Children's Home run by Horizon Care and Education Group Limited in Staffordshire

children and young people since the most recent full inspection

This home was judged good at the last full inspection. At this interim inspection Ofsted judge that it has declined in effectiveness .

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children and young people since the most recent full inspection

Two young people have lived here for over 18 months. A young person who was placed in April 2016 moved out in September 2016 when the manager concluded that the situation had become dangerous and the needs of the young person could no longer be met. Another young person moved in during December 2016.

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children and young people since the most recent full inspection

Widespread issues with staffing and leadership since the last inspection means that young people have experienced a decline in the quality of their care.

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children and young people since the most recent full inspection

Young people are no longer making good progress. Clinicians and managers have described one young person’s last seven months as traumatising. Young people have been running away, attacking others, bullying, self-harming, damaging the home, making allegations about staff, accessing sexual adult material on-line and using inappropriate adult electronic games. Young people have complained about staff and neighbours have complained to the organisation, Ofsted and the police.

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children and young people since the most recent full inspection

Staff are not providing good quality safe care and do not work consistently alongside the manager as a team. Staff complain that other staff let young people get away with things instead of working with them on their problems. For example, some staff allow a young person to use games that contain sexual and adult language.

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children and young people since the most recent full inspection

Young people do not receive the therapeutic care that is promised in the home’s statement of purpose. The statement of purpose says: ‘Each young person has their own key worker who works closely with the home manager and colleagues from Education, Clinical Support services and other agencies to ensure implementation, review and development of individual Care, Health and Education plans.’ This model of care is not being delivered. Young people have few individual sessions with a key worker and these are mostly in response to serious behaviour incidents. Staff have not received regular monthly advice from a clinical representative during the last seven months. The manager can think of only three occasions since the last inspection when a clinician has contributed to care planning for any young person here. Clinical advice has been given only in response to crises in the home, when dynamics between the young people have

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children and young people since the most recent full inspection

become dangerous. For example, in September, the manager met with the clinician and the social workers for the three young people then in placement. It was agreed that staff had not been able to stabilise one young person since his arrival in April and that this was having an adverse effect on the other young people. This young person was moved.

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children and young people since the most recent full inspection

Staff do not work in a planned, confident way that is personalised to young people’s needs. Staff meetings are irregular. Meetings are poorly attended and documented. Therapeutic assessment advice given to staff by the manager and clinicians is not recorded on behaviour management and care planning records. Plans are not kept up to date and staff do not refer methodically to them. These shortfalls prevent learning, advice and strategies for care being known to staff or used by them. For example, both managers and staff are confused about the terms on which a newly placed young person can have a mobile phone and access to social media. Overall, staff and the manager are not making a clear contribution to young people’s plans. Young people feel angry, confused, and unhappy here and continued incidents of unsafe behaviour occur.

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children and young people since the most recent full inspection

Young people are not receiving enough help to understand and manage the impact of their past experiences of abuse and neglect. Staff are not confidently helping young people to develop resilience and skills to manage family life and have safe peer friendships. Staff do not have enough understanding of each young person’s risks or the plans to minimise them. Young people do not always know who is caring for them because peripatetic or unqualified staff are covering shift leader and senior positions. Staff are frequently moved, off sick or unavailable due to complaints and allegations. Agency staff are often used to provide extra cover at times of crisis.

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children and young people since the most recent full inspection

Overall, young people are not making good progress towards their long term plans for foster placement or safe return to home areas. Instead, young people struggle in even small group situations. They make allegations about one another and about staff. At the time of the inspection, managers had drafted in extra staff for two weeks in an effort to regain order and safety for young people.

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children and young people since the most recent full inspection

One young person is making some progress. The home’s independent visitor said at the beginning of December, ‘Staff continue to support [young person] using a warm and nurturing approach. She is encouraged to engage with peers in the community to develop friendships.’ However, this young person has witnessed regular disruption that affects her stability and safety. She has been racially abused and has been encouraged to run off and engage in disruptive behaviour by other young people. Staff do not spend as much quality time with her as she should have. Previously she had a friend stay overnight but she cannot benefit from this again because of ongoing staffing and behaviour issues.

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children and young people since the most recent full inspection

The manager and staff do not demonstrate confidence and skill in hearing young people’s views, wishes and feelings, and balancing them against what is in young people’s best interests. Young people’s group meetings are not happening weekly. The manager has not maintained consistent or prompt feedback to young people’s requests. The manager has not kept up to date with debriefs of behaviour incidents. She has not yet got to know a new young person who has been in placement for three weeks at the time of the inspection. There have been serious incidents of harm and damage because the new young person feels that staff are inconsistent about the rules around her phone, bank card, lighter and phone charger. Similarly, the manager has not always acted clearly, consistently and promptly when young people have complained. Internal investigations into staff conduct are ongoing months after complaints have been raised and young people

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children and young people since the most recent full inspection

do not know what is happening. Staff and neighbours complain that staff have no control over young people’s behaviour. Some serious incidents have not been reported to Ofsted.

