary and in line with children's plans. ('Guide to The Children's Homes Regulations, including the quality standards', page 15, paragraph 3.9)  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 ensuring that managers 'on call' record any conversations and guidance provided to staff as well as the rationale for any decisions made when incidents occur. ('Guide to The Children's Homes Regulations, including quality standards', page 62, paragraph 14.4)  The registered person should ensure that all staff have access to training that is

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Recommendations

specifically related to children's risks and needs. This includes ensuring that staff are provided with appropriate adult training when required. ('Guide to The Children's Homes Regulations, including the quality standards', page 53, paragraph 10.1)

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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 the children's home: 2509269 7

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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: New Horizons (NW) Limited, Unit 17-18, Navigation Business Village, Navigation Way, Ashton-on-Ribble, Preston PR2 2YP

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Inspector

Sarah Gilbert, Social Care Regulatory Inspector Inspection report for the children's home: 2509269 8 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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