Our staff team has vast experience in caring for, safeguarding and creating Positive Outcomes for the children and young people living in our residential care homes. We provide a highly trained, skilled staff team that has the knowledge and dedication to work with children and young people from the most severe backgrounds, to help them create their own best possible outcomes and achieve their dreams.
Senior Management Team
Natalie Waterhouse
DIRECTOR / RESPONSIBLE INDIVIDUAL
Natalie is a knowledgeable professional, holding 13 years of industry experience. She started her career working with children with emotional and behavioural difficulties in the residential setting, progressing over time to opening a new home as the registered manager. Natalie has spent the last 9 years as senior manager supporting managers to provide homes which deliver the best possible care and outcome opportunities to young people. Alongside this, holding a development role, identifying, and opening new services which she continues to do within her role at New Horizons.
Natalie is a supportive leader to employees working within the company and takes great pleasure in being part of their future development, seeing staff map out their career goals and achieve their full potential. She creates a culture of high aspiration and positivity and instills high expectations of all teams to change and improve the lives of the children they are responsible for.
Natalie is particularly passionate of the high-quality care and support to be provided to our young people and believes that our young people deserve the very best. She shows a determined attitude, which added to her solution focused leadership style creates an environment which promotes confidence and ambition for our young people and their futures.
Natalie has her L5 in leadership and management.
Tracy Sucksmith
DIRECTOR & BUSINESS DEVELOPMENT
Tracy offers expertise as Referrals Manager, and in her capacity as Business Development Manager, dealing with local authorities and their commissioning teams.
Maximising business relations with quality and value to the care provided by New Horizons (NW) Ltd, she also facilitates and negotiates tenders with the local authorities, forging excellent relationships with local authority commissioning teams.
Tracy headed up the successful application for admittance to the Tier One Lancashire Framework. She has also developed excellent relationships with our neighbouring authorities being a preferred provide for Sefton and Placements Northwest.
To support the growth of business recruitment, Tracy oversees our on-line presence, developing our website and social media platforms. This enables the business to recognise excellence within our organisation, not only for our young people, but for both internal and potential employees.
In Tracy’s spare time, she enjoys travelling, seeing friends, and going on walks with her dog Dennis, who is also part of the New Horizons (NW) Team.
Management Team
Ami Ashworth
SENIOR AREA MANAGER
Ami was a registered manager for 4 years who she led her team to achieve 3 “Outstanding in all areas” for 3 consecutive years and has over 12 years of working with children in a residential setting.
Ami has a huge passion for progression for the young people we support, to give them new experiences and the chance to live in a home that has a home from home ethos.
Every child is worth 100% dedication from the staff team to help our children to move onto a very successful future. Ami enjoys coaching and mentoring the staff teams we have in place and also is very dedicated in investing in the teams, so they also have the chance to develop within the company.
Reece McClintock
AREA MANAGER
As a crisis manager, Reece turned around homes rated “Requires Improvement” or “Inadequate”, achieving Good or above ratings in subsequent inspections. He then opened a new service for his previous employer, retaining all staff and earning a Good rating in all areas during their inspection.
Before joining New Horizons, Reece managed two five-bedded services and later advanced to Area Manager. He also served as a governor of a residential school, overseeing behaviour and pupil engagement, contributing to an Outstanding rating from Ofsted. Additionally, Reece is a qualified Team Teach instructor with three years of experience.
Reece’s commitment to excellence and comprehensive experience make him a valuable asset to the New Horizons team.
Nia Jones
AREA MANAGER
As a highly motivated and passionate professional, Nia provides person-centred care. She has experience with ASD, emotional and behavioural difficulties, trauma, mental health, and learning and physical disabilities, working with some of the highest-risk and most vulnerable children and young people.
Nia thoroughly enjoys her role as a manager in a children’s residential setting, finding great job satisfaction in achieving fantastic outcomes and empowering young people in all aspects of their lives.
Rachael Crook
AREA MANAGER
She has also served as an Independent Reviewing Officer for children looked after and those in need of protection. Before joining us, Rachael worked as a Social Care Regulatory Inspector at Ofsted, ensuring children’s homes were safe and compliant.
Rachael is highly motivated and passionate about achieving the best possible outcomes for the children we support.
Hayley Thistlethwaite
OFFICE MANAGER
In 2016 she was given the opportunity to work as the office manager for an expanding residential care and education provider who specialise in supporting children with emotional and behavioural difficulties, as well as autism and learning disabilities. Hayley supported in all areas covering from business development, HR to training and health & safety etc.
Hayley has qualifications in health and social care, leadership in management and Health & safety. What Hayley loves about her job is supporting and progressing our staff to deliver quality care and support for our young people. Hayley says, “It’s always brilliant to employ a residential support worker and see them progress and get promoted”.
Louise Ryan
FINANCIAL CONTROLLER
Louise has a wealth of business knowledge including extensive financial experience having held senior managerial roles across all aspects of the finance sector for over 35 years.
Louise will be responsible for the finance and accounting functions at New Horizons (NW) and be an integral part of the strategic outlook of the company.
Louise enjoys spending time with her family and friends especially when it involves eating out, holidays or even simple walks in the local countryside with her Bedlington Terrier Milly.
Office Support
Gina Watts
FINANCE SUPPORT
Gina says: “in my role I provide support to the financial controller in all aspects of accounting, for the homes. It’s a varied role day to day, which I enjoy and have a good rapport with all the management and directors. I’m looking forward to the future and the expansion of New Horizons.”
Gina enjoys time with her family, holidays (keen campers) and walking their dogs on the beach.
Victoria Lucas
RECEPTIONIST
In her role as a Receptionist, she provides support to The Ofiice Manager, it is a varied role, and every day is different, which she enjoys very much, and looks forward to being part of New Horizons expansion.
Victoria enjoys spending quality time with her family and friends, and also holidaying twice a year at her favourite destination of Barbados where she visits family.
Dennis Sucksmith
OFFICE DOG
I like to make the humans feel comfortable when they come to our head office, especially when they are here for an interview, as I think it makes them feel more relaxed and shows we are a friendly team to work for.
The best part of my job is when I see the children and young people we care for in our lovely homes, they are lovely to me and I bring a little smile to their faces.
Being a Pomeranian, my human parent does make me go and get my long hair trimmed every 5 weeks, it’s not my favourite thing to do, but I do need to look smart for the office.
Alfie McClintock
OFFICE DOG
I love it when all the humans come in for a meeting at head office, I get lots of cuddles and especially the odd treat. My human Mum has a lady come to the office 3 times a week and I get to go out on a huge walk and run, Bleu comes along too to that, so the afternoon in the office I don’t really remember as I sleep through it, which is good for me as being a Beagle I am very inquisitive and want to see what’s going on.
Bleu
OFFICE DOG
I am a Bedlington Terrier and people find me fascinating because of my fabulous looks. No offence Dennis and Alfie! I too love it when the humans come for training or meetings, more cuddles and the odd treat!
My human Mum also sends me with Alfie for walks 3 times a week, which is great and I, like Alfie snooze the afternoon away. Its great and dream of all the cuddles I get from the children and young people when they come and visit us here at head office.