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children and young people since the most recent full inspection

Young people’s progress in education has declined. Staff and the manager have not done enough to help young people overcome the barriers to learning that they experience. For example, one young person’s new specialist placement failed on the second day because he had a serious behaviour incident there. Another young person is experiencing ongoing difficulties with peer relationships in school. Staff and the manager cannot demonstrate any real impact in helping the young person overcome these difficulties. The home’s monthly visitor recommended that staff and managers should be more proactive with local authority and education colleagues in seeking solutions to young people’s issues. At present, young people’s long-term plans for foster placements are jeopardised because of continuing behaviour difficulties and emotional needs that affect seriously on their education. The manager and staff have not met these needs and have not made a

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children and young people since the most recent full inspection

clear enough contribution to social worker’s long term planning in the light of present difficulties. As a result, young people are uncertain about their futures and are not able to accept help.

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children and young people since the most recent full inspection

Young people have asked for changes of key worker and have said that they feel happier when some members of staff are not working. An atmosphere persists when young people do not feel confident in all staff. As a result, young people’s behavioural and emotional difficulties persist. Serious incidents involving all the young people took place in September and December. On both occasions staff could not manage, neighbours were disturbed and the police required to assist.

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children and young people since the most recent full inspection

All the difficulties experienced at the home has meant the manager has not successfully maintained good quality care in the home since the last inspection. The manager has not implemented any of the plans that she made three months ago following her six-month review of care. She has not achieved a balanced senior staff team. She has not been able to regularly provide supervision to all staff. She has not effectively addressed the wave of staff issues and behaviour management issues that have adversely affected the quality of care over the last seven months. Staff have not benefitted from specialist training on attachment and self-harm.

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Information about this children's home

The home is registered to provide care for three children with emotional and/or behavioural difficulties. The home specialises in preparing children for family placement. The home forms part of a large social care company.

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Recent inspection history

Inspection date Inspection type Inspection judgement 11 May 2016 Full Good 02 February 2016 Interim Declined in effectiveness 24 November 2015 Full Good 06 March 2015 Full Good

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Statutory Requirements

This section sets out the actions which must be taken so that the registered person/s meets the Care Standards Act 2000, 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 with the given timescales.

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Requirement Due date

6: The quality and purpose of care standard

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Requirement Due date

In order to meet the quality and purpose of care standard, the registered person must—

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Requirement Due date

(2)(b)ensure that staff— (ii) protect and promote each child’s welfare; (iv) provide personalised care that meets each child’s needs, as recorded in the child’s relevant plans, taking account of the child’s background; (v) help each child to understand and manage the impact of any experience of abuse or neglect; (vi) 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. 10 February

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Requirement Due date

7: The children's views, wishes and feelings standard

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Requirement Due date

In order to meet the children’s views, wishes and feelings standard, the registered person must ensure that children receive care from staff who— 1(a) develop positive relationships with them; (b) engage with them; and (c) take their views, wishes and feelings into account in relation to matters affecting the children’s care and welfare and their lives. 10 February

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Requirement Due date

In order to meet the education standard the registered person must ensure— (2)(a) that staff— (i) help each child to achieve the child’s education and training targets, as recorded in the child’s relevant plans; (iii) understand the barriers to learning that each child may face and take appropriate action to help the child to overcome any such barriers. 10 February 5: Engaging with the wider system to ensure children’s needs are met

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Requirement Due date

In order to meet the quality standards, the registered person must, and must ensure that staff— (b) seek to secure the input and services required to meet each child’s needs. 10 February

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Requirement Due date

In order to meet the protection of children standard the registered person must ensure—

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Requirement Due date

(2)(a) that staff— (i) assess whether each child is at risk of harm, taking into account information in the child’s relevant plans, and, if necessary, make arrangements to reduce the risk of any harm to the child; (ii) help each child to understand how to keep safe; (iii) have the skills to identify and act upon signs that a child is at risk of harm; (iv) manage relationships between children to prevent them from harming each other; (v) understand the roles and responsibilities in relation to protecting children that are assigned to them by the registered person; (vi) take effective action whenever there is a serious concern about a child’s welfare; and (vii) are familiar with, and act in accordance with, the home’s child protection policies; (b) that the home’s day-to-day care is arranged and delivered so as to keep each child safe and to protect each child effectively from harm. 10 February

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Requirement Due date

13: The leadership and management standard

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Requirement Due date

In order to meet the leadership and management standard, the registered person must enable, inspire and lead a culture in relation to the children’s home that—

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Requirement Due date

(a) helps children aspire to fulfil their potential; and (b) promotes their welfare. In particular, the registered person must— (2)(a) lead and manage the home in a way that delivers the outcomes, set out in the home’s statement of purpose; (b) ensure that staff work as a team where appropriate; 10 February (c) ensure that staff have the experience, and skills to meet the needs of each child; (e) ensure that the home’s workforce provides continuity of care to each child; (f) understand the impact that the quality of care provided in the home is having on the progress and experiences of each child and use this understanding to inform the development of the quality of care provided in the home; (g) demonstrate that practice in the home is informed and improved by taking into account and acting on— (ii) feedback on the experiences of children, including complaints received. Ensure that a record is made of any complaint, the action taken in

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Requirement Due date

response, and the outcome of any investigation. (Regulation 39 (3)) 10 February

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Requirement Due date

Ensure that the registered person notifies HMCI and each other relevant person without delay if there is any other incident relating to a child which the registered person considers to be serious. (Regulation 40 (4)(e)) 10 February

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Recommendations

To improve the quality and standards of care further the service should take account of the following recommendations:  Ensure that the home plays a full part in promoting the best interests of the child, proactively advocating for the child to ensure that others play their role and deliver the high quality support that is needed. Such partnership working should always take place: before a child arrives; while the child lives in the home and where the child prepares to return home, move to another setting or leave care. Where a placement is made in an emergency, the registered person should quickly engage with relevant persons to provide the best immediate care. ('Guide to the children's homes regulations including the quality standards', page 11, paragraph 2.4)

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Recommendations

 Ensure that the importance of understanding who we are and where we come from is recognised as good social work practice. Staff in homes should play a full role in work of this kind. ('Guide to the children's homes regulations including the quality standards', page 16, paragraph 3.14)

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Recommendations

 Ensure that each child's day-to-day health and well-being needs are met. Staff should work to make the children's home an environment that supports children's physical, mental and emotional health, in line with the approach set out in the home's Statement of Purpose. ('Guide to the children's homes regulations including the quality standards', page 33, paragraph 7.3)

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Recommendations

 Ensure that staff continually and actively assess the risks to each child and the arrangements in place to protect them. Where there are safeguarding concerns for a child, their placement plan, agreed between the home and their placing authority, must include details of the steps the home will take to manage any assessed risks on a day-to-day basis. ('Guide to the children's homes regulations including the quality standards', page 42, paragraph 9.5)

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Recommendations

 Ensure that all staff consistently follow the home's policies and procedures for the benefit of the children in the home's care. Everyone working at the home must understand their roles and responsibilities and what they are authorised to decide on their own initiative. There should be clear lines of accountability. Each home must have clear arrangements in place to maintain effective management when the manager is absent, off duty or on leave. ('Guide to the children's homes regulations including the quality standards', page 54, paragraph 10.20)  Ensure that the registered person and their staff engage proactively with the placing authority to contribute fully to the relevant plans for the child's care on an ongoing basis. ('Guide to the children's homes regulations including the quality standards', page 56, paragraph 11.3)

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Recommendations

 Ensure that as set out in regulations 31-33, the registered person maintains good employment practice. They must ensure that recruitment, supervision and performance management of staff safeguards children and minimises potential risks to them. ('Guide to the children's homes regulations including the quality standards', page 61, paragraph 13.1)

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Recommendations

 Ensure that a record of supervision is kept for staff, including the manager. The record should provide evidence that supervision is being delivered in line with regulation 33(4)(b). It is good practice for a note of the content and/or outcomes of supervision sessions to be kept and to ensure that both the person giving the supervision and staff member have a copy of the record. ('Guide to the children's homes regulations including the quality standards', page 61, paragraph 13.3 and 13.4)

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What the inspection judgements mean

At the interim inspection we make a judgement on whether the home has improved in effectiveness, sustained effectiveness, or declined in effectiveness since the previous full inspection. This is in line with the Inspection of children's homes: framework for inspection.

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Information about this inspection

Inspectors have looked closely at the experiences and progress of children and young people living in the children's home. Inspectors considered the quality of work and the difference adults make to the lives of children and young people. They read case files, watched how professional staff work with children, young people and each other and discussed the effectiveness of help and care given to children and young people. Wherever possible, they talked to children, young people and their families. In addition the inspectors have tried to understand what the children's home knows about how well it is performing, how well it is doing and what difference it is making for the children and young people who it is trying to help, protect and look after. This inspection focused on the effectiveness of the home and the progress and experiences of children and young people since the most recent full inspection.

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Information about this inspection

This inspection was carried out under the Care Standards Act 2000 to assess the effectiveness of the service 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. the guidance raising concerns and making complaints about Ofsted, which is available from Ofsted's website: www.gov.uk/government/organisations/ofsted . If you would like Ofsted to send you a copy of the guidance, please telephone 0300123 4234, or email enquiries@ofsted.gov.uk .

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Information about this inspection

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, workbased learning and skills training, adult and community learning, and education and training in prisons and other secure establishments. It inspects services for looked after children and child protection. If you would like a copy of this document in a different format, such as large print or Braille, please telephone 0300 123 4234, or email enquiries@ofsted.gov.uk . You may reuse this information (not including logos) free of charge in any format or medium, under the terms of the Open Government Licence. To view this licence, visit www.nationalarchives.gov.uk/doc/open-government-licence , write to the Information Policy Team,

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Information about this inspection

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Information about this inspection

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Information about this inspection

Store Street Manchester M1 2WD T: 0300 123 1231 Textphone: 0161 618 8524 E: enquiries@ofsted.gov.uk W: www.gov.uk/government/organisations/ofsted

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